Greg Kovacs dies at 44

[OTHstrong]

His name's Greg too.. we trained at the galleria goodlife from like 06-08. He tore his pec a few years back and lost a ton of weight but he was ridiculously strong at the time, and a soft 330.. like you I'm not exactly weak, so for someone his size and strength to tell me Kovacs was like him to me strength wise, that's some other-level shit right there.

Scott is Scott abel? I saw him at the other goodlife a few times (I forgot the name of it, the one near the uni I think), big guy

I guess some people feel better about themselves thinking Kovacs could only bench 4 plates on a smith machine.

Seen Scott Able train too, pretty big dude but no I meant Scott Milne (SP?)

[OTHstrong]

No doubt he could shift some big poundages.
Nothing i have read is outstanding considering his physical size and bodyweight.
a 360lb+ man doing what??.
could he do a double bodyweight + bench press,
3 0r 4 times body weight squat.
I have, and have trained with others who have been bigger and heavier who
could also.
I have been training the man thats just got 2nd place at the ukbff super heavies
at 5ft8ins and a training body weight of 110/112 he could bench 500lbs squat 700lbs
deadlift 700lbs ect all on free weights, and other lifts to match.
That's a strong man, pound for pound a lot stronger
than Greg.
No doubt elephants are very big and can also shift some huge poundages.
relative to his bodyweight not great poundage, the poundages on there own are Big weights.

It's not me who doesn't know what they are talking about.
I'm just not easily impressed by big heavy people lifting relatively reasonable weights.

There is nothing relatively easy about any weight Kovacks did, if you think that then  you do not know what you are talking about. He could have easily smashed all record of all time from anyone, I know that for a fact considering he only trained with hammer strength yet still kills 4 plate on the bench for 25 reps.

There is nothing average about his lifts, he is in the same class as the worlds best, of course he is no BILL K or ED C as Fortress pointed out, those guys are legends and were not lazy, but at his prime there was only a few men living who were stronger certainly less then 10 men.

[Dago_Joe]

The stories about his insecurity and health issues are revealing.  I remember meeting him and he was a nice dude, but seemed to not want to be there at all.  I now see how insecure he was and I know a lot of dudes can relate.  He was a freak, but was still worried that he would get mocked and not be accepted.  I kind of feel bad for the dude now.  I didn't know him at all personally, but all the stories about him seem to paint a picture of a dude who was freakishly strong and big, but had almost no self-esteem.  He hid behind his hugeness.  A lot of guys do this.  Anyway you cut it, dying at 44 from heart failure is not a good thing.  I had actually not thought about Kovac at all for years until i saw this thread.  then i remembered meeting him and actually feel bad that he died the way he did. 

[Kwon_2]

The stories about his insecurity and health issues are revealing.  I remember meeting him and he was a nice dude, but seemed to not want to be there at all.  I now see how insecure he was and I know a lot of dudes can relate.  He was a freak, but was still worried that he would get mocked and not be accepted.  I kind of feel bad for the dude now.  I didn't know him at all personally, but all the stories about him seem to paint a picture of a dude who was freakishly strong and big, but had almost no self-esteem.  He hid behind his hugeness.  A lot of guys do this.  Anyway you cut it, dying at 44 from heart failure is not a good thing.  I had actually not thought about Kovac at all for years until i saw this thread.  then i remembered meeting him and actually feel bad that he died the way he did. 

What stories

And where did you hear them

[illuminati]

There is nothing relatively easy about any weight Kovacks did, if you think that then  you do not know what you are talking about. He could have easily smashed all record of all time from anyone, I know that for a fact considering he only trained with hammer strength yet still kills 4 plate on the bench for 25 reps.

There is nothing average about his lifts, he is in the same class as the worlds best, of course he is no BILL K or ED C as Fortress pointed out, those guys are legends and were not lazy, but at his prime there was only a few men living who were stronger certainly less then 10 men.

opinion's vary.... and you are not the only person with one.
It doesn't make yours or mine the right one.. just opinion's

Also you are not the only person to have handled heavy weights or been around other extremely strong people
as in Bona Fide world champions in Powerlifting, olympic lifting and strongman who have.
Also he never choose to compete in a strength based sport.
no doubt he could shift some heavy poundage at 350lbs.+ i should hope so.

oh And some of them are still alive into there 60's plus and competing.
As for Greg he is strongest man in the graveyard at a very early age..sadly.

