Childhood and youth
The future champion was born in the spring of 1982 in the city of Krivoy Rog, located in southeastern Ukraine. There are many blank spots in the Hulk's biography that he does not seek to fill. It is unknown who Denis’s parents are by profession and where the boy’s love for sports came from.
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In 1988, Denis Tsyplenkov sat at the desk of secondary school No. 105. Studying would have seemed insipid if the boy had not added variety to his leisure time: the student enrolled in several sports sections.
In the 6th grade, Denis took up kettlebell lifting. The guy did not miss training sessions under the leadership of Sergei Yakimenko, giving his full strength at each one. The results were not long in coming: at the age of 14, the teenager became a master of weights in kettlebells. There was only one thing that upset me: the lack of demand for this sport. Soon Tsyplenkov changed direction and switched to arm wrestling.
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Later in an interview, he said that thanks to training under the guidance of Igor Moiseev, who promoted arm wrestling in the city, he managed to become the champion of Ukraine and then Europe among juniors.
After graduating from school, the Ukrainian moved to the Russian capital. Moscow greeted the citizen of the former Soviet republic unkindly: in order to survive, Denis got a job. A few years later, a guy from Ukraine noticed that the city had become his home. Friends appeared and wide opportunities in a sports career opened up.
Interesting facts from the biography
Height: 186 cm. Weight: + -140 kg Best strength: Squats: 320 kg Bench press: 290 kg Deadlift: 340 kg Barbell curls 160 kg.
The volume of the biceps is 60 cm. The smiling and huge armwrestler is known all over the world. In America, Denis was nicknamed the Hulk, for his huge palms, which he inherited from his father and uncle. Also called by friends and teammates.
Tsyplenkov was born in the small city of Krivoy Rog, located in Ukraine. Date of birth March 10, 1982. Starting from elementary school, I participated in various sports sections. But in 1993, he took up kettlebell lifting seriously and did it until he graduated from school.
He trained the future arm wrestler S. A. Yakimenko.
After long and hard training, under the guidance of an experienced trainer, Denis showed excellent results in kettlebell lifting and received a candidate for master of sports (kettlebell lifting standards). At that time he was just over 14 years old. But since this sport was not popular, Denis became seriously interested in arm wrestling.
In this sport, his coach was Igor Moiseev, who was the winner of various prestigious competitions. Thanks to a competent coach and his perseverance, Denis Tsyplenkov achieved good results and became the champion of Ukraine and Europe among juniors. This was the first serious victory, after which the young athlete finally decided to devote himself to arm wrestling.
A new world record in the strict biceps curl from Denis Tsyplenkov, approaches of 103, 108, 113 kg.
Inspired by his successes, Tsyplenkov decides to go to the capital to further conquer the sports Olympus. In 2002, the young athlete leaves Ukraine and goes to Moscow, hoping to advance and develop further. But not everything was so simple. The young, promising arm wrestler turned out to be unclaimed. Having no acquaintances and friends in the capital, Denis was left alone with his problems and worries. But he did not despair, got a job and began to train hard in sports clubs and gyms.
That same year there was a meeting that opened the door to serious sports for Denis.
It was impossible not to notice the young and natural athlete. Vladimir Turchinsky always tried to help young athletes - security forces. Denis came to the attention of Turchinsky, who played an important role in his fate. “Dynamite” was able to discern enormous untapped potential in Tsyplenkov and directed him in the right direction.
He invited the young arm wrestler to play in the famous Extreme Power League. While participating in the League, Denis gained enormous popularity among fans of strength sports. In parallel with hard training, the athlete, on Vladimir’s advice, completed a coaching course. This allowed him to work as a coach in Turchinsky’s famous strength club “Marcus Aurelius”.
Since 2004, he began to seriously engage in strength sports and became the winner of many tournaments and competitions. He is enrolled in the Russian national strength extreme team and often performs at commercial armwrestling tournaments. In 2005, the Syktyvkar national team invited Tsyplenkov to play for their city.
2008 was a turning point in the sports career of a successful athlete.
