First, I should think about famous strong people from history and modern times. I’ve heard of some strongmen from the past, like Hercules from mythology, but he’s not real. Then there’s Milo of Croton, who was an ancient Greek athlete known for his strength. I think he was a wrestler and won several Olympic games. He supposedly carried a four-year-old calf every day until it became a full-grown ox, which is a pretty intense feat.
In more recent history, there are people like Eugen Sandow, who is often called the father of modern bodybuilding. He was a strongman in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and had an impressive physique for his time. Then there’s Arthur Saxon, a German strongman from the early 20th century who was known for his overhead presses with heavy weights.
Moving to the 20th century, I remember hearing about Paul Anderson, an American weightlifter who won a gold medal in 1956. He was known for his incredible strength, especially in the squat, where he could lift over 800 pounds. That’s massive! Then there’s Vasily Alekseyev, a Soviet weightlifter who won two Olympic gold medals and set multiple world records in the 70s. His clean and jerk record was something like 456 pounds, which is really impressive.
In the realm of strongman competitions, there’s Jon Pall Sigmarsson from Iceland, a four-time World’s Strongest Man winner. He was known for his all-around strength and versatility. More recently, Eddie Hall from the UK won the World’s Strongest Man in 2017 and set the Guinness World Record for the deadlift, lifting 500 kg (1,102 lbs). That’s an incredible feat and probably one of the heaviest deadlifts ever recorded.
I also think about Brian Shaw, a four-time World’s Strongest Man winner, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who won the title multiple times and is also known for his role as The Mountain in Game of Thrones. These guys are modern examples of extreme strength.
But then I wonder, how do you compare these people across different eras? The equipment, training methods, and even the understanding of human physiology have changed so much. For example, Paul Anderson was lifting in the 50s without the same gear or knowledge that athletes have today. So, is he stronger than someone like Eddie Hall, or is it just different?
Also, there’s the consideration of different types of strength. Some people might excel in one area, like the deadlift, while others might be better at overhead presses or squats. So, who is the “strongest” overall?
I should also think about other factors like body size and weight. Some strongmen are massive, which might give them an advantage in certain lifts, but others might be stronger relative to their body weight. For instance, a smaller person lifting a certain weight might be more impressive pound-for-pound than a larger person lifting the same absolute weight.
Another angle is to look at feats of strength outside of sports. For example, there are stories of people performing incredible strength in emergencies, like lifting a car to save someone. But those are usually one-time events and not part of a competition or sport, so they might not be as well-documented or comparable.
I also recall that in the early 20th century, there were strongmen like The Great Sandwina and Louis Cyr who performed amazing feats in circuses and strongman shows. Louis Cyr, for example, could lift a horse off the ground, which is a massive display of strength.
So, putting all this together, it’s hard to pick just one person as the strongest. Each of these individuals has their own remarkable achievements. However, if I had to choose based on the most impressive single feat that’s been recorded and verified, Eddie Hall’s 500 kg deadlift stands out. It’s a massive weight and has been recognized by Guinness World Records, so it’s a solid benchmark.
But then again, someone like Paul Anderson was lifting in a different era without modern training and equipment, so his achievements are also incredibly impressive in context. It’s a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison.
I think the answer depends on how you define strength. If it’s about the heaviest weight lifted in a specific lift, then Eddie Hall might be the answer. If it’s about overall strength, versatility, and dominance in their time, then someone like Jon Pall Sigmarsson or Vasily Alekseyev could be considered. And if you go back further in history, Louis Cyr or Milo of Croton might be the choices.
So, in conclusion, while there isn’t a single definitive answer, Eddie Hall’s 500 kg deadlift is one of the most impressive and well-documented feats of strength in recent times, making a strong case for him as one of the strongest humans of all time.
The question of who is the strongest human of all time is subjective and depends on how one defines strength. However, considering documented feats and modern records, Eddie Hall’s 500 kg deadlift stands out as one of the most impressive and well-verified achievements. This feat, recognized by Guinness World Records, showcases extraordinary strength in a specific lift. While other historical figures like Paul Anderson, Vasily Alekseyev, and Louis Cyr have remarkable strength achievements, Eddie Hall’s record is particularly notable for its sheer weight and modern verification. Thus, Eddie Hall is often highlighted as one of the strongest humans in recorded history, though other strongmen also have impressive claims to strength in different contexts.
