• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Whey Protein
    • Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
News

Strongman Legend Eddie Hall Swims a 50-Meter Freestyle in 27.06 Seconds

Hall showed off his unique, rare athleticism with this great run in the pool.

Written by Robert Zeglinski Last updated on May 18, 2022

Eddie Hall built a career as one of the greatest-ever strongmen, but that doesn’t mean he can’t excel in other sports. What’s clear is that the 2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Champion has an ability that seems to transfer over well to other avenues. 

On May 17, 2022, Hall decided to again test his mettle in the pool as a swimmer when he completed a 50-meter freestyle in 27.06 seconds. Since there are distinctive demands between strongman and swimming as sports, it’s undoubtedly an impressive showcase of Hall’s rare talent.

It also marked a return of sorts to the pool for Hall, who was a champion swimmer as a teenager before pivoting to strongman. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by – (@eddiehallwsm)

[Related: Learn How To Build Strength With Three Key Principles]

Hall completed the 50 meters in a short course swimming pool (or one that is only 25 meters long). That shorter length also means the athlete has to flip around and swim back in the other direction on the latter 25 meters. By contrast, a long course 50-meter freestyle features the full length of the lap on a straightaway swim. That setup is more in line with Olympic swimmers’ standards.

While Hall’s time of just over 27 seconds isn’t necessarily world-class, it is notable considering that swimming is not his usual focus (though his background could play a part). For context, the fastest-ever time on a short-course 50-meter freestyle belongs to Germany’s Nils Rudolph. He achieved a time of 21.76 at the 1990 Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) Swimming World Cup.

According to TopEndSports, the typical modern elite male swimmer weighs around 88 kilograms (194 pounds). With swimming being a sport that would certainly favor a lighter (and more experienced) athlete, that Hall could clock in at just over 27 seconds — despite weighing over 300 pounds — is a testament to his raw athleticism. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3RutarA50Y

[Related: Deloading 101: What Is A Deload And How Do You Do It?]

A Post-Career of Joy

After notching the peak of his strongman career at the 2017 WSM, Hall decided to retire and focus on other aspects of his life. In addition to a well-maintained YouTube channel with over 2.03 million subscribers (and counting), he’s been very busy across the board showcasing his versatility. 

For reasonably recent athletic examples, in February 2020, Hall set a record on the CrossFit “Isabel” workout with 30 unbroken snatches in a time of 50.9 seconds. It was a mark so lofty that powerlifter Julius Maddox did a staggering 28 unbroken reps in January 2022 and still fell short of Hall’s time. Meanwhile, Hall just finished (for now) a long-standing rivalry with 2018 WSM Champion Hafthor Björnsson. The two strongman legends decided to settle their differences in the boxing ring with a publicized match around the strength sports sphere.

As he moves forward in his life without competitive strongman, Hall seems to have a desire to stay occupied. Be it in CrossFit, in the ring, or in the pool, it appears this strength sports legend wants to leave a mark and have some fun wherever he can. 

Featured image: @eddiehallwsm on Instagram

About Robert Zeglinski

Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He's been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

Eddie Hall and Jamie Christian-Johal
Eddie Hall Preps for Bodybuilding Debut by Training His Back With a Pro
Strongmen Eddie Hall Brian Shaw shoulder workout in gym
Brian Shaw and Eddie Hall Team Up for a Shoulder Workout Fit for Strongman Legends
James Hall SkiErg Row World Record
James Hall, Eddie Hall’s Brother, Breaks 1,000-Meter Row World Record
Eddie Hall NFL Combine October 2022
Eddie Hall Tries His Hand at a Mock NFL Scouting Combine

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Phillip Herndon Squats 412.7 Kilograms (910 Pounds) For New Massive Personal Record

Justin Medeiros Walks Through a Full Tour of His Home Gym Before CrossFit Season

Powerlifter Jimmy Kolb Logs 612.5-Kilogram (1,350.3-Pound) Equipped Bench Press World Record

The Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Every Lifter From Beginner to Advanced

Latest Reviews

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Pre-Workouts for Building Muscle, Running, Taste, and More

Best Home Gym Machines

Best Home Gym Machines

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About