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Is this the ‘pound-for-pound’ world’s strongest man?

Published 13:29 10 Aug 2020 BST

Updated 13:32 10 Aug 2020 BST

Alex Roberts

Is this the ‘pound-for-pound’ world’s strongest man?

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He's almost 200 lbs lighter than 'The Mountain' Hafthor Bjornsson

Mention the name Jamal Browner to most people and they won't bat an eyelid. But he has a case for being the world's strongest man - at least as a pound-for-pound lifter anyway. Despite weighing 110 kilograms (or 245 pounds), the 25-year-old powerlifter can deadlift 475 kilograms. Not far off Eddie Hall's 500 kilogram effort, or reigning World's Strongest Man Hafthor Bjornsson's 501 kilogram pull. If you hadn't noticed, both Hall and Bjornsson are a little bit heavier than Browner. Almost 200 pounds heavier, in fact. https://www.instagram.com/p/CDW3lw-JRar/

Who is Jamal Browner?

Jamal Browner is a 25-year-old powerlifter from the United States. Powerlifting is a sport testing the maximum weight a lifter can perform on the bench press, squat and deadlift. Browner's typical workout regime is pretty simple, but it gets the job done. You don't see any fluff or trendy exercises in here. Based on Browner's recent YouTube upload, his workout routine looks like this:

Barbell Back Squat
Incline Dumbbell Press
Seal Row
Pec Deck / Pec Flyes
Deadlifts

There are some in the powerlifting world who won't recognise Browner's efforts due to the fact he performs a 'sumo' deadlift. Compared to the conventional deadlift that Eddie Hall and World's Strongest Man Hafthor Bjornsson use, a sumo deadlift is characterised by a wider stance. https://twitter.com/JOE_co_uk/status/1256693354940764161?s=20 This wider stance reduces the range of motion in the lift, in other words, how far the bar has to travel before you reach the 'top' of the lift. Some see this as an easier version of the deadlift, but not everyone is blessed with limbs of equal length. For instance, if you have longer legs and a shorter torso, a sumo deadlift is simply better suited to your leverages. Even if the sumo deadlift was an ever-so-slightly easier variation, the man can pull over three times his bodyweight. That's still an epic show of strength that puts him up there with the very best.

Explore more on these topics:

Deadlift

Eddie Hall

Hafthor Bjornsson

Jamal Browner

Powerlifting

World's Strongest Man