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Graham Hicks

Nickname Hixxy Date of birth 15/11/1985 Country England Height 1.78m (5ft 10in) Weight 163kg (359lbs)
About Graham Hicks

Life

Graham Hicks is the 2019 Britain’s Strongest Man winner from the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe. Hicksy, as he is known, works as a design support engineer for British Aerospace, where he began as an apprentice. He has three children and is married to Kimber-Lee.

A keen sportsman as a youngster, in his early twenties Graham moved away from football, which was his main interest, and into strongman. At a relatively short (for strongman) 5’ 10”, Hicks first began competing in the U105kg class, but soon added huge mass to his frame, bulking up to 163kg/359lb.

Hicks is now renowned for his massive static strength, particularly his overhead pressing, where he set a British record in the Log Press of 220kg/485lb in 2020 at Europe’s Strongest Man.

Career

After making his strongman debut in the U105kg class at the 2010 North of England’s Strongest Man, where he placed 7th, Hicks made rapid progress and dominated the division the following year. He took wins at both England’s and Britain’s Strongest Man U105kg and immediately looked to move into the open division.

Graham made an immediate impact, coming 4th at both the 2012 Europe’s Strongest Man qualifier and Britain’s Strongest Man, earning himself an invite to World’s Strongest Man, in Los Angeles, where he came a creditable 4th in his heat.

Hicks would return to World’s four more times before finally qualifying for the final in 2020 in Bradenton, Florida, where he placed 10th. He has not competed at World’s Strongest Man since, due to injury and covid.

In 2014, Graham achieved his first podium finish at Britain’s Strongest Man, securing 2nd place. He repeated this feat in 2018, losing out to England’s Eddie Hall on both occasions. In 2019, he finally achieved the victory he had been looking for, in Sheffield, when he defeated Adam Bishop of England, and Scotland’s Tom Stoltman on his way to taking the British title.

Throughout his strongman career, Graham has built a reputation for incredible overhead lifting ability, particularly in the log press where he established numerous British records. His current best of 220kg/485lb has only been beaten by Scotland’s Luke Stoltman, in the WUS “Feats of Strength” series, outside of a normal competitive scenario.

During 2018 and 2019, Graham made a brief foray into powerlifting and achieved remarkable success. In 2018, at the BPU Andy Bolton Deadlift Challenge, he won the contest with a 405kg/893lb pull. The following year at the Pro Raw Big Dogs 4 contest in Victoria, Australia, Hicks’ first and only full powerlifting meet, he finished 2nd with the highest total ever achieved by a British lifter: 1,100kg/2,425lb.

Best Title

Graham’s best contest win to date remains his 2019 Britain’s Strongest Man title. Having appeared on the podium on four occasions and finished runner-up to Eddie Hall twice, Graham was able to defeat Adam Bishop and Tom Stoltman to win a well-deserved British title in Sheffield. He won the 150kg/330lb Log for repetitions event with 8 lifts on his way to a 1.5-point victory over Bishop. 

Competition Results

  • World’s Strongest Man: Finalist 2020 (10th place), qualifier in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018
  • Europe’s Strongest Man: 3rd place 2014 and 2021, 4th place 2020, 5th place 2018
  • Britain’s Strongest Man: Winner 2019, runner-up 2014, 2018, 3rd place 2017, 2021
  • World Log Lift Championships: Winner 2014, 2017, runner-up 2019, 3rd place 2018
  • Britain’s Strongest Man U105kg: Winner 2011
  • England’s Strongest Man U105kg: Winner, 2011

Powerlifting

  • Pro Raw Big Dogs 4: Runner-up 2019

Best Lifts

Competition Lifts

  • Deadlift: 420kg/926lb
  • Hummer tyre deadlift: 499kg/1,100lb
  • Log lift: 220kg/485lb (Full competition British record, set at 2020 Europe’s Strongest Man, outdoors)

Powerlifting

  • Squat: 440kg/970lb
  • Bench: 270kg/595lb
  • Deadlift: 405kg/893lb
  • Total: 1100kg/2,425lb (Biggest ever British total. Set in 2019 at Pro Raw Big Dogs 4, Victoria, Australia)

Training lifts

  • Bench: 280kg/617lb

Present Day

Graham has been dealing with a long-standing groin injury which he sustained in 2021. This forced him to withdraw from World’s Strongest Man in 2021 and prevented him from competing at Britain’s Strongest Man in 2022.

