As human beings we exist outside of the food chain in the traditional sense. This means that we’ve been allowed to grow soft in a variety of ways over the years. When comparing the average modern man to our ancient ancestors it is easy to see who is more ready to survive in the wild. Still, that doesn’t mean that the modern human body isn’t capable of incredible feats. Listed below are 15 jaw dropping acts of human strength and spirit.
Jack Lalanne – The Original Superhero.
Jack Lalanne probably isn’t as famous as he should be, considering he’s probably one of the first ‘heroes’ of the fitness world. Lalanne was a famous fitness expert and motivational speaker who gained worldwide acclaim for some of his insane feats of strength. His most famous act was when he towed 70 rowboats, all filled with passengers, with his body. He swam from the Queen’s Way Bridge all the way to the Queen Mary, a ship, while handcuffed and shackled. He was 70 at the time. Yeah, give us a cheap flight and a hotel reservation for the next guy to try this insane feat.
Jack Lalanne – The Original Superhero
Kam Ma’s Indestructible Body.
Not all feats of strength are going to be impressive to watch. In fact, some of these acts you probably would take the first cheap ticket out fo the city so you don’t have to watch them. Such is the case with Kam Ma. Ma is the current Guiness World Record holder for the most piercings done in a single session. Ma sat for 8 hours while artists pierced his body with over 1,015 metal rings — yes, including his tongue. Let’s just say you wouldn’t want the promotional mugs from this event.
Kam Ma Record
William Trubridge – The Ultimate Freediver.
Freediving is one of the scariest things you can probably do with your body next to jumping out of a plane without a parachute. William Trubridge has turned the already death defying act into one of extreme endurance. He is a record holding freediver and the first human to ever break 100 meters in depth without assistance. He also has the record freediving depth of 125 meters but it isn’t official — he forgot to take off his goggles.
William Trubridge – The Ultimate Freediver
The Ultimate Marathon Runner.
You really should read the history of the word marathon in order to get an appreciation for what people are actually doing when they partake in them. Back in 2006 we saw Dean Karnazes, a Los Angeles resident, push the concept to the limit. He ran 50 marathons in 50 different states in 50 total days. Can you image the pain in his knees at the tail end of the last event? He’ll need hotel reservations for a year before he can work up the strength to go home.
The Ultimate Marathon Runner
The Mighty Hermann Goerner.
You could look at thousands of different bodybuilders and weight trainers and find people stronger than Hermann Goerner, but there is more to strength than just the ability to shove up a bunch of weight on the bench press. Hermann Goerner was a bodybuilder who mastered the art of grip. He was able to clean and jerk a 300 pound specially made barbell with ease. Why was it special? The bar was so thick that you couldn’t close your hands around it. Of the thousands to ever try lifting the barbell, only Hermann was capable.
Hermann Goerner
Wim Hof’s Legendary Ice Bath.
What’s so hard about taking a bath? Oh, wow, so it’s a little bit cold? In order to truly appreciate what Hof has done you’ll have to follow yourself. The legendary Dutch adventurer is considered a master in Tummo meditation which has allowed him to rack up 18 World Records. One of those records is the longest ice bath in recorded history -> 73 minutes and 48 seconds.
Wim Hof’s Legendary Ice Bath
Cleveland Sullivan – The Human Lightning Rod.
People typically compare your chances of winning the lottery with your odds of getting struck by lightning. Cleveland Sullivan probably should think about playing the lottery. Sullivan has survived seven lightning strikes in his life, all occurring after the age of 30. He literally has survived getting smote by the Earth 7 times.
Cleveland Sullivan – The Human Lightning Rod
Felix Bamgartner and the Broken Sound Barrier.
If you are from Australia the odds are good that you have no fear, probably. You were raised on an island once run by convicts that is now filled with some of the deadliest animals in the known Universe. Felix Baumgartner is one of the biggest daredevils in the world and he put it on display when he broke the sound barrier by skydiving. He reached a speed of 846 miles per hour. Good gracious.
Felix Baumgartner
The French Hercules.
Pierre Gasnier is known as the French Hercules due to his odd feats of strength that could only be made up by a story teller, but were no doubt true. Gasnier was able to rip a full deck of cards in half with his bare hands, lift dumbbells that were twice his weight, and even break iron chains with just his chest expanding.
The French Hercules
Signor Lawanda’s Iron Jaws.
Signor Lawanda showcases how strength can come in a variety of different ways. While we’ve showcased men and women with incredible arms and legs, Lawanda has the strongest jaws in the world. When Lawanda was active in the extreme acts industry he was able to lift up an entire horse with his teeth, 1400 pounds of actual animal. Is there any reason to be able to do that? Probably not, but it’s pretty awesome.
Signor Lawanda’s Iron Jaws
Nikolas Wallenda – The King of the Wire.
There are some feats that showcase strength in a mental way rather than a physical way. Wallenda was known as the King of the Wire thanks to his death defying wire walks. He has 9 World Records to his name including being the first person ever to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. It took two years for him to get the feat approved by Canada and the USA. He’s been married since 1999 and he has three children whom we are sure all want him to find a nice desk job somewhere soon.
Nikolas Wallenda – The King of the Wire
George Hood’s and the Endurance Tests.
George Hood is pretty much the ultimate tough guy. He used to work for the United States DEA and he is now a record holder for various endurance tests. He has the world record for planking, 80 minutes and 5 seconds, as well as the longest spin cycling session — an incredible 222 hours, 22 minutes, and 22 seconds. That either proves how tough he is or how worthless spin cycling is.
George Hood’s and the Endurance Tests
Alain Robert is Spiderman.
Alain Robert is a real life daredevil who probably is the closest thing to Spiderman that we will ever get. Robert has climbed the Eiffel tower, the Sears Tower, and the Sydney Opera House all without any sort of safety equipment or climbing gear. One slipped grip and Robert could end up plunging to his death. That hasn’t stopped him from keeping on pushing the limit and we’ll eagerly keep on watching.
Alain Robert is Spiderman
Giuliano Stroe – Strongest Kid Alive.
Sometimes strength comes straight from childhood. Giuliano Stroe is the strongest the kid in the world, as far as we are concerned. Stroe began weight lifting at just two years old. He was born in 2004 and by 2009 he already had the World Record for the fastest weighted hand walk of 10 meters. Stroe had a six pack before most kids were able to read and he had biceps thicker than our arm before he was in 3rd grade. Pretty much Giuliano Stroe showcases all of the effects that hardcore effort and determination can give.
Giuliano Stroe – Strongest Kid Alive