[arce1988]

still kills 4 plate on the bench for 25 reps.
^

damn   405 x 25

[Gonuclear]

The stories about his insecurity and health issues are revealing.  I remember meeting him and he was a nice dude, but seemed to not want to be there at all.  I now see how insecure he was and I know a lot of dudes can relate.  He was a freak, but was still worried that he would get mocked and not be accepted.  I kind of feel bad for the dude now.  I didn't know him at all personally, but all the stories about him seem to paint a picture of a dude who was freakishly strong and big, but had almost no self-esteem.  He hid behind his hugeness.  A lot of guys do this.  Anyway you cut it, dying at 44 from heart failure is not a good thing.  I had actually not thought about Kovac at all for years until i saw this thread.  then i remembered meeting him and actually feel bad that he died the way he did. 

I never met him, but that was my impression as well - insecurity and shyness.  Good post.

[OTHstrong]

opinion's vary.... and you are not the only person with one.
It doesn't make yours or mine the right one.. just opinion's

Also you are not the only person to have handled heavy weights or been around other extremely strong people
as in Bona Fide world champions in Powerlifting, olympic lifting and strongman who have.
Also he never choose to compete in a strength based sport.
no doubt he could shift some heavy poundage at 350lbs.+ i should hope so.

oh And some of them are still alive into there 60's plus and competing.
As for Greg he is strongest man in the graveyard at a very early age..sadly.

I understand your perspective and certainly respect your opinion and no you are not wrong in what you say cause you are simply not impressed but just on the comparison to the average national level power lifter sounds a little silly, that's all. He would utterly destroy 99% of all national level competitors, just not a few of the top guys, he certainly dose not deserve to be compared to the average national competitor, that`s it, that is all that bothered me about your perceptive, nothing more.

[OTHstrong]

still kills 4 plate on the bench for 25 reps.
^

damn   405 x 25

Yes in his prime he could probably get even more reps out then that even, I seen him also do 3 plates and a 25 for like 20+ reps on the incline free weights

There was a story circulating the local gyms here (we live in the same area) it goes like this. when he was 19 years old he went to see a powerlifting meet, The winner benched 400 and something for a single rep and kovacks was in the audiance, then at the end of the meet he got up and did what the guy that won did for over 20 reps.

Do not know how much truth to this story there is but it was circulating pretty heavy back in the 90`s.

Another story was he got a job as a correction officer and he couldn`t start right away cause the uniforms could not fit, they had to request the uniforms be custom made, I think even the 4xl shirts they had were way to small. The man`s sheer dimensions were mind boggling.

[Dago_Joe]

What stories

And where did you hear them

On this forum there are a few.  And the stories Nasser told in an interview. All second hand mind you, but they are all similar.  Just a big nice dude that had insecurity issues.  and drug issues.

[The Abdominal Snoman]

Does anyone know if Kovacs had any interaction with VooDoo Vince?

[The Ugly]

Probably aspartame.

[BFG]

Greg was not a happy person. I do not know why.

Someone wrote earlier about him coming across as very insecure and shy. This is 100 percent accurate.

Those that have experienced national level/pro level contest prep know the dark place in your mind it often takes you. Some people worse than others. Greg had a hard time dealing with contest prep/the demons that come out when you are locking yourself in a hotel room sticking yourself with needles over and over and over again. Eventually, he spent most of his preps in a k-hole.

[Fortress]

Greg was monstrously strong, no doubt, but there can be a big difference between gym/bodybuilding strong, and meet strong. For instance, what could Greg squat? Just because someone can leg press 9,000 plates doesn't mean "squat" when it comes to free-bar squatting. And Kovacs could bent-row 4-500 pounds, sure, but ... again, this doesn't mean he could stand (deadlift) with world-class numbers.

If I had to guess, I'd say squats would have been his Achilles heel, if he had chosen to compete as a powerlifter. At the very least, the movement would have likely been the one to require the most attention and specific focus.

As with many large and accomplished bodybuilders, Greg was super strong on many machine and isolation-type exercises. Elite powerlifters are (working as) whole-body strong and have had years to train their bodies to operate as a single powerful entity. A machine that explodes as a precise and unified weapon.     

