Elite strongman athletes are renowned for their astounding feats of strength – pulling trucks, lifting giant stones, and pressing logs overhead. Yet many observers notice that these champions often carry a bulky physique that appears overweight and sometimes look older than their age, in contrast to the chiseled look of bodybuilders or other athletes. This detailed report explores the reasons behind that appearance, examining their training regimens, nutritional demands, body composition, long-term health effects, and the impact of hormone use on their bodies. Throughout, insights from sports physiology, strongman interviews, and expert commentary will shed light on why the world’s strongest men often don’t look conventionally fit, and how their pursuit of strength can affect their health and appearance.

Training Regimens Focused on Strength (Not Aesthetics)

Strongman competitors train with one goal above all: maximal strength and power. Their workouts are grueling and long, often 3 to 4 hours per session, incorporating heavy weightlifting and event practice (like tire flips or yoke carries) . Unlike bodybuilders, they do minimal dedicated cardio; any cardio they get is usually from carrying heavy objects or high-rep lifts, rather than running or cycling. This training style prioritizes building muscle and neuromuscular power, not fat loss or muscle definition. In fact, to sustain energy through marathon training sessions, it’s common for strongmen to eat even while they train, nibbling on snacks or sipping high-calorie shakes between lifts . As strength coach Rick Howard explains, these athletes learn to recognize when their energy is waning and will immediately consume calories to keep performance high .

Because their focus is on performance rather than appearance, strongman training doesn’t include the cutting phases or high-repetition conditioning work that would sharpen muscle definition. Heavy compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, presses, etc.) with ample rest are the cornerstone. This approach builds tremendous strength and muscle mass, but it does not tend to burn as many calories from fat as a bodybuilder’s high-volume, high-intensity training before a contest might. The result is that strongmen develop huge muscles under a layer of body fat. They intentionally avoid excessive calorie-burning or fat-cutting activities, since any lost weight could mean lost strength. In short, their training is all about lifting the heaviest weights possible – even if it means carrying extra body fat. They would rather be strong and heavy than lighter but less powerful.

Extreme Caloric Intake and “Force Feeding”

To fuel their training and build strength, elite strongmen eat enormous quantities of food. It’s not uncommon for a top competitor to consume 8,000–12,000 calories per day (several times the intake of an average man) just to maintain their mass and recover from workouts . For example, 2017 World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall weighed about 430 lbs at his peak, and sustained that size by eating up to 12,000 calories a day . This included waking up in the night to eat and treating meals as part of the job – Hall described every night at 430 lbs as “a lottery” of whether his health would hold out till morning . Such extreme eating is often referred to by strongmen as “force feeding” – a necessary strategy to get enough fuel in even when they aren’t hungry, because their bodies demand constant energy for growth and recovery . High-level champions like Brian Shaw or Hall have openly discussed eating when uncomfortably full, just to hit their massive calorie targets .

This perpetual calorie surplus is essential for building muscle and strength. Heavy weight training can burn a lot of calories, but strongmen purposefully overshoot their caloric needs to ensure net gain of mass . Inevitably, not all of that mass is muscle – a significant portion becomes body fat. When you’re eating 10,000+ calories including steaks, eggs, weight-gainer shakes, and even junk food or candy for quick calories, the body can’t partition all of it into muscle. Some fat gain is an unavoidable side effect of bulking up to extreme size. In strongman, this isn’t seen as a problem but rather an acceptable (even beneficial) trade-off. As one analysis put it, “there’s no reason for strength athletes to cut that body fat if they can put it to good use pushing and pulling.” The heavy training + heavier eating approach yields giants who carry both incredible muscle mass and noticeable excess fat, giving them that “overweight” look even though they are among the strongest people on the planet .

