Top 10 Biggest Record Improvements
The largest single-record jumps in strongman history, measured by kg improvement.
Top 10 Biggest Record Improvements is topped by Jerome Pever with +110 kg (180 → 290 kg) at the 2024 Middle East's Strongest Man.
World's Strongest Man is the most prestigious title in the sport. Since its inception in 1977, only a select few athletes have managed to win the WSM crown more than once. Repeat champions represent the rarest breed of strongman: athletes who combine peak strength, event versatility, competition strategy, and longevity at the highest level.
Winning WSM once requires everything to go right across a grueling multi-day competition. Winning it multiple times demands a level of sustained excellence that transcends any single performance, requiring athletes to adapt to evolving competition formats, new events, and the constant emergence of hungry challengers.
| # | Athlete | Country | Result | Contest | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jerome Pever |
Nigeria
|
+110 kg (180 → 290 kg) | 2024 Middle East's Strongest Man | 2024 | Max. Squat |
| 2 | Magnús Ver Magnússon |
Iceland
|
+75 kg (335 → 410 kg) | - | - | Max. Squat |
| 3 | Heinz Ollesch |
Germany
|
+65 kg (215 → 280 kg) | 1997 WSM Final | 1997 | Max. Squat |
| 4 | Ernie Hackett |
United States
|
+58.5 kg (420 → 478.5 kg) | 1982 World's Strongest Man | 1982 | Max. 18-inch Deadlift |
| 5 | Bobby Thompson |
United States
|
+55 kg (160 → 215 kg) | 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic | 2025 | Max. Behind-the-Neck Jerk |
| 6 | Magnús Ver Magnússon |
Iceland
|
+50 kg (462.5 → 512.5 kg) | 1989 Aflraunameistari Íslands | 1989 | Max. 18-inch Deadlift |
| 7 | Luke Stoltman |
United Kingdom
|
+50 kg (320 → 370 kg) | 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic | 2022 | Max. Squat |
| 8 | Jaco Schoonwinkel |
South Africa
|
+50 kg (420 → 470 kg) | 2025 Africa's Strongest Man | 2025 | Max. 18-inch Deadlift |
| 9 | Jorma Ojanaho |
Finland
|
+50 kg (285 → 335 kg) | - | - | Max. Squat |
| 10 | Marc Sanchez |
United States
|
+45 kg (355 → 400 kg) | 2024 Rainier Classic Pro-Am (Men) | 2024 | Max. Squat |
World's Strongest Man Champions: The Most Titles Won
The history of World's Strongest Man is defined by its repeat champions. Mariusz Pudzianowski dominated the mid-2000s with five titles, bringing a combination of speed, strength, and showmanship that made him the sport's biggest star. Zydrunas Savickas won four WSM titles among his record haul of competition victories, establishing himself as perhaps the greatest all-around strongman in history. More recently, Brian Shaw's four titles demonstrated that American strongman could compete at the very highest level.
The WSM format has evolved significantly over its nearly five-decade history. Early competitions featured unconventional events designed for television entertainment: fridge carrying, plane pulling, and barrel loading. Modern WSM competitions are more standardized, with events like the deadlift, atlas stones, log press, and farmer's walk forming the competitive core. This evolution means that comparing champions across eras requires context about the events and competition structures they faced.
What unites all multiple WSM champions is their ability to perform consistently across diverse events. WSM is not a specialist's competition. An athlete who dominates one event but falters in others will not accumulate enough points to win. The champions on this list excelled because they had no significant weaknesses, could manage fatigue across multiple days of competition, and possessed the competitive intelligence to know when to conserve energy and when to push for maximum points.