Today, you can check out the real stone at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. Some historians actually take this one seriously, arguing that Bybon might have lifted it with two hands and held it up with one. On top, it bore an inscription: “Bybon, son of Phola, has lifted me over his head with one hand.” 6) Bybon: Single-arm overhead pressing 316 poundsĪll we really know about the ancient Greek lifter Bybon is the enormous block of sandstone that was found at Olympia with a handle carved into its side. Plenty of tall tales surround Maximinus, with reports that he was over eight feet tall, consumed eighteen bottles of wine at each meal, and crushed rocks in his fists, but our favorite feat has to be the fact that he was known for punching out a mule to demonstrate his strength. (Statues of him feature noticeable bulging in the face, which is a symptom.) Historians are pretty sure this famously enormous Roman emperor suffered from gigantism, a condition that results from the brain producing too much growth hormone. He reportedly died after becoming stuck in a tree he was trying to tear apart and getting eaten by wolves. He’s also said to have saved the life of the triangle-loving Pythagoras by holding the roof of a collapsing temple as the philosopher ran to safety. Running a mile with an ox around his shoulders might sound impossible, but they say Milo ate forty pounds of meat and bread every meal, so hey, maybe he could have handled it. One of ancient Greece’s most famous wrestling champions, some say Milo is the inventor of progressive strength training, owing to his habit of lifting a growing bull every day.

Image via Matt Brown, licensed under CC BY 2.0 8) Milo of Croton: Running a mile with an ox on his shoulders Here are some of our favorite heroes from the ancient world, men who weren’t just known for their prowess in battle (there were plenty of those), but for their phenomenal strength. Since the dawn of time, cultures from all over the world have equated strength with awesomeness.

Milo of croton