Flex Magazines 10 Strongest

[CHANTZWILSON]

Hey, guys just wondering what you might think of Flex's 10 Strongest list.
Here's the top 10:

10. Ronnie Coleman
9. Paul Anderson
8. Leonid Taranenko
7. Andy Bolton
6. Brian Siders
5 (tie). Louis Unit, a.k.a. Apollon
5 (tie). Louis Cyr
4. Vasyl Virastyuk
3. Bill Kazmaier
2. Mark Henry
1. Zydrunas Savickas

I think it is interesting that they put Ronnie Coleman in there. Everyone else in there is legitimately strong, but I feel they left out several people that have proven to be much stronger that Coleman.

A few that come to mind are Mariusz, Magnus Ver Magnusson, Jon Pall, Ed Coan, Scott Mendelson, the Kevin Nee (hey, maybe in a few years), Gerritt Badenhorst (one of the strongest in my book), Juoko Ahola, and Nik (hey, heard you were injured again so thought I would lift your spirits)

Anyways, just curious to read what some of you others might come up with, or even how you would change this list.

[Billy Wolt]

i think they had to throw coleman in there....what's a bodybuilding mag without a bodybuilder?

besides...all the newb's and wannabe's look up to coleman and compare everyone to him

[Josh Kamins]

The problem with a list like that is its like saying who's a better runner...the best 100m runner in the world, the best 400m, 1k, marathon, etc.

Its all "strength" but besides that its pretty impossible to compare...

[Eric Jett]

Ronnie Coleman is pretty strong, you can't deny that. He has done a double with 800 on the dead.

[Matt Stiefel]

Like Billy said, they needed a bodybuilder on the list, and Ronnie is definitely the strongest bodybuilder. Considering their audience, I think they did a pretty good job opening people's eyes (hopefully) to strength sports. The average reader of Flex, who thinks Coleman is the strongest ever, will see him placed at 10 and be impressed by the others on the list. I certainly would have done it differently, but I think that is a pretty legitimate list.

[Matt Schumann]

yeah if i remember correctly Coleman said that he was 5 weeks out from the olympia when he hit 800 for 2, so im sure he probaly has more in the tank. But for Coleman to be on the list and record tying 4x's WSM Pudzianowski to be left off is a little out there.

However, I do not think that he deserves to be on that list. We all know that. Flex had an obligation to put him on that list. They need to have known names on the list because they probaly do not want 10 names or so that the majority of ppl do not know.


Ronnie Coleman is pretty strong, you can't deny that. He has done a double with 800 on the dead.

[Chuck Lopez]

Like Billy said, they needed a bodybuilder on the list, and Ronnie is definitely the strongest bodybuilder. Considering their audience, I think they did a pretty good job opening people's eyes (hopefully) to strength sports. The average reader of Flex, who thinks Coleman is the strongest ever, will see him placed at 10 and be impressed by the others on the list. I certainly would have done it differently, but I think that is a pretty legitimate list.

I don't know I always thought Jonnie Jackson was stronger than Coleman, what they really needed was a MR olympia winner I think, but aside from that I like the list.

[Ryan Wells]

(sigh) it's a flawed list. What was the criteria? It sounds like a couple of the editors got in a conference room and just started to toss names out (pffft).

You at least have to include someone that won multiple WSM titles. ...and didn't Ed Coan break Bill Kaz's long standing PL total? hmmm

Edit: What about Pat Casey, the first guy to bench 600. I believe it was in the early sixties and in a tank top. I believe that was before Paul Anderson's 6-something unequipped bench. Paul did do a 1,200 bottom position squat with a bar attached to two loaded up safes on each end as part of a carnival act, but it is "unconfirmed."

[Steve Trippe]

If repping heavy weight in the deadlift earns you a spot on their top 10 list, than Konstantin Konstantinov needs to be in the top 3.

I'd put lbstone lightyears ahead of ronnie, though behind Taraneko Problem is, he hasn't done as much to "prove" his strength since he's a relative new-comer. Putting Anderson on the list is controversial, because I'm hesitant to believe 50% of what i hear about Paul Anderson.

Decent list though. I'd put Vasyl further down the list, maybe even behind Siders.