Hicksy has been training and competing with this injury for over a year now and is currently working hard on rehab as he looks to return to competition.

Media

Graham has been a regular on our television screens over most of the last decade with the success he has enjoyed on the Giants Live World’s Strongest Man Arena Tour and at World’s Strongest Man itself. Most recently, his two 3rd places at both Britain’s and Europe’s Strongest Man were aired on Channel 5, last Christmas.

Hicks also has a social media presence on several platforms: On Instagram he can be found at @grahamhicksuk, where he regularly updates his 71k followers on his training and competitions. On Facebook he goes by the username Graham Hicks and has attracted 79k followers. He also keeps a regularly updated YouTube account where new videos are added at least weekly.

In addition, Hicks features regularly in the strength scene’s online press, such as barbend.com, fitnessvolt.com and generationiron.com, with regular articles charting his competitive results, injury status and training progress.

 

Videos of Graham Hicks

4:46

(Another!) 505kg-1113lbs World Record DEADLIFT Attempt

(Another!) 505kg-1113lbs World Record DEADLIFT Attempt
16:27

Road to 505 powered by Gymshark | EP 7 | The STRONGEST deadlifters on the planet

Road to 505 powered by Gymshark | EP 7 | The STRONGEST deadlifters on the planet
5:38

Graham Hicks: WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT

Graham Hicks: WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT
12:56

Road to 505 powered by Gymshark | EP2 | Graham Hicks

Road to 505 powered by Gymshark | EP2 | Graham Hicks
23:23

World’s most EPIC DEADLIFTS

World’s most EPIC DEADLIFTS
13:55

Conan’s Wheel FULL EVENT + WORLD RECORD | Europe’s Strongest Man 2023

Conan’s Wheel FULL EVENT + WORLD RECORD | Europe’s Strongest Man 2023
7:11

Eddie Hall Wins Historic LAST Title

Eddie Hall Wins Historic LAST Title
5:12

UNBELIEVEABLE 882 Pound Frame Carry WORLD RECORD

UNBELIEVEABLE 882 Pound Frame Carry WORLD RECORD
8:09

Tom Stoltman wins 1st Britain’s Strongest Man Title! 💪

Tom Stoltman wins 1st Britain’s Strongest Man Title! 💪
42:25

Europe’s Strongest Man 2014 – FULL SHOW

Europe’s Strongest Man 2014 – FULL SHOW
5:49

WORLD RECORD | Estonian Giant 360kg Axle Deadlift for 9 Reps!

WORLD RECORD | Estonian Giant 360kg Axle Deadlift for 9 Reps!
20:50

NEW BRITISH RECORD! Hixxy Vs Page at the 2020 World Log Championships

NEW BRITISH RECORD! Hixxy Vs Page at the 2020 World Log Championships
10:58

Incredible TRUE STORY behind Iron Biby’s World Record

Incredible TRUE STORY behind Iron Biby’s World Record
7:21

Can ANYONE beat 8 reps!? Deadlift MONSTERS attempt 350kg Axle

Can ANYONE beat 8 reps!? Deadlift MONSTERS attempt 350kg Axle
3:30

HIXXY’S Stones FINALE at Europe’s Strongest Man!

HIXXY’S Stones FINALE at Europe’s Strongest Man!
3:18

Stoltman vs Hixxy vs MAX LOG LIFT

Stoltman vs Hixxy vs MAX LOG LIFT
8:00

Axle Deadlift RECORD at Europe’s Strongest Man 2021

Axle Deadlift RECORD at Europe’s Strongest Man 2021
01:36

The Strongman Classic in 90 seconds!

The Strongman Classic in 90 seconds!
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