Another reason strongmen appear overweight is that they don’t diet down for competition. A bodybuilder will bulk up and then go on a strict cutting diet to shed fat before stepping on stage. Strongmen do the bulking part but skip the cutting entirely – because losing weight (even fat) can reduce their absolute strength. Cutting fat means some muscle and strength loss is likely, which is “a cost most competitors aren’t willing to pay for looks, or even their own long-term health.” In other words, they will knowingly carry 50–100 extra pounds of fat if it helps them lift a bit more, even if doctors warn of health risks . The priority is winning competitions, not having a six-pack. This mindset, combined with the extreme diets, virtually guarantees an obese body profile by medical standards (many top strongmen have BMI values off the charts). From a nutritional standpoint, strongmen deliberately overeat and often consume less-than-clean diets because getting enough calories is more important than staying lean. It’s common to see them down whole milk, ice cream, or fast food in addition to cleaner protein sources – whatever it takes to hit the caloric quota . Such habits undoubtedly increase body fat, contributing to their rotund bellies and overall bulk.

Body Composition: Strongman vs. Bodybuilder

The stark contrast between a strongman’s body and a bodybuilder’s physique comes down to body composition goals. Bodybuilders aim for extremely low body fat (often under 10%, sometimes ~5% on contest day) to reveal maximum muscle definition. Strongmen, in contrast, typically maintain much higher body fat percentages – roughly 15–25% or even up to ~30% in some cases . This means that even though strongmen carry immense muscle mass, they also have a thick layer of subcutaneous fat and often visceral fat. Visually, this yields a softer, bulkier appearance instead of the sculpted look of a bodybuilder.

Several practical reasons explain why strongmen carry more fat:

  • No Weight Limit: Many strongman contests, including the World’s Strongest Man finals, have an open-weight “super heavyweight” category with no upper weight limit. Weighing more is generally an advantage, not a disadvantage. Competitors will often weigh in as heavy as possible since “people with lots of mass typically win out” in pure strength contests . A bodybuilder’s extra fat would be penalized in scoring, but a strongman’s extra fat can help in events – and there’s no aesthetic judging in strongman.
  • Energy Reserves: Higher body fat provides a readily available energy reserve during long, grueling competitions. A strongman contest might involve multiple days of events, each event lasting 30–60 seconds of all-out effort. Having some extra fat (stored energy) and even extra glycogen from a high-carb diet can prevent energy dips. In training, as noted, athletes even eat during workouts to maintain energy . They keep their tanks full at all times.
  • Leverage and Stability: Mass moves mass. A larger body can brace and leverage more effectively against heavy implements. For instance, a big abdominal girth pressed against a lifting belt creates a solid “column” of support for the spine during a deadlift or squat. Top strongmen like Brian Shaw (6’8”, ~400+ lbs) or the late Žydrūnas Savickas (~375 lbs) have barrel-like midsections that actually assist in supporting huge weights . Similarly, a heavier athlete can often pull a truck or flip a tire more easily because their own weight anchors them to the ground. In static lifts and moving events, being heavier (even if some of it is fat) tends to help rather than hurt.
  • Joint Cushioning and Injury Prevention: Carrying extra fat may offer some protective cushioning for joints and organs during the tremendous strain of lifting. 2023 World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper, who is somewhat leaner than many peers, acknowledged that having more body fat can be beneficial as “a protective cushion and lubrication to the joints.” Given that strongman lifts can involve thousands of pounds (e.g., yoke carries or partial deadlifts), the compressive forces on knees, hips, and spine are enormous. A bit of padding can reduce injury risk and chronic joint pain. Very lean powerlifters/strongmen sometimes report more joint issues compared to those with a higher body-fat buffer. Hooper found that going under ~20% body fat made him feel less supported in training, whereas around 30% body fat might be closer to ideal for top strength .
  • Thermoregulation and Endurance in Events: In some events (like Highland games or strongman medleys), having some fat may aid endurance by improving heat tolerance and providing insulation or energy. It’s worth noting many strongmen compete better in cooler climates – carrying so much mass (fat and muscle) can lead to overheating. Still, the energy reserve aspect often outweighs any downsides during short bursts of effort.

Because of these factors, strongmen do not actively try to lose fat, whereas bodybuilders obsessively cut fat for competition. An NSCA strength coach explains that a competitive lifter will usually sit as heavy as possible in their class – “if you’re in the under 231-pound category… you want to weigh as close to 231 as you can” . And in open class, bigger is better. By contrast, “bodybuilders can dehydrate themselves to lose all the body fat because it’s an aesthetic sport,” but in strength sports there’s no performance benefit to being lean . In fact, getting shredded would likely make a strongman weaker and more prone to injury. Thus, the body composition difference is intentional and strategic: strongman physiques prioritize strength and safety over appearance. The outcome is a body that might win the world’s strongest title, even if it wouldn’t win any beauty pageants.