[Tony Moses]

I think it's about as legit as a list of only 10 people written by a bodybuilding mag can possible be. If you think about it, there is no true legit way to do this. Most lists like this are written to spark conversation and debate anyway because with a list of 10, there are 100s of deserving guys who got left out. Basically, it gets a large audience reading and thinking about strength training, and thats a good thing.

I personally have no problem with Coleman being on there. Sure stronger guys than Ronnie were left out, but they chose from a broad list of categories and whether you like bodybuilding or not, Coleman is an incredibly strong guy. He never competed in Strongman, but all of his gym lift claims are 100% legit and verified, and anybody who says he isn't strong is kidding themselves. He's one of the strongest bodybuilders ever and he got a slot. I don't think Louis Cyr and Appollon should be on there over a lot of guys who got left off and I can think of about a dozen or so guys who post on here that are probably stronger than them, but they were a couple of the strongest from eras gone by and they got a slot.

Again, these lists aren't flawless and they never are, but everyone knows it. I think they are cool to see and if nothing more, they spark some interesting debates.

[Eric Jett]

If repping heavy weight in the deadlift earns you a spot on their top 10 list, than Konstantin Konstantinov needs to be in the top 3.

I'd put lbstone lightyears ahead of ronnie, though behind Taraneko Problem is, he hasn't done as much to "prove" his strength since he's a relative new-comer. Putting Anderson on the list is controversial, because I'm hesitant to believe 50% of what i hear about Paul Anderson.

Decent list though. I'd put Vasyl further down the list, maybe even behind Siders.


I disagree. Most of those unconfirmed things he did are within the realm of reason for him. He was known to have squatted 1000 pounds pretty much unequipped, and repping out 800. It would appear that because of all the "unconfirmed" feats, he ended up at 9 and not higher.

[Ryan Wells]

I disagree. Most of those unconfirmed things he did are within the realm of reason for him. He was known to have squatted 1000 pounds pretty much unequipped, and repping out 800. It would appear that because of all the "unconfirmed" feats, he ended up at 9 and not higher.
He also won an Olympic gold medal in the fifties and broke two world records in the clean and "press." He also was credited for getting the Soviets to include the flat bench press in their Olympic training routines. The Soviets had never done this before. They seen Paul breaking records and also seen that he had a huge bench press as well. They thought he was getting carry over from that. No matter what lifts are unconfirmed, he was still the real deal.

[Brian_Worden]

how you would change this list.

Every guy on there is phenominally strong... leaps and bounds above myself.

It's WAY to hard to actually make a strongest list. (unless you could build a time machine and transport every athlete on that list, while in their ultimate prime, to the exact same contest with 100 different tests of strength... maybe then).

It's when I read lists with the greatest guitarists or bands of all time. There usually are at least 100 people/bands they overlook.

Too many guys left off this list.

[Josh Thigpen]

Ok, being a strength historian myself I have to chime in here. Yes for a bodybuilding magazine it is not bad, however it is flawed for sure. I think the problem isn't in finding the top 10 strongest men of all time, but rather what order to put those top ten in.

Number one straight out the gate Ronnie Coleman is certainly the strongest bodybuilder of all time, but should never be in the top ten list. It doesn't really matter if it is a bodybuilding magazine or not, if you are making a top ten list he should not be on there. Appollon and Cyr should not be on the list either, certainly not above guys like Anderson, Bolton and Siders, are you kidding me? Appollon couldnt win a silver level nas show if I were a betting man. And I know there are alot of Cyr fans out there, but a reality check is that he couldn't come close to the strength athletes of the last 50 years even. He was strong for his time no doubt, but back then feats were like circus acts. Legend and strength folklore has to be put aside in any serious discussion of who the real best have been.

Taking those three out (Coleman, Appollon and Cyr) who should fill those spots? There is no doubt that Magnus ver Magnusson should be on the list, as well as Pudzianowski. The final one is a little bit tougher. I personally say Jon Pall Sigmarson, however I am tempted to put Ed Coan and O.D. Wilson on there. I still think Jon pall because of his accomplishments in STrongman, powerlifting, olympic lifting, and highland games. (he was world class at all of them).

