Edward Stephen Hall is a former professional Strongman competitor from the United Kingdom. He won the prestigious World’s Strongest Man title in 2017 and several other major Strongman events. Nicknamed “The Beast,” Hall also holds many world records in various disciplines and is one of the most gifted all-around athletes as a result of his achievements.
This is his complete profile, biography, training regime, diet plan, and more.
| Full name: Eddie Hall – The Beast | ||
| Weight | Height | Age |
| 157 kg (345 lb) | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 36 years |
| Date of birth | Era | Nationality |
| January 15, 1988 | 2010, 2020 | British |
Early Life
Edward Stephen Hall was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England.
He has two older brothers; James and Alex.
Hall grew up in Stoke on Trent which was supposedly a rough area. As a child, he spent most of his time with his nan of which they shared a close bond.
As a teenager and much smaller version of the hulk you see today, Hall was a competitive swimmer. Thanks to his height and God-given ability and love for the sport, the future Strongman legend had success in his early water sport endeavor. He won several gold medals at National Championships, set British records and even had dreams to one day be an Olympic Swimmer.
Rough times
After his Nan was diagnosed with cancer, Eddie experienced a decline in his mental health of which he was prescribed medication to cope with anxiety and depression.
Eddie attended Clayton Hall Academy but was expelled from school at age 15, was kicked off the swimming team and turned to alcohol and drugs.
Inspired by his Hero Arnold Schwarzenegger
Like most young boys during his youth, Eddie was obsessed with the iconic bodybuilder and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. While he admired Arnold’s physique, he was also inspired by his story.
“The one thing I learned from Arnold is there’s a big difference between arrogance and confidence. Arrogance is thinking you’re better than everybody else but then confidence is knowing that you’re better than everybody else. But in order to be that confident guy, you’ve got to be arrogant, you got to believe it before you become it and that what Arnold did he believed it before it happened, he’s the master of that.”
During the low point in his life, Eddie found his turnaround point after seeing a poster of his idol and decided he needed to do something about his situation.
“What scares me is being normal”.
Finding The Weights and Starting Strongman
Still in his teen years, the future Strongman champion started to focus on lifting weights with the ambition of becoming a successful bodybuilder. However, at age 19, he determined that his height and build weren’t suitable but realized he was stronger than most and started to train for Strongman.
Well, everything seemed to click and he suddenly found a new talent that he could devote all of his energy to. He even got off the psych medications.
Before his Nan passed away and on her deathbed, Hall promised her he’d win the World’s Strongest Man contest of which he would go on to do in 2017.
Hall became a father at 21 years old to a daughter, Layla, which pushed him even more to want to win the World’s Strongest Man competition.
Mechanic, security company, and Love
From ages 21-22, Eddie Hall worked as a truck mechanic and ran his own security company to support his Strongman endeavors. This allowed him to buy lots of food, train, and compete which is not cheap to do.
At 22, he met the love of his life Alexandra who’d play a big role in his journey to becoming a top Strongman athlete.
Competition and Career
Eddie Hall is one of the greatest Strongman competitors in history. It’s no secret to anyone who’s familiar with his achievements that “The Beast” is the definition of genetic anomaly.
In 2010, Hall won England’s Strongest Man, his first English title, at the young age of 22.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, he went on to win UK’s Strongest Man at age 23, becoming the youngest person to ever win the event.
He was on a roll at this point and on the fast track to becoming elite status in the sport of Strongman.
From 2012, the former swimmer hopeful started competing at the World’s Strongest Man contest – the most prestigious Strongman event in the world. The winner of this event is the best of the best.
He failed to progress beyond his qualifying group at the 2012 World’s Strongest Man. In 2013, he failed to advance to the final.
In 2014, Hall finished in 6th place, followed by a 4th place result in 2015, 3rd place spot in 2016, and edged out Hafthor Bjornsson of Iceland to win his first and what would be his only World’s Strongest Man title in 2017. The event took place in Botswana, Africa and he dedicated the win to his Nan.