The famous coach Kote Razmadze noticed Denis and offered joint cooperation. Under his close guidance, the skills and skills in armwrestling were honed, which brought victories. Tsyplenkov became the world champion among professionals and won the intercontinental belt. To this day, Kote Razmadze is Denis’ coach.
Denis Tsyplenkov became a multiple winner of the World Armwrestling Championships. Among them are the famous Arnold Classic, many Russian championships, and the most famous tournament among armwrestlers - A1 professionals. The armwrestler was awarded the title of the largest biceps in Russia, became the strongest man in Russia, and is included in the book of Russian records.
Best results in powerlifting : Squats - 320 kg, bench press - 290 kg, deadlift 340 kg. Biceps size 60 cm. MSMK in bench press, Arnold classic winner, multiple absolute world champion among professionals in arm wrestling.
Denis does not drink alcohol, does not smoke, eats right, conducts constant sparring, trains hard and is ready to conquer new heights in armwrestling and surprise his fans.
Self-confidence, professionalism, optimism help Denis to be at the peak of his fame and justify the title of the strongest man in Russia.
Sport
In Moscow, the athlete met the legendary Dynamite - record holder in strength sports, showman and actor Vladimir Turchinsky. The meeting was of decisive importance for Tsyplenkov: after completing the coaching course, Tsypa got a job at the Marcus Aurelius school, the brainchild of Turchinsky.
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Since 2004, the athlete’s high-profile victories in extreme strength tournaments and competitions have been counted. Denis has repeatedly won commercial arm wrestling competitions. Since 2005 he has represented Syktyvkar at competitions.
In 2008, a person appeared in Tsyplenkov’s sports life, with whom his career entered a new stage. Coach Kote Razmadze became interested in the athlete, whose parameters (with a height of 1.87 m and a weight of 144 kg, the athlete’s biceps reached a volume of 61 cm) promised prospects in arm wrestling.
Under Razmadze, Hulk won the intercontinental belt and the professional world title.
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The series of victories was interrupted in 2009, when Tsyplenkov lost to the American athlete John Brzenk with a score of 5:1. The fight took place in mid-June in Las Vegas.
In Russia and the post-Soviet countries, the athlete is known for his appearances in entertainment television shows. Viewers watched the colorful native of Ukraine on the projects “Comedy Club”, “Golden Gramophone”, “Minute of Fame”, “Galileo”. Tsyplenkov is also known for his colorful workouts, which are posted on YouTube. Videos of him cracking nuts with his hands have received hundreds of thousands of views.
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A post shared by Denis Cyplenkov (@cyplenkovden) on Nov 14, 2018 at 2:57pm PST
Denis Tsyplenkov and Andrey Pushkar
In mid-November 2018, the arm wrestler participated in the Vendetta tournament in Rumia, Poland. But his rival Andrei Pushkar died in an accident. Tsyplenkov handed over the championship belt to Pushkar’s family. While participating in the tournament, Denis defeated Canadian Devon Larratt in a match match, winning with a score of 6:0.
Personal records
In Russia, Tsyplenkov bears the unofficial title of the strongest armwrestler in the country, and in America he is called nothing less than the Russian Hulk for his pumped up muscles and huge palms, inherited from his father’s side.
Denis easily cracks walnut shells with his fingers. Many people know Denis Tsyplenkov as a participant in strongman competitions, a strength sport in which participants compete in non-standard strength exercises. The athlete stood chest pressed a log weighing 180 kg, carried a shield weighing 210 kg over a distance of 50.5 m and easily turned over a car tire weighing 400 kg.
Best athlete results:
- Deadlift - 340 kg;
- Biceps in the block - 100 kg 3 times;
- Lifting dumbbells - 85 kg 10 times in 1 minute;
- Maximum bench press - 290 kg per rep;
- Squats - 320 kg per rep;
- Lifting the barbell with cheating - 180 kg, with a body weight of 145 kg;
- Lifting the barbell with one hand - 75 kg.
Participating in Vladimir Turchinsky’s TV show “Russian Records Show,” the athlete set a kind of long-distance record in carrying a yoke, a special equipment for extreme power, weighted instead of iron by charming girls. With a total weight of 400 kg on his shoulders, Denis walked 30 meters.
