Canadian strongman Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou doesn’t have quite as much name recognition as the World’s Strongest Man competitors, but if he keeps coming out with lifts like this, he’ll be a household name.
Take a look at this overhead lift of 220 kilograms (485 pounds) that he pulled off during a training session in Burkina Faso, where he spends part of every eyar.
He posted this with the caption, “485lbs/220kg military strict press. Feel blessed”
It’s hard to say if a referee would pass this lift, since a) the bar wasn’t flush against his collar at the beginning of the lift, and b) there appears to be a hip hinge at the start of the movement.
Nonetheless, this is a pretty insane feat of strength for a relatively little-known strongman, particularly when you consider that if he had truly cleaned and pressed this weight, he would have taken Eddie Hall’s axle press world record of 216 kilograms (476.2 pounds).
Of course, Eddie Hall made that lift look a lot easier. Sanou also appears to be stronger in the seated military press than in the standing, if you can believe the following video that he posted last week: 235 kilograms, or 518 pounds.
He considers his deadlift to be his weakness, but most of us would be pretty happy with a 380-kilogram (837lb) beltless long bar pull.
Sanou grew up in West Africa and in 2009 he moved to Moncton, Canada to study business. There he met a kinesiology student who helped to fine tune his form and programming and help the 26-year-old become one of strongman’s most promising athletes.
In September, Sanou will compete against Eddie Hall and Zydrunas Savickas at the World’s Strongest Man Tour Finals in Manchester. We know we’re not the only ones who will be hoping for an axle press event.
Featured image via @ironbiby on Instagram.
