Exclusive Interview With Bill Kazmaier & Ed Coan
by John Meadows on November 11, 2018This was a great interview I did the GOAT Ed Coan and World’s strongest man Bill Kazmaier. In this interview, I go over some stuff that I know you will love.
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William Kazmaier (born December 30, 1953) is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During the 1970s and 1980s, he set numerous powerlifting and strongman world records, and won two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships and three World’s Strongest Man titles. In the 1980s, Kazmaier became famous for his claim to be “the strongest man who ever lived” by equaling and surpassing spectacular and versatile feats of strength of famous strongmen of the 20th century. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions.
Powerlifting records
performed in 1981 in official powerlifting full meets
Squat – 420 kg (925.9 lbs)[3] in 80s marathon squat suit
Bench press – 300 kg (661.4 lbs)[3][17] raw
→ former IPF world record in SHW class (+regardless of weight class); surpassed by Ted Arcidi’s 666.9 pounds (raw) in 1984
Deadlift – 402 kg (886.7 lbs)*[3] raw
→ former IPF world record in SHW class (+regardless of weight class); surpassed by Doyle Kenady’s 903.9 pounds (equipped in deadlift suit) in 1986
Total – 1100 kg (420.0/300.0/380.0) / 2425.08 lbs (925.9/661.4/837.8)*[3] in 80s marathon squat suit
→ former IPF world record in SHW class (+regardless of weight class); surpassed by John Ware’s 2427 pounds (equipped with squat suit and bench shirt) in 1989
* former all-time world records set in 1981
Career aggregate total (3 best official lifts) – 1122 kg (420 + 300 + 402) / 2474,0 lbs (925.9 + 661.4 + 886.7)
Performed in 1983 Powerlifting Exhibition
Deadlift – 410 kg (903.9 lbs)[7] with wrist straps
World’s Strongest Man records
Deadlift – 415 kg (914.9 lb) Raw, without wrist straps, at 1981 Highland Games. This lift was officially 404 kg (890.6 lb) but later weighed out to be 415 kg (914.9 lb). Judged by Douglas Edmunds.
Car Lift (Deadlift): 2555 lbs car – winning lift 1979 (lifting two tires off the ground)
Cement Block Lift (Squat on Smith Machine) – 440 kg (969 lbs) winning lift, WSM 1981
Silver Dollar Deadlift – 480 kg (1055 lbs) winning lift WSM 1982 (18″ off the floor with wrist straps)
Overhead Log Lift – 170 kg (375 lbs) winning lift WSM 1988 (awkward wooden log with great circumference) It has been noted that in 1988 logs used for the Log Lift were not machined as they are in modern competitions, and were extremely unbalanced in weight. Bill pressed the log with ease, using absolutely no leg drive.
Hungarian Farm Cart Deadlift – 510 kg (1124 lbs) winning lift WSM 1988
Records
Throughout his active career in international powerlifting competition Ed Coan has set over 71 world records in powerlifting.[5] He became the lightest person to cross the 2,400 lb. barrier in the powerlifting total (a sum of three lifts: the deadlift, bench, and squat). He set an all-time powerlifting record total at 2,463 pounds, even though at the time he was not in the heaviest weight class.
Coan’s best result in a drug tested international competition is 1,035 kg (2,282 lbs) in the 100 kg weight class at the 1994 IPF Senior World Championships.[6] establishing a new world record at the time. Even though serving a lifetime ban from the IPF for doping, today Coan is among some people still acknowledged and regarded a legend in the world of powerlifting and spends much of his time mentoring young lifters coming into the sport.[
Coan’s best single ply lifts:
Squat – 1019 lbs (~462 kg)
Bench press – 584 lbs (~265 kg)
Deadlift – 901 lbs (~409 kg) [8] raw by today’s standards with only singlet and belt
Total: 2504 lbs (1135.79 kg)
Other lifts
His best competition lifts as a 220 lb lifter:
Squat – 961 lbs, Bench – 584 lbs, Deadlift – 901 lbs
The squat and deadlift attempts were 959 lbs and 898 lbs, respectively. After the competition the plates and barbell were weighed and the weight came out to be 961 and 901 lbs, respectively.
Note that Ed Coan’s lifts were completed under IPF Rules. Single layered suits and standard 2 meter knee wraps.