World’s Strongest Man
- 2012 World’s Strongest Man – Qualified
- 2013 World’s Strongest Man – Qualified
- 2014 World’s Strongest Man -6th
- 2015 World’s Strongest Man – 4th
- 2016 World’s Strongest Man – 3rd
- 2017 World’s Strongest Man – 1st
Arnold Strongman Classic
- 2015 -6th
- 2016 – 9th
Europe’s Strongest Man
- 2015 – 9th
- 2017 – 2nd
Giants Live
- 2012 Australia – 4th
- 2013 Hungary – 2nd
- 2014 Hungary – 3rd
Britain’s Strongest Man
- 2014 Britain’s Strongest Man – 1st
- 2015 Britain’s Strongest Man – 1st
- 2016 Britain’s Strongest Man – 1st
- 2017 Britain’s Strongest Man – 1st
- 2018 Britain’s Strongest Man – 1st
UK’s Strongest Man
- 2011 UK’s Strongest Man – 1st
- 2012 UK’s Strongest Man – 1st
- 2013 UK’s Strongest Man – 1st
- 2014 UK’s Strongest Man – 1st
- 2015 UK’s Strongest Man – 1st
- 2016 UK’s Strongest Man – 1st
- England’s Strongest Man – 1st
- 2010 England’s Strongest Man (Elite) – 1st
- 2011 England’s Strongest Man (UKSC) – 1st
Workout Regime
It’s safe to say the UK native is done competing in Strongman or at least any major competitions. While he’s still an ox and trains to be strong, his focus now is tearing off the head of his rival Hafthor “Thor” Bjornsson in their highly anticipated boxing match. So his training now consists of improving his boxing skills and cardio.
That doesn’t mean the training is any less grueling though because combat sports are equally as tough as anything.
Hall still needs to maintain his size and strength to stand a chance against 6’9″ 300+lb Thor which means he has to train hard and heavy.
“The fight is going to be announced very soon. So, we’re roughly seven weeks until the fight, so strength and conditioning is on top of my list. I want to stay big and strong. So yeah, today is going to be a good shoulder hit, a good leg hit, good torso hit, everything really,” Eddie explained during his prep for the bout.
Monday – Chest
Exercise Sets Reps
- Bench Press 5 5
- Incline Bench Press 4 8
- Dumbbell Press 4 8
- Dumbbell Flyes 3 10
- Cable Cross 3 10
- Chest Press 4 8
- Dips 3 15
Tuesday – Back & Abs
Exercise Sets Reps
- Deadlift 5 5
- Lat Pulldown 3 10
- Lat Half-Moon 3 10
- Machine Rows 3 8
- Dumbbell Rows 3 8, 10, 12
- Weighted Crunches 3 10
- Leg Raises 3 10
- Sit-Ups 3 15
Wednesday- Shoulders & Traps
Exercise Sets Reps
- Front To Back Military Press 3 8
- Arnold Press 3 8
- Front Raises 3 10
- Lateral Raises 3 10
- Shrugs 3 15
- Delt Flyes 4 8
- Rear Delt Raises 4 8
Thursday – Arms
Exercise Sets Reps
- Bicep Curls 3 10
- Barbell Curls 3 10
- Preacher Curls 3 10
- Tricep Pushdown 3 12
- Tricep Dips 3 15
- Skull Crusher 3 8
- Tricep Extension 3 8
- Dumbbell Kickbacks 3 10
Friday – Legs
Exercise Sets Reps
- Squats 5 5
- Leg Press 3 8
- Leg Extension 3 10
- Leg Curls 3 10
- Stiff Leg Deadlift 3 8
- Lunges 3 15
- Sitting Calf Raises 4 10
- Standing Calf Raises 4 10
- Donkey Calf Raises 3 10
Eddie’s Core workout routine
- Hammer Slams
- Bat Slams
- Viking Press
- Burpees
- Assault Bike
- Sled Push
- Kettlebell Swings
Recent Boxing Strength Training Session
Eddie Hall is taking his upcoming fight with Thor very seriously and is doing everything he can to get the edge of his nemesis.
We’ve included the exercises and workout details from one of his most recent sessions.
