Scientists Discover the Secret to Eddie Hall's 1,100-Pound Deadlift
What makes an elite athlete's aptitude to build muscle and superhuman strength is a question as old as time. While some chalk it up to a lifetime of powerlifting and functional strength training, consuming lean meats and protein powder, and maintaining motivation, there seems to be a biological advantage, scientists reveal. They examined Eddie Hall, one of the most prolific strongmen of all time.
Sitting at 6'3" and 430 pounds when he accomplished the world record-setting 500kg (1,100lb) deadlift in 2016, Hall is an outlier among humans. And while his higher body weight and incredible strength make him stand out, new research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology suggests it's the muscle size in his lower body and the way his muscle mass is distributed that makes him unparalleled.
Related: Eddie Hall Smashes Deadlift WR
The news that Hall is "made different" probably doesn't come as a huge shock. He's not the first well-known athlete to undergo genetic testing either. Some research even relates certain genes (specifically the ACTN3 and ACE) to the power, endurance, and speed of top-notch athletes. In fact, more than 200 gene polymorphisms have been associated with greater exercise performance, more than 20 of which have been correlated with elite athletic performance. In Hall's case, his genetic makeup goes far beyond modest differences in certain genes.
Former World's Strongest Man, Eddie Hall, paid a visit to campus ????
— Loughborough University (@lborouniversity) September 5, 2024
Scientists ran a series of strength tests and MRI scans and the findings show that Eddie’s lower-body muscle mass was almost twice (+96%) that of untrained men.
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According to the case study, Hall’s lower-body muscle size is almost twice that of an untrained group of healthy, active young men. In particular, his guy rope muscles are 2.5 to 3 times bigger and his plantar flexor is also sizably larger. The guy rope muscles run from below the knee up to the pelvis, providing stability to the hips and thigh, while the plantar flexor group refers to the set of muscles and tendons in the foot, ankle, and leg that control the foot and toes' ability to move downward. In short, Hall's stabilizer muscles are way bigger than that of most men who don't train.
Scientists believe the larger guy rope muscles could be what offers Hall enhanced stability when he's lifting heavy weights (hence his famous deadlift, which weighed the same as most horses), performing carries, and/or doing pulling exercises like sled drags or trucks pulls.
Related: The 10 Strongest Men of All Time
Hall's leg muscles, specifically his thighs, were double the size of untrained individuals, too. Surprisingly, though, the tendons in his knees that held all of his weight were only around 30 percent larger than that of the untrained population.
So, while hard work, dedication, and years of training are guaranteed to help you build strength and endurance, the study proves there may be more of a genetic factor to landing the World's Strongest Man title than we recognized before. In some ways, you're only as good as your genetics.