Eddie Hall

Eddie Hall: The Beast and the road to World’s Strongest Man

Edward Stephen Hall was born on 15 January 1988 in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area of Staffordshire and grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Before becoming known as “The Beast”, Hall developed a serious sporting background in swimming and later built his strength through hard physical work and weight training. At 16 he began an apprenticeship as a DAF truck mechanic, while strength training increasingly became a central part of his life.

Discovering strongman

In 2007, at about 19 years old, Hall entered his first strongman competition. The contest included truck pull, log lift, tyre flip and deadlift, and he finished fifth out of 15 competitors. It was the beginning of a rapid rise through British strongman. By 2010 he had won England’s Strongest Man, and in 2011 he added UK’s Strongest Man.

The British breakthrough

Hall became a regular competitor on the Giants Live circuit and increasingly built his reputation around maximal strength events. Deadlift, static holds, pressing and heavy moving events suited his combination of bodyweight, grip strength and aggression. The nickname “The Beast” became attached not only to his physique, but also to the intensity with which he attacked heavy attempts.

World’s Strongest Man: the climb

Hall made his World’s Strongest Man debut in 2013. He reached the final in 2014 and finished sixth, then improved to fourth in 2015. The progression was rapid: within a few seasons he moved from a British title contender to one of the athletes capable of challenging for the biggest title in the sport.

2016: the 500 kg deadlift

On 9 July 2016, at the World Deadlift Championships in Leeds, Hall lifted 500 kg at First Direct Arena. The lift became one of the defining moments of modern strongman and was recognized by Guinness World Records in the context of the event. Hall had earlier completed 465 kg at the same competition. The 500 kg attempt was performed under strongman deadlift rules that allowed equipment and hitching techniques used in the contest.

Beyond the number itself, the importance of the lift came from crossing the symbolic half-tonne barrier in competition. The performance made Hall one of the most recognizable strength athletes in the world and became the defining record associated with his career.

2017: World’s Strongest Man

In 2017 Hall won Britain’s Strongest Man again, then finished second at Europe’s Strongest Man behind Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. At World’s Strongest Man 2017 in Botswana, he won the final with 51 points, one point ahead of Björnsson and three ahead of Brian Shaw. After the victory, Hall announced that he would not return to defend the title, citing the enormous physical cost of preparing and competing at that level.

Competitive style

Hall’s competitive identity combined very high body mass with absolute strength, powerful grip and an aggressive approach to attempts. In deadlift and static events his strength was obvious; in moving events his lower-body power and mass helped him drive heavy implements. Medleys and complex events also required coordination, timing and the ability to switch rapidly between different movement patterns.

Training at Strength Asylum

Hall was closely associated with Strength Asylum in Stoke-on-Trent. His training philosophy emphasized consistent heavy work rather than turning every session into a maximal test. Long-term training consistency, recovery and repeated exposure to heavy loads formed the base on which his competition performances were built.

Records and representative performances

Beyond the famous 500 kg deadlift, Hall’s documented strongman performances include a 504 kg Hummer Tire Deadlift at the 2015 Arnold Strongman Classic, a 213 kg Max Log Lift at the 2018 World Log Lift Championships and a 216 kg Axle Press at Europe’s Strongest Man 2017. His official website has also presented 300 kg raw bench press, 405 kg raw squat and 1100 kg leg press among his notable strength performances.

2018: Britain’s Strongest Man and the end of his elite strongman run

In January 2018 Hall won Britain’s Strongest Man again. The season was affected by a serious hip injury, but he still produced a major performance at the World Log Lift Championships, reaching 213 kg. This period effectively marked the end of his full-time elite strongman career. He then turned increasingly toward media, business and combat sports.

Life after strongman

After leaving elite strongman, Hall became a prominent creator, entrepreneur and media personality. He moved into boxing and other combat-sports projects, including his highly publicized 2022 bout with Hafþór Björnsson. His post-strongman career extended the reach of his sporting identity far beyond traditional strength competitions.

The Beast as a media phenomenon

Hall successfully turned the image of The Beast into a recognizable media identity. The combination of extreme strength, visible emotion and a willingness to document his training made his career accessible to audiences outside the traditional strongman community. His story was easy to understand: a former swimmer and truck mechanic became a British champion, a 500 kg deadlifter and finally World’s Strongest Man.

Legacy

Eddie Hall occupies a distinct place in modern strongman history. His elite career was shorter than those of some of the sport’s longest-serving champions, but its peak was exceptionally concentrated: British titles, international elite appearances, the 500 kg deadlift and the 2017 World’s Strongest Man championship all came within a relatively short competitive window.

For the Iron Hall archive, the defining markers are clear: the 500 kg World Deadlift Championships performance in 2016 and the World’s Strongest Man title in 2017. Few careers have connected a single record attempt so strongly with the biggest championship in the sport.