Paul edward anderson (17 october 1932 - 15 august 1994) was an american weightlifter, hercules and powerlifter. He was an olympic gold medallist, one-time world champion and two-time national powerlifting champion. As a competitive sport, anderson was instrumental in the development of powerlifting.

Early life

Anderson was born in toccoa, georgia, the only son of ethel bennett and robert anderson. As a teenager, he began early weightlifting training in his family's backyard to increase his size and strength so that he could play on the toccoa high school football team, where he earned a spot as a first-team linebacker. He used special homemade weights that his father had poured into concrete. Anderson went on to spend a year at furman university on a football scholarship before moving with his parents to elizabeth burton, tennessee. There he met weightlifter bob paltz, who had a huge impact on his squat training and introduced him to the weightlifting scene.

In 1955, at the height of the cold war, anderson travelled to the soviet union to compete in an international powerlifting competition as the winner of the us amateur athletic federation powerlifting championships. In a short news clip broadcast in the united states about the event, narrator bud palmer commented:- "Then a big man named paul anderson stepped up to the weightlifting platform." Palmer says: "The russians snickered as anderson grabbed the barbell, which weighed 402.5 pounds. But their snickers immediately turned to awe and cheers when anderson lifted the heaviest barbell ever." When anderson lifted 402.41 pounds (182.53 kilograms), the russian announcer said solemnly, "We rarely lift anything that heavy." Before anderson, former soviet champion alexei medvedev broke the olympic record with a weight of 330.5 pounds (149.9 kg). Then anderson finished with a new record of 402.5 pounds (182.6 kg). At a time when the americans were engaged in a symbolic cold war with the soviet union, anderson's strength and his distinctive tank-like appearance became everyone's battle cry.

At the 1955 world championships in munich, germany in october, anderson went on to complete two more world records of 407.7 pounds (184.9 kg) and a total weight of 1129.5 pounds (512.3 kg), which he easily won in competition to become world champion. On his return to the united states anderson was received by then vice president richard nixon, who thanked him for being such a wonderful goodwill ambassador.

In 1956, at the olympic games in melbourne, australia, anderson won the gold medal as a weightlifter in a long and gruelling duel with argentina's humberto servetti in the super heavyweight category. The two lifters were neck and neck, but because anderson weighed less (137.9kg, 304lbs) than servetti (143.5kg, 316lbs), anderson won the gold medal.

After that anderson could not participate in the 1960 olympics because he was convicted as a professional athlete because he participated in some powerlifting shows and received money. As a result, at the 1960 olympics, soviet heavyweight yuri vlasov broke the 1956 olympic record and anderson did not compete. Soon afterwards, however, not to be outdone by the russian and to prove that he was the strongest man in the world, anderson demonstrated incredible strength by lifting the same weight as the russian three times in a row. The extraordinary american athlete anderson cemented his place as the world's most dominant weightlifter and cemented his legacy as the strongest of the strong

In 1961 anderson and his wife glenda established the paul anderson youth home in vidalia, georgia, a home for at-risk young people. They both helped build and support the organisation, which averages 500 speaking engagements and powerlifting demonstrations a year. He would often perform stunts such as hammering nails with his bare hands and lifting a table full of eight people onto his back.

Anderson he eventually died of chronic congenital kidney disease at the age of 61.

The guinness book of world records (1985 edition) lists his feat of lifting 6,270 pounds (2,850 kg) in a back lift as "The greatest weight ever lifted by a human being". Many of anderson's feats of strength, which he turned professional after the 1956 summer olympics, are credible, but none have been officially recognised under sufficiently stringent conditions. However, the guinness book of world records did mention him in its 1985 edition, with a back lift of 6,270 pounds. This became the basis for his reputation as "The strongest man in the world".

Personal life

In 1960, anderson married glenda garland. The couple were devout christians. They have a daughter named paula (born in 1966).

Anderson suffered from bright's disease (now known as chronic nephritis), a kidney disease from which he eventually died. In competition, he weighed between 275-370 lb (125-168 kg) and stood 5 ft 9.5 in (1.765 m)

Personal record

Olympic weightlifting

Finished in official competition [

Clean and jerk: 1955 world championships, munich, 16 october 1955, 185.5kg (408.5lb)

Snatch:1956 national championships, philadelphia, june 6-02, 1956, 152.5 kg (335 lbs)

Clean and jerk: 199.5kg (440lbs) at the 1956 nationals, philadelphia, 6 jun-02 jun 1956

Unofficial records

Listed in the guinness book of world records (1985 edition)

Back lift: 6,270 lb (2,840 kg) (weight slightly above the bracket; june 12, 1957, at toccoa, georgia) listed as the largest weight ever lifted by a human being

Powerlifting

Guinness also lists anderson's best lifts

Completed in a small exhibition or training session (according to anderson himself)

Squat: 1200lbs (540kg)

Bench press: 628 lbs (285 kg)

Hard pull: 820lbs (370kg)

Weightlifting

Best gym performance (in anderson's own words)

Clean and jerk: 485lbs (220kg)

Snatch: 375lbs (170kg)

There are actually many more strength records about anderson, which make him a true legend in the powerlifting game, forever.