Mount Rushmore of Strength

Bigger Stronger Leaner
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Good day everyone and happy friday.

Just finished listening to the Juglife Beers with Chad podcast about his Mount Rushmore of Powerlifting. I thought it would be cool to see a Mount Rushmore in strength sports as atleast for me it wasnt always Powerlifting that interested me in strength. I also enjoy the characters of this industry and its history and would be interesred in seeing whaf inspired others.

Magnus Ver Magnusson - Growing up my dad and I would stay up late over christmas break watching worlds strongest man. Magnus was not the biggest or most jacked guy in the competition but he was a competitor and the first dude that inspired me to get strong.

Matt Kroc - Alot of people point to guys like Chuck V or Dan Green as there inspiration for getting into powerlifting (in my age group) but for me it was Matt Kroc. I identified with Matt being former military and enjoyed his ability to convey a message ( Just watch the old Elite FTS Round tables). His training approach was based on mental toughness as much as getting strong which I believe some people are lacking.

Jim Wendler - The first strength program I followed that actually worked. Jims approach to things was vastly different from the Mens Health add 3 inches to your arms in 3 weeks and do the 300 rep spartan circuit workout to get jacked but actually get skinny and not stronger which was cluttering shelves. Jim was and is no bull. Its not for everybody and I dont use it all the time anymore but it works.

Im gonna cheat on this one but lately its been the ladies of strength sports Jen Thompson, Donna Moore, Stefi Cohen, Tia Claire Twomey. These girls are beasts and teach younger generations of women that they do not have to apologize for being awesome. For those that say these women have too much muscle or say things about how they look. Go put your daughters in a beauty pagent, mine are gonna be strong.

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Kroc and Wendler? Wow


Maybe you look at a ‘lifting mount rushmore’ differently than I do. It seems like you’re going by who you happened to read, and who influenced you most directly. I think a Mount Rushmore should be more generally applicable.

My Mount Rushmore starts with Arnold. I don’t see any way around that. He has had, without a doubt, more influence on the world of strength sports than any other human who has ever lived.

Second is Bill Kazmaier for me. He was a world champion powerlifter, And was so fucking dominant at World’s Strongest Man that they banned him from competing after his 3-peat. That’s unbelievable. And, like Arnold, he’s continued to be a major figure in the lifting world for the past 4 decades.

Third is slightly dicier, but I put Ed Coan here. He’s widely regarded as the greatest powerlifter ever, and like the 2 names above, absolutely dominated his competition in his era. There are definitely stronger guys out there today, but what he did when he did it is pretty spectacular.

#4 is tough, there are a lot of guys I want to put here. I think that I have to put Big Z here, because I consider him to be the strongest man who’s ever lived. Shaw is so close, but Big Z has a slight edge in my book. Also considered Sigmarsson here. There are a few Oly lifters, Powerlifters and bodybuilders who could have been considered for this spot, but at the end of the day, my bias is towards strongman when we’re talking about a Mount Rushmore of STRENGTH. Strongmen are just so much more well-rounded strength-wise than guys in the other iron sports.

My honorable mentions would include Big Ron, Yates, Vasily Alekseyev, Dimas, Captain Kirk, Paul Anderson, Andy Bolton, and Eugene Sandow. I think one could easily make the case for Sandow on this list, it’s just a very different argument than the one I made for Z. If you asked me to make this list tomorrow, I might switch Sandow and Z, tbh.

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You are correct these are definately people in the strength world who influenced me directly and my journey. Selfish I know. I guess if I was being more general and including athletes from eras I did not live through Id go Louis Cyr, Arnold, Kaz, and Coan.

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How Bill wasn’t on the first list blew my goddamn mind. How can you talk strength without thinking Kaz?

Good topic idea though. Kaz would be my first pick if we’re just talking pure strength vs “the weightroom”. Agree with Coan. Maybe Hepburn after that. And if we can believe everything written about Paul Anderson, him too.

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Meant to include him in my honorable mentions. That’s a great one.

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For sure. If we’re talking pure brute strength, dude was an animal. Paul was the same way. Never seen someone do a slow clean before, haha.

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First time I watched worlds strongest man was when Gary Taylor won, I only knew Kaz as a commentator for most my childhood. My initial list was personal to me going for a retrospective list Kaz is definately on it.

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Completely agrees with your list.

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I would second your list, but would add in Hackenschmidt, Goerner, Mark Henry and mikhail koklyaev as mentions at least. Koklyaev is just such an amazing all around athlete it’s insane.

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I think more weightlifters aught to get a mention such as Taranenko and Suleymanoglu.

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Mikhail! love this one

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Alrighty name some and why. Educate the masses

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He named 2.

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Eugene Sandow too. He was a very well balanced ‘physical culturist’ who was strong and aesthetic.

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lol yes I did see that I was encouraging him to give his opinion. I dont know weightlifting outside of klokov I was genuinely interested. I understand things are generally read in negative context on these forums but Im just looking to have convo with dudes who enjoy strength sports and respect their opinions.

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Definately without Sandow you may not have grimek then Park then Arnie and he inspired an entire generation of lifters so the butterfly effect is enormous. Im Canadian so Louis Cyr Im sure those from Scotland would be shouting about Donald Dinnie

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I’m not primarily a weightlifter so I’m not the best person to ask. Those I mentioned were just people that I think are exceptional enough to go beyond a weightlifting circle.

Leonid Taranenko: Heaviest clean and jerk ever in international competition at 266kg. Held the all-time record total until very recently.

Naim Suleymanoglu: Pocket Hercules with the highest bodyweight multiple clean and jerk with 190kg at 60kg bodyweight.

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I actually said f*** me out loud when I read taranenkos clean and jerk

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I’m glad you mentioned Sandow. Most people (in the general public, not necessarily TN) have no idea who he is. I would go so far as to say he did as much as Arnold. Maybe even more, considering the era during which he did it. If Arnold is pedaling the weight lifting bike, Sandow is the guy who gave him a push to get it going in the first place. Just my opinion obviously. I agree 100% with your list, and we’re also on the same page with Big Z. The man is an absolute machine

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Love your list !! cant argue much about the quality of those listed. I myself would have Anderson higher and include Steve Reeves as a honorable mention . Buts that just from my point of view.

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