The top 4 in my opinion are perfect, but not nesessarily in that order. Kaz is minimum number two, and battles it out with Zydrunas. But in the end i probably have to go with Big Z at number one as much as it pains me, (am a huge fan of the Kaz).Henry is solid at number 3 and Vasyl perfect at 4. That is my opinion and if you challenge me, know that i have 14 years of studying the strength game, and can back up all of my opinions with stats that I have on memory. Bring it on! :EP:

[Mike Landrich]

Josh
Somewhere in there you need to include Don Reinhoudt. I would say he'd replace MVM or JPS. They were better Strongmen, but Don was far stronger in static events.
Mike

[Josh Thigpen]

Mike, I certainly give Don credit, he was massively strong! And he was stronger then JPS in static lifting. But it is very incorrect to say that he was far stronger on the static events then MVM. Absolutley not. One of the reasons Magnus should be on the list, is because people forget how strong he was on the static lifts. Here is a comparison-

Magnus best squat-900 pounds
Reindhout-900

Deadlift-Magnus in competion about 830
Don- about the same

Bench-
Magnus-600 plus
Don- about 600

Overhead- Keg press ( the only comparison on this)
Magnus in 91 wsm-286 on a much bigger wooden keg
Don in 79 WSM-300 with a regular

Seeing as to how they are virtually equal in static strength(Magnus did all of this at about 280 lbs by the way) The winner is MVM considering he was far better at STrongman and even highland games.

Whos next?

[Jay O'Neill]

Spot On Josh! The fact that they Exclude JPS and Pudz discredits the list. If we are talking about gym lifts that are uncertified, Ronnie Coleman does well. But if we include Gym lifts Jon Anderson needs to be on the list. Jesse Marunde had always talked about Jon's freakish gym strength.

[Josh Thigpen]

Jay, right on to Jon Anderson being freaskishly strong in the gym. (not to mention one of the coolest and funniest guys I know). I think he has done 700x10 on squats and 500x25. :F: Not to mention all of the other insane lifts he has done in the gym we don't know about. I do like having the top ten based on established credentials done in competition though. But you're right Jon is up there!

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

Awesome posts Josh.

When I saw Coleman at 10 I just about spewed water over my computer.

One of the few documented feats from Louis Unit is his Apollons lifts, but then again, guys like Siders ranked below him have done the same feat.

I think when all is said and done, Misha Koklyaev will be on a list such as this. Give him a few years.

Also, in my opinion Rezazadeh could well be ranked ahead of Taranenko. Taranenko has a lead on the CJ, but nothing else. We'll see if Rezazadeh manages to go over 265kg CJ anytime soon before retiring.

[Kevin Klavetter]

Mike, I certainly give Don credit, he was massively strong! And he was stronger then JPS in static lifting. But it is very incorrect to say that he was far stronger on the static events then MVM. Absolutley not. One of the reasons Magnus should be on the list, is because people forget how strong he was on the static lifts. Here is a comparison-

Magnus best squat-900 pounds
Reindhout-900

Deadlift-Magnus in competion about 830
Don- about the same

Bench-
Magnus-600 plus
Don- about 600

Overhead- Keg press ( the only comparison on this)
Magnus in 91 wsm-286 on a much bigger wooden keg
Don in 79 WSM-300 with a regular

Seeing as to how they are virtually equal in static strength(Magnus did all of this at about 280 lbs by the way) The winner is MVM considering he was far better at STrongman and even highland games.

Whos next?

Funny...now I not argrueing . Just asking, where would you rate the Alekseyev from the 1970's Soviet era on this list. I know he was limited to Oly lifting only due to the Soviet system, but judging his potential, where do you see him on such a list?

[Sean Hatley]

Hey, guys just wondering what you might think of Flex's 10 Strongest list.
Here's the top 10:

10. Ronnie Coleman
9. Paul Anderson
8. Leonid Taranenko
7. Andy Bolton
6. Brian Siders
5 (tie). Louis Unit, a.k.a. Apollon
5 (tie). Louis Cyr
4. Vasyl Virastyuk
3. Bill Kazmaier
2. Mark Henry
1. Zydrunas Savickas

I think it is interesting that they put Ronnie Coleman in there. Everyone else in there is legitimately strong, but I feel they left out several people that have proven to be much stronger that Coleman.

