Time has passed, Anderson's records in classical weightlifting triathlon have been much exceeded, but his achievements in purely strength exercises stand unshakable. In the last twenty years of his life, he disappeared from the field of view of journalists and, as it turned out, there were reasons. Let's try to restore his feats of strength and sorrow that were destined for him by fate.
Anderson was born on October 17, 1932 in the small town of Toccoa, Tennessee into a family of descendants of Swedish immigrants. His parents were ordinary people who did not differ in any “special” physique: his mother was only 157 cm tall and had a miniature build, and his father weighed only (compared to his son) 81 kg.
At school, Paul was interested in running and American football. At the age of 15 he already weighed 90 kg, and at 19-120. And this with a height of 175 cm. In 1952, while he was studying at the university, he was given a barbell and he began his training, where the main exercise was squats with a barbell. Two years later, Paul lifted such weights that no one in the world could lift except him. Of course, the key to such quick success was his natural talent. And already in 1955 Anderson won the world and Olympic titles. In 1956 he left amateur sports. We can say that in those days he simply did not have a worthy opponent (although due to Paul’s illness, his performance at the Olympics in Melbourne was dramatic - he won only in the last approach) and interest in classical triathlon dried up. Therefore, since 1957, Paul began performing strength training in the professional arena. There was no shortage of spectators. This continued until the early 70s, when another dramatic part of his life began.
But let's return to the times of his triumph. After winning the Olympics in Melbourne, Paul travels around the world demonstrating his strength (which by that time had become the national pride of the United States). In 1957, in a Las Vegas nightclub, he squats with a weight of 526 kg three times in a row. This was repeated 7 days a week and for several weeks. You think - this is the weight. But in fact it was a normal working weight.
An interesting feature: Paul never used a weightlifting belt or knee taping and squatted barefoot, taking off his shoes. By the way, despite his size, Paul wore only size 40 shoes.
Since he had no opponents, it is difficult to determine the limit of Anderson's capabilities. In terms of achievements in weighted squats, the famous John Grimek testified how Paul squatted 408 kg for 10 reps and performed a half squat with a weight of 680 kg. According to another famous athlete T. Kono, Anderson squatted 558 kg.
He liked bench press exercises less, perhaps the reason was that his left arm was injured twice, the first time broken in training, and the second time damaged in a car accident. But Anderson also left amazing achievements in the bench press: for example, he bench pressed 136 kg with his right hand 11 times and 7 times with his left.
On June 12, 1957, Paul in his hometown of Toccoa tore 2844 kg from the racks, which is almost a ton more than other strongmen - Louis Sar and Welsh - had previously done.
Thus, for a decade and a half, Anderson, using a personal plane, travels around the United States and the world, surprising people with his strength and preaching Christian values.
Yes, that’s right - Paul became a Christian missionary and found in this the real meaning of his life. Here is how he spoke on this issue: “My philosophy of life is taken from the Bible. The main thing in my life is Jesus Christ. Without him, I would not be called the strongest man in the world. My philosophy is to give more than to take and use my ability to help another in any possible way. This does not mean that I am one of those who are kind but blind. “I will never lead my neighbor astray.”
His demonstrations of strength went hand in hand with lectures on Christian morality. The commercial side of these performances was not the main one. Often he performed without any fees at all, and when he received them, he donated them to the creation and provision of orphanages.
Having earned a lot of money from his performances, Anderson spent it all on charitable causes. The workload in this activity was large - there were 500 performances per year. This went on for 17 years.
In the Soviet press of those years they wrote about him ironically, ridiculing his size and supposed clumsiness, and despite his weight, he could jump onto a table 90 cm high, and jump 3 meters long from a standstill,
Such activities of Anderson contributed to the development of interest in such exercises as the bench press, deadlifts and squats, which over time became an independent sport, now competing in popularity with classical weightlifting.
It is interesting to cite his measurements dating back to 1956, at a time when he weighed 138 kg:
neck - 62 cm;
biceps - 55 cm;
shin - 55 cm;
chest -147 cm;
hip - 91 cm;
waist -123 cm.
