Vasily Alexeev. Born in 1942 in a village near city Ryazan, Alexeev had been practicing independently for many years: there were no coaches weightlifting in his native land. The result was impressive: Alexeev is the owner of 80 world records in weightlifting! Between 1970 and 1978, he never lost any competitions. He has twice won the title of Olympic champion and eight-time champion of the world. For several years he officially wore the title of the strongest man on the planet.
Paul Anderson. This athlete was born in 1932 in Georgia, in the farmer’s family. In his early years he trained in weight lifting by using a homemade barbells constructed by his father. It was long and sturdy sticks with a large cement blotches on the ends. Paul Anderson twice, in 1955 and 1956, was the winner of the national championship in weightlifting. In 1955 he won a gold medal and in 1956 the title of world champion. However, his greatest achievement was not sports awards, but “Paul Anderson’s Boarding school”, a shelter for children in difficult life situations.
Victor Delamare. His growth was less than 170 cm and weight – 68 kilos. Many people thought about this Canadian man weak. However, this opinion was wrong. Nature has given Victor an unusually strong spine and steel muscles, so he demonstrated the miracles of power. He raised 17 adult men on the back, keeping the weight of 100 pounds with his little finger and brought a horse up stairs. The press called Victor “Canadian Samson”. He was involved in wrestling and showed power stunts only in his spare time: Victor was a policeman.
Mark Henry. He was the star of a famous rating company WWE and one of the few athletes in the world who have achieved outstanding results in several strength sports – wrestling, powerlifting and weightlifting. Henry received the title of world champion in the heavyweight division in wrestling in 2011, won in the competition of athletes “Arnold classic” in 1992 and was a member of the U.S. national team in weightlifting for two Olympics in 1992 and 1996.
Bill Kazmaier. This American man was born in 1953. He became the winner of the competition of athletes “the strongest man in the world” three times and has twice won the title of world champion version of the World Powerlifting Federation. In his youth, Bill entered the University of Wisconsin but left school to actively train in weight lifting. Today, Kazmaier is away from the sport. He lives with his wife and son in Alabama and holds a private fitness club.
Ed Cohen. This man entered history as an athlete who managed to lift the highest weight – his record was 1117 kilograms. Thus Cohen was not an athlete of the heaviest weight category.
Greg Kovacs. He was an electrical engineer, but gave up his career for the sake of bodybuilding and powerliting. He had been one of the most popular athletes in the United States for many years. Soon Kovach decided to become a coach of athletes and left big sport. He quickly gained a reputation as a coach who can do miracles. Alas, his career was short-lived: Greg Kovacs died suddenly of a heart attack at age 44.
Magnús Ver Magnússon. Legend of Iceland, winner of eight national titles and four major athlete winner of the tournament “The strongest man in the world”. He started powerlifting in 1994, and in 1995 already won gold medals in World and European championships for the Russian junior team. Now Magnús has a gym “Giant nest” in Reykjavik, which is very popular among powerlifters.
Angus MacAskill. He is more known as the “Giant Angus”. He was born in 1825 in the small Scottish village. His height was 2 meters 17 centimeters: MacAskill was the tallest man in the world who does not have gigantism gene. Eventually, he found a good use of his power, becoming a member of the famous Barnum circus.
Ivan Poddubny. Career of the fighter began with a visit to the circus. When the fighters began to invite people from the audience to try their strength, Poddubny entered the arena and fought almost all circus strongmen. He was immediately invited to join the troupe, and he accepted the offer. In 1903 he became interested in the French struggle, and soon won all Russian tournaments, and even a world champion. during 40 years of performing he never lost a competition, tournament or championship. Even in his 50 Poddubny continued to work in the circus, shocking doctors by his great physical form.
Marius Pudzianowski. This man has more wins in the competition “The most powerful man in the world” than any other athlete. He became the champion five times! When the sixth year of the tournament Pudzianowski took the second place, he decided not to take part in the competition anymore and focused on martial arts. He became a master of karate and mixed martial arts.
Zydrunas Savickas. At the age of 14 years Zydrunas saw Lithuanian strongman competitions over the television and decided to become an athlete. He exceeded his promise: Savickas became a four-time winner of the tournament “The strongest man of the world” and the eightfold winner of the competition “Arnold Classic”. Zydrunas also has the world record in beam lifting (220 kg).
Brian Shaw. This man became the winner of the competition “The most powerful man in the world” three times and once won the prestigious tournament of athletes “Arnold Classic”. He was the only person in the world who won both competitions in one year. Shaw is a close friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is the author of books about the procedures powerlifters workout.
Louis Cyr. This man is called the most powerful man in our history. Louis Cyr was holding the weight of 250 kilograms by his little finger, raised platform with 18 adult men, carried in his hands a loaded horse and held a weight of three tons on his back. Once Cyr spoke to Queen Victoria, showing her a trick in which he held the reins of four horses. He died in 49 years due to kidney problems, and is considered to be undefeated even today.
Basil Virastjuk. Outstanding Ukrainian athlete was born in Ivano-Frankivsk in the truck driver’s family April 22, 1974. At 10 he started athletics, pushing the nucleus. He is a winner of the title of master of sports of Ukraine, the title “The strongest man in the world”, multiple world champion in the all-around force.
Louis Uni. Strong man was born in France in 1862. At age 14, he ran away from home with a traveling circus, and became an artist-strong man. His power struck imagination: he bent coins with fingers and held iron locomotive wheels over his head. In 1913, when he was already over fifty, Uni was seriously injured. He had torn the muscles of his arms and burst a blood vessel. But Uni quickly recovered from his injuries and went on to perform on stage until his death at age 66.