A few that come to mind are Mariusz, Magnus Ver Magnusson, Jon Pall, Ed Coan, Scott Mendelson, the Kevin Nee (hey, maybe in a few years), Gerritt Badenhorst (one of the strongest in my book), Juoko Ahola, and Nik (hey, heard you were injured again so thought I would lift your spirits)

Anyways, just curious to read what some of you others might come up with, or even how you would change this list.
Kaz should be second and Tarenenko should have been 3rd

[Mike Landrich]

Mike, I certainly give Don credit, he was massively strong! And he was stronger then JPS in static lifting. But it is very incorrect to say that he was far stronger on the static events then MVM. Absolutley not. One of the reasons Magnus should be on the list, is because people forget how strong he was on the static lifts. Here is a comparison-

Magnus best squat-900 pounds
Reindhout-900

Deadlift-Magnus in competion about 830
Don- about the same

Bench-
Magnus-600 plus
Don- about 600

Overhead- Keg press ( the only comparison on this)
Magnus in 91 wsm-286 on a much bigger wooden keg
Don in 79 WSM-300 with a regular

Seeing as to how they are virtually equal in static strength(Magnus did all of this at about 280 lbs by the way) The winner is MVM considering he was far better at STrongman and even highland games.

Whos next?


I watched MVM all those years and never realized his static strength was that high. Were his lifts suited up or RAW? Live and learn.

[Kevin Cronin]

I think when all is said and done, Misha Koklyaev will be on a list such as this. Give him a few years.

Also, in my opinion Rezazadeh could well be ranked ahead of Taranenko. Taranenko has a lead on the CJ, but nothing else. We'll see if Rezazadeh manages to go over 265kg CJ anytime soon before retiring.
Jono, when you say "the CJ, but nothing else" I wonder, what other lifts, specifically are you talking about? I was under teh impression that taranenko had the - ahem - "unrecognized" all-time record for the cj and the total. I presume that you're saying Reza has him on the snatch, but are you counting front squats, or squats or the like? I'm just surprised that in a competition with only 2 official lifts beating someone on 'only' (not quoting you, just emphasizing) 50% seems fairly sizeable. or am i wrong in my understanding of the total recordholder

I think you could be right about Misha. As long as we're speculating about the future tho ... well, i dont want to jinx anyone, so I wont use his name, but y'all can take a guess ;)

I agree with what everyone's said about Ronnie. Very very strong, but I dont think he belongs on the to 10. Cyr and Apollon I actually have bigger problems with them being on the list a) because ronnie was thrown in as a 10th and b) at least ronnies lifts are on video. not cyrs and apollons faults that they arent on video, but it makes a difference. This may seem a double-standard, but anderson I dont have AS much of a problem with as cyr and apollon for this reason - even if only 50% of his lifts are true, that is still unbelievable.

If bolton is on, its tough to make a case NOT to put Donnie Thomson on. Boltons dead is a great tiebreaker, but Donnie beats him in the squat and smokes him in the bench - the only man to bench 900 in a 3 lift meet.

[Corey DuCharme]

Jay, right on to Jon Anderson being freaskishly strong in the gym. (not to mention one of the coolest and funniest guys I know). I think he has done 700x10 on squats and 500x25. :F: Not to mention all of the other insane lifts he has done in the gym we don't know about. I do like having the top ten based on established credentials done in competition though. But you're right Jon is up there!

I remember Jesse saying that Jon Anderson did a front squat 20 repper with 405lbs. I'm too lazy to search, but it's on here somewhere.

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

Jono, when you say "the CJ, but nothing else" I wonder, what other lifts, specifically are you talking about? I was under teh impression that taranenko had the - ahem - "unrecognized" all-time record for the cj and the total. I presume that you're saying Reza has him on the snatch, but are you counting front squats, or squats or the like? I'm just surprised that in a competition with only 2 official lifts beating someone on 'only' (not quoting you, just emphasizing) 50% seems fairly sizeable. or am i wrong in my understanding of the total recordholder



I was under the impression that Rezazadeh has a higher snatch and all time total. Taranenko snatched 210 at his best I think, probably should look it up. Front and back squats are too subjective for Oly lifters if they're not well documented. Based purely on hearsay, Reza could well win on squats as well, though we don't have 1RM lifts documented for either.

I guess my point would be this, if you're going to have Taranenko in the top 6 or so, then Rezazadeh needs to be in the top 10 as they're very similar.

In my opinion comparing a pure Oly lifter to a guy like Savickas is nigh on impossible.

[Gabriel Wells]

I am surprised that Mark Henry made the list, but I can vouch for his strength as it is unreal and I remember going to Jasper to see him lift with my cousins. Guy is a monster.