Anderson did not regret leaving amateur sports early. He believed that he had chosen the right path and had done much more important things.
As a child, Paul suffered from kidney disease and the consequences of this affected him many years later. And his sports activities required abundant nutrition and consumption of large amounts of protein, so the load on the kidneys was enormous. By the age of fifty, he was already suffering from kidney stones. During his performances, he sometimes could not close his eyes the whole night from pain, waiting for the next stone to come out. Finally, the crisis came - 300 kidney stones of various sizes were removed. The question arose about a kidney transplant. The donor was his 59-year-old sister. At the same time, compatibility was 60%. Subsequent intensive care damaged the nerves in the inner ear. He lost his sense of balance and could no longer walk or stand. Then my legs became paralyzed. Paul found himself confined to a wheelchair.
The last years were very painful, he suffered from pain caused by compression of the nerves in the spine.
Paul's faithful friend and assistant in the fight against the disease was his wife Glenda and their only daughter Paula, who now presents prizes at the Anderson Memorial, a rare weightlifting competition for the United States, held in the city of Atlanta, where Paul Anderson lived and was buried.
Thus his name became immortal for America. The great champion died on August 15, 1994.
Since Anderson's phenomenon as an athlete continues to exist, some of his sports philosophy is interesting.
Natural talent.“My body had a remarkable feature - it perfectly absorbed proteins, vitamins and minerals. I am convinced that this is one of the secrets of my strength.”
Selecting the right exercises.“I always believed that it was necessary to change the exercises. I alternated lifting weights from a standing position with lifting them from a lying position, doing one exercise until I got tired of it, and then moving on to another. Everyone should know for themselves what they need. Instinctively "We must develop this knowledge in ourselves, understanding that what is suitable now may not be suitable in six months."
How often should you exercise?"Since I realized that my body is able to convert food into muscle energy more easily and quickly than anyone else, I began to train every day. However, there are people who believe that they can only lift a barbell twice a day. once a week. It all depends on the individual, how much time you need to recover."
How to deal with fatigue.“I never thought that it was necessary to stop training for a long time, feeling very tired. I began to figure out whether it was the diet or the regime that was to blame, and thought until I found the reason. If you have been involved in athletics for more than two years, then no "You should feel overwhelmed. By knowing your body, you can prevent severe fatigue and prevent it from setting in."
The main exercise.“The best way to improve your strength is to squat with weights. I’ve squatted thousands of times and I’ll tell you straight: I hated it every time. I just don’t understand anyone who says that he likes such exercises, but, however, this is the basis of all strength training ".
Exercise options.“Sometimes I would perform partial movements with weights far beyond my full range of motion capabilities.
Rest between exercises. During heavy workouts, I had to rest up to 30 minutes between sets. Sometimes I rested for an hour, sometimes -10 minutes. You need to have a clear head."
About steroids.“During my performances, they were not yet available. I don’t think I would have used them. Vitamins, microelements and tea were enough for me. Steroids have side effects, they are harmful to health, and is there any point in sacrificing your health for a few years of fame?” ,
Among the features of leg training, Anderson had the following practice:
full squat after warm-up 1x10;
1/2 squat 1x10;
squat on one leg 1 x20;
1x20 squat jump;
Repeat the cycle three times.
After a 30-minute rest, the barbell is placed 25-70 kg more than the maximum weight and 3/4 squats are performed for 10 repetitions. The leg workout ended with jumping out of a half squat 10 times, and out of a full squat 5 times. Thanks to this training, Anderson had a vertical jump of 36 inches (over 90cm).
And lastly, His message to young athletes: “Put everything into perspective—your future, your education, whatever you're going to do. You have to set yourself up to be a champion, but don't let that overshadow everything else. As you dedicate yourself to weightlifting, don't forget ", however, about your spiritual life, which should be in first place for you, about your duty to society and about your studies. Do not be defeated in anything."
