PAUL ANDERSON
- ludwigpower
- Jan 17
- 3 min read
“When I'm introduced as the World’s Strongest Man I want it to be true.”
Paul Edward Anderson was born 10/17/1932 in Toccoa Georgia. He was born with Bright's Disease, a kidney disorder that would present health challenges throughout his life. However, he would not let this disease define him, he chose to become remarkably strong despite his condition and have a resume that would go on to inspire some of the greatest strength athletes the world has ever seen.
Anderson's astonishing power would come from his discipline and innovative approach to strength training. In 1955 Paul won the US National Heavyweight Championship. He won this competition dominantly and set records in the clean and jerk and press events. In the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, he won the gold medal in the super heavyweight class. This victory made him an American national icon. He quickly became known not only as an Olympic gold medalist but also as quite possibly the strongest man who ever lived.
He would perform unfathomable public displays of strength, including his legendary back lift of 6,270lbs. This lift stands as the heaviest weight ever lifted by a human being according to the Guinness Book of World Records. He had a 402lbs press, 300lbs one arm press, 330lbs snatch, 462lbs clean and jerk, 1400lbs partial "Anderson squat", and a 1,194lbs total.
To conceptualize these lifts during the 1950s is mind-numbing considering the lack of available and developed information on training and nutrition. He also was reported to have a bench press in the 600lbs range, a deadlift in the 800lbs range, and would bend nails with his bare hands. His public displays of strength would also include; lifting safes, pianos, and cars alongside squatting with people standing on a platform on his back. He stood 5'9" tall and was 304lbs (there have been reports of him reaching 330 lbs+) during his competitive years, and supported this frame with an extremely high calorie diet; there have been reports of him drinking 1-2 gallons of milk a day as well, this has not been confirmed as absolute fact but has been passed down from those who knew him. Some of his physique measurements included; ~22" arms, 22.5-25" neck, 36" quads, and a 45" waist.
He also understood that the strength of character you develop outside of the gym is paramount to the impact you leave on this world. Which is why he created The Paul Anderson Youth Home, which aids at-risk youth and is operational to this very day. Over 1,400 young men have participated in the program which included benefits such as; education, counselling, and spiritual support. He was a devout Christian and spoke about this frequently during his traveling speaking engagements. Long before widespread fundraising efforts were made available, Paul rode his bike from Vidalia to Omaha, Nebraska to spread the word of his faith and support his philanthropic vision. Paul and his wife Glenda lived on the property of the youth home and helped raise the residents alongside their own daughter. They truly treated this as a family mission rather than something that was detached from their actual family unit. This goes to show the monumental impact Paul Anderson had on this world through his faith and strength training. Paul passed away on 8/15/1994 at 61 years old due to complications related to his kidney disease. Paul Anderson is an icon of strength and should always be remembered for his larger-than-life accomplishments both on and off the platform.
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