[Garrick Daft]

Kazmaier should be 1st or 2nd. If he was able to train implements and had access to the equipment athletes today have... no doubt he would be untouchable. Zydrunas and Kazmaier are the only names IMO to be considered for 1 or 2.

Vlad Alhazov is going for the all time PL record in August. I just found this out. He squatted 1000lbs with only wraps and shorts for 3 reps a couple weeks ago. He's working on his bench and will have the total easily with it up just a little. So, sure his name will come up more here later....he wants to be first to 3000 also. Also wants the Arnold Strongman.

[Kevin Cronin]

I was under the impression that Rezazadeh has a higher snatch and all time total. Taranenko snatched 210 at his best I think, probably should look it up. Front and back squats are too subjective for Oly lifters if they're not well documented. Based purely on hearsay, Reza could well win on squats as well, though we don't have 1RM lifts documented for either.
I kind of figured you weren't going with teh squats, that's why I was confused

"However, although [Reza] has not been pushed hard by his competition, he is still in pursuit of the all-time best IWF marks of 216 kg snatch (Antonio Krastev, 1987), 266 kg clean and jerk (Leonid Taranenko, 1988), and 475 kg total (Taranenko, 1988)." - from Reza's wikipedia page. They list his best total as 472.5

I guess my point would be this, if you're going to have Taranenko in the top 6 or so, then Rezazadeh needs to be in the top 10 as they're very similar.
That's one interesting way to look at it. Another would be to say that THE best from each of the major strength sports should automatically be on the list, with everyone else fighting it out for the remaining 7 spots. I guess reza would still have a pretty good argument tho.

In my opinion comparing a pure Oly lifter to a guy like Savickas is nigh on impossible.
Sure, but that's the fun of it :D

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

Ok, Kevin, I take that back.

Taranenko had the all time total record wtih 475 (210+266)

Rezadeh's best total was 472.5 (210+263.5).

Alesander Kurlovich would actually have the all time record at 477.5 if he did not miss a 265 jerk due to incomplete lockout.

edit: posted at the same time.

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

That's one interesting way to look at it. Another would be to say that THE best from each of the major strength sports should automatically be on the list, with everyone else fighting it out for the remaining 7 spots. I guess reza would still have a pretty good argument tho.



I guess that's a possibility, but if you have the top guy from the main strength sports, where do we draw the line?

I guess we'd both agree that the strongest bodybuilder and highland games thrower don't feature on the list. How does one compare the strongest Oly lifter to the 3rd strongest strongman? It's ridiculously subjective.

Besides, people have Andy Bolton on the list and he's not the all time strongest powerlifter, yet. I guess all time raw deadlift would be testimony enough though.

Not sure Mark Henry deserves a high place either. Enormously strong, but has anyone compared his results in the Arnold to say the 2008 show? My bet he wouldn't have finished top 4.

I'm sounding way too much like a postmodern deconstructionist for my liking.

[Kevin Cronin]

It's a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none debate, each side of which has equally valid points. It's great to be able to do a lot of different things very well - and it's probably a given we all agree on that since it's largely a premise of strongman - but it's also very cool to say that you are THE BEST even if it's only on one particular thing. Then again, in all three strength sports you can win a competition without ever having won a single event, as long as you place well enough in each individual event.

By the way, as long as we're online and typing back and forth to each other, what's the weather like tomorrow? I want to know what to wear to work.

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

It's a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none debate, each side of which has equally valid points. It's great to be able to do a lot of different things very well - and it's probably a given we all agree on that since it's largely a premise of strongman - but it's also very cool to say that you are THE BEST even if it's only on one particular thing. Then again, in all three strength sports you can win a competition without ever having won a single event, as long as you place well enough in each individual event.

By the way, as long as we're online and typing back and forth to each other, what's the weather like tomorrow? I want to know what to wear to work.

I think it's time for a strongman group hug...

I'd imagine the weather in NY is gonna be alot better than in NZ seeing as Winter is very much upon us.

and I guess this is all anyone can agree on...

http://www.savickas.lt/content/images/82237f41939f90807663b78a2f01d003.jpg

[RubenScheepers]

Of course they had to put a bodybuilder to the list, because particularly bodybuilders read that magazine.

Some other beasts who should end up in the list before Coleman are Pudzianowski, Kirit, Samuelsson, Karlsen, Koklyaev, Konstantinov, Poundstone and another bunch of Strongmen.

