If you’re a fan of witnessing the world’s most colossal and resilient men tackle historical strength challenges that would make a normal person scared, then you’re in luck because that’s exactly what “The Strongest Man in History” offers. This fresh series chronicles the adventures of four strongmen as they not only compete against each other but also against their legendary predecessors from ancient times across the globe.
Among the group is Eddie Hall, the British champion who claimed the 2017 World’s Strongest Man title and could conceivably lift your entire family in one go. In fact, he and his trio of fellow competition veterans are the closest human embodiments to the strongmen of old
This leads to the question – who are the most formidable and robust man-beasts in mythology, legends, and folklore? Be prepared for these powerhouse individuals..
4) ORM STOROLFSSON
Cc: IMDb
Orm Storolfsson is a bit of an anomaly as he was an actual historical figure (more or less). As a Viking strongman, he automatically exudes three times the intimidation factor of a regular bicep-boasting bad@ss.
However, let’s set our expectations straight. Storolfsson wasn’t a Greek mythological hero or a biblical giant capable of taking down lions or entire armies with ease. Rather, his claim to fame was firmly grounded in reality. He placed a 10-meter, 650 kg ship’s mast on his back, with more than 50 men struggling to raise it onto his shoulders. Despite managing only three steps before breaking his back, this feat was enough to cement his status as a legend. It even inspired the modern-day superhuman Hafthor Björnsson, aka The Mountain from Game of Thrones, to take on the same challenge.
In 2015, the TV star surpassed the 1,000-year-old record by carrying a 650 kg log for five steps, two steps more than the Viking. And he did so without obliterating his own spine in the process. Admittedly, Storolfsson’s feat may seem more reckless than impressive, resembling a particularly gruesome clip from a “worst gym fails” YouTube video.
3) GOLIATH
There’s not much factual information available about Goliath, but what we do know is that he was so massive and terrifying that he has become a cliche metaphor for seemingly unstoppable adversaries. As one of the Philistines, the same group that Samson annihilated with a donkey’s jawbone, Goliath was the monstrous terror that loomed over the Israelites until David, a diminutive opponent, stepped up to challenge him.
The legendary confrontation between David and Goliath truly embodied the phrase “David versus Goliath,” where an underdog faces an insurmountable foe. After exchanging quite a bit of trash talk before the fight (Goliath: “Come here, and I’ll feed your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” David: “I come against you in the name of the Lord!”), they battled it out.
Although David emerged victorious, it doesn’t diminish Goliath’s status as a strongman. He was, after all, a literal giant who had instilled fear in the hearts of the Israelites. Furthermore, he only lost because David chose to strike him with a stone, and anyone who has ever been smitten knows how excruciating that can be.
2) HERACLES
Or if we want to use the Greek name, we can call him Heracles. This legendary strongman was the epitome of what modern-day bodybuilders might call “genetically gifted”, as his father was none other than Zeus. He wasted no time in showcasing his prodigious powers; as an infant, he str@ngled a pair of poisonous snakes to death in his crib, playing with them as if they were plush toys from a baby shower.
Heracles is best known for his “Twelve Labours,” which he carried out as penance after m”rdering his own wife and children (he had been driven mad by a vindictive goddess, so let’s not hold it against him). The labours included slaying a mighty lion, a task similar to the one carried out by Samson (clearly, dispatching lions was a core requirement for legendary strongmen, the mythic equivalent of not skipping leg day). Heracles also had to clean out some stables, which might not sound like a big deal until you realize that they contained 1,000 cows and enough dung to fertilize an entire planet.
When he wasn’t wading through knee-deep manure, Heracles also faced off against a giant named Antaeus, who was invulnerable as long as he was in contact with the earth. Heracles’ was able to win by picking the giant up right off the ground and crushed him to death, like some kind of psychotically out-of-control WWE wrestler. And he did it all without a protein shake in sight.
1) SAMSON
Samson was a legendary figure, gifted with godly strength and flowing, shampoo-commercial-worthy locks that would make Jason Momoa envious. He was a brash and vain womanizer, the Bible’s very own embodiment of a gym bro on divine steroids (or the Holy Spirit, if you prefer a more reverent interpretation).
Samson’s strength was unparalleled. When a lion attacked him, he ripped it apart as easily as one might tear apart a young goat (because who hasn’t done that before?). In a later confrontation with his arch-enemies, the Philistines, he slaughtered over 1,000 of them armed only with the jawbone of a donkey – a comically unsuitable weapon that he probably chose just to humiliate them further.
Samson’s powers were famously stripped from him by his lover Delilah, who was secretly working for the Philistines. She cut off his hair, which was the source of his divine strength. But Samson’s hair grew back, and he regained his power. In a fit of rage, he exacted his revenge on the Philistines by pushing down the pillars of their temple, causing it to collapse and killing himself and many of his enemies in the process, in a manner reminiscent of the Incredible Hulk.