The most powerful man of times and peoples. The most powerful people in the world throughout history - interesting facts. Vasily Virastyuk - strongman from Ukraine

In this article we will try to determine who is the strongest person in the world. So, one of the first here may be, who took first place at the World’s Strongest Man tournament in 2009 and 2010.

Zydrunas Savickas was born on July 15, 1975 in Lithuania in the city of Birzai. At the age of 15, he began to engage in strength sports and almost immediately began to show excellent results. Already at his second competition, he improved the Lithuanian record in triathlon, gained 1000 kilograms, and squatted with a 400 kilogram barbell.

Another representative of the most powerful people in the world is an American living in the city of Fort Lupton (Colorado). His height is 203 centimeters, weight is 190 kilograms. Took first place at the 2011 World's Strongest Man competition.

The Pole (Mariusz Pudzianowski) is a multiple winner of the World's Strongest Man tournament, winning in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008. Mariusz was born on February 7, 1977 in the city of Biala Rawska (Poland). At the age of 15 he started boxing. His height is 186 centimeters, weight is 132 kilograms.

Four-time winners of the World’s Strongest Man tournament are representatives of Ireland Magnus Magnuson and John Paul Sigmarson.

Many believe that the strongest man in the world is a Soviet weightlifter Vasily Ivanovich Alekseev. He was born on January 7, 1942 in Pokrovo-Shishkino (Ryazan region), died on November 25, 2011 in Munich (Germany) at the age of 69 years.

Ukrainian Vasily Virastyuk can also be placed on the list of the most powerful people on the planet. Vasily was born on April 22, 1974 in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. His height is 191 cm, weight is 145 kg.

Virastyuk is the winner of international competitions in all-around strength, holder of the title “The Strongest Man in the World”, won the World’s Strongest Man tournament in 2004, and in 2003 took third place, his website is located on this hosting. Vasily is the owner of several interesting records:

— pulled 5 coupled tram cars with a total weight of 101.5 tons.
— dragged 7 vehicles with a total weight of 11 tons 25 meters.

Well, it’s hard not to recognize this person. made perhaps the most outstanding contribution to the history of bodybuilding. The winner of such competitions as Mr. Olympia (seven-time champion), Mr. Universe and others, he is an idol for many beginners and established athletes.

Arnie was born on July 30, 1947 in the Austrian village of Tal. In 1965 he was drafted into the Austrian army, where he served as a tank driver. In 1967, he became the youngest participant in the Mr. Universe tournament. When he was 21 years old (in 1968) he moved to the USA.

In the USA, thanks to hard work and perseverance, Arnie became one of the most famous people in bodybuilding, cinema, business, and politics. Currently, Schwarzenegger's net worth is estimated at more than $200 million.

Many consider Hercules (Hercules), the son of Zeus and Alcmene, the most powerful man of antiquity. Hercules is best known for his 12 labors.

Since 1977, every athlete who wanted to compete for the title of “The Strongest Man on the Planet” has participated in the show of the same name (World’s Strongest Man). Similar competitions were also held by the International Federation of Strength Athletes (IFSA) and at the Arnold Sports Festival.

But still, due to the diversity of species, it is not possible to determine a single champion; fans everywhere recognize only the winner of their direction or organization. For example, powerlifting fans consider Ed Cohen to be the strongest person in the world, who set maximum records relative to his own weight; or the much larger Andy Bolton - maximum in the absolute. Fans of strongman competitions will name three-time world champion Bill Kazmaier or five-time world champion Mariusz Pudzianowski (pictured above).

All the athletes listed here, of course, deserve to be called the strongest, but only one should remain. To determine the champion, we turned to the man who knows the most about strength competitions: Dr. Terry Todd. Not only was he the winner of America's first national eventing competitions (in 1964 and 1965), but he was also a powerlifter who achieved first-time record totals of 1600 lb (726 kg), 1700 (771 kg), 1800 (817 kg) and 1900 (862 kg). He is also one of the organizers of the Arnold Strongman Classic tournament and the director of the world's largest museum of physical culture and sports (Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports) at the University of Texas. We turned to his extensive collection and examined documented strength records of all time.

Of course, comparing the achievements of athletes from different eras is not so easy: firstly, today pharmaceuticals are used that were clearly not available to the French “Apollo” Louis Uni. Secondly, as Todd notes, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, strongmen did not have the opportunity to constantly train, but only showed their achievements at infrequent performances. Although the spectators were amazed at the unprecedented power, it only developed through these rare demonstrations - there were no preparation systems. So we not only looked at recorded records, but also took into account some potential. Okay, enough introductions, let’s find out the name of the most powerful man on the planet!