[James Fernandes]

to be honest, theyre looking at guys who have done it for a long period of time, and been unbeatable at the top for years, eg like Andy Bolton has done, sure his total has been beaten by Don but overall in the years, Andy has been a way better lifter than Don, its only a matter of time before Andy gets his total back

he was looking unbelievably strong at the south east comp in the uk, his bench was powerful, ok not as strong as DOnnies 900lbs but he looked a beast in the comp

[Kevin Cronin]

to be honest, theyre looking at guys who have done it for a long period of time, and been unbeatable at the top for years, eg like Andy Bolton has done, sure his total has been beaten by Don but overall in the years, Andy has been a way better lifter than Don, its only a matter of time before Andy gets his total back

he was looking unbelievably strong at the south east comp in the uk, his bench was powerful, ok not as strong as DOnnies 900lbs but he looked a beast in the comp
:confused:

How do you figure that?

[CHANTZWILSON]

Wow.

Thanks for the great read. Josh, I especially enjoyed your post. It was very well thought out and informative.

I posted some similar ideas on Flex's forum, but they just seemed to ignore it.


Anyways, I enjoyed the read.

[Scott Markowitz]

I think you could be right about Misha. As long as we're speculating about the future tho ... well, i dont want to jinx anyone, so I wont use his name, but y'all can take a guess ;)

It's ok Kevin...you can use my name. I don't mind. :D

[Ernest Ballard Beath]

glen ross
shane hamman

[Jamie T]

Hey Gang..

a good debate for sure.. us on this board have gone back and forth for years about the best strongman .. let alone incorporate other strength athletes..

Of course all of us are going to have opinions. I think everyone should realize the FLEX editorial boards' objective.. primarily to acknowledge the popularity of strength spots ( a big accomplishment in itself) highlight some of the leaders in the respective sports and add a bit of historical perspective ( i highly doubt anyone with real knowledge of the strength game would tab Louis Uni as one of the 5 strongest men of all time - however on the flip side I bet 50% of this board would have had zero name recognition of him)

good debate and nice cross section of athletes.. i guess i would like to see everyone that replies to this thread put their own top 10 with a quick footnote or two...

cheers

J

[Jim Harbourne]

It looks to me like they are trying to include pl'ers, bb'ers, strongmen, oly lifters and odd lift guys to get a rounded list. Its like my wife saying how handsome I am compared to brad pitt, it depends on if she wants to go shopping or not..

[MalachiMcMullen]

I just can't figure out why Jouko Ahola and/or Oleksandr Kutcher are not on there... just can't figure it out. I understand that FLEX would want a BBer since most of their readers are not fluent in strongman/powerlifting, but they are leaving out some incredible guys.

[Mac Smith]

OD Wilson?

Anyway, I think Ronnie deserves to be on the list. His strength IS legendary considering he doesn't train for strength. Obviously, we are all a bit biased, but I have no problem with the list...except OD isn't on it! LoL!

[Daniel Hurlin]

This would be my top 10 strongest list, no specific order.

1. Zydrunas Savickas
2. Bill Kaz
3. Ed Coan
4. Andy Bolton
5. Vasyl Virastyuck
6. Jon Pall Sigmarsson
7. Magnus Ver Magnusson
8. Brian Siders
9. Mariusz Pudzianowski
10. Jouko Ahola

This is all :IMHO:

[Ryan Brown]

I just can't figure out why Jouko Ahola and/or Oleksandr Kutcher are not on there... just can't figure it out. I understand that FLEX would want a BBer since most of their readers are not fluent in strongman/powerlifting, but they are leaving out some incredible guys.

With top 10 list you will definitely leave to great guys off the list. There are only 10 slots for all time. I think Uni is prbably the weakest on the list--he was only about 260 lbs I think. Cyr's real lifts are not very well known--most of the lifts listed for him seem more myth than reality. Ronnie was strong for sure, but because he trained for bodybuilding he was certainly not one of the top 10 strongest men of all time. Otherwise it appears to be a fairly solid list. I can think of another 10 guys who are up at that level, but of course you can't list everyone.

[Jared Enderton]

OD Wilson?

Anyway, I think Ronnie deserves to be on the list. His strength IS legendary considering he doesn't train for strength. Obviously, we are all a bit biased, but I have no problem with the list...except OD isn't on it! LoL!

do you think ronnie deserves to be on the list over mariusz? just out of curiousity......