The name of Paul Anderson will remain in the memory not only of sports fans, but also of more than 1,500 pupils of an orphanage for juvenile delinquents, whom he supported for 30 years not only with money, but also with his example of a Christian vision of the world. Thanks to his care, many students changed their lives, received higher education and became worthy members of society: surgeons, doctors, lawyers and even clergy.
If our heroes are in plain sight, then the American has long since disappeared from the horizons visible to the press. But he was the first to gain a fantastic amount by the standards of that time in powerlifting - 500 kg. He was called the strongest man on the planet, he was considered the most popular athlete in the world.
Anderson was born in 1933 in the small town of Toccoa, Tennessee. He is a descendant of Swedish settlers. During my school years I was fond of running and American football. But soon his weight began to grow rapidly and of all his sports hobbies, only one remained - the barbell. At 15 years old, Paul weighed 90 kg, at 19 - 120 kg. He practiced without a coach - using books and his own understanding. He was noticed by the “father” of American weightlifting, Bob Goffman. At the age of 21, Paul Anderson set his first world record in triathlon total - 483.5 kg. For three years, no one came close to his results; Anderson became world champion in 1955. In the same year, he gained a phenomenal amount - 518.5 kg. In total, Anderson improved the world record 9 times.
In the pre-Olympic year, American weightlifters came to the Soviet Union. The visiting team included a whole constellation of world champions - the “Iron Hawaiian” Tommy Kono, the Polish-American Stanley Stanczyk, and the Italian Charles Vinci. But the highlight of the program was, of course, Paul Anderson. The competitions were held on the stage of the Green Theater of the Park of Culture named after. Gorky, on a rainy July evening, 12 thousand Muscovites came here. It was the central event of the sports summer. Paul Anderson made a huge impression on the audience with his relaxedness, friendliness, goodwill and, of course, strength. As if playfully, he easily gained 518 kg. A few days later, performing in Leningrad, he gained 512.5 kg. His possibilities seemed inexhaustible.
However, Anderson won the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne with great difficulty. Only in the last approach did he manage to catch up with the Argentinean Umberto Silvetti, gaining a very modest amount for himself of 500 kg. Since Anderson weighed 3.5 kg less than his opponent, he was awarded the Olympic gold medal.
After this, the champion signed a contract and became a professional. He performed in circuses, on stage, in theaters, showing amazing power tricks. His most famous trick was lifting a safe filled with lead ingots. The safe stood on a platform where car parts lay piled high. The entire structure weighed about three tons. The record was included in the Guinness Book.
Lifting huge weights did not benefit the champion. He has been sick a lot for the last 20 years. The joints and bones could not withstand the overload, the functioning of the kidneys, heart, and liver was disrupted. During the years of illness, his weight dropped from 160 kg to 77. The public lost interest in the idol of previous years. And Paul Anderson himself preferred not to meet with journalists. But recently he received a correspondent from the American magazine Muscle and Fitness.
Check out Paul Anderson's monologue.
Genesis. Already at the very beginning of training with weights, I discovered that I could do a lot. So, I was able to squat a 400-pound barbell on my first try. No role models inspired me and no coaches helped me. I just realized that the best way to lift weights well is to be strong, so I took up strength training.
Efficient Metabolism. My body had one remarkable ability - to perfectly absorb protein, vitamins and minerals. I am convinced that this is one of the secrets of my strength. After all, believe me, I never had a big appetite. To be so big and have a modest appetite is certainly amazing.
Unusual weapons. I built my first barbells out of junk I found in a landfill in Toccoa. That's how I started.
Most productive mode. I always believed that you need to change the exercises. I alternated standing barbell lifts with sitting and lying barbell lifts, doing one exercise until I got tired of it, and then moving on to another. Which mode can I recommend? Everyone should know for themselves what they need. Instinctively. You need to develop this knowledge in yourself and try to live in complete harmony with what your body needs at the moment. You see, what works for you now may not work in six months.
Change your diet. The same applies to diet. Your diet should include plenty of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and whatever else you currently need. If there is no progress, then you need to change your diet, but most importantly, you need to know yourself very, very well. Don't wait until you're tired of working out to change your routine or diet.