No. 10 among the most powerful people on the planet

Brian Shaw, strongman.

Year and place of birth: 1982, USA.

Height: 203 cm.

Weight: 197 kg.

Shaw, who began his sports career in basketball, was among the top three finalists of the World’s Strongest Man seven times and won four times (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016). His competition records include a deadlift of 441 kg and a deadlift with Hummer wheels of 521.5 kg (with straps). The best results in the gym are squat 410.5 kg, bench press 242.5 and deadlift 447 (in straps).

No. 9 among the most powerful people on the planet

Leonid Taranenko, weightlifter.

Year and place of birth: 1956, USSR.

Height: 180 cm.

Weight: 118 kg.

Taranenko set a world record in the clean and jerk (266 kg) and the combined total (475 kg) back in 1988. Due to the revision of weight categories by the International Weightlifting Federation, Taranenko’s achievements have now been replaced by others, but he is still respected by any weightlifter. Do you think it’s easy to bench press a bar that has 6 twenties on each side? Imagine lifting that much above your head - that’s power!

No. 8 among the most powerful people on the planet

Andy Bolton, powerlifter.

Year and place of birth: 1970, England.

Height: 183 cm.

Weight: 159 kg.

Briton Bolton was the first in history to deadlift 1,000 pounds (454 kg). Then he broke his competition record twice: 455 and 457 kg. He is also ranked 4th in the world in squat (550.5 kg) and 3rd in total (1273 kg). Andy said that he dreams of raising a record amount of 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg), which no one in the world has yet achieved.

No. 7 among the most powerful people on the planet

Brian Siders, powerlifter.

Year and place of birth: 1978, USA.

Height: 188 cm.

Weight: 157 kg.

Siders excelled in all competitive lifts of powerlifting: a max squat of 462 kg, a bench press of 362 kg, a deadlift of 392 kg and a best total of 1202 kg. Speaking in bare-knuckle competitions, he bench-pressed 295 kg and deadlifted 381. These records were set without the use of aids, thanks to outstanding genetics and brutal work in the gym.

No. 6 among the most powerful people on the planet

Louis Uni, strongman.

Time and place of residence: 1862-1928, France.

Height: 191 cm.

Weight: 118 kg.

The achievements of the French strongman, nicknamed by his contemporaries the Mighty Apollo, are difficult to compare with today's records; There were no professional judges then; power tricks were more often described by ordinary spectators. Louis was known for his outstanding grip strength, lifting and pushing a railroad axle with a pair of wheels weighing 118 kg ("Apollo Axle"). Also - unlike modern giants - Louis Uni was in excellent physical shape and was engaged in wrestling.

No. 5 among the most powerful people on the planet

Vasil Virastyuk, strongman.

Year and place of birth: 1974, USSR (Ukraine).

Height: 191 cm.

Weight: 145 kg.

Virastyuk became the first winner in two competitions - World’s Strongest Man (2004) and the IFSA World Championship (2007). In addition, the Ukrainian strongman took second place three times at the Arnold Strongman Classic tournament (2005-2007). Currently, forty-year-old Virastyuk is taking a break from competitions, but his records are still inspiring.

No. 4 among the most powerful people on the planet

Paul Anderson, weightlifter, powerlifter.

Time and place of residence: 1932-1994, USA.

Height: 175 cm.

Weight: 159 kg.

Paul Anderson's name is the most controversial on this list; although some people consider him the world's greatest strongman, others are skeptical. There is still some debate as to whether he actually squatted 1,200 pounds (544 kg), but Dr. Todd saw Paul squat 700 (317 kg) 8 times with his own eyes. And this at a time when the official world record (1RM) was a little higher! In weightlifting, Anderson won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

No. 3 among the most powerful people on the planet

Bill Kazmaier, powerlifter, strongman .

Year and place of birth: 1953, USA.

Height: 191 cm.

Weight: 150 kg.

Bill is considered by many to be the strongest of the strong, and it's hard to argue with that. Having become a three-time WSM champion (1980, 1981, 1982), he was removed by the organizers from the 1983 championship - with his participation, no one else had a chance. Bill was the first in history to lift all five McGlashan stones (from 90 to 160 kg). No one could beat his 300-kilogram bench press for many years. If not for a subsequent pectoral muscle tear, Bill might have surpassed this record himself. And his eventing total of 1100 kg (collected in 1981) remains unsurpassed in raw powerlifting - without a bench shirt and squat suit.

