Former World’s Strongest Man winner Eddie Hall has built his career — and his reputation — on pushing limits. Whether it’s winning the 2017 WSM title, smashing through a 500kg deadlift barrier, or putting his body through brutal training sessions, the Brit has never been one to back away from pain.
But even for a man nicknamed The Beast, some moments are unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.
In an interview with the Mirror, Hall revealed what he described as his “worst ever” injury, and it’s one that will have male readers instinctively crossing their legs.
“I piled a load of heavy weights on a leg-press machine and then heard a loud thud,” Hall recalled. “It had come crashing down and the weights had landed on my penis. I nearly bled to death.”
The strongman legend didn’t hesitate to handle the emergency himself.
“It was bad. The worst ever. I didn’t cry for help though,” Hall said. “I just lifted them off, drove myself to hospital and got stitched up. I was back training soon enough.”
Hall is no stranger to pain — his career has involved torn muscles, broken bones, and relentless pressure on his frame — but he acknowledged that competing at the elite level of strongman came with inherent dangers.
“It is unhealthy when you’re at the very top level of strongman,” he explained. “To be the best in the world you push your body to absolute limits. I was 32 stone when I won it. The NHS would say that’s one of the most morbidly obese men who’s ever lived. But it’s muscle weight. I see doctors regularly and have tests and, touch wood, I haven’t had a scare yet. But marathon runners die, footballers drop dead, any sports come with a risk.”
READ MORE: Eddie Hall Shares His INSANE 15,000-Calorie Strongman Diet
And while we’re on the subject of Hall, he recently left his fans in awe after sharing a video of his 13-year-old son, Max, deadlifting more than most fully-grown men.
The teenager, who regularly features in his dad’s social media posts, has been training in the gym for nearly three years and is following closely in the footsteps of the 2017 World’s Strongest Man.
In a clip shared to social media, Max can be seen deadlifting 150kg (330lbs) — a weight that many experienced lifters would struggle with. Eddie captioned the post: “The Boy Deadlifting 150kg / 330lbs.”
Hall hailed the feat as an “‘Unofficial’ World Record” for a 12-year-old.
Unbelievably, the achievement came on day when “Max wasn’t feeling the best”, as dad Eddie explained: “So he said ‘stick whatever you want on and [I’ll] pull it!!’ So me and his coach loaded up 150kg and hid it with bin bags so he didn’t know what he was lifting and he ended up pulling it.”
Eddie capped off his post by saying: “I’m so proud of Max, he’s been lifting weights for nearly three years now and he has become what I believe to be a prime example of what a human being should be… hard working, consistent, kind, funny, caring, well mannered, polite, and above all STRONG!!!”
To put the pull into perspective, fitness experts at Lift Off say a novice male lifter might aim for a deadlift around 225 pounds, while an intermediate — someone training for about a year — could pull around 330 pounds. That means Max, at just 13, is already moving the kind of weight associated with adult lifters who’ve been training consistently for years.
Even advanced adult strength athletes typically hit the 400-pound mark after years of progression — so for a teenager barely into his teens, Max’s 150kg lift is a seriously impressive milestone.
Additionally, the pull was a huge leap from his former PB. Over on his own YouTube channel – where the youngster already boasts more than 120,000 subscribers – Max shared in a video posted last summer that he had pulled an impressive 265lbs/120kg at just 11 years old.
And it’s not just his deadlift that’s turning heads. Max can also chest press 30kg dumbbells in each arm — a number that many adults, even seasoned gym-goers, would be proud to match.
There were some trolls only focusing on Max’s form in the video, but dad Eddie was quick to remind them: “Please save all the critiques for yourselves […] Max lifts with perfect technique most of the time. When you go for a max lift, sometimes that technique can alter and break down!
“This is something we watched back together and went through the importance of the technique to better himself and also make sure he’s safe going forwards.
“I urge you to put 10% on top of your deadlift PB record and watch yourself on your form before commenting.”
Fortunately, there were many comments praising Max’s incredible PB, with one person writing: “I can’t even do that on a straight bar. Well in young buck.”
“Kid is special he will make it big one day and beat your record,” a second added.
If Max continues to following in his father’s footsteps, there can surely be no doubt that we are looking at a future World’s Strongest Man right here!
Featured image credit: Instagram/EddieHallWSM
