# How strong was Andre the Giant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2013, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415 "2013-02-26T04:40:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/21 "2013-02-26T15:58:01Z")
Thanks for the replies. I ran across a picture of him online, and got thinking about it last night. It would have been epic if he had been into powerlifting or Olympic lifting in his prime. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/22 "2013-02-26T15:58:28Z")
I met him when I was a kid, really nice guy. If you think he looked big on camera, imagine seeing him in person when you were 8. A friend of my dad’s was a pro wrestler who traveled with Andre on the wrestling circuit. He said they had to take the back seat out of the car so he could fit, and in the hour or so it took to drive to the next town he could drink an entire case of beer. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/23 "2013-02-26T16:02:04Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > Just pointing out username/OP combination awesomeness I was going to post it with references to the movie, but I was so damn tired last night that I just cut to the chase. And he had to be pretty strong to climb that rope caring 3 people. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/24 "2013-02-26T16:09:35Z")
_“It’s not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don’t even exercise!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/25 "2013-02-26T16:09:49Z")
Anybody want a peanut? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/26 "2013-02-26T16:14:28Z")
I do like the story from _The Princess Bride_. Andre’s accent was so thick that he couldn’t get out the lines. Mandy Patankin, in character as Inigo Montoya, lept up, slapped Andre hard across the face, called him Fezzik and told him to speak clearly. For a second Andre looked like he was going to kill Mandy and everyone held their breath. After that, he spoke his lines clearly. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/27 "2013-02-26T17:08:03Z")
I rode with him on a plane from Japan to Hawaii in the early '80s. Talked with him a bit but mainly we drank beer and napped. Wish I had had a camera phone back then. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/28 "2013-02-26T17:14:10Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > So it would have been easier if Andre the Giant had a posse. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/29 "2013-02-26T18:17:09Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > So it would have been easier if Andre the Giant had a posse. If Andre the Giant had a posse he would then be Andrea the Giant. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/30 "2013-02-26T18:27:27Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > So it would have been easier if Andre the Giant had a posse. He’s on the brute squad. 3… 2… 1… ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/31 "2013-02-26T19:32:59Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I once saw a video of him pulling a Montreal city bus on level ground by a chain. You’re sure you’re not confusing him with the [Great Antonio](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Antonio) ? ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/32 "2013-02-26T19:35:48Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > He’s on the brute squad. > > 3… 2… 1… He **IS** the Brute Squad. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/33 "2013-02-27T01:39:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Hari Seldon** : > > I once saw a video of him pulling a Montreal city bus on level ground by a chain. Utterly unimpressive-- Anyone can do that, given the opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/34 "2013-02-27T01:47:49Z")
I wish André the Giant and Wallace Shawn could have gotten together to film _My Dinner With André The Giant_. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/35 "2013-02-27T01:57:40Z")
> [@Pacific420](#): > > He couldn’t have been that strong cuz I’ve seen one midget work him over…while the other midget distracted the ref :smack: Look, that midgets got a vicious streak a mile wide. It’s a killer! He’ll do you up a treat mate! ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/36 "2013-02-27T01:58:16Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > I heard Arnold tell that story on Bill Simmon’s podcast,so I believe it to be true. Andre had a pituitary disorder and that can lead to not just great height be thick bones and great strength. All of the other wrestlers were in awe of his great strength. His practice of moving people’s cars around as jokes is one indication. There are stories of him literally picking up and throwing Black Jack Mulligan who was about 6"6’ and 350lbs. Curiously enough I was watching a recently cartoonized accompaniment to that interview just a few hours ago. I subscribe to Arnold’s Twitter page and he posted a link to it today. Pretty amusing. Some interesting info on Wilt Chamberlain too. Here’s it is: https://www.youtube.com/embed/kZPd4brXPfw?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/37 "2013-02-27T02:16:44Z")
By the time of The Princess Bride, the answer is “not very”. Like many people with acromegaly, he suffered from severe bone, nerve and joint pain, and just after Princess Bride had very invasive back surgery to attempt to correct what’s described as an [abnormally narrow opening that the spinal cord runs through](http://books.google.com/books?id=u8RNM7QmEqkC&pg=PA120&lpg=PA120&dq=andre+the+giant+illness&source=bl&ots=6RKndbqTH1&sig=gaJbety5yBT8AqxgPtNEzEHZ2Fc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=12otUbSIL8vMqQHM24CoCg&ved=0CFwQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=andre%20the%20giant%20illness&f=false) (spinal stenosis, perhaps? I can’t find a diagnosis, but that’s what it sounds like). Cary Elwes was quite concerned about hurting him during their fight scene, and some camera tricks were used to make it look like he was bearing Elwes’ weight on his back when he wasn’t. While he could probably still \*pull \*weight, using his own impressive bodyweight as a counter weight, he couldn’t lift much anymore. Citation, citation…uh, the commentary on one of the DVDs maybe? I wrote a paper on it in school once, but that was a couple of hard drives ago. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/38 "2013-02-27T02:31:33Z")
Not knowing anything about him, other than he was extremely tall and extremely large, I’d wager a guess that his deadlift max would be hella impressive while is squat-while obviously impressive just by the raw numbers-would be much more human-like. Tall lifters tend to hold a bit of advantage with lifts such as the deadlift, while shorter, thicker lifters do better with lifts like the squat. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/39 "2013-02-27T03:50:05Z")
Unbelievable that several people here have actually ran into the guy, talked and met him on different occassions. ---
**Author:** ![auntlohimein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/74df32/32.png) [@auntlohimein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntlohimein)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415/40 "2013-02-27T04:17:43Z")
Beer!-he used to drink at a bar outside joppatowne MD after a show in Balto. the civic center. I think at midway liquors or inn one time he passed out after ?cases of beer and several fifths of liquor and no one could move him so they covered him up and let him sleep till later that day. He and the other wrestlers were always nice, fun and nutty to hang with. I hung out a couple times as i lived in joppa. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-was-andre-the-giant/651415.md?page=3)