No. 2 among the most powerful people on the planet

Mark Henry, weightlifter, powerlifter, strongman, wrestler.

Year and place of birth: 1971, USA.

Height: 193 cm.

Weight: 187 kg.

Mark is a unique athlete who simultaneously became the US champion in weightlifting and powerlifting. But Dr. Todd believes that Mark Henry had incredible potential and could have amazed us even more if he had not switched to wrestling (WWE). So he could very well lay claim to the title of the strongest man of all time. If not for the next one...

No. 1 among the most powerful people on the planet

Zydrunas Savickas, powerlifter, strongman.

Year and place of birth: 1975, USSR (Lithuania).

Height: 191 cm.

Weight: 181 kg.

In our opinion, he is the most powerful athlete of all time. Savickas was the champion of the Arnold Strongman Classic tournament 8 times (2003-2008, 2014, 2016), where strength records are recorded more strictly than at WSM. In 2005, he broke three world records when winning the IFSA World Championships. In 2002, 2004 and 2005, Savickas placed second in the WSM, usually outperforming in pure strength and inferior in tasks that required speed and agility. In 2009, he managed to win, which he repeated several more times (2010, 2012, 2014). In 2015, Savickas set a world record in the log press - 228 kg, in addition to his collection: raw squat 399 kg, deadlift 430 kg, bench press 286 kg.

A difficult question that does not have a clear answer. Every country has successful athletes who show amazing results. At the same time, history remembers many record holders who amazed the world with unique achievements. At different times, different men and women have occupied the podium in weightlifting and other disciplines. However, there is an unspoken list that lists the strongest people in the world. We suggest considering the rating and best records. Their achievements make us admire athletes!

5 The Strongest People on the Planet

In 2009, Zydrunas Savickas received the status of the strongest man on the planet. It was during this period of time that a Lithuanian from the city of Birzai won the “Heroic Games”. Born July 15, 1975. While still a small boy, he stood out among his peers with his large body and tall stature. At the age of 14, he began to master powerlifting. Later he took part in competitions. At the World Championships, this athlete set a Lithuanian record by squatting 400 kg. It should be noted that this is the only person in the world who managed to win the Arnold Classic Strongest Man twice in a row.

Multiple world champion in all-around strength. One of the strongest people comes from Ivano-Frankivsk. At the age of 10, Vasily began weightlifting. Later he started doing additional shot put. This is how his professional sports career began. After the army, Virastyuk began working as a sports coach. Until 2000, he held a high-ranking position in the Sports Federation of Ukraine. At the same time, Vasily was engaged in the all-around Strongest Men event. Recognized as the strongest in 2004 and 2007. In his career, a lot of records were recorded, including pulling 5 trams weighing 101 tons.

The famous actor, bodybuilder and even politician Arnold Schwarzenegger is also one of the strongest, because he is a seven-time winner of the Mr. Olympia title. Arnold was born in the village of Tal near Styria. Started weightlifting at the age of 15. In 1967 he became the youngest Mr. Universe. Later he began to win every possible bodybuilding competition. The famous weightlifter went down in history as one of the strongest people and, of course, as the Terminator. However, during his life he tried different fields of activity, including bureaucracy.

Born in Pokrovo-Shishkino, near Ryazan. During his life, this bodybuilder set 81 records in the Soviet Union. In addition, he managed to set 80 world records in the super heavy weightlifting category. To date, no one has achieved such results. And the reason is not only that the eventing competition was celebrated. We are talking about current records in the field of weight lifting. The two-time world and Olympic champion, seven-time USSR champion and legend of our homeland has already left our world, but his merits still remain undeniable.

Strength and power are what have always surprised, inspired and caused a flow of inspiration among humanity. Strong people, or, as they are also called, strongmen, undoubtedly deserve your attention, because they are not only a standard of strength, but also an example of endurance, perseverance and incredible faith.

Especially if this fact concerns the male half of our society: the ideal of all girls is a strong and reliable man who could protect his other half from all the hardships and difficulties of life.

Today we will talk not just about the strong, but about the strongest men on the planet, whose names will forever remain in the memory of their fans and millions of other people. These people amazed with their actions, tricks and records; they managed to become the best of the best, and therefore undoubtedly deserve respect.

1. Joe Rollino

We open our top 10 with the oldest and most amazing strongman on the planet, who was called the Dundee Kid. This man managed to live 104 years, and on his last birthday he managed to delight guests with an impressive trick of bending a coin.

