Dimensions

• Weight: 225 – 235lbs (102.1 – 106.6kg)

• Arms: 22″
• Chest: 57″
• Waist: 34″
• Thighs: 28.5″
• Calves: 20″

Notable Lifts 

• Clean and press – 264 lb (120 kg)
• Snatch – 243 lb (110 kg)
• Clean and jerk – 298 lb (135 kg)
• Squat – 545 lb (247 kg)
• Bench press – 520 lb (240 kg)
• Deadlift – 710 lb (320 kg)

(Arnold posing in the warmup room at the 1974 Mr. Olympia competition)

Biography

While Arnold may not be known as a strength athlete, he is still seen as the spark that ignited the flame of gym culture around the world. Many strength athletes will say that Arnold has been their inspiration, whether it was his godlike physique, his charisma, or simply his success in the sport of body building, Arnold Schwarzenegger had inspired millions around the world to hit the gym in the pursuit for bodily perfection.

(A 19 year old Arnold Deadlifting 616 pounds at the German powerlifting championships, 1966)

Arnold had started his career off as a powerlifter, placing second in his first national competition. It was clear from a young age that Arnold was destined to do great things, however he was more interested in pursuing bodily perfection than he was at being powerlifter. As a result, Arnold began his career as a bodybuilder. Soon after his powerlifting debut, Arnold went on to win Mr. Europe in 1966.

(Arnold posing at the 1975 Mr. Olympia contest)

Arnold had one goal in mind, to be the best bodybuilder to have ever lived. During the peak of his carreer, Arnold was unstoppable. His prime came in the years 1970 – 1975, Where Arnold had won six consecutive Mr. Olympia Titles, the highest title a bodybuilder can earn. Arnold then retired from the sport, but came back in 1980, where he won his seventh Mr. Universe title. After his amazing comeback, Arnold then solidified himself as the best bodybuilder of the time.

(Arnold being sworn into Governor of California, 2003)

Besides his impressive bodybuilding carrer, Arnold has accomplished so much with his life. Not only did he star in some of Americas biggest blockbuster movies including Terminator and Predator, but he also become Governor of California in 2003 until 2011. But before Arnold could do any of this, he had to first move to America and learn English. When Arnold had first moved to America, he was living in an attic space above a gym, where after training for the day, he would spend his evenings studying English. Arnold had come to America with nothing, yet he never gave up on his dream of becoming a star in America.

(Statue of Arnold outside of the Greater Columbus Convention Center)

What I think makes Arnold Such a inspiration to many across the world is the fact that has accomplished so much in his life in many different fields. It really makes one think: “How many lifetimes do I have to live just to accomplish one of these feats.”. Arnold is the perfect example of how handwork and determination are key to ones successes, that no matter how difficult something may seem, you must always keep working toward your dream. Possessing a mindset and drive like Arnolds can lead a person to have a legendary life, that will inspire others and be remembered throughout time.

Sources

“Arnold Schwarzenegger – The Greatest Bodybuilder EverLeave a Reply.” Arnold Schwarzenegger – The Greatest Bodybuilder Ever – IllPumpYouUp.com, 15 Oct. 2004, www.illpumpyouup.com/articles/arnold-schwarzenegger-the-greatest-bodybuilder-ever.htm.

Dimensions

• Height: 5ft 6in
• Weight: 220

Notable Lifts

• Squat – 1019 lbs (equipped)
• Bench press – 584 lbs (eqquipped)
• Deadlift – 901 lbs (raw) 
• Total: 2463.6 lbs (equppied) 

(Coan deadlifting in the 1990 IPF championships)

Biography

Ed Coan is the very definition of a big man in a small package. At only five feet six inches tall and weighing only 220 pounds, Coan was putting up numbers that not only shattered the records in the 220 pound weight class, but the all time world records at the time, outlifting men who outweighed him by over 100 pounds. Coan had started his career strong in 1984, winning the International Powerlifting Championships, which he then would continue to win for eleven straight years. Throughout his active career in international powerlifting competition Ed Coan has set over 71 world records in powerlifting. He became the lightest person to cross the 2,400 lb. barrier in the powerlifting total when he set an all-time powerlifting record total of 2,463 pounds.

(A young Ed Coan in his first international coemption meet, 1984)

Ed Coan was a sensation from the start. Coan had wandered out of gym in Chicago and had immediately started breaking world records, lifting numbers that seemed impossible, even by someone in a heavier weight class. Coan’s best result in a raw, drug tested international competition is 1,035 kg (2,282 lbs) in the 100 kg weight class at the 1994 IPF Senior World Championships. establishing a new world record at the time.

In December of 1998, Ed had shocked the world with a performance of the century when he set a record with a 2463 pound total, becoming the lightest man to total over 2400 pounds. His competition bests where a 1003 pound squat, 573 pound bench, and 901 pound deadlift. Even by todays standards, with more modern equipment and more compressive lifting gear, his record still stands in the 220 pound weight class. Over his career Coan earned world titles in four different weight classes and regularly outlifted men much bigger than himself.

(Coans squat accident during a competition, 2002)

In 2002, while preforming a 970lb squat in competition, Coan had torn his ACL while descending with the weight. He was flung from out under the bar and it was clear that something had went wrong. But Coan was more concerned with the other men competing that day: ” Move me out of the way so someone else can lift”. A normal person would have taken their time getting off the platform, or better yet, wait until paramedics arrived to take him off on a gurney. However Ed is no normal man. He cares about the sport of powerlifting so much that he would rather be dragged off the platform in a hurry so that another lifter may lift, rather than have everyone surround him worried about his well being.