[Gonuclear]

opinion's vary.... and you are not the only person with one.
It doesn't make yours or mine the right one.. just opinion's

Also you are not the only person to have handled heavy weights or been around other extremely strong people
as in Bona Fide world champions in Powerlifting, olympic lifting and strongman who have.
Also he never choose to compete in a strength based sport.
no doubt he could shift some heavy poundage at 350lbs.+ i should hope so.

oh And some of them are still alive into there 60's plus and competing.
As for Greg he is strongest man in the graveyard at a very early age..sadly.

And your point is what?  No one is claiming that Kovacs competed in any strength events, so to keep harping on that is ridiculous.  

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence backing the premise that Kovacs was inordinately strong.  

But, seriously, the man is gone.  He won't be making any more claims that you disagree with.

[illuminati]

And your point is what?  No one is claiming that Kovacs competed in any strength events, so to keep harping on that is ridiculous.  

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence backing the premise that Kovacs was inordinately strong.  

But, seriously, the man is gone.  He won't be making any more claims that you disagree with.



If you read and understood my post you wouldn't have to ask what is my point.

Sure he was a very big & strong man,. As some one who has been fortunate enough to know and train with other Big & very strong men who did compete and not make claims that they wouldn't or couldn't back up, I am just not that impressed by him.
And again you would seriously expect a 350/400Lbs man full of gear and growth to be exceptionally strong.

I Didn't disagree with any of his claims.  Just not overly impressed all things considered.

I hope that is clear enough for you.

And yes sadly at a very young age he has Gone, & none of us would of wanted that.

[illuminati]

Greg was monstrously strong, no doubt, but there can be a big difference between gym/bodybuilding strong, and meet strong. For instance, what could Greg squat? Just because someone can leg press 9,000 plates doesn't mean "squat" when it comes to free-bar squatting. And Kovacs could bent-row 4-500 pounds, sure, but ... again, this doesn't mean he could stand (deadlift) with world-class numbers.

If I had to guess, I'd say squats would have been his Achilles heel, if he had chosen to compete as a powerlifter. At the very least, the movement would have likely been the one to require the most attention and specific focus.

As with many large and accomplished bodybuilders, Greg was super strong on many machine and isolation-type exercises. Elite powerlifters are (working as) whole-body strong and have had years to train their bodies to operate as a single powerful entity. A machine that explodes as a precise and unified weapon.     

Very Good post Fortress. well said.

[Gonuclear]

You're not "overly impressed".   Duly noted.

[viking1]

Does anyone know if Kovacs had any interaction with VooDoo Vince?

     

[Danimal77]

From june this year:

Oh wow, he did not look healthy at all 

[Danimal77]

Might die at 55 who knows....

I remember when art died, it was from heart failure and he wasn't even 40, think mid to late 30's had a heart attack and fell into the pool....that was the story I got

Nice guy too, met him through a friend of mine and was always willing to help , but never looked healthy one bit, always heavy breathing, out of breath, purple skin , lots of signs

He made it to 55. This is him today (age 56):

[TrueGrit]

Damn, Greg really aged.

[Big Chiro Flex]

Damn, Greg really aged.

I've always said they shared a resemblance!

Same name too!

[no one]

Seen Scott Able train too, pretty big dude but no I meant Scott Milne (SP?)

wouldnt be scott milne from that discription- ive never seen him look like he could be considered 'fat'

they guy walks around at 330 and 8% ffs. next to kovacs prolly the next 'largest' human i have seen. helluva nice guy to. very soft spoken.

[OTHstrong]

wouldnt be scott milne from that discription- ive never seen him look like he could be considered 'fat'

they guy walks around at 330 and 8% ffs. next to kovacs prolly the next 'largest' human i have seen. helluva nice guy to. very soft spoken.

ya never seen him fat so you are right, 330 with abs he was enormous, I met him when I was 16 years old and just turned 32 so 16 years ago, don't know how old he was then, maybe 21 or 22 but he was 335 and was benching 5 plates per side for 4 reps if I remember correctly. Weird how he never really got any bigger since then but he did improve on proportions and conditioning. Man was so big but Kovacks was noticeably bigger when they stood beside each other.