Top 10 Strongest People in Human History

Neither Saitama, Superman, nor even the grandma whose pie you dared to ignore made it into this list. Firstly, they don’t meet the main criterion — being real individuals with tangible achievements. Secondly, creating such a ranking requires a serious approach.

The question of who are the strongest people in the world is endlessly debatable. Every culture has its own “heroes” with legendary strength. However, every title and record should be supported by evidence. For instance, the World’s Strongest Man competition crowns the planet’s mightiest person each year. But what about arm wrestlers, powerlifters, circus athletes, and other strength enthusiasts? Are they worthy of being on the list? Absolutely. That’s why this top 10 doesn’t rank by position — each individual is included for their unique and outstanding feats.

Ivan Poddubny

Although the World Wrestling Champion in Paris from 1905 to 1908 didn’t have officially documented weightlifting records, Ivan Maksimovich Poddubny is traditionally regarded as the most famous representative of the old-school strongmen. His brilliant career began in 1896 when he defeated all notable athletes at the Feodosia circus of Beskaravainy:

• Georg Lurich

• Nikita Razumov

• Ivan Borodanov

• Sen Pappi

From 1897, he performed as a kettlebell lifter and wrestler in circus shows, initially mastering Russian belt wrestling. In 1903, he switched to French (Greco-Roman) wrestling. From 1899, he joined the troupe of the Italian Truzzi brothers. In “drilling” wrestling for prestige and money, he was considered unbeatable. Pyotr Yaroslavtsev, organizer of tournaments featuring Poddubny, claimed he never witnessed Ivan lose a competitive match.

There’s no doubt that many strong individuals lived during his era, but Poddubny stood out with exceptional endurance and skill. No wonder he earned the title “Champion of Champions.”

Alexander Zass

All bodybuilders dream of his physique and proportions. With biceps like forged steel, chiseled triceps, and massive trapezius muscles, the body of Alexander Ivanovich Zass was a masterpiece. He performed under the stage name “The Amazing Samson” or “Iron Samson.”

From a young age, Zass developed his own training system focused on strengthening tendons. Unlike traditional muscle-building exercises, his method relied on isometric training. Despite modest stats (height: 167.4 cm, peak weight under 76 kg, chest circumference at full breath: 120 cm, biceps: 41 cm), he developed monstrous strength and could perform unbelievable feats for his time:

• Broke chains, bent metal rods and horseshoes

• Juggled 32 kg kettlebells

• Carried a piano with the pianist on stage

He also invented the hand dynamometer and, during World War I, reportedly carried a wounded horse out of the battlefield on his shoulders.

Vasily Alekseyev

The legendary Soviet weightlifter, multiple-time World, European, and USSR Champion. He was the first and still the only athlete in weightlifting history to achieve a phenomenal combined total of 600 kg:

• Press: 213 kg

• Snatch: 170 kg

• Clean and jerk: 217.5 kg

Vasily Ivanovich Alekseyev set over 80 records, many of which remain unbeaten to this day. Even today’s strongest people aim to surpass them — which says a lot.

Paul Edward Anderson

Recognized as one of the strongest men in human history. He won the 1956 Olympic Games and took gold at the World Weightlifting Championship a year earlier. He could carry more than eight people on his back, not counting the weight of the platform. He could drive a nail through thick boards with his hand. He lifted 173 kg dumbbells in a standing press with one arm and held 127 kg kettlebells in each hand — on his pinky fingers. In professional strength demonstrations, he lifted up to 1600 kg to knee height.

Zydrunas Savickas

A Lithuanian strongman and powerlifter known to all strength athletes worldwide. “Big Z” won the World’s Strongest Man title four times, topped the podium eight times at the Arnold Strongman Classic, and was frequently named the “World’s Strongest Man” by various respected sources.

His records include:

• Log lift: 229 kg

• Squat: 400 kg

• Powerlifting total: 1127.5 kg

• One-arm shot put: 25 kg to a height of 5.2 m

• Tire deadlift: 525 kg (biceps grip)

• Farmer’s walk (20 m with 150 kg in each hand): 7.54 seconds

Throughout his career, he won all major strength competitions.

Mariusz Pudzianowski

Arguably one of the most versatile strongmen in the ranking. This Polish powerlifter collected five World’s Strongest Man titles and remained unbeaten as the European Champion in strength athletics from 2002 to 2004. He holds a 4th kyu in karate, plays rugby, and has competed in professional MMA since 2009.

Tom Stoltman

A British professional strongman who has not yet flooded the tabloids but has already claimed the World’s Strongest Man title three times. Nicknamed “The Albatross” for his enormous arm span, Stoltman is known for his mastery of the Atlas Stones. He set several records with them, breaking all previous benchmarks.

Hafthor Bjornsson

If you’ve watched the iconic series “Game of Thrones,” you’ll remember this giant as Gregor Clegane, also known as “The Mountain.” Standing over two meters tall and packed with muscle, he’s intimidating — but offscreen, this Icelandic athlete and actor is known for his kind personality.

In 2018, he won the title of World’s Strongest Man. At the “World’s Strongest Viking” competition in Norway, he broke a 1,000-year-old record by dragging a 10-meter-long, 650-kg log. He was repeatedly crowned the strongest man in Iceland.

Oleksii Novikov

After Vasyl Virastyuk, he became the second Ukrainian strongman and weightlifter to win the World’s Strongest Man competition. Novikov also set a world record in the deadlift with a result of 537.5 kg. He holds records in the horizontal hammer tire press, one-arm dumbbell lift, and the Flintstone press. Additionally, he won the Arnold Strongman Classic South America and numerous national and international contests.

Edward Stephen Hall

The giant from Staffordshire once held the absolute world record in equipped deadlift at 500 kg. Eddie Hall also squats 405 kg and bench presses 300 kg.

Interestingly, in March 2022, the sports world anticipated a showdown: a boxing match between two of the strongest men on Earth — Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson. Their rivalry began long before the fight.

In 2017 at the World’s Strongest Man tournament, Bjornsson accused Hall of cheating. Tensions rose in 2020 when Bjornsson broke Hall’s deadlift record (lifting 501 kg). Hall questioned the validity of the feat, as it was set outside an official competition.

In response, the Icelander challenged Hall to settle it in the boxing ring, and Hall accepted. Unfortunately for the Brit, the bout in Dubai ended in defeat. By unanimous decision (57:54, 57:54, 57:54), victory went to “The Mighty Thor” from Iceland.