Professional strongmen often have a lift or event where they particularly excel. For Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou, his area of strength is pressing anything overhead as he’s both the Axle Press and Log Lift World Record holder. The athlete from Burkina Faso recently once again showed why he has a warranted reputation for overhead prowess.
On June 30, 2022, Sanou shared footage of himself completing a 115-kilogram (253.5-pound) circus dumbbell press for four reps. It’s unclear when the presses occurred, but Sanou wore a lifting belt and lifting straps while finishing the exercise. According to the caption of the strongman’s Instagram post, he doesn’t consider himself a “dumbbell press specialist.” With that context in mind, Sanou’s training feat could be even more impressive.
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Iron Biby became the Axle Press World Record owner with a press of 217 kilograms (478.4 pounds) at the 2021 Strongman Classic. He then became the owner of the Log Lift World Record, thanks to a lift of 229 kilograms (504.8 pounds) from the 2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals. That achievement surpassed four-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Champion Žydrūnas Savickas by one kilogram.
Whereas other strongman athletes generally compete in each event at competitions, Sanou often chooses to forgo events non-overhead. It appears that commitment has paid off to this point. He has two World Records in two separate overhead events to show for his dedication.
Sanou’s Jam-Packed Calendar
Much of Iron Biby’s current training undoubtedly centers around the two upcoming contests in his 2022 competitive season.
First, the strongman is one of 12 athletes who will compete at the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic on July 9 in London, England. A few months later, he will partake in the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals on October 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. Between both contests, some other noteworthy featured athletes include two-time reigning WSM Champion (2021-2022) Tom Stoltman, former WSM Champion (2020) Oleksii Novikov, Trey Mitchell, and Mark Felix.
Thriving in any overhead events at both Giants Live competitions might not be Sanou’s only goal. In a relative stray from his norm, he pulled a 400-kilogram (881.9-pound) raw deadlift double during a training session in late June 2022. For context, Giants Live strongman contests deadlift for reps events usually have a rough weight of 360 kilograms (795 pounds). That Sanou can pull 400 kilograms could portend great things for his near future.
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At the time of this writing, the Giants Live organization has not announced the events for the 2022 World Tour Finals. On the other hand, an Axle Deadlift is a part of the schedule for the 2022 Strongman Classic. Sanou could elect to try his hand at the event and show off his strength range on an international stage.
The 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic will take place on July 9, 2022, in London, England. Not long after, the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals will occur on October 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland.
Featured image: @ironbiby on Instagram