Joe did not drink alcohol and was a vegetarian, who knows, maybe to some extent because of this he was able to shock the whole world with his unimaginable strength. World fame came to Joe Rollino after he managed to lift about half a ton from the ground, for which he received the title of the strongest man in the world in 1920.

1. Evgeniy Sandov

It is this man who is called the founder of bodybuilding, despite the fact that at the time when he was engaged in this, there were no such competitions and trends in sports. Evgeniy was born in 1867, was half German, but for his sports career he took his mother’s surname.

Did you know that the gold-plated figurine with the image of a bodybuilder, which is awarded to the first bodybuilders in the world, is a figurine that depicts Evgeniy Sandow? At the beginning of the last century, he was awarded the title of “professor” of physical education and, as we have already said, became the founders of a sport that is now considered one of the most masculine.

1. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Perhaps this personality does not need advertising or any special introduction, because, in fact, this is a man of the era! The young man began active strength training at the age of 15, and soon he began to earn such prestigious titles and awards as Mr. Universe or Mr. Olympia.

Despite the fact that Schwarzenegger’s strength career ended quite a long time ago, today he still remains the most prominent and recognizable bodybuilder of our time.

1. Sergio Oliva

A Cuban hero who, already at the age of 20, managed to acquire the title of the most promising bodybuilder of his time.

Immediately after this, Sergio immigrated to the United States, where his active career as a strongman began: he edited his training system and managed to acquire such a form that it shocked even Schwarzenegger himself, who was still very young at that time. He is a three-time champion of the Mr. Olympia competition.

1. Steve Reeves

The famous “Hercules”, as well as a wonderful actor in many other roles, Steve Reeves, is not only a successful movie star, but also the youngest bodybuilder in the history of bodybuilding. Despite the fact that the young man was not predicted to have a brilliant future in the field of physical education, Steve managed to win the title of “World Champion” in 1948, and 2 years later, “Mr. Universe”.

1. Vasily Alekseev

The territory of the former Soviet Union had its own strongmen, and among them was Vasily Alekseev, who held 81 records within the USSR and only 1 less records around the world. By the way, no one has yet been able to repeat some of his achievements and tricks. At that time, although not officially, Vasily bore the title of the strongest man on the planet.

1. Dorian Yates

Surprisingly, this man did not always dream of a future as a bodybuilder; he was once a skinhead and even spent six months in a correctional facility.

However, a few years later, the young man became the best British Champion, subsequently received the title of Mr. Olympia, where he competed with a serious injury and, as a result, ended his career as a bodybuilder.

1. Vasily Virastyuk

In 2004, he confirmed the title of the strongest man on the planet at the world level, and literally three years later he won it again. In front of the discouraged spectators, Vasily managed to move a load from place to place, the total weight of which was about a hundred tons!

1. Franco Colombo

Surprisingly, the Italian Franco got into the world of big-time sports, and, specifically, bodybuilding, thanks to his chance acquaintance with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Although he was not as powerful as the Hollywood star, Franco managed to win a number of his victories: he became Mr. Olympia after a severe knee injury, from which he managed to recover thanks to the program that he himself developed.

1. Bruce Khlebnikov

Without a doubt, Bruce is the youngest in our top, because he is only 25 years old today. However, in such a short period of his life, he managed to achieve mind-blowing results, and most of his records are listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

For example, one of them: drag a boat weighing 14 tons by hair over a distance of 15 meters, and then move a 17-ton bus! But Bruce is still so young and we hope that he has everything ahead of him.

Everyone knows the Olympic motto: “Faster! Higher! Stronger!" Sometimes athletes achieve unimaginable records in speed, endurance and physical strength. Such people always attract public attention and inspire admiration. Who are these incredible strongmen? What is the secret of their success?

1. Joe Rollino (1905-2010). Let's skip ahead and let the famous centenarian of the 20th century, Joe Rollino, open the ranking of world strongmen. He died just a couple of months before his 105th birthday, and then by tragic accident - he was hit by a car. During his lifetime, “Baby Dundee,” as he was called, participated in boxing matches and, with his modest height of 165 cm and weight of 68 kg, defeated all his opponents, incl. from more significant categories.

In 1920, he was awarded the title "The Strongest Man in the World." In addition to victories in the ring, Joe had other achievements: he could hold a weight of 290 kg with his fingers, and he could hold up to 215 kg with his teeth. On his 104th birthday, Rollino bent a thick coin with his fingers. From his youth, Joe was a vegetarian, did not smoke, did not drink alcohol at all, and adhered to a sports regime.