(Andrey Meeting his idol, 2014)

Though Ed Coans Competitive career may have ended, his influence as lifter is still very real. Today Coan is still acknowledged and regarded as a legend in the world of powerlifting, considered by many to be the greatest of all time. Coan spends much of his time mentoring young lifters coming into the sport. Ed’s influence is felt all over the world, and by strength athletes at all levels. Andrey Malanichev is one of these lifter who admires Ed. Although Andrey holds the title of the heaviest total ever lifted by a man, he still refers to Ed as the greatest. “Superstar, You’re a Superstar!” Andrey says as he bows down to Coan. Acts such as this from other legends of a sport go to show how huge of an impact and inspiration that Ed Coan has had on the sport of Powerlifting.

Sources

“Ed Coan.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Coan.

HQ, Breaking Muscle. “Friday Flicks: Powerlifting Legend Ed Coan.” Breaking Muscle, 5 Sept. 2018, breakingmuscle.com/uk/fitness/friday-flicks-powerlifting-legend-ed-coan.

“Ed Coan.” Weight Lifting, Weight Training, Bench Press & Bodybuilding, www.criticalbench.com/Ed-Coan.htm.

(Eddie Flexing his Muscles, showing of his sheer mass)

Dimensions

•  Height: 6ft 3in
•  Weight: 410 lbs

Notable Lifts

In Competition:

• Deadlift with straps and suit 500 kg (1,102 lb; 79 st)– world record
• Rogue Elephant Bar Deadlift with straps – 465 kg (1,025 lb; 73.2 st)
• Axle press – 216 kg (476 lb) strict press – world record
• Log lift – 213 kg (470 lb) strict press – British record, done at Europe’s Strongest Man 2018

Gym lifts (all raw):

• Squat – 405 kg (892.9 lb)
• Bench press – 300 kg (661.4 lb) and 265 kg (584 lb) for 6 reps 
• Leg press – 1,000 kg (2,204.6 lb) for 10 reps

(Eddie deadlifting 455 kg (1,003 lb) during Europe’s strongest man, 2015)

Biography 

Eddie hall grew up in the rough part of the neighborhood, in the skeleton of a once wealthy city. Besides the finical burden that being a strongman has, Eddie has overcome many other personal and external obstacles that where put in his way of becoming the strongest man to have ever lived. This week, we take a look at one of strongman’s greatest success stories, Eddie “The Beast” Hall.

(Eddie during his swimming days as a teenager, 2003)

Hall was born on 15 January 1988 in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. As a teenager, he was a successful competitive swimmer and rugby union player. In 2008, he began working as a mechanic. He trained and competed as a bodybuilder and entered the strongman circuit. In 2010, Eddie had a chance to compete in the England championships organized by Elite Strongman because of injury. Hall making it into the 2010 finals, which he won on his first attempt by half a point.

(Hall dropping a 220 kg (484 lb) log onto his neck after passing out mid lift, 2015)

In 2015, Hall nearly broke his neck while attempting to lift a 220kg (484 lb) up over his head. Hall had gone through the warm ups with no problems. His first and second attempts went up smoothly and were successful. On his last attempt, he gets the log to his shoulders and presses it with speed, and at first it looks as though the log will go up with no problem. Suddenly, Eddie begins to stumble, with nearly a quarter ton over his head and drops the log onto his neck, which then rolls over his head, and then catapults him back against the wall. Hall had passed out during the most dangerous part of the lift and it nearly cost him his life, but that didn’t stop Eddie and his quest to become the worlds strongest man, and shock the world with his feats of strength.

(Eddie lifting an all time world record of 500kg (1,1002 lb) during Europe’s strongest man, 2016)

A little over a year after the log press accident, Eddie hall shocked the world In July 2016 when Hall had done the impossible. Hall had proclaimed that he would lift half a metric tone (500kg or 1,1o2 lb), which would make him the first man to have ever lift such a weight. Many critics laughed at him saying it could not be done, but when Eddie had begun to move the earth from under his feet so that he could lift the bar, a 10,000 person crowd erupted as they had just witnessed a piece of human history. The lift however took a huge toll onto Eddies body. The 500 kg lift made Hall pass out, and he had been bleeding from his mouth, nose and ears, an attempt that Hall said nearly killed him.

(Eddie barely standing over his opponents, Hafthor Bjorsson (left) and Brian Shaw (right))

In 2017, Halls life long dream of becoming the Worlds strongest man came true. He had bested the Icelandic giant Hafthor Bjorosson and Americas Brian Shaw to win the title of the World’s Strongest Man competition. Moments after his victory, Hall announced his plans to to retire from the strongman. It was no secret that the weight that Eddie was maintaining was taking a huge toll on Eddies health, and Eddie knew that he could not stay at the weight he was and live for very long. Since he retired, Eddie has lost over 50 lbs and is still making gains in  he gym, with a new goal in mind of bench pressing 700 lbs.

Sources

English, Nick. “Eddie Hall Is Losing Almost 2 Pounds Per Week – Will He Do Bodybuilding?” BarBend, 13 Dec. 2018, barbend.com/eddie-hall-weight-loss/.

Sport, Telegraph. “Britain’s Eddie Hall Defeats Game of Thrones Star The Mountain to Be Crowned World’s Strongest Man.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 28 May 2017, www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2017/05/28/britains-eddie-hall-defeats-game-thrones-star-mountain-crowned/.

Jack de Menezes @JackdeMenezes. “World’s Strongest Man Athlete Nearly Dies Breaking World Record.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 12 July 2016, www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/eddie-hall-nearly-died-after-passing-out-following-new-deadlift-world-record-of-500kg-a7132306.html.