- Medicine ball slams
- Planks
- Bulgarian split squats with a safety squat bar
- Landmine presses
- Incline bench press
- Trap bar deadlifts
- Resistance band work
- Burpees
- Iron Neck (device designed to strengthen neck muscles)
For the first exercise, Hall strapped on a weighted belt and started his workout with medicine ball slams. Next he did planks while lifting a 28 kg kettlebell from side to side while it was beneath him. Then Hall did Bulgarian split squats with a safety squat bar with a top set of 110 kilograms (242.5 pounds).
After that, he transitioned to upper body training, starting with standing resistance banded landmine presses. The goal here was to improve punching power which he’ll need against a behemoth like Thor. It also helps to reinforce punching technique and movement. Then it was time for some bench presses of which The Beast hopped on the incline bench and hit a 205 kilograms (452 pounds) triple with a wrist wrap on his right hand only.
Eddie transitioned to the trap bar deadlift working up 190 kilograms (418.9 pounds). Then it was time for some rotational work with a resistance band followed up with medicine ball slams and burpees. Last but not least, Hall did the Iron Neck, a device that helps to strengthen the neck which could be very beneficial when getting punched in the face.
Diet and Nutrition
When he competed in Strongman competition, Eddie Hall had to eat for three people to maintain his hulking 300+ lb size and mammoth strength. That meant he needed at least 10,000 calories a day!
While he doesn’t have to eat that much nowadays after leaving the sport and focusing on boxing, we’ve included his Strongman champion diet, plus his more current eating regime that isn’t quite as insane.
Related: Bulking Meal Plan To Fill Out Your Sleeves and Turn Heads
Meal 1
Lite of water, four eggs, five or six pieces of bacon, four or five pieces of sausage, toast, beans, and tomatoes.
Meal 2 – Pre training
Bowl of porridge and fruit
Meal 3 – During training
Cranberry juice and beef jerky bites
Meal 4 – Post training
12-16oz of steak, 200-300g of pasta, 200g veggies and half of an entire cheesecake
Meal 5
Hamburger patties, apple and banana
Meal 6
Paste, rice and apple
Meal 7
Two pounds of meat, two pounds of carbs, half cheesecake
Pre-bedtime
Protein shake and protein bar
Boxing diet
Meal 1
- Organic sourdough bread (4 slices)
- Smoked organic salmon (220gm) and peppers
- Electrolyte and vitamin B3 drink
- Supplements – Krill oil, Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin C, Multi-vitamins, Vitamin K, CBD oil, green tea, and a lot more
Meal 2
- Tacos and vegetables
- Banana
Meal 3 – Pre-training
- Protein shake
- Oat bar
- Organic dark chocolate
Supplements
Hall takes his supps in the morning including vitamin C, vitamin D3, multivitamins, iodine, echinacea, selenium, glucosamine and marine collagen, CLA, omega 3, ZMA turmeric, and CBD oil to name a few.
Feud With Thor and Upcoming Boxing Match
Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson have been beefing with each other for a while now and things have gotten pretty personal. This supposedly stemmed from the 2017 World’s Strongest Man where Thor thought he was robbed. Then when Hall said he wouldn’t count Thor’s deadlift world record because it wasn’t done in competition, well, things started to heat up even more.
They’ve continued to exchange verbal blows and come March 19, 2022, they’ll throw physical blows.
The upcoming boxing bout was originally set to go down on September 18, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. However, Hall suffered an injury that postponed their matchup now scheduled to take place on March 19th, in Dubai.
Both have lost tons of weight as it will benefit them both in the endurance and quickness departments. You can see all of their progress on YouTube and both have made tremendous improvements.
Personal and World Records
The Beast has achieved some of the most impressive feats in strength sports history. In 2016, Hall became the first person to ever deadlift 500 kg/1102 lbs. His record was broken in 2020 when rival Hafthor Bjornsson deadlifted 501kg/1104 lbs.
Eddie Hall has also held records in the axle press and silver dollar deadlift, and he currently holds the world record in CrossFit WOD Isabel.
Many of his records have been broken but his accomplishments in strength sports are nothing short of insane.
The following details are courtesy of Wikipedia.
