Jonah Lomu was one of the most frightening sights in rugby. But the All Blacks legend's extraordinary gym records might be even harder to believe than his performances on the pitch.
Standing 6ft 5in and weighing around 120kg, Lomu combined the build of a heavyweight boxer with the speed of a sprinter.
England discovered that the hard way during the 1995 Rugby World Cup, when the New Zealand winger scored four tries in their semi-final demolition.
However, it was away from the pitch that Lomu revealed just how extraordinary his strength really was.
Jonah Lomu's incredible gym records
The All Blacks legend was credited with lifting weights that would make most modern forwards wince.
His reported gym figures included:
- Bench press: 220kg
- Squat: 340kg
- Deadlift: 300kg
- Leg press: 400kg for four sets of 10 repetitions
- Shoulder shrugs: 225kg for four sets of 10 repetitions
Image caption Jonah Lomu pictured aged just 13, already showing the extraordinary physique that would help make him a rugby legend.
The bench press and squat figures have been widely reported, although they are not independently verified competition records.
The other numbers came straight from the man himself.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2005, Lomu revealed that training partners struggled to survive his punishing gym sessions.
Some reportedly came close to passing out trying to keep up.
The remarkable part? This was after Lomu had undergone a kidney transplant.
Four years later, he told reporters he could deadlift 300kg with ease.
Not bad for a winger.
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Strength was only half the problem
Lomu's extraordinary power was matched by frightening speed.
Despite weighing close to 120kg, he was widely credited with running 100 metres in approximately 10.8 seconds.
Imagine trying to tackle that.
He finished his international career with 37 tries in 63 appearances for New Zealand, becoming rugby's first truly global superstar.
Lomu sadly died on 18 November 2015, aged just 40.
Eleven years later, rugby has produced bigger athletes, faster wingers and stronger forwards.
But finding someone who combined all three quite like Jonah Lomu?
Good luck with that.
5 Mind-Blowing Facts About Jonah Lomu
- 🏉 Youngest All Black of his era: Jonah Lomu made his New Zealand debut in 1994, aged just 19 years and 45 days.
- ⚡ Freakish speed: Despite weighing around 120kg, Lomu could reportedly run 100 metres in just 10.8 seconds.
- 💪 An absolute powerhouse: Lomu reportedly bench-pressed 200kg, combining extraordinary strength with explosive pace.
- 🔥 World Cup destroyer: He scored 15 tries in just 11 Rugby World Cup appearances, including four against England in the famous 1995 semi-final.
- 🏆 A legend without the ultimate prize: Lomu scored 37 tries in 63 Tests for New Zealand but never won the Rugby World Cup.
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