[Mac Smith]

do you think ronnie deserves to be on the list over mariusz? just out of curiousity......

No. I don't think you ca deny 4 WSM titles. But, their training #s are about the same and Mariusz trains for strength while Ronnie does not.

Look my list would be somewhat different. When I say I have no problem with the list, I was implying that I can see the rationale behind it, that doesn't, however, mean I totally agree with it.

[David Bennett]

of all the times that i read flex it is almost impossible to see strength sport related topics let alone such recognition that BB are not the dominate force in strength, even though they used to hold a small capital in that demographic (golden old days), i would say that its the best list that could have been made seeing how all thier fiscal sponsorship comes from BB products with ridiculous bull**** pictures and testimonials from pro's, as a strongman im very bias but i think many got it right with the fact that strength was a huge but not a limiting factor to se who got on the list after what happen to the pudz after 04 who knows why some are not on there, but i deffinitely think the list shouldnt be dominated by only strongman, like mac said ron's numbers are up there with many world class level strength ath. without the specific goal of strength, so like many said many times i would say that this list is a personal one, you could have 10 different list and they could all be right cause your not going to be able to fit the top 10 consistantly with no standard criteria

[Jean-Charles Péronnet]

I think it's important to add that Ronnie is extremely strong in any exercise he does, not only in powerlifting exercises. There is an article in the Muscle&Fitness website about this, a guy followed him during his back training day, and was amazed all the time. Ronnie broke a in half a T-Bar Row triangle. He also uses gigantic dumbells for farmers walk and chest training. Last but not least, he used to rep 1000 kg on the leg press, for 10 reps. But, of course, he is not in the right shape for strongman right now :D

[Matt Parkes]

I remember Jesse saying that Jon Anderson did a front squat 20 repper with 405lbs. I'm too lazy to search, but it's on here somewhere.

I also recall a video of John out there where he squats 500 X 20 with bumpers dumps it off his shoulders and turns around and pulls 500 X 20 :F:

[Jared Enderton]

I also recall a video of John out there where he squats 500 X 20 with bumpers dumps it off his shoulders and turns around and pulls 500 X 20 :F:

that would be awesome to see. can anyone find the vid?

[Reggie Brown]

I also recall a video of John out there where he squats 500 X 20 with bumpers dumps it off his shoulders and turns around and pulls 500 X 20 :F:

I got sick just reading that! One of the two alone is freaky.

Reg

[Kÿle Vezeau]

I honestly have to see that 20 Squat + 20 Deadlift Video.

[Derek Williams]

I think it's about as legit as a list of only 10 people written by a bodybuilding mag can possible be. If you think about it, there is no true legit way to do this. Most lists like this are written to spark conversation and debate anyway because with a list of 10, there are 100s of deserving guys who got left out. Basically, it gets a large audience reading and thinking about strength training, and thats a good thing.

I personally have no problem with Coleman being on there. Sure stronger guys than Ronnie were left out, but they chose from a broad list of categories and whether you like bodybuilding or not, Coleman is an incredibly strong guy. He never competed in Strongman, but all of his gym lift claims are 100% legit and verified, and anybody who says he isn't strong is kidding themselves. He's one of the strongest bodybuilders ever and he got a slot. I don't think Louis Cyr and Appollon should be on there over a lot of guys who got left off and I can think of about a dozen or so guys who post on here that are probably stronger than them, but they were a couple of the strongest from eras gone by and they got a slot.

Again, these lists aren't flawless and they never are, but everyone knows it. I think they are cool to see and if nothing more, they spark some interesting debates.

I agree. Also you have to look at what era someone was in. Jon Pall was super strong in his era, but if he had to compete in his prime vs. Savickas or Mariusz now (in their primes), I think Savickas or Mariusz would run all over him b/c the best competitors in a sport tend to get better as time goes on. The guys in it now are way better than the guys from the 70's and 80's. 20 years from now, those guys will be better than the guys of today. Same goes for any of the real old timers such as Luis Cyr. They were great in their day, but by today's standards could they even win the (US) nationals? I bet not. People learn better ways to train, people start sport specific training at earlier ages, as the sport gains more exposure, more people with better genetics (like Savickas - a genetic FREAK IMHO) are attracted to it that maybe would have never heard of it before, etc.

