Mark Henry - Championships, Records and Accomplishments - Strength Athletics

Strength Athletics

• Arnold Classic
  • Arnold Strongman Classic - Winner 2002 at age 31: After only 4 month's training Mark Henry takes first prize in one of the most prestigious annual strongman events, the so-called "SUPER BOWL" of weightlifting, out-muscling the best of the best in worldwide Strongman athletics including the #1ranked strongman in the world and World's Strongest Man competition winner of 2001 Svend Karlsen, World Powerlifting Champion of 2000 and 2001 Andy Bolton and World's Strongest Man winner of 2006 Phil Pfister. Henry blew away the competition like no expert had expected, even setting a new world record in the Apollon's Axle in the process. By surpassing the crème-de-la-crème of worldwide strongmen, who have been practicing strength athletics their whole life, Henry outstandingly proved again to be the "World's Strongest Man" and demonstrated in a most impressive fashion, that he has arguably the greatest potential of all the strongmen worldwide. Henry deadlifted 885 lbs for 2 easy repetitions and was the only competitor able to clean and press the Apollon's Wheel overhead 3 times.
  • Winner of the $1000 Thomas Inch dumbbell challenge at the Arnold Strongman Classic 2002, by lifting the dumbbell to the level of his chest
  • Fourth man in history to clean and press the Apollon's Wheel (a non-revolving 365 lb barbell with a 2 inch thick handle) overhead.

• First man in history to one-hand clean and push press the "unliftable" Thomas Inch dumbbell (172 lbs; 2.47" diameter handle), writing strength athletics history on June 22, 2002 in New Jersey - Mark was the first man in history, who was able to one-hand clean it from the floor to shoulder's height and then press it to arm's length. Tom Black, who covered the event for the Cyberpump website, called the lift “the best documented feat of all the legendary performances and perhaps the most spectacular feat of strength ever performed.” Though many have tried, only one man in history has yet been able to repeat this feat. The most difficult part is not to one-hand press it, but to clean it from the floor with one hand, because it requires insane grip and wrist strength.

• Mark Henry is crowned "The Second Strongest Man That Ever Lived" – according to Flex Magazine May, 2008: In a Top Ten List of the strongest men of all time called "Strength in Numbers", published by Flex Magazine, Mark Henry came in second only to the legendary 6 time Arnold Strongman Classic winner Zydrunas Savickas, who was voted #1. Henry was given the honors for his world class performances in powerlifting, weightlifting and strongman despite minimal training and exceptionally young age, as well as for his accomplishment of still holding the highest combined weightlifting/powerlifting total in history to this day. Henry surpasses even all-time great strength legends such as 3 time World's Strongest Man competition winner Bill Kazmaier, legendary Paul Anderson and Louis Cyr as well as 5 time World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski.

• International Sports Hall of Fame
  • International Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 2012): Mark Henry is honored as one of the world’s greatest athlete legends in sports history for his extraordinary career as a lifetime drug-free strength prodigy in powerlifting, weightlifitng and strongman setting record marks in all three disciplines. He is inducted in 2012 together with fellow hall-of-famers Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cory Everson, Jack LaLanne, James Lorimer and Randy Couture.