Long-Term Health Effects and Accelerated Aging

While the massive size and intense training of strongman athletes is key to their success, it also places extreme stress on the body. Over years, these stresses can lead to health issues or physical changes that make a strongman appear “aged” or worn down. Some contributing factors include:

  • Cardiovascular Strain: Simply put, carrying 300–450+ pounds of body mass (even mostly muscle) is taxing on the heart. The heart must work harder to circulate blood through such a large body, and blood pressure often rises as a result . Many strongmen experience hypertension (high blood pressure), which can cause a persistently flushed or reddened face and can damage blood vessels over time. The risk of heart enlargement, arterial damage, and cardiac events is elevated in athletes who maintain high body weight for many years . Indeed, some strongmen have been warned by doctors about looming heart attacks or strokes. Eddie Hall recounted that at 430 lbs, his doctor told him he’d be “the most likely person to have a heart attack and a stroke” out of an entire lineup of people . Such constant cardiovascular strain can age the body’s systems faster than normal.
  • Metabolic and Organ Stress: The high-calorie diets and (in some cases) use of oral supplements/drugs can strain the liver, kidneys, and endocrine system. Hall mentioned his “kidney and liver markers were through the roof” when he was at his competitive peak . Carrying a lot of visceral fat (fat around organs) further increases risks of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic disorders associated with aging. Sleep apnea is another common issue – many large strongmen have to use CPAP machines at night because the weight on their chest and neck causes obstructed breathing in sleep. Chronic poor sleep can lead to fatigue, dark eye circles, and other signs one might associate with an older appearance.
  • Orthopedic Wear and Tear: Years of lifting unimaginably heavy objects take a toll on joints, bones, and connective tissue. Strongmen often suffer degenerative injuries (herniated discs, arthritis in knees/hips, chronic back pain) that we typically see in much older people. It’s not unusual for a retired strongman in his 40s to need surgery more common for a 60-year-old sedentary person (like hip replacements or spinal fusions). This physical wear can manifest in how they move – you might notice some champions walk slowly or with a limp, or have heavily taped joints during events. The cumulative effect can make a 35-year-old strongman feel and even appear physically older due to stiff movements or injury scars. As one Reddit commenter bluntly put it, the combination of “bodyweight and steroid use for extended periods of time paired with extremely strenuous training” is a recipe for increased health issues and possibly reduced longevity .
  • “Older” Appearance from Stress: The lifestyle of a competitive strongman is relentlessly hard on the body. Constant high stress (both mechanical and systemic) can accelerate cellular aging. Some strongmen have prematurely graying hair or weathered skin from years of heavy outdoor training, sweating, and maybe neglecting skincare (unlike bodybuilders, they’re not oiling up and pampering their skin for stage). The extreme calorie intake – often involving a lot of meat, sugar, and salt – could contribute to skin aging or inflammation as well. All these factors compound to sometimes give these athletes a haggard or aged visage despite being only in their 30s. Family members of strongman champions have even expressed fear for the athlete’s health because they see how much strain they are under . The athletes themselves acknowledge that the sport can “break your body” by the time you retire.

On a more positive note, not everything about strongman training is unhealthy. Strength training in moderation is actually linked to increased longevity and vitality. The difference is that at the elite level, the competitors push far beyond normal limits. Some, like Mitchell Hooper, are now trying to find a balance between peak performance and health. Hooper has stated he doesn’t want to let his body fat climb so high that it “impacts [his] long-term prognosis” or “risk of dying”, even as he recognizes some fat is needed for joint protection . This reflects a growing awareness of health among current athletes, perhaps in response to seeing earlier strongmen (and many pro bodybuilders) suffer serious health problems. In sum, the long-term health effects of strongman life – from heart to joints – can age these athletes faster than usual, both internally and externally, which contributes to why they might look older or more worn than a leaner athlete of the same age.