Mode duration. The time during which you train in the same mode can range from six months to a year, with reservations, of course. There are no rules that will apply to all people at any time in their lives. You must instinctively know when change is needed.
How often should you exercise? Since I realized that my body is able to convert food into muscle energy more easily and quickly than anyone else, I began to train daily. However, I have talked to people who have been lifting weights for many years and truly believe that they can only lift weights twice a week. Nothing can be achieved this way. I don't think anyone enjoys working out. I mean the hard work that goes into achieving great results. But it all depends on individual characteristics, on how much time you need after one workout in order to restore your strength and be ready for a new one. I think that the ability to recover quickly is also one of the secrets of my success.
How to fight fatigue. I never thought that I needed to stop training for a long time. Feeling very tired, I immediately began to pretend that the reason for this was a diet or a regimen, and I thought until I found this reason. If you've been lifting for more than two years, you shouldn't feel overwhelmed. Knowing your body will help you get ahead of extreme fatigue and prevent it from setting in.
The most important exercise. The best way to improve your strength is to lift while sitting. I think I have lifted the barbell while squatting many thousands of times. And I’ll tell you straight: I hated it every time!
I simply don’t understand anyone who says that he likes such exercises. There is still talk that by performing this exercise, the weightlifter causes harm to himself, although there is no reason for this. And yet, lifting the barbell from a sitting position is the basis of all training.
Exercise options. I usually tried to do one exercise in three variations. For example, if I pumped up my abs, I would do an exercise on a bench, a push, an exercise with weights. Having done these exercises once, I rested a little, and then repeated everything a second and third time, changing the position depending on how my body felt. After each movement I took a short pause. I also did these two exercises. I loaded the barbell with more weight than I could bench press. Then, bending his knees slightly, he tried to lift it as high as he could. I did the same with a weight that hung 3-4 inches above my head.
Sports philosophy. I never paid attention to weight. I didn't pay attention to the stopwatch either. I would rub my hands, go to the bar, get my breath and take the weight. It all depended on correct posture, correct training, proper rest and proper nutrition. Here are four things to look out for.
Life philosophy. Well, of course, my philosophy of life is taken from the Bible. The main thing in my life is Jesus Christ. Without him, I wouldn't have been called the strongest man in the world for twenty-seven years. My philosophy is to give more than I take and to use my abilities to help others in any way possible. This does not mean that I am one of those who are kind but blind, but I will never lead my neighbor astray.
About steroids. At the time of my performances they did not yet exist. I don't think I would use them. I had enough vitamins, microelements and tea. I remember that vitamin B6 was especially good for me. Steroids have side effects and in some cases cause irreparable harm to health. I wouldn't sacrifice my health even for fame.
Rest between exercises. During particularly tough workouts, I had to rest up to 30 minutes between exercises. Sometimes I rested for an hour, and sometimes I only rested for 10 minutes. It all depended on how much time I had.
Advice for a young athlete. Put everything in perspective - your future, your education, whatever it is you're going to do. You have to set yourself up to be a champion, but don't let that overshadow everything else. Dedicate yourself to weightlifting, but do not forget about your spiritual life, which should come first for you, about your duty to society, about your studies. Be a winner in everything. Don’t be defeated in anything.”
To the question What is the heaviest weight (record) that a person has lifted? given by the author OLYA SVETLOVA the best answer is No one can know for sure! And search engines give the following answer! 2844.02 kg!
Few people remember weightlifter Paul Anderson. These are mainly older people. But in vain. If you are seriously involved in any sport, it doesn’t hurt to know its history. And Paul Anderson can safely be called the founder of such an “iron” sport as powerlifting. In the mid-fifties of the 20th century, this name thundered throughout the world, and weightlifter Paul Anderson was known and very popular all over the world. His achievements are still amazing. What can we say about the last century?
