t h a nt h ea v e r a g ee l i t es p r i n t e r(/C0 5%; Fig. 4E), 13% greater than
subelite sprinters, and 21% greater than long-term resistance-
trained individuals.
Overall hamstring volume of the WSM (1,545 cm3)w a s
109% greater than a large pooled population of untrained con-
trols (739 ± 142 cm3; n ¼ 50), 44% greater than subelite sprint-
ers (1,075 ± 178 cm3), 53% greater than long-term resistance-
trained individuals (1,011 ± 142 cm3), and 17% greater than elite
sprinters (1,315 ± 130 cm3; Fig. 5A). The WSM’sh a m s t r i n gv o l -
ume was also marginally larger (þ 3%) than the most muscu-
lar individual we have previously assessed (subelite sprinter,
1,495 cm3). The ST (563 cm3)a n dB F l h( 4 5 4c m3)v o l u m e so f
the WSM were 132– 182% larger than that of the pooled popula-
tion of untrained controls (ST: 200 ± 48 cm3;B F l h :1 9 6 ± 4 7
cm3; Fig. 5, C and D) and greater than the mean of any
trained/athletic group we have previously assessed (Fig. 5,C
and D). SM (392 cm3) volume of the WSM was 66% greater
than untrained controls (SM 236 ± 46 cm3)a n dg r e a t e rt h a n
the mean for trained/athletic groups we have previously
0 50 100 150 200 250
Biceps femoris short head
Posterior compartment
Iliopsoas
Popliteus
Rectus femoris
Semimembranosus
Anterior compartment
Lateral compartment
Tensor fasciae latae
Vastus intermedius
Lateral gastrocnemius
Gluteus medius and minimus
Vastus lateralis
Medial gastrocnemius
Biceps femoris long head
Gluteus maximus
Adductor Magnus
Vastus medialis
Soleus
Gracilis
Semitendinosus
Sartorius
Hip flexors
Knee extensors
Hip extensors
Knee flexors
Plantar flexors
All muscles
Difference in muscle volume (%)
+95.6%
+119.5%
+109.6%
+109.3%
+99.2%
+65.3%
+201.9%
+157.1%
+139.8%
+134.6%
+128.6%
+113.8%
+112.7%
+105.4%
+103.0%
+98.8%
+96.5%
+94.1%
+65.6%
Difference:
+52.9%
+49.8%
+49.6%
+42.2%
+32.4%
+24.6%
+23.1%
+101.0%
+105.2%
Figure 3.Percentage differences in muscle volumes of all muscles, 5 func-
tional muscle groups, and 23 individual muscles/compartments between
the World’s Strongest Man and deadlift champion (WSM;n ¼ 1) and
untrained control participants (n ¼ 11) from the work by Miller et al. (13). A
positive value indicates greater muscle volume of WSM relative to the
group mean of the untrained controls. The functional muscle groups and
individual muscles are ordered according to the magnitude of the percent-
age differences for absolute muscle volume.
WORLD STRONGMAN AND DEADLIFT CHAMPION
794 J Appl Physiol/C15 doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00342.2024 /C15 www.jappl.org
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