Determining the strongest man in history isn't as simple as looking at a single trophy. It's a messy debate. If you ask a powerlifting purist, they’ll point to the "big three" lifts. Ask a Strongman fan, and they’ll talk about Atlas stones and log presses.
Honestly, the "strongest" is a moving target. Do we value the guy who can deadlift a small car once, or the guy who can carry a 400-pound anchor for a hundred yards?
The Legend of Louis Cyr and Pre-Modern Feats
Before the era of standardized plates and drug testing, we had Louis Cyr. In the late 19th century, this French-Canadian powerhouse became a living myth. Legend says he once back-lifted a platform holding 18 men, totaling roughly 4,337 pounds.
Is it true? Historians like to quibble over the exact numbers, but his proportions were undeniable. Cyr stood 5'10" and weighed over 300 pounds with a 54-inch chest. Even if the numbers were slightly padded by Victorian-era promoters, Cyr’s 500-plus pound one-finger lift is documented enough to make modern gym rats weep.
Paul Anderson: The Pure Power Pioneer
Then came Paul Anderson in the 1950s. You've probably heard the name if you've ever stepped foot in a squat rack.
Basically, Anderson bridged the gap between old-school circus performers and modern Olympic lifting. At the 1956 Olympics, he won gold while battling a fever of 104 degrees. People still talk about his unofficial 1,200-pound squat done in his backyard with weights made of concrete poured into wooden forms.
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While some modern critics question the depth of those squats, the sheer volume of "Big Pappy's" strength paved the way for every super-heavyweight that followed.
The Modern Era: Zydrunas Savickas vs. The Giants
If you look at the raw data, Zydrunas Savickas—better known as "Big Z"—is the most decorated strength athlete to ever live.
He didn't just win; he dominated for decades.
- 4-time World’s Strongest Man winner.
- 8-time Arnold Strongman Classic champion.
- Dozens of world records, particularly in the Log Press.
Savickas had a type of "static strength" that seemed alien. While guys like Mariusz Pudzianowski (a 5-time WSM winner) were faster and more athletic, Big Z could simply move objects that nobody else could budge.
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The 500kg Deadlift Club
In 2016, Eddie Hall did something the medical community thought would literally kill a human. He deadlifted 500kg (1,102 lbs).
He collapsed afterward. Blood vessels in his head burst. He temporarily lost his sight. It was a singular, violent pursuit of a specific record.
But then came Hafþór "Thor" Björnsson. The man famously known as "The Mountain" from Game of Thrones didn't just break Eddie’s record—he did it with a 505kg (1,113 lbs) pull in 2025 that looked... surprisingly smooth.
Thor also broke a thousand-year-old Viking record by carrying a 1,430-pound ship's mast for five steps. Legend says the last guy who tried it, Orm Storolfsson, broke his back on the third step. Thor just walked away and screamed at a camera.
Science vs. Raw Muscle
A 2024 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology looked at Eddie Hall’s body to see what makes a human that strong. They found his "guy rope" muscles—the sartorius, gracilis, and semitendinosus—were 140% to 202% larger than an average man's.
These aren't the "show" muscles. They’re the stabilizers.
The science suggests that the strongest man in history isn't just about big biceps. It’s about pelvic stability and the ability of the nervous system to override the "safety switches" that usually prevent our muscles from tearing our own tendons off the bone.
Who is actually #1?
If we are being objective, the title usually lands on one of three men depending on your criteria:
- Zydrunas Savickas: For his unmatched trophy cabinet and overhead pressing power.
- Bill Kazmaier: Because in the early 80s, he was so much stronger than his competition they actually stopped inviting him to World's Strongest Man so other people could win.
- Brian Shaw: A 4-time WSM winner whose consistency and freakish 6'8" frame allowed him to dominate almost every event for over a decade.
Actionable Insights for Strength Enthusiasts
You probably won't be deadlifting half a ton tomorrow. However, studying these titans offers real-world lessons for your own training:
- Prioritize Stabilizers: Heavy lifting is built on the "guy rope" muscles. Don't skip unilateral work like lunges or specialized hip stability exercises.
- Static vs. Dynamic: True strength requires both. Incorporate "static" holds (like Farmer's carries) alongside your traditional lifts.
- Nervous System Recovery: The strongest men don't just fatigue their muscles; they fry their nerves. If your grip strength is failing or you're feeling "wired but tired," your CNS needs a deload week.
- Mindset of the "Impossible": Before 2016, the 500kg deadlift was considered a death sentence. Now, multiple athletes are chasing 510kg+. Your mental ceiling is often your biggest plateau.
To truly understand the limits of the human frame, you have to look at these outliers not as freaks, but as the blueprint for what the body can do when pushed to the absolute edge of its biological potential.