Paul Anderson, who later received the nickname “crane” for his unsurpassed power, was born in 1932 on October 17 in the small town of Toccoa, which is located in the state of Georgia, United States. His father, who, by the way, did not differ at all in any unique physical characteristics, specialized in the construction of hydroelectric power stations, so it is not at all surprising that the family constantly moved from one place to another. But the family suddenly settled in Atlanta, where they liked the warm climate. Anderson spent his teenage years there. Like many US boys, he became interested in playing American football.
Around the age of 20, something happened in Paul’s body, and he began to gain weight sharply. It might not be a big deal when your height is 175 centimeters, but it kept coming and coming until you reached a record 176 kilograms. Naturally, there was no talk of any sharpness or endurance. Something had to be done, and Paul’s uncle found a way out of the situation - he just took it and gave him a barbell. Anderson tried it and liked it. He makes a decision: weightlifting is his. This is how weightlifter Paul Anderson appeared. What began to happen next is difficult to explain both from the point of view of science and from the point of view of common sense and logic. After spending only 3 years on weightlifting, at the age of 23, Paul Anderson becomes the strongest man on Earth.
In those years, weightlifting competitions consisted, as now in powerlifting, of three exercises: snatch, clean and jerk and press. And no one could even imagine that in weightlifting triathlon someone would be able to gain a total of more than 500 kilograms. For example, the winner of the 1952 Olympics, American John Davis, had a result of 460 kg. The famous weightlifter Norbert Szymanski, Anderson's predecessor, who later became one of Yuri Vlasov's main rivals, set a record in 1954 at the World Championships, gaining 487.5 kg in triathlon. Experts believed that no one would be able to surpass this result for a long time.
Yeah. Right now! The entire sports community was in complete shock when the unknown weightlifter Paul Anderson from Atlanta gained 518.5 kilograms in triathlon at a competition that took place in South Carolina!
In those years, according to the existing rules, only records that athletes set at the Olympic Games and World and European Championships were recorded. The results of other tournaments were not taken into account. Therefore, everyone who followed weightlifting was waiting for Anderson to appear in Munich at the World Championships, which were to be held in 1955. At the World Championships, Paul Anderson performed spectacularly, winning a gold medal with a total of 512.5 kilograms in eventing. Which became a new world record. Anderson also set two more world records in individual exercises: in the clean and jerk - 196.5 kg, and in the bench press - 185.5 kg.
As it turned out later, these enormous weights were not at all limiting for Anderson. His real capabilities were much higher. It’s a shame that weightlifter Paul Anderson never had to compete at the world championships again. But about his performance at the Olympic Games in Melbourne should be told separately. Denis Leonov
Enlightened
(29161)
After all, they made him into a slow and flabby monster. Moreover, mentally retarded. And people saw an active, cheerful person, always ready to joke. The only thing the press did not deceive Muscovites about was the dimensions. The athlete’s skills were very impressive. This was a mountain of a man. But not a fat, loose mountain, but elastic, powerful muscle groups. How could it be different? Try using fat to lift a barbell with a huge weight.
The 1956 Melbourne Olympics is a separate stage in Anderson’s biography. He shouldn't have performed there at all. Because before the competition his throat disease worsened and he came down with a temperature of 39 degrees. Due to illness, he even lost weight to 137 kilograms. The team doctor categorically forbade him to perform.
Answer from Boris Volkov[guru]
if without steroids in an honest way, 80 kg, Lying down.
Answer from Judy Hopps[guru]
"Paul Anderson lifts 2840 kg from the racks. Toccoa, 1957. The heaviest weight ever lifted by a person"
Answer from Dima123124[guru]
Vasily Alekseev pushed 256 kg (40 years ago).
Then I didn’t follow it.
They probably added more.
Answer from Alexander Matveev[guru]
In what exercise, maybe with a member?
Answer from A beast named cat[guru]
From November 20 to 29, 2015, the World Weightlifting Championships were held in Houston (USA). Alexey Lovchev went there as an ordinary weightlifter, and returned as a world record holder, lifting incredible weight in 2 approaches.
The working weight of the barbell during the snatch is 211 kg. The working weight of the barbell during the push is 264 kg. The sum of the double event is 475 kg. So Lovchev won the gold medal, setting a world record.