Impact of Hormone Use and Hormonal Imbalances

An often unspoken factor in strongman (and most top strength sports) is the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), including anabolic steroids, human growth hormone (HGH), insulin, and other substances. While not all competitors discuss it openly, it is widely acknowledged that to reach the extreme size and strength seen at World’s Strongest Man, many athletes have used anabolic-androgenic steroids in their training cycles. For instance, some World’s Strongest Man champions have admitted to steroid use during their careers, and it’s considered an open secret in the sport. These substances can indeed boost muscle growth and strength, but they also come with side effects that affect appearance and aging.

Notably, long-term steroid use can accelerate the aging process in several ways. According to fitness expert Derek of “More Plates More Dates,” anabolic steroids create a state of chronically elevated oxidative stress and systemic inflammation in the body, which over time speeds up aging at the cellular level . He points out that it’s “not a coincidence” that heavy steroid users often “look older” than their actual age . This accelerated aging from PED use manifests in both appearance and health markers:

  • Skin and Hair Changes: Steroid abuse can cause severe acne outbreaks due to hormonal fluctuations, leading to cystic acne and permanent scarring on the skin . Years of steroid use can give the skin a tougher, weathered look. Additionally, steroids (especially DHT-derivatives) can hasten male-pattern baldness in those genetically predisposed – many strongmen in their 20s and 30s start losing hair or shave their heads, which can make them appear older . Female hormone imbalances from PEDs (though female strongman competitors are fewer) can cause coarse skin and excess facial hair, also aging their appearance . Simply put, the hormonal havoc of steroids often robs the skin and hair of youthfulness.
  • “Roid Gut” or Distended Abdomen: High-dose HGH and insulin use, in combination with massive eating, can lead to a condition colloquially known as “HGH gut” or “Palumboism”. This is when the abdomen protrudes greatly due to growth of internal organs and thickening of abdominal muscles. It was first noticed in 90s bodybuilders, but the same factors (huge food intake + HGH/insulin + heavy lifting) can affect strongmen . The result is a permanently distended stomach that no amount of ab flexing can hide. This contributes to the overweight appearance – even if some of that belly is muscle and organ size, it looks like a large gut. A 2024 study confirmed a direct role of growth hormone and insulin in developing this condition . Many strongmen likely use HGH for recovery and size, and coupled with constant eating, it can give them that ballooned midsection (on top of any fat they carry). This look is very different from a natural athlete’s and can age their profile as well.
  • Bloating and Water Retention: Both steroids and HGH can cause the body to hold more water, leading to a puffy or bloated look – moon face, thick neck, etc. High estrogen levels (from testosterone converting or from certain steroids) cause water retention, and many strongmen don’t use competition-stage diuretics to flush it out (unlike bodybuilders before a show). The constant bloating can make facial features less sharp and more heavy, which is often associated with looking older. It can also raise blood pressure. Derek from MPMD emphasizes that blood pressure management is often overlooked by PED-using athletes, and chronic high blood pressure not only endangers the heart but can also damage the kidneys and eyes . The combined effect of mismanaged blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation in steroid users often leads to heart enlargement and other issues, and indeed many heavy PED users (in bodybuilding and presumably strongman) suffer heart attacks or organ failure in middle age . These serious health events obviously age a person – surviving a heart attack at 35 will make anyone reassess their “invincible” status.
  • Hormonal Imbalances: When athletes abuse anabolic-androgenic steroids, they can experience long-term disruption of their natural hormone production. After years on cycle, some strongmen may have low natural testosterone, requiring testosterone replacement therapy just to have normal levels. Thyroid function can also be affected by constant bulking diets and drug use. Such imbalances might not have an obvious “look,” but they do affect mood, energy, and metabolism, sometimes giving an athlete a sluggish or fatigued demeanor when off-cycle. That lethargy or fatigue can be misread as them being older than they are. On the flip side, some steroid effects like heightened aggression or focus don’t necessarily show age, but they can strain relationships and mental health.

