Mikhail Koklyaev

Koklyaev has placed third place at the Arnold Strongman Classic in 2006, 2008 and 2013, as well as second in 2009.^[2] He was a medalist of all three IFSA World Championships, finishing third in 2005, second in 2006^[3] and second in 2007.^[4]

Koklyaev came in second place (with Igor Pedan) at the IFSA Strongman World 2-Man Championship, in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2007. He finished third at the 2010 World's Strongest Man contest, but failed to make the finals for the 2012 World's Strongest Man. Koklyaev qualified for the 2013 World's Strongest Man finals, but had to withdraw due to an earlier injury after the first event. He is a 7-time Strongman Champions League grand prix winner, and finished third overall for both the 2010 and 2012 SCL seasons.

Having competed in 50 International strongman competitions and winning 11 of them, Koklyaev is among the 20 most decorated strongmen of all time.^[5]

On 20 December 2008, Mikhail totalled 2,149 lbs at a raw powerlifting meet in Chelyabinsk, Russia with a 360 kg (790 lb) squat, 210 kg (460 lb) bench press, and a 405 kg (893 lb) deadlift.^[6]

Mikhail won the +125 kg class in the 2012 WPC Raw European Championships on 26 April 2012 with a 340 kg (750 lb) squat, 225 kg (496 lb) bench press, and a 400 kg (880 lb) deadlift.^[7]

On 16 December 2012, at the Chelyabinsk region championship, Mikhail had a raw squat of 360 kg (793 lbs), raw bench of 230 kg (507 lbs), and raw deadlift of 417.5 kg (920 lbs), making his raw total 1007.5 kg (2,221 lbs).^[8] His deadlift during this championship remains the heaviest raw deadlift ever performed using a stiff bar.

On Sunday 8 March at the 2009 Arnold Strongman Classic, Mikhail became only the second man in history to clean and jerk the famous 501 lb barbell used by Vasily Alekseyev in 1970.^[9]

• Snatch: 210 kg (463 lb) (2003 Russian Championships)

→ Mikhail has also snatched 110 kg (243 lb) with one hand in 2008.

• Clean and Jerk: 250 kg (551 lb) (2005 Russian Cup)
• Total: 450 kg (992 lb) (210 + 240 kg (463 + 529 lb)) (2003 Russian Championships^[10]

• Squat: 360 kg (794 lb) raw without knee wraps (2012 Chelyabinsk Oblast Powerlifting Championships)

→ Mikhail has also squatted 312.5 kg (689 lb) for 9 reps in 2013, front squatted it in 2010, and has also squatted 310 kg (683 lb) with no hands on the bar in 2014.

• Bench Press: 230 kg (507 lb) raw (2012 Chelyabinsk Oblast Powerlifting Championships)^[11]

→ Mikhail has also benched 220 kg (485 lb) for 3 reps in 2012.

• Deadlift: 417.5 kg (920 lb) raw (2012 Chelyabinsk Oblast Powerlifting Championships)^[12]
• Total: 1,007.5 kg (2,221 lb) (360 + 230 + 417.5 kg (794 + 507 + 920 lb)) (2012 Chelyabinsk Oblast Powerlifting Championships)^[8]

→ Mikhail has also totaled 900 kg (1,984 lb) raw (330 + 200 + 370 kg (728 + 441 + 816 lb)) by performing the three lifts back to back within 37 seconds.

• Combined official Supertotal (official weightlifting total + official powerlifting total):
  450 kg (992 lb) + 1,007.5 kg (2,221 lb) = 1,457.5 kg (3,213 lb)

• Career aggregate Supertotal (Individual 5 lift PR weightlifting & powerlifting total):
  210 kg (463 lb) + 250 kg (551 lb) + 360 kg (794 lb) + 230 kg (507 lb) + 417.5 kg (920 lb) = 1,467.5 kg (3,235 lb)

• Deadlift – 422.5 kg (931 lb) (2012 Arnold Europe)
• Deadlift (for reps) – 400 kg (882 lb) x 3 reps (during training, 2010), and 342.5 kg (755 lb) x 10 reps (during training, 2012) (former unofficial world record)
• Hummer tyre Deadlift – 461 kg (1,016 lb) (2009 Arnold Strongman Classic)
• Log press – 202.5 kg (446 lb) (2010 World's Strongest Man)
• Axle press – 195 kg (430 lb) (2007 IFSA Strongman World Championships)
• Apollon's Wheels – 166 kg (366 lb) x 7 power cleans and reps (2009 Arnold Strongman Classic) (World Record)

→ Unlike Žydrūnas Savickas and Brian Siders who did 'continental cleans' for their 8 reps, Mikhail performed power cleans, pulling the axle all the way to the top of the upper chest at one go, without resting it at the stomach.

• Shoulder press – 240 kg (529 lb) (2006 IFSA Russia Grand Prix) (Joint-World Record)
• Behind the back barbell overhead jerk – 270 kg (595 lb) (during training, 2012) (unofficial world record)

→ Mikhail has also done a squat + overhead jerk with a barbell with two men on it.

• Manhood Stone (Max Atlas Stone) – 244 kg (538 lb) over 4 ft bar (2013 Arnold Strongman Classic)
• Atlas Stone (for reps) – 211 kg (465 lb) x 2 reps over 4 ft bar (2009 Arnold Strongman Classic) and 205 kg (452 lb) x 4 reps over 4 ft bar (2011 Arnold Strongman Classic)
• Atlas stones – 130–180 kg (287–397 lb) 5 stones set in 18.81 seconds (2010 Giants Live South Africa)
• Atlas stone to shoulder – 160 kg (353 lb) (during training, 2013)
• Rigoulot one hand snatch – 100 kg (220 lb) (2015 Rogue Record Breakers)
• Weight over bar – 25.5 kg (56 lb) over 5.40 metres (17 ft 9 in) (2012 SCL Russia)

Upon retiring from professional strength sports, on 29 November 2019 Koklyaev made his debut as a professional boxer. In his first match he lost to Alexander Emelianenko by technical knockout in the first round.^[13] In his second match on February 20, 2021, at the Kings of the Ring tournament, Mikhail defeated blogger Artem Tarasov, known by the nickname "Cyclop", by a majority decision in a 4-round match.

Koklyaev is married and has two children. He is also guitar and accordion player, and enjoys singing.

• Official site