The absolute world record in multi-layer equipment for the bench press belongs to athlete Ryan Kennelly. Ryan lifted the barbell to 486 kg. On November 22, 2015, Kirill Sarychev broke the world record in the bare bench press; first, in his second attempt, he achieved a weight of 330 kilograms, and then he improved his own achievement by bench pressing 335 kg
Born in Toccoa, Georgia, USA.
As a teenager, Anderson began weight training in his backyard in Toccoa, Georgia, to increase his strength so he could make the school football team. He subsequently became the best quarterback on the team.
Having received a sports scholarship, Anderson entered Furman University (South Carolina), but studied there for only one year. He then moved with his parents to Elizabethton, Tennessee, where he met weightlifter Bob Peoples, under whose influence Paul began doing barbell squats. Peoples introduced Anderson to other weightlifters. In 1953, he first met Robert Hoffman (Bob Goffman).
In 1955, at the height of the Cold War, Anderson, as the winner of the US weightlifting championship, went to an international competition in the Soviet Union.
When Anderson's gigantic figure appeared on the platform, excitement began in the auditorium, which increased when Anderson began an exercise with a barbell. He bench presses 182.5 kg. This is a new world record. Anderson improved the previous world record held by Hepburn (Canada) by 14 kg. In the snatch, Anderson records 142.5 kg. In the clean and jerk he shows 193 kg. This adds up to a huge weight of triathlon - 518.5 kg. Medvedev gained a triathlon total of 450 kg (145+135+170) (Then in Moscow Anderson weighed 155 kg)…
At the World Championships in Munich in October 1955, Anderson also set 2 world records (bench press - 185.5 kg, triathlon total - 513 kg), easily taking first place in his weight category. In the United States, he was visited by then Vice President Richard Nixon, who thanked him for his sporting achievements.
In 1956, at the Olympic Games in Melbourne (Australia), there was a tense struggle between super-heavy category athletes, Argentinean Umberto Selvetti, and Paul Anderson, who had a fever (up to 39 °C) due to a sore throat. With an equal amount of triathlon, the medal went to Anderson, an athlete with a lower body weight. After this Olympics, Anderson went into professional sports, so he could no longer participate in the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960, where Yuri Vlasov broke his records in the total triathlon.
In professional demonstrations of strength, Anderson managed to lift 1,600 kg from the platform and lift it to his knees. In addition, he performs an incomplete squat - a “short squat” with a weight of 900 kg, walks with 700 kg on his chest and squats according to all the rules with 425 kg.
Yuri Vlasov “Justice of Force”
In 1959, Paul Anderson married Glenda Garland. Together they founded a center for troubled teenagers in Vidali, Georgia in 1961.
Paul Anderson died of kidney disease in 1994. His own weight fluctuated between 158 and 170 kg. Height - 1.80 m.
The content of the article:
Surely weightlifting fans who are over 50 years old remember such a legendary figure in the past as Paul Anderson. He competed among amateur weightlifters for only two years (from 1955 to 1966), but even this period of time was enough for journalists to give him the most high-profile titles. Americans can be proud to have raised this athlete.
Paul’s popularity can be evidenced by the fact that Y. Kutsenko himself (long-term coach of the USSR national weightlifting team and world record holder in the clean and jerk) dubbed him a man with magical powers. Of course, in all the time that has passed since Paul’s triumph, all his records in the classical all-around have been broken more than once, but his achievements are remembered to this day. Over the past two decades, almost nothing has been heard about him, and we decided to correct this injustice by telling you the story of the athlete Paul Anderson.
Biography of Paul Anderson
The athlete was born in 1932 in the city of Toccoa, located in the state of Tennessee. Just by his last name it can be assumed that Paul’s ancestors were emigrants from Sweden. Paul's parents did not have a large build; for example, his mother was only 157 centimeters tall, and his father weighed just over 80 kilos.