Denis Tsyplenkov is listed in the Russian Book of Records as the owner of the largest biceps girth - 62 cm.
Denis Tsyplenkov now
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In 2022, Russian Hulk was unable to participate in the top 8. Denis was hospitalized at a clinic in the capital due to poor health and was put for examination. At the hospital, Tsypa was diagnosed with kidney problems and underwent surgery.
After surgery, the arm wrestler’s health condition is satisfactory, as can be seen by looking at the photo. He is undergoing rehabilitation and promises to return to the ring after full recovery. There are plans to compete with a worthy opponent, whose role is suited to Levan Saginashvili.
Sakovich Oleg - Denis Tsyplenkov’s record does not have long to stand... (Denis Piklyaev)
The direction of the powersports discipline Denis Piklyaev: strict biceps curls are becoming increasingly popular in Russia. Oleg Sakovich, without a doubt, is one of the most titled and experienced athletes promoting this competitive movement.
On the eve of his performance at the National Cup on powerlifting, its individual movements and the national bench press according to the IPL/SPR versions, which will take place in Moscow on August 24-25, Oleg told a lot of interesting things about the features of his training program and shared his sports plans for the next competitive season...
Dossier: Sakovich Oleg Ilyich.
Date of birth, hometown: 08/21/1992, Moscow.
Specialization in sports: biceps curls.
Best result: shown at the All-Russian master tournament “Memorial of Konstantin Konstantinov”, May 2022 – 95 kg.
Titles/regalia: Elite of Russia in powersports with recreation center, Elite of Russia in powersports, Elite of Russia in biceps curls.
Motto in life and sports: “Don’t hide behind circumstances, know how to play by someone else’s rules.”
“The purpose of Denis Piklyaev’s will: to be stronger than all circumstances.” (Yu. Vlasov)
Goal in sports: “Be the strongest in biceps curls.”
Link to results: https://allpowerlifting.com/lifters/RUS/sakovichDenis Piklyaev:olegDenis Piklyaev:188758/
Denis Piklyaev: Oleg, hello. In a personal conversation, you mentioned that the Russian Cup in August is the first tournament of the beginning of the season for you. And it seems like you can’t expect any special records, is that true?
Sakovich Oleg: Hello, Denis. Yes, the Russian Cup will be my first start in the competitive season, I need to gain competitive experience and prepare my psyche for the autumn tournaments. After setting a record at the tournament in memory of Konstantin Konstantinov, I rested. The previous season was incredibly difficult, I used up my body's resources and picked up injuries. Now I have just begun to reach the required training speed, and at the tournament I will have my first hard run.
Denis Piklyaev: Why did you choose this particular start for yourself? As an experienced athlete, what do you expect from us, the organizers of the event, in terms of organization and atmosphere at the tournament?
Oleg Sakovich: I chose it primarily based on the date. The tournament coincides with the training calendar, at the end of August I was supposed to have a test. For me, as an athlete, the main thing is that everything goes according to the regulations, in order to have time for a good warm-up and get on the platform at the right moment. I also expect a high level of judging and really hope for strong opponents.
Denis Piklyaev: There are persistent rumors that “Sakovich lifted Tsyplenkov’s biceps!” Oleg, is this even real?)
Sakovich Oleg: Denis Tsyplenkov is a very strong athlete, in his archive there is a strict biceps curl of 113 kg, this is still an absolute world record! However, I managed to beat Denis in terms of the Wilks coefficient, which in my opinion is no less impressive.
Just at the tournament in memory of Konstantin Konstantinov, where I lifted 95 kg with a weight of 80.6 kg, I officially showed the highest Wilks result in the world. And before that, I lifted the same 95 in Krasnoyarsk with the same body weight, but there was not an official start, but a commercial tournament.
Those in the know understand that it is difficult for lightweights like me to compete with heavyweights, because calculating the absolute winner by odds gives heavyweights and heavyweights more points for less quality. Of course, many will argue with me, but in my opinion, strength sports should have shifted towards quality a long time ago. Adding more weight gives an absolute advantage, but it does not add any quality strength.
Denis Piklyaev: There is not a lot of information about how to build their training for those guys and girls who are going to compete in the discipline of “biceps curls”. Could you share with us what to prioritize in the training process in this case?
