Ever stood next to a monster truck and thought, "Yeah, I could probably pull that"?
Probably not. But for a tiny group of humans, that’s just a Tuesday. When we talk about the strongman in the world, the conversation usually pivots straight to the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) trophy or whoever currently holds the heaviest deadlift record. But honestly, it’s messier than that. Is the strongest guy the one who can squat a small house, or the one who can carry 400-pound stones for distance without collapsing?
Strength is weird. It's specific.
If you ask a powerlifter, they’ll point to the total of a squat, bench, and deadlift. Ask a Highland Games athlete, and they’ll talk about tossing telephone poles. But the "Strongman" circuit—the one with the giant logs and the Atlas Stones—is where the real freaks of nature live. We are talking about guys like Tom Stoltman, Mitchell Hooper, and the legendary Zydrunas Savickas.
The Evolution of the Strongman in the World
Back in the late 70s, WSM was basically a weird televised experiment. They’d get football players, bodybuilders, and shot putters to pull engines out of cars. It was chaos. Now? It’s a hyper-professional sport where the top guys are basically biological anomalies.
Take Mitchell Hooper. The guy came out of nowhere. A marathon runner turned strongman? That shouldn't work. Physics says a guy with that kind of aerobic engine shouldn't be able to overhead press a 400-pound axle, but he does. He won the 2023 World’s Strongest Man and the Arnold Strongman Classic in the same year. That’s like winning the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same month.
Then you have the Stoltman brothers. Tom Stoltman, the "Albatross," is a literal giant from Scotland. He’s won the WSM title multiple times. His grip strength is terrifying. When he touches an Atlas Stone, it looks like he’s picking up a basketball.
Why Static Strength Isn't Everything
There's a massive difference between "gym strong" and "strongman strong."
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You might see a guy at your local Gold’s Gym deadlifting 700 pounds. Impressive? Absolutely. But can he do it while 10,000 people are screaming, the sun is beating down at 100 degrees, and he just finished carrying a 1,000-pound yoke on his back? Probably not. Strongman requires "moving strength." You have to be mobile. If you're too stiff, you're useless.
Hafthor Bjornsson, famously known as "The Mountain" from Game of Thrones, proved this. He holds the world record for the heaviest deadlift at 501 kilograms (1,104.5 lbs). To do that, he had to transform his body into a literal pillar of muscle. But even Thor struggled when the events got too fast or required too much agility.
The Giants We Can't Forget
We can't talk about the strongman in the world without mentioning Big Z—Zydrunas Savickas.
He’s the GOAT. Period.
The man has won everything. Four WSM titles, eight Arnold Strongman Classics. He wasn't just strong; he was consistent. He competed at the highest level for over two decades. Most guys burn out after five years because their joints literally give up. Savickas just kept winning. His log press was legendary. He’d put 400+ pounds over his head like he was putting a suitcase in an overhead bin.
Then there’s Brian Shaw. Four-time WSM winner. Brian is a student of the game. He built a literal warehouse of equipment just to train. He’s 6'8" and over 400 pounds. Seeing him in a normal chair is hilarious. Seeing him pull a fire truck is terrifying.
The Science of Being a Monster
How do they do it? It’s not just "eating a lot."
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- Caloric Intake: These guys eat 10,000 to 12,000 calories a day. Imagine eating ten steaks and a mountain of rice every single day. It sounds fun for an hour. It’s a full-time job after a week.
- Central Nervous System (CNS) Fatigue: Lifting these weights fries your brain. It’s not just muscle fatigue; it’s your nerves literally refusing to fire.
- Recovery: Cryotherapy, massage, hyperbaric chambers. They spend more time recovering than lifting.
The Modern Era: Hooper vs. Stoltman
Right now, the sport is in a transition. The era of the "unmoving giants" like Shaw and Savickas is winding down. We are seeing more "athletic" strongmen.
Mitchell Hooper is the prime example. He’s "only" around 320 pounds. In this sport, that’s practically a lightweight. But he’s fast. He wins because he doesn't make mistakes. In the 2024 season, the rivalry between Hooper and Tom Stoltman has been the backbone of the sport. Stoltman has the raw power and the height advantage. Hooper has the technique and the cardio.
It’s basically a battle of philosophies. Do you want to be the biggest, or do you want to be the most efficient?
The "World's Strongest" Controversy
Is the WSM winner really the strongman in the world?
Some people argue the Arnold Strongman Classic is a better test. Why? Because the Arnold focuses on "heavy" events. It’s about raw, static power. The WSM is more of a TV show. It has "moving" events like the bus pull or the loading race. Some purists think the WSM rewards athleticism over pure strength.
Honestly, it’s a bit of both. If you want to be called the strongest, you have to be able to do it all. You can't just be a specialist.
The Physical Toll Nobody Talks About
This sport is brutal. Your skin gets ripped off by the stones. Your biceps can tear like wet paper during a tire flip.
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Eddie Hall, the first man to deadlift 500kg, famously said he thought he was going to die after the lift. His blood pressure spiked so high he went blind for a few seconds and had blood coming out of his nose. That is the price of being the strongman in the world. It’s not healthy. It’s an extreme pursuit of the limits of human biology.
Most of these guys have to retire in their late 30s. Their knees are shot. Their backs are fused. It’s a short window of glory.
Training Like a Strongman (Even if You're Not a Giant)
You don't have to be 400 pounds to use these methods. "Strongman training" has become huge in regular gyms.
Farmer’s carries (walking with heavy dumbbells) are arguably the best exercise for your core and grip. Sled pushes build insane leg drive. You don't need a 1,000-pound yoke to get the benefits. Just picking up something heavy and moving with it changes your body in ways a bicep curl never will.
Actionable Insights for the Aspiring Strong
If you're looking to actually understand or even get into this world, stop looking at the scale. Focus on these specific areas:
- Grip is King. If you can’t hold it, you can’t lift it. Stop using straps for every set. Let your hands get tough.
- Posterior Chain Over Everything. Your back, glutes, and hamstrings are the engine. The guys who win WSM don't have the biggest chests; they have the biggest backs.
- Conditioning Matters. If you’re out of breath after one set, you’ll never survive a medley event. You need a gas tank.
- Master the Hinge. Everything in strongman starts with the hip hinge. If your deadlift form is garbage, don't even look at an Atlas Stone.
- Eat for Performance, Not Aesthetics. You need fuel. If you're worried about your six-pack, you're in the wrong sport.
The strongman in the world isn't just a title. It's a testament to what happens when a human being decides that "enough" isn't a word in their vocabulary. Whether it's Hooper’s calculated precision or Stoltman’s raw Scottish power, the sport is currently in a golden age of talent.
Next time you see a guy struggling to carry three bags of groceries, just remember there’s a guy in Scotland currently lifting a 450-pound rock onto a pedestal just for fun. Perspective is everything.
To really dive into the sport, start by following the official Giants Live circuit or checking out the Rogue Invitational. These events often showcase the rawest forms of strength before the big televised WSM specials. Watch the footwork. Notice how they breathe. The strength is obvious, but the technique is where the masters separate themselves from the amateurs. High-level strength is a craft, not just a physical state. You have to learn how to wedge your body against weights that the human frame wasn't designed to support. Master the "bracing" technique—creating internal pressure to protect your spine—and you've already started the journey toward real-world power.