Like all children, Anderson Jr. was actively involved in sports at school, in particular American football and running. He clearly did not take after his parents and already at the age of fifteen his weight was 90 kilograms, and by the age of 19 he reached 120 kilograms, but his height was only 172 centimeters. The guy started weightlifting in 1952, when he was given a barbell. Paul paid special attention to squats.
Just two years later he could lift heavy weights that no one could handle. Of course, along with great hard work and diligence, a large share of the credit for such rapid progress belongs to genetics, but the guy’s desire to reach the sporting peaks was also great.
In 1955, Paul achieved significant success, winning the World Championships and the Olympics. However, already in 1956 Anderson decided to leave the sport. Many are sure that this happened due to the lack of worthy opponents on the platform. But Anderson was able to win at the Olympics only in the last approach, although this was due to the athlete’s illness. As a result, the athlete simply lost motivation for further performances.
In 1957, Paul began performing on a professional stage with his power routines. Let's note. That he had no shortage of fans. So he continued to perform until 1970, when another life drama awaited him. However, let's still talk about the time of the athlete's triumph.
Having won the Olympics, Anderson goes on a tour around the world and demonstrates his strength. Of course, by this time he was already one of the most popular personalities in his homeland. For example, in one of the nightclubs in Las Vegas, Paul squats with a barbell weighing 526 kilos three times in a row. He does this routine every day for several weeks. If you decided that this weight is close to his maximum, then you are mistaken - for Paul it is working.
An interesting fact about the history of athlete Paul Anderson is that he never used bandages and a weightlifting belt and performed exercises barefoot. Today it is difficult to talk about Anderson’s limit, since in the absence of competitors on the platform he did not have to give his best.
Witnesses claim that Paul could squat a barbell weighing 408 kilos ten times, and perform a half squat with a weight of 680 kilos. But Anderson didn’t really like the bench press, perhaps due to injuries to his left hand received during training. However, here too he succeeded, squeezing a projectile weighing 136 kilos 11 times in a standing position, and only with his right hand.
In July 1957, numerous spectators in his hometown witnessed Paul lift a weight of 2.84 tons from the racks. This is almost 1000 kilos more than other athletes managed to do previously.
For almost a decade and a half, Anderson traveled around the world on a private plane and surprised people with his physical characteristics. At the same time, Anderson preached the basics of Christianity, becoming a missionary. He performed and at the same time lectured on Christian morality and did not pay attention to the commercial component of his shows.
Very often, he did not take money at all for visiting his show or gave the entire fee to charity, in particular to create and provide shelters for orphans. Almost all the money he earned went to charity.
In those years in the Soviet Union they always tried to find some kind of negative in the capitalist system. Paul also suffered from the Soviet press. Very often in their articles, journalists called him clumsy, despite the fact that Anderson could jump three meters from a standstill.
Largely due to Paul's performances, people developed a keen interest in exercises such as deadlifts, squats and bench presses. As a result, a new sports discipline was formed - powerlifting.
According to Paul himself, he never regretted his decision to leave the sports platform. He is sure that he was able to do a lot of good for people. During his childhood, Anderson was diagnosed with kidney disease, and strength training required a lot of nutrition. As a result, he developed kidney stones, which led to the need for an organ transplant.
His sister, who was 59 years old at that time, agreed to become a donor for Paul. Despite the close family ties, the compatibility of the organ with Anderson’s body was 60 percent. After surgery and subsequent intensive care, Paul's inner ear was seriously damaged. As a result, the athlete lost the ability to walk or stand and ended up in a wheelchair. In this difficult hour for him, his wife Glenda and daughter were always nearby. Paul Anderson passed away in 1994.
How did Paul Anderson train?
You might be interested in learning about some of the features of Anderson's training that he was willing to share. Paul is sure that his body was unique and all nutrients were absorbed quickly enough. In his training programs, he constantly changed exercises, doing this in response to signals from the body.
Paul's main exercise was squats. He also often performed partial movements using weights that were significantly higher than working weights. At the time of his performances, steroids had not yet been created, but Anderson is confident that he could do without them. In fact, he proved what can be achieved with natural training.
You will learn more facts about the greatest Paul Andersen from this video:
