The “World’s Strongest Man,” Mark Henry, believes that his elite success across three disciplines stands alone. The former world-class powerlifter, professional wrestler, and Olympic weightlifter has built a career that spans several sports.

In a recent Instagram video posted by Boss Talk Podcast 101, Henry revels in the fact that he is the first person in history to lift the Thomas Inch Unliftable Dumbbell over his head. Lifting the legendary 172-pound dumbbell, with its challenging grip and enormous weight, has been attempted by many strongmen, but Henry is the first to lift it thrice.

“I’ve been the world champion in powerlifting. I’ve been the world champion in WWE wrestling. And, there’s nobody else walking Earth that’s been world champion in three different things,” Henry states. “I consider myself to be more than blessed athletically.”

He goes on to share the challenge of picking up the ‘unliftable dumbbell,’ talking about how difficult it was to grip its 2.5-inch handle.

However, he shares how he was able to lift it not once, but thrice, and could have done it more times. The only reason he couldn’t, according to him, was that he was dancing and trying to entertain.

The Incredible History Behind the Thomas Inch Dumbbell That Mark Henry Lifted

Designed by British strongman Thomas Inch during the early 1900s, the Thomas Inch dumbbell weighs a whopping 172 pounds. Its 2.38-inch handle is not only heavier than most but also incredibly difficult to grip due to its width.

Inch invented this dumbbell as an effective challenge weight during his tour performances. Over the last 100 years, thousands of strongmen have attempted to lift this ‘unliftable dumbbell.’ Some of the most popular attempts were by Arthur Saxon, Žydrūnas Savickas, and Magnús Ver Magnússon.

Over a century later, the ‘unliftable dumbbell’ remains one of the most respected tests of grip power and strength.

Only a few people all over the world have been able to successfully lift the dumbbell. This includes-

• Odd Haugen (he lifted a replica of the Thomas Inch dumbbell 65 times in 10 minutes in 2015, and 63 times in 10 minutes in 2016)
• David Horne (2002)
• Bruce White (the first person to successfully create an accurate replica of the dumbbell)
• Bill Kazmaier (1990)

While it is possible that future athletes might change Henry’s ‘three-discipline legacy,’ he remains unmatched to this day.

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil