Accidentally Becoming the Strongest Man Ever

Anatoly Pisarenko accidentally became one of the strongest men in history—and one of the most iconic Olympic weightlifters ever. Anatoly Pisarenko, also searched as Anatoli Pisarenko, Anatoly Pysarenko and Anatoli Pissarenko, was a Soviet super-heavyweight weightlifter from Ukraine. Despite weighing only around 120–125 kg, Pisarenko competed against much heavier super-heavyweights and produced numbers that remain almost unbelievable today. Anatoly Pisarenko snatched 206 kg, clean and jerked 265 kg and totalled 465 kg. He became a three-time World Weightlifting Champion, won multiple European titles and set 13 official world records during his career. Pisarenko was also reportedly capable of a 280 kg clean and jerk in training. This video explores how Anatoly Pisarenko discovered weightlifting, developed inside the legendary Soviet weightlifting system and became possibly the strongest weightlifter of the 1980s. We examine Pisarenko’s iconic physique, unusual proportions, training, squat strength, world records and rivalry with the greatest Soviet super-heavyweights. Despite his dominance, Anatoly Pisarenko never competed at the Olympic Games. He missed Moscow 1980 before losing his opportunity at Los Angeles 1984 because of the Soviet boycott. His career was later destroyed by the infamous Montreal airport steroid scandal involving Pisarenko and Aleksandr Kurlovich. Was Anatoly Pisarenko the strongest man ever? Could Pisarenko have defeated the world at the 1984 Olympics? And was his reported 280 kg clean and jerk actually possible? Special thanks to these channels for preserving and sharing the weightlifting footage: Hookgrip:    / @hookgrip   Frank Rothwell OLY:    / @franjete   Weightlifting News Agent:    / weightliftingnewsagent   Weightlifting Archive:    / @weightliftingarchive956193   #AnatolyPisarenko #SovietWeightlifting #OlympicWeightlifting