How Strong Was Conan the Barbarian? Fitness in the Hyborian Age

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Just how strong was Conan the Barbarian? It’s something I’ve wondered since I was a teenager – and something that Robert E. Howard himself addressed, at least partially.

I do enjoy my strength and running routines, so for me there’s something deeply satisfying about analysing Conan through the lens of modern fitness and strength training.

I’m sure every reader will have their views on this, but here’s what I came up with.

Conan’s Height and Weight: What Howard Actually Wrote

Here’s the thing many people get wrong about Conan’s size: Howard never gave us his adult measurements. The only concrete numbers we have come from a letter Howard wrote to P. Schuyler Miller and Dr. John D. Clark in March 1936, just months before his death:

“At Vanarium he was already a formidable antagonist, though only fifteen. He stood six feet and weighed 180 pounds, though he lacked much of having his full growth.”

That phrase – “lacked much of having his full growth” – is crucial. At fifteen, Conan was already six feet tall and 180 pounds, but Howard explicitly tells us he wasn’t done growing.

The Cimmerian Average

Howard also wrote that Cimmerians averaged six feet in height – tall even by modern standards. For Conan to be average Cimmerian height at fifteen suggests he grew considerably taller. Often, Howard fans places adult Conan somewhere between 6’2″ and 6’4″, with a weight between 200 and 230 pounds. I’ve also read arguments placing him closer to 6’6″.

In my opinion, the most reasonable estimate is around 6’3″ and 225 pounds. He’s taller than most men he encounters, but Howard is careful to note that some opponents are taller still – Conan’s dominance comes from the complete package, not height alone.

Conan’s Build: Not a Bodybuilder

Although an incredibly muscular Arnold Schwarzenegger is often the first face that jumps into mind for Conan, Howard consistently described Conan in terms that suggest functional strength rather than aesthetic muscle.

From The Tower of the Elephant, when Conan is just seventeen:

“His cheap tunic could not conceal the hard, rangy lines of his powerful frame, the broad heavy shoulders, the massive chest, lean waist, and heavy arms.”

Key words here: rangy, hard, lean waist. Conan wasn’t a modern bodybuilder with bulging aesthetics – he was built like a fighter, an athlete, a working man who’d spent his life climbing, fighting, and surviving.

Later, when Conan is King of Aquilonia in his forties, Howard gives us this in The Hour of the Dragon:

“A tall man, mightily shouldered and deep of chest, with a massive corded neck and heavily muscled limbs.”

Tall (but not giant-sized) with a massive corded neck and heavily muscled limbs – this is the physique of someone who’s spent decades wielding heavy weapons, climbing castle walls, and wrestling with human and inhuman foes alike.

How Strong Was Conan? Analysing the Feats

Howard never gives us specific numbers for Conan’s strength, but he provides plenty of feats we can analyse. The pattern is clear: Conan was the strongest human in virtually every story. Not just “pretty strong” – genuinely elite, the kind of strength that made hardened warriors and pirates step back.

Strength Feats

In Shadows in Zamboula, Conan fights Baal-pteor, a professional strangler described as having immense strength. The fight is described as one of his toughest physical challenges – suggesting Baal-pteor was in the same weight class, strength-wise. We also learn that Conan strangled a bull when he was just fifteen.

In Rogues in the House, Conan fights Thak, an intelligent ape described as stronger than any