Over the years, I’ve lifted some pretty heavy weight and pushed myself to the absolute limit. But when it comes to raw, static strength, one man stands above the rest: Eddie Hall.
I recently took a deep dive into his mind-blowing lifts—ones that I’ll openly admit I may never be able to match. And you know what? He’s 100% right to call himself the strongest static lifter of all time. Let me prove it.
First up, the most iconic lift in strength sports history: the 500kg deadlift. Before that day, the world record was 463kg. Eddie showed up and smashed it by 37kg in a single attempt. The mental and physical preparation it took is unreal. He pulled that bar smoothly off the floor, only struggling slightly at lockout. If you’ve ever trained deadlifts, you know that transition from knee to lockout is where most people fail—but not Eddie. (Ps. If you struggle in that range, pause deadlifts are your best bet to break through.)
Next, let’s talk about something I have beaten: the axle press. Eddie hit 216kg strict, while I’ve done 218kg. But the way we got there was entirely different. Eddie had to roll the bar up his massive frame, lean back, and twist his arms to get into position before pressing. I, on the other hand, flipped my hands mid-air and went straight into a split jerk. Two different styles, one undeniable fact: Eddie’s pressing strength is absurd.
Now, competition lifts aside, what really blows my mind are Eddie’s gym lifts. A 345kg squat for seven reps, without a belt or sleeves. My best in sleeves? Four reps. Without sleeves? Maybe two—and that’s pushing it. The crazy part? His seventh rep was a pause squat. Who does that?
Then there’s his pressing power. A 265kg bench press for six reps, paused—no wrist wraps, no elbow sleeves, and not even perfect technique. Just raw, brute strength. My best incline bench? 200kg for a double. Eddie? 225kg for five. No spotter, no hype, just pure power.
And let’s not forget the log press. In 2020, Eddie attempted a 230kg log press, missing it not on strength but on technique. He literally pressed the log from his forehead. If that attempt had been successful, he would have held the world record for years.
So, is Eddie the strongest strongman of all time? Not necessarily—strongman is about much more than static lifts. But is he the strongest static lifter of all time? I’d say yes. His grip strength might not have been elite, but when it comes to squatting, pressing, and pulling, there’s no one else who comes close.
One of my biggest ‘what-ifs’ in strongman is getting the chance to compete head-to-head with Eddie in his prime. I would’ve loved to see the power, the atmosphere, and the energy that came with his presence in competition. But while his era in strongman has passed, he’s still dominating—in content, in influence, and in breaking your algorithm.
Love him or hate him, you can’t deny what he’s accomplished.