5 Awesome Strongman Physiques!

Each year, a group of men gather together to show off their superhuman strength to us at the World’s Strongest Man competition. They pull, push, drag and carry weights that are beyond the ability of us ordinary mortals. Recently we had the fascinating task of selecting 5 Awesome Strongman Physiques, see if you agree!

1. Mariusz Pudzianowski

The physique of five times World’s Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski looked like it belonged on a bodybuilding stage. Weighing approximately 140kg with a 58 inch chest, the Polish strongman with well defined, visible abs was considerably lean for such a big bodyweight. Typical bodybuilding exercises like lat pulldowns and cable crossovers were used in his training on top of the barbell basics and strongman conditioning work. Although Mariusz switched sports from strongman to MMA in 2009, it is interesting to think how he would have fared in a bodybuilding career.

2. Derek Poundstone

American strongman Derek Poundstone presented a powerful package in his days of competing. Weighing around 155kg, Derek owned a wide pair of shoulders, a broad back and well developed arms. His best finish was a 2nd place at the World’s Strongest Man in 2008. His bulging biceps could be seen when he was pulling super heavy planes and trucks. If you want biceps like Derek’s, his 100 rep barbell curl challenge is well worth a try!

3. Svend Karlsen

Winner of the World’s Strongest Man in 2001, the Norwegian Viking powerhouse Svend Karlsen was another competitor with a well-muscled physique. He had had good success as an amateur bodybuilder, placing 2nd in the World Games, and some success as a professional bodybuilder before competing as a strongman. He also had a background in powerlifting and could bench press 260kg and deadlift 410kg. Svend’s bodyweight was around 130kg and his measurements included 22 inch arms and 32 inch thighs.

4. Jon Pall Sigmarsson

This strongman from Iceland was certainly one of the most charismatic strongman competitors. The first man to win four World’s Strongest Man titles, Sigmarsson had a physique which stood out in the competitor line up. Like Karlsen, he was an experienced bodybuilder before joining the ranks of world class strongmen. Whether lifting logs overhead or flipping cars over, you could easily see that his physique carried solid muscle everywhere.

5. Franco Columbu

Right from the first World’s Strongest Man competition in 1977 there has been no shortage of muscular physiques. One of the most distinct bodies in this competition was surely the Sicilian Mr. Olympia winner Franco Columbu. Franco has one of the greatest physiques in bodybuilding history and in this competition he proved that his muscles aren’t just for show. He beat many of the competitors in the show’s 10 events and we got to see his pumped arms bending steel and powerful legs pulling a tram weighing thousands of pounds. Despite sustaining a serious injury near the end of the competition and missing an event, the muscleman put in a commendable performance placing fifth out of eight competitors.

Okay, we may have called this 5 awesome strongman physiques but we’re going to sneak in a couple more names for you to have a look at while you browse online for strongman stuff. Check out the 26 inch arms of Manfred Hoeberl and the massive traps of Bill Kazmaier, you’ll be impressed! Our next strongman feature will look at the best of British strongman physiques so stay tuned for that. What do you think of ‘strongman’ as a sport, and who’s influenced you?  Let us know below, join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!  (Into the iron game? Then check out these awesome weightlifter physiques and Bodybuilding Legends!)

Alan Riseborough

Alan is a strength and physique enthusiast and has 28 years' of training experience behind him. He has competed in powerlifting, arm wrestling, bodybuilding and grip strength competitions. He also includes rigorous bodyweight, sprinting and kettlebell training regularly in his routines. He believes in the transformative power of the squat which is (believe it or not) his favourite exercise!

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