The best 30 years ago could not possibly hold a candle to the best now. The best now (in their primes) wouldn't have a chance against the best 30 years from now (in their primes) But of course this is just my opinion.

Also, one cannot really compare a powerlifter vs. a strongman, or an olympic lifter vs. a bodybuilder. They are different sports with different skills required. It's like comparing an apple to an orange.

These lists are just there to get discussions started and get people thinking about strength.

A while back, I saw a list published online of the "greatest guitarists of all time". I had this discussion with someone once about that list. I said there was no possible way to compare one guitarist against another - all on the list are great, the ranking was just done by the personal preferences of some editors sitting in a conference room somewhere.

[Kevin Cronin]

The best 30 years ago could not possibly hold a candle to the best now. The best now (in their primes) wouldn't have a chance against the best 30 years from now (in their primes) But of course this is just my opinion.
Expecting the best to just get better and better and better ad nauseam, is, in my opinion, a bit like the teenager who expects his bench to increase 10 lbs a month, every month, forever; at some point, diminishing returns has to kick in. I mean at this point a 600 lb stone is a practically a formality, and since 600 is exceedingly likely, i think 700 is doable. but what about a grand, i mean are we really ever going to see a 1000 lb stone in anything approaching what we would consider an atlas stone lift>

Strongman still has a lot of improvements to be made, but I dont think that this evolution is as inevitable as some people make it out to be.

[Derek Williams]

Expecting the best to just get better and better and better ad nauseam, is, in my opinion, a bit like the teenager who expects his bench to increase 10 lbs a month, every month, forever; at some point, diminishing returns has to kick in. I mean at this point a 600 lb stone is a practically a formality, and since 600 is exceedingly likely, i think 700 is doable. but what about a grand, i mean are we really ever going to see a 1000 lb stone in anything approaching what we would consider an atlas stone lift>

Strongman still has a lot of improvements to be made, but I dont think that this evolution is as inevitable as some people make it out to be.

I agree with you, Kevin, that at *SOME POINT* diminishing returns will kick in. However, look at the top strongmen now compared to the top guys in the 70's and 80's. Huge difference.

Look at bodybuilding. In the mid to late 80's, Lee Haney was top dog and Rich Gaspari was right behind him. Haney weighed around 250 at contest time and was the largest in shape bodybuilder ever (he was shorter than Lou Ferrigno, even though Lou may have weighed more, I think Lee was bigger b/c he was shorter). Rich Gaspari was only 5'8 and weighed only 206 contest weight. He placed 2nd in 3 Olympias and top 10 in many more.

Now look at the top guys. A good friend of mine is still involved in the sport. Markus Ruhl is, according to my friend, weighing 320 now at a height of only 5'9. He is in really good shape in the offseason and doesn't have to drop a lot before a contest. That was unheard of and impossible only 10 years ago. How big will those guys get before the limit is reached? Who knows.

I believe that there are much more, shall we say, "nefarious substances" that we are not supposed to talk about on here, being used in BB than in strongman, but still, with or without them, I still think that people will still find other ways (even if totally drug free) to break thru previous limits. At one point we didn't have creatine monohydrate, pylometrics, or, if you go back far enough, even whey protein powder.

I remember the first time Jon Pall loaded the largest atlas stone in competition, the announcer said that was the first time anyone had ever loaded it in a competition. He only had to load it up on top of a short barrel, about waist high. Now guys load much heavier stones to chest height.

I think that yes, at some point, we will see some freak load a 1000 lb atlas stone. But I bet it will be probably more than 10 years from now.

[phil hesstahl]

Louis Cyr, Mighty Kaz, Mariusz P (Yes!!) and at least Big Z..... This is what legends are made of... If you ask me! (i know i know! most of you AREN'T asking for my appenion)

[Ernest Ballard Beath]

I still think Shane Hamman and Glen Ross should be on the list, both are personal favorites...I dont think many can touch ross's static strength, heard he might be going for a big powerlifting raw total. Shane Hamman is a favorite of mine, umbelieveable strength and explosiveness all around, huge squatter, puts over 500lbs overhead, and can stand and vertically dunk a basketball and do a back flip at over 350lbs and under 5ft9 or 10 inches :F: ...

Savickas is very very strong, on a similar level as ross as far as his shoulder and back strength....siders is all around very strong...many to list if you think about it...