2. Zydrunas Savickas (born 1975) This person can squat 400kg, bench press 285kg, and deadlift 407kg. And all this without special equipment! Lithuanian athlete Zydrunas Savickas, nicknamed “Big Z,” won all the strength tournaments in which he participated.

He was awarded the title of the strongest on the planet four times: in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014. Zydrunas has won the Arnold Classic eight times. In the entire history of these competitions, no one else has achieved such a result.

6. Bill Kazmaier (born 1953)“Big Kaz” won the title of the strongest man on the planet for three years in a row (from 1980 to 1982), for which he was suspended from participation in competitions in 1983 - the organizers believed that he simply did not give other athletes a chance.

For a long time no one could beat his bench press record with a weight of 300 kg. Surprisingly, he set another record on the same day: in a raw powerlifting competition, he lifted a total of 1100 kg (squat + deadlift + bench press).

7. Mariusz Pudzianowski (born 1977) The only 5-time holder of the title of the strongest man on the planet (in competitions from 2002 to 2008). And in those years when he did not win, the athlete took second place.

The Polish powerlifter has been training since he was 13 years old. Now Mariusz lifts 290 kg in the bench, 379 kg in the squat and 415 kg in the deadlift.

8. Bruce Khlebnikov (born 1989) The TOP 10 strongest people will continue with the youngest living athlete - Bruce Khlebnikov. It may seem that the strength of this young man is in his hair, because with the help of it he performs his tricks.

At the age of 11, he moved a 38-ton crane, which was tied to his hair, by 10 cm, and a year later he moved a 4-ton Albatross aircraft by 1.5 m. At the age of 12, the boy installed, moving two combat aircraft - a fighter weighing 4 tons by 142 cm using hair and a bomber weighing 12 tons by 68 cm using shoulder straps.

9. (1942-2011) The Soviet weightlifter managed to set 80 world records and 81 USSR records.

Alekseev became a 2-time Olympic winner, 8-time world champion (from 1970 to 1977) and 8-time European champion. He set a record for the sum of three exercises - 645 kg, which was never broken by anyone.

10. (born 1966) Tyson is one of the most famous athletes in the history of world boxing, a man with the strongest punch (about 800 kg).

The “King of Knockouts” has a lot of regalia: the absolute world champion in the heavy weight category among professionals, the world champion according to WBC, WBA, IBF and The Ring. Tyson's name is included in the Guinness Book of Records for having the most fastest knockouts and for becoming the youngest world heavyweight champion.

The most powerful people in Russia

The Russian land has always been famous for its strongmen. Starting from the history of the three heroes to the present day, one can give a lot of examples of the strongest people in the country. In Russia, a special competition is held to determine the strongest person in the country.

For 4 years in a row, this title was held by a native of Bashkiria, Elbrus Nigmatullin. During his participation in the competition, he set many world records, but especially amazed fans when in 2006 he first pulled the 186-ton motor ship Ivan Kalita along the Moscow River for 10 meters, and then a ship weighing 760 tons for 20 m.

In 2010, Nigmatullin refused to participate in the competition, and Sergei Kharlamov received the title of the strongest. To win the victory, he had to squeeze weights, lift logs, run a relay race with a 100-kilogram stone and turn over tires that weighed more than 320 kg.

Two years later, the honorary title went to the athlete Alexei Zolotukhin. To do this, he had to complete the “Yok” relay with a weight of 380 kg, the “Farmer’s Walk” exercise with a double weight of 140 kg, as well as the “Shield” relay with a 200 kg load over 10 m and carry out 8 flips of a 350 kg tire. The point in determining the winner was set when Alexey turned and threw a stone weighing 160 kg 7 times in just 73 seconds.

Among powerlifters in 2017, the palm is held by Mikhail Koklyaev, an 8-time champion of Russia in weightlifting. The athlete set an absolute record for deadlift - 417.5 kg.

In second place is Konstantin Pozdeev, his record is 404 kg. The athlete is also the absolute world, European and Russian record holder for deadlift without equipment in the category up to 110 kg.

Vladimir Bondarenko closes the top three with a record of 400 kg. The athlete was a member of the “golden” Russian team, which won for 8 years in a row.

Photos of all these athletes often adorn the covers of the best sports magazines, and some of them can be seen on television and in films. All of the above men really belong to the “stronger sex” in the literal sense of the word. Their records seem impossible, they will forever remain in people's memory. But with every decade, athletes appear who set new world records and turn out to be stronger than the previous ones.