In competition:
- Deadlift with straps and suit – 500 kilograms (1,102 lb)
- Axle press – 216 kilograms (476 lb) (former world record)
- Rogue Elephant Bar Deadlift with straps – 465 kilograms (1,025 lb)
- Deadlift with straps – 463 kilograms (1,021 lb)
- Log lift – 213 kilograms (470 lb)
- CrossFit Isabel – 60 kilograms (132 lb) for 30 repetitions in 50.9 seconds (claimed world record)
Related: Eddie Hall Proves To Be The Beast By Crushing CrossFit Game’s ‘Damn Diane’ Workout
Gym lifts:
- Squat – 405 kilograms (893 lb) (raw)
- 345 kilograms (761 lb) for 8 reps (raw, beltless, on 8 foot bar)
- 360 kilograms (794 lb) for 6 reps (raw, beltless, on safety bar)
- Bench press – 300 kilograms (661 lb) (raw)
- 265 kilograms (584 lb) for 6 reps (raw, paused, on 8 foot bar)
- 225 kilograms (496 lb) for 10 reps (raw, paused, on 8 foot bar)
- Incline bench press – 260 kilograms (573 lb) (raw, touch and go)
- 225 kilograms (496 lb) for 7 reps (raw, paused)
- Incline dumbbell press – 100 kilograms (220 lb) per hand for 7 reps
- 90 kilograms (198 lb) per hand for 10 reps
- Dumbbell shoulder press – 60 kilograms (132 lb) per hand for 40 reps (constant tension, no pause between reps)
- Deadlift – 450 kilograms (992 lb) on two-man bar (raw, with deadlift straps)
- Leg press – 1,000 kilograms (2,205 lb) for 10 reps
- Silver dollar deadlift – 536 kilograms (1,182 lb) (former world record)
Film
Eddie has also pursued an acting career of which he’s landed roles in movies such as Transformers 5 (2017) and Expendables 4 that is scheduled for release in 2022.
- 2015 Eddie: Strongman Himself
- 2017 Transformers: The Last Knight Saxon Warrior (Uncredited)
- 2017 Born Strong Himself
- 2022 The Expendables 4 Undisclosed
Television
- 2012–2019 World’s Strongest Man Himself – Competitor/Pundit
- 2016 A League of Their Own Himself Series 10, Episode 3
- 2016 Couples Come Dine with Me Himself Series 3, Episode 69
- 2018 The Chase Himself Series 8, Episode 4
- 2018 Celebs In Solitary Himself 1 series
- 2018 Eddie Eats America Himself 1 series
- 2019 The Strongest Man in History Himself 1 series
- 2020 Eddie Eats Christmas Himself 1 series
Personal Life
As explained earlier, Hall had a daughter at 21 and named her Kayla.
At 24, he married his current wife Alexandra and one month later they had a son, Maximus.
Since last competing, Hall has been involved with the sport making appearances, working as a presenter, and he’s also started businesses. He even started his own show, Eddie Eats America.
Eddie has over 1 million and almost 2 million YouTube subscribers where he shares his boxing training prep, workouts, challenges, and more. He also has 3 million Instagram followers.
He partnered with his childhood hero Arnold Schwarzenegger to bring the Arnold Sports Festival to the UK. Eddie also started filming his first documentary in partnership with Schwarzenegger.
Eddie Hall admits that while he does not suffer from mental health issues like he did during his youth, it hasn’t fully gone away and probably never will. However, he learns to manage it by keeping his mind busy and chasing and achieving goals.
“That’s the secret to mental health, you never cure it, you manage it.”
Additional Information
Eddie Hall is one of the most decorated strength sports athletes in history and has cemented his legendary status in the world of Strongman and athletics.
From an aspiring Olympic swimmer to drugs and alcohol and eventually the World’s Strongest Man champion, The Beast has one of the most inspiring stories. Hall is a multi-talented phenom that continues to show just how impressive he is and things are just getting started.
Now he’s focused on the boxing matchup against Hafthor Bjornsson and we’ll get to see just how good he is at the sport of boxing. It’s going to be one of the most exciting events of this year.
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