Oleg Sakovich: The main difference between strict lifting training and training, say, in triathlon, is rapid recovery. You can train your arms up to 3 times a week! Hence the completely different periodization and more medium and heavy training than is customary in powerlifting. Regarding the training of athletes: you need to understand the level of athletes - beginner, intermediate or experienced athlete.
And the point here is not in the kilograms lifted, but in the inclusion of muscles in work, in muscle innervation. The higher the quality of muscle innervation, the more opportunities to develop movement. A beginner needs to develop the innervation of the arms and upper shoulder girdle. This is more explosive work with your weight and better in endurance mode. Pull-ups, push-ups, exercises, sparring at the arm table. But everything in moderation, without crazy training volumes.
An average person can begin to gain arm strength by working with a barbell, but without emphasis, just standing. Given good innervation, such a person will quickly increase strength, even using simple trained circuits.
When we are dealing with a person of a high level of training, with strong hands, we already need to improve the technique of movement, sharpen the movement for ourselves. Work on launch speed and static strength. In his case, it is already necessary to use complex plans.
Denis Piklyaev: How to plan your training in microcycles? How much time should you devote to classic eventing exercises? And is it even necessary?
Sakovich Oleg: My microcycle is about 10-13 days, I don’t race against time and can stretch the cycles depending on how I feel. If I am not sure that I have recovered to the desired state, I postpone the workout by 2-3 days. I always have training for all muscle groups in the background; I follow a separate periodization for each group. The biceps are not always my favorite. I pay most attention to the bench press and exercises for the latissimus muscles. Having a strong explosive upper body makes it much easier to lift the biceps, because in fact it’s not the only thing that lifts!
In general, biceps curls are quite compatible with triathlon. However, closer to serious competitions, you have to turn off squats and deadlifts for more effective recovery. It will be difficult to progress in powerlifting and at the same time in biceps curls, at least I can’t do it. And if we talk about the result, then the legs can put on an extra 3-7 kg, which is very critical at the weigh-in.
A month before the start, I usually remove the training on my legs and it takes me 2 to 3 kg of weight. Considering the frequency of serious starts, with such an approach there can be no talk of progress in powerlifting. A squat or a biceps curl will not provide a significant increase in strength, but these basic exercises strengthen the core muscles, which can also have a beneficial effect on biceps curl training. Give greater rigidity and stability to the body.
Denis Piklyaev: In addition to the strength of the biceps and forearms, which muscles require the closest attention? What do micro-meso-macro training cycles look like in your case? Can you list them by exercise?
Sakovich Oleg: In addition to the biceps, you should train the latissimus muscles, deltoids and pectoral muscles. The heavier the top, the more you will be able to lift in training, and subsequently in competitions.
Microcycle: 1. Back/Triceps 2. Chest/Biceps 3. Legs 4. Shoulders 5. Biceps.
Sometimes I insert intermediate light workouts depending on the periodization. Most often this is a front squat, close grip bench press or second press. Thus, I get from 5 to 8 workouts per microcycle (10-13 days).
I build the mesocycle for certain competitions, gaining peak shape closer to the start. So, for example, within three months I can have from 2 to 12 hard workouts, depending on the stage of preparation. When it comes to the end of the season, I go as planned and reduce the amount of hard training, thus significantly improving recovery and better results in competitions. If I just take the acceleration, I have to work a lot harder and there can be hard training almost every week!
Macrocycle - I don’t look that far)))
Denis Piklyaev: What auxiliary movements, in your opinion, are most effective for the biceps curl discipline?
Oleg Sakovich: Parallel grip pull-ups with weights, vertical rows with a narrow grip of two separate handles, seated dumbbell press. Isolated dumbbell biceps curl.
Denis Piklyaev: How often do you go to maximum/submaximal weights in training? How justified is this?
Oleg Sakovich: Speaking purely about biceps curls. I used to lift max weights almost every week, sometimes twice a week. Over time, the result becomes higher and the risk of injury is higher, in which case it is necessary to reduce the number of complex workouts.
Now I try to do 2-4 challenging workouts a month, but now is the start of the season - I need to get in shape. As soon as I reach good numbers, I will reduce the number of training sessions with maximum weights to once every two to three weeks.
However, in order to get really good at biceps curls, you have to really do hard training. Working constantly in the middle range will not make progress!
If we talk about other muscle groups, I follow periodization, which comes out to about 1-2 hard workouts for each muscle group per month. But the word “heavy” does not always mean maximum weights!
Denis Piklyaev: If we compare this discipline with other strength movements, can we say that biceps curls are less traumatic than, say, squats, bench presses and deadlifts?
Oleg Sakovich: Biceps curls are definitely less dangerous. Training weights are no more than 110 kg, which speaks for itself. Less stress on the nervous system, less stress on the spine, simpler movement from a biomechanical point of view. However, with crooked technology you can get killed here too!
Denis Piklyaev: Oleg, do you agree with the postulate: “to bench press a lot, you need to bench a lot, to squat, you need to squat a lot,” etc. In your case: to do a lot of biceps curls, do you just need to do a lot of lifts often? Or do you still advocate for more versatile training?
Sakovich Oleg: You need to lift a lot, but only on condition that a sufficient number of muscle fibers are involved in the work! Otherwise you will only get hurt!
I work mostly with a curved bar and in strength mode. I achieved these results by constantly lifting heavy weights. Even light workouts cost me over 60 kg. As a relief, I always do back workouts in which the biceps do only 50% of the work.
Denis Piklyaev: Who do you consider your strongest rivals in Russia? Who would you not mind hanging out with on the same platform from your overseas colleagues?
Sakovich Oleg: In Russia it is: Evgeniy Avdulov, Dmitry Zhemarkin, Nizami Tagiyev. In Ukraine, this is Dmitry Golovinsky. But in America the level is now much lower! In Europe the movement is not yet developed.
Denis Piklyaev: What, in your opinion, does the discipline lack for even greater popularization? And how high do you think the level of interest among the public is in biceps curls? What does practice show?
Sakovich Oleg: It seems to me that the movement has every chance of becoming a cult! In our country, the “biceps curl” has gained outstanding popularity in two years; the movement is simple, understandable and familiar to everyone in Kachkov circles. There aren’t enough big kilograms, it’s difficult to make a show out of biceps curls, because only a few go beyond the “hundredth”, you can count them on your fingers!
Denis Piklyaev: Oleg, have you already planned your starts until the end of the 2022 competition year? In general, are you a supporter of a strict competitive schedule or do you compete whenever your heart desires?
Sakovich Oleg: I am a supporter of the schedule, but sometimes you have to give yourself some slack, otherwise you can ruin yourself! I have chosen for myself all the major tournaments of the SPR and WRPF, and then I will watch it after the fact: if my preparation is good, without any complications, then I will participate, if I feel that something is not according to plan, I will skip it. But most likely I will participate everywhere.
Denis Piklyaev: Summarizing our conversation today, what can fans of both your talent and the movement itself expect in the next 2-3 years?
Oleg Sakovich: As for me and my results, I plan to finally reach 100 kg in a strict biceps curl, while remaining in the 82nd weight class. This is the plan for the coming year. I also plan to collect a good amount in powersports, which means breaking my record of 90 kg on a straight bar and finally standing benching more than 100 kg.
Of course, I’m really excited to compete in powerlifting with a good amount, but it’s hard to balance it, I’m trying, but I can’t improve yet. And I also want to make my streetlifting debut.
As for the strict biceps curl, I think in the next two years the movement will experience its peak in popularity, many athletes will go over 100 kg, and I am sure that Denis’ record will not stand for long! On August 10, I will hold a tournament in which 4 athletes will exceed the hundred mark, and I am sure that the current WRPF world record of 105 kg will be broken there.
Interviewed by Denis Piklyaev.
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An excerpt characterizing Tsyplenkov, Denis Ivanovich
The day was clear and frosty. Kutuzov, with a huge retinue of generals dissatisfied with him and whispering behind him, rode to Dobroy on his fat white horse. Along the entire road, groups of French prisoners taken that day (seven thousand of them were taken that day) crowded around the fires, warming up. Not far from Dobroye, a huge crowd of ragged, bandaged and wrapped prisoners was buzzing with conversation, standing on the road next to a long row of unharnessed French guns. As the commander-in-chief approached, the conversation fell silent, and all eyes stared at Kutuzov, who, in his white hat with a red band and a cotton overcoat, sitting hunched over his stooped shoulders, was slowly moving along the road. One of the generals reported to Kutuzov where the guns and prisoners were taken. Kutuzov seemed preoccupied with something and did not hear the general’s words. He squinted his eyes with displeasure and peered carefully and intently at those figures of the prisoners who presented a particularly pitiful appearance. Most of the faces of the French soldiers were disfigured by frostbitten noses and cheeks, and almost all had red, swollen and festering eyes. One group of Frenchmen stood close by the road, and two soldiers - the face of one of them was covered with sores - was tearing a piece of raw meat with their hands. There was something scary and animalistic in that quick glance that they cast at those passing by, and in that angry expression with which the soldier with the sores, looking at Kutuzov, immediately turned away and continued his work. Kutuzov looked at these two soldiers carefully for a long time; Wrinkling his face even more, he narrowed his eyes and shook his head thoughtfully. In another place, he noticed a Russian soldier, who, laughing and patting the Frenchman on the shoulder, said something affectionately to him. Kutuzov shook his head again with the same expression. - What are you saying? What? - he asked the general, who continued to report and drew the commander-in-chief’s attention to the captured French banners that stood in front of the front of the Preobrazhensky regiment. - Ah, banners! - said Kutuzov, apparently having difficulty tearing himself away from the subject that occupied his thoughts. He looked around absently. Thousands of eyes from all sides, waiting for his word, looked at him. He stopped in front of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, sighed heavily and closed his eyes. Someone from the retinue waved for the soldiers holding the banners to come up and place their flag poles around the commander-in-chief. Kutuzov was silent for a few seconds and, apparently reluctantly, obeying the necessity of his position, raised his head and began to speak. Crowds of officers surrounded him. He looked carefully around the circle of officers, recognizing some of them.
Russian records for biceps curls
Official Russian records in barbell curls:
- Women – Evgenia Goncharova – 47.5 kg.
- Boys – Evseenko Maxim – 70 kg.
- Juniors (up to 82.5 kg.) – Alexander Shpak – 65 kg.
- Juniors (over 82.5 kg.) – Valery Lysyuk – 82.5 kg.
- Veterans - Dmitriev Alexander - 77.5 kg.
- Men (82.5 kg.) – Niazyan Arthur – 72.5 kg.
- Men (90 kg.) – Turchik Ivan – 85 kg.
- Men (100 kg.) – Sergey Oskin – 85 kg.
- Men (110 kg.) – Vladimir Palagnyuk – 82.5 kg.
- Men (+110 kg.) – Evgeniy Arkhipov – 90 kg.
And Ukrainian Yulia Gerus, originally from Kharkov, in November 2022 set a country record in the discipline of biceps curls, and lifted a weight of 55 kg, which is 7.5 kg more than the Russian woman Evgenia Goncharova.
Also read: How to do barbell curls? World record for pull-ups → World record for dips → World record for push-ups →
Robert Wadlow - a historical giant with huge hands
Unfortunately, the owner of the world's largest hands lived very short, only 22 years. But the world remembered him as the tallest man from the Guinness Book of Records. The length of the palm from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger was a whopping 32.4 centimeters when Robert was 21 years old. He suffered from gigantism caused by a pituitary tumor. Active growth began at the age of 4 years. The boy’s two sisters and two brothers grew up normally, and the American’s parents did not differ in abnormal growth. At the age of 9, Wadlow could easily pick up his own father and carry him up the stairs; even then his height was 188 cm. Fortunately, thanks to his fame, the guy had no problems with the shoes that were made for him for free.
But fame was accompanied by health difficulties; his incredible height and size had a negative impact on Robert’s joints; he moved with the help of crutches. The man worked in a circus, with which he toured the United States, surprising people with his size. He died due to sepsis, which developed due to a wound on his leg, rubbed by a crutch. 40,000 people attended the funeral.