In summary, PED use amplifies the “aged and overweight” appearance of strongman athletes. It adds extra bulk (muscle and water), contributes to distended guts, and introduces side effects that age the skin and hair. Moreover, the health consequences of steroid and HGH misuse are serious: cardiovascular disease, liver and kidney stress, hormone dysfunction, etc. . Many of these consequences mirror diseases of old age (heart failure, etc.), and in fact there have been early deaths in strength sports that mirror what you’d expect in much older individuals. The combination of PEDs, enormous body weight, and extreme training creates a perfect storm for premature aging. A veteran strength athlete quoted on this issue put it succinctly: heavy drug use with poor health management puts one in a “perpetually damaging state of supra-androgen exposure… It’s not something that’s risk-free.” The visible toll – in how these athletes look – is just the tip of the iceberg of what’s happening internally.

Balancing Strength vs. Aesthetics: A Changing Perspective

It’s worth noting that not all strongmen look out-of-shape. There are examples of elite strongmen who appear relatively lean and youthful. Five-time World’s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski famously had a more bodybuilder-like physique (with visible abs) in the 2000s era of competition. Today, some champions like Mitchell Hooper maintain a bit lower body fat (~25-28%) than their predecessors and emphasize cardiovascular fitness alongside strength. Hooper has mentioned aiming for a “sweet spot” where he carries enough mass for performance but not so much that he’s jeopardizing his health long-term . This suggests a slight shift in the strongman world towards health consciousness. Sports science is also improving, helping athletes train smarter (e.g. better mobility work, nutrition timing) so they might not need to get quite as huge to be competitive.

Nevertheless, the fundamental trade-offs remain. To be an elite strongman, one still has to carry a lot of mass and eat an enormous diet. The sport rewards it. Thus, most top competitors will continue to look “overweight” to the average eye – it’s largely functional weight, but it blurs the line between strong and fat. Similarly, the rigors of strongman will continue to cause accelerated wear on the body. Many strongmen retire in their 30s or early 40s because by then the accumulated injuries and health metrics force them to step back (often on doctor’s orders, as was the case for Eddie Hall) . After retirement, several have shed weight dramatically to restore health, which underscores how hard their competition physique was to maintain. For example, Hall dropped over 100 lbs after quitting competition and noted huge improvements in his sleep, blood work, and general well-being within months.

Conclusion:

In the end, the reason elite strongman competitors often appear overweight or older is multifactorial – it’s the natural outcome of optimizing a human body for strength at all costs. Their training requires it, their diet enforces it, and the physiology of extreme muscle growth comes with fat and stress as byproducts. What spectators see as a big belly or an aged face is, in many ways, a trophy of sacrifice. The bulk and brawn enable these athletes to perform superhuman feats, but those feats come at the expense of the sleek look and perhaps some years of life. As one analysis quipped, a strength athlete has no incentive to get lean: cutting fat would likely cut strength, and that trade-off isn’t worth it in their sport . And as long as absolute strength is the goal, strongmen will continue to carry more fat than bodybuilders.

However, with growing awareness, we may see future strongmen striking a slightly healthier balance – proving you can be incredibly strong without completely running your body into the ground. For now, though, when you see an elite strongman with a grandpa-like visage and a belly peeking out from his lifting belt, remember that those are in a sense marks of dedication. The sport of strongman prioritizes power over polish, and the athletes’ bodies reflect that fact. Appearances can be deceiving – that “out of shape” looking giant might just be the strongest man in the world, trading a bit of youth and cosmetic fitness for unrivaled strength.

Sources:

  • Horaczek, Stan. Popular Science – “The world’s strongest athletes aren’t shredded and for good reason.” (Mar 21, 2021) 
  • Sport Manual (Men’s Health UK interview) – “Eddie Hall Shares Frightening Comment Doctor Gave Him (why he stepped away from strongman).” (Nov 6, 2025) 
  • Ramos, Terry. BarBend – “Mitchell Hooper on the Value of Body Composition in Strongman.” (June 20, 2024) 
  • Murray, Doug. Generation Iron – “Derek (MPMD) Reveals How Steroid Abuse Causes Accelerated Aging.” (Feb 5, 2025) 
  • Healthline – “Palumboism: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention.” (Medically reviewed Sep 18, 2025) 
  • Reddit r/explainlikeimfive – Discussion on strongmen’s lifespan and health (2021) 
  • ESPN News – “GoT’s strongman champ admits to steroid use.” (2019, on Hafthor Björnsson’s career and health)