Mark Philippi (born March 21, 1963) is an American world champion

powerlifter Powerlifting is a competitive strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight singl ...

and

strongman Strongman is a competitive strength sport which tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limit ...

competitor who currently serves as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). Philippi is a multiple entrant to the

World's Strongest Man The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decemb ...

competition, and former holder of the America's Strongest Man title.

Strongman and Powerlifting

As a young man, Mark saw the early strongman competitions featuring his soon-to-be hero,

Bill Kazmaier William Kazmaier (born December 30, 1953) is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During his illustrious career, he set over 40 powe ...

. He has stated that having seen Kazmaier on television he said to himself ''"I want to be like Bill."'' A career in athletic events focused on strength including

powerlifting Powerlifting is a competitive strength athletics, strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: Squat (exercise), squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athle ...

and

strength athletics Strength athletics is the collection of strength sports which measure physical strength, based on both: non-standard and historical implements as seen in Strongman and Highland games, and standardized and calibrated equipment as seen in Powerlifti ...

followed. After winning the title of America's Strongest Man in 1997, he went on to represent his country in the

1997 World's Strongest Man The 1997 World's Strongest Man was the 20th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Jouko Ahola from Finland. It was his first title. Flemming Rasmussen from Denmark finished second after finishing fourth the previous year, and Magnus Samu ...

finals, the first of seven appearances. He made the final on 2 occasions, but his greatest success came in the World Muscle Power Championships where he placed in the top three on three consecutive occasions from 1997 to 1999. His progress to become the best in the field was hindered by two major injuries that required extensive rehabilitation. In 1998, Philippi was severely injured at the

1998 World's Strongest Man The 1998 World's Strongest Man was the 21st edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Magnus Samuelsson from Sweden. It was his first title after finishing third the previous year. 1997 champion Jouko Ahola from Finland finished second, and ...

during the car flip event where he ruptured his patella tendon and also partially tore his biceps tendon when the car rolled back on him. Surgery and a long rehabilitation followed but when he returned to strongman contests in 2000 he ruptured a patella tendon again. Philippi returned to competition in 2001 and placed third in the America’s Strongest Man contest.Profile at Official site of Arnold's Strongest Man
/ref> As well as a successful career as a strongman, Mark was also a highly rated world champion powerlifter. He won the WDFPF World Drug Free Power Lifting Championships in 1996.

Personal records

* Deadlift ''(with straps)'' – (2008 Madison Square Garden Grand Prix) * Deadlift ''(without straps)'' – (1996 ADFPA Men's Nationals) * Squat ''(singly ply equipment)'' – (1996 WDFPF World Powerlifting Championships) * Bench press ''(singly ply equipment)'' – (1996 ADFPA Men's Nationals) * Log press – (2004 Strongman Super Series Moscow Grand Prix) * Keg Toss – over (2000 Beauty and the Beast) * Crucifix hold – for 79.80 seconds (1998 IFSA Grand Prix) (World Record)

Competition record

Strongman * 1997 ** 1. - America’s Strongest Man 1997 ** 2. -

World Muscle Power Classic The World Muscle Power Classic (WMPC) (sometimes known as the World Muscle Power Championships) was one of the most enduring annual strongman competitions, running for twenty years and in that time attaining the position of the second most prestig ...

** 7. - World's Strongest Man 1997, United States * 1998 ** 1. -

Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...

** 3. -

** 8. - World's Strongest Man 1998, (injured) * 1999 ** 2. -

* 2001 ** 3. - America’s Strongest Man 2001 * 2002 ** 4. -

Arnold Strongman Classic The Arnold Strongman Classic is an annual competition featuring strength athletes from all over the world, determining who is the Strongest Man in the World. Created by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Lorimer and Terry Todd, it is an offshoot of t ...

** 8. - America’s Strongest Man 2002 * 2003 ** 3. - America’s Strongest Man 2003 * 2004 ** 4. -

** 9. - Strongman Super Series 2004: Moscow ** 6. - World's Strongest Team 2004 * 2005 ** 4. -

* 2006 ** 4. - FitExpo Strongman 2006 ** 10. - Strongman Super Series 2006: Mohegan Sun * 2007 ** 6. - Strongman Super Series 2007: Mohegan Sun ** 5. - Strongman Super Series 2007: Venice Beach ** 4. - North America's Strongest Man 2007 * 2008 ** 9. - Strongman Super Series 2008: New York Powerlifting *1996 ** 1. - 1996 American Drug Free Powerlifting National Championships ** 1. - 1996 World Drug Free Powerlifting Federation Championships

Football

In College, Mark was an

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

and three-year starter at Montana Tech from 1983 to 1987. In 2025, Mark became an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the

NFL franchise.Bears add to coaching staff
/ref>

American Football

*Offensive lineman and three-year starter at Montana Tech (1983–1987) *Assistant strength and conditioning coach for

(2025–present)

Statistics

* Height 183 cm * Weight 138–150 kg * Arms 51 cm * Chest 150 cm

Personal life

Mark is married to Tracey with whom he has four children (Marc, born 1993, McKayla born 1998, Zach born 2001 and a fourth child born 2004).

Outside sports

Mark opened the ''Philippi Sports Institute'' Mark has written for, and been featured in, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Muscle and Fitness, Sports Illustrated, Las Vegas Life, Ironmind and Powerlifting USA and written or appeared in articles in

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness and the

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

. In addition he lectures on Coaching, Motivation, Strength Training, and Conditioning. For a number of years he has also been an instructor and designer of the Academic Strength Curriculum at the

University of Nevada, Las Vegas The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the ...

Paradise, Nevada Paradise is an Unincorporated towns in Nevada, unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the city of Las Vegas. It was formed on December 8, 1950. Its population was 191,238 at the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philippi, Mark American strength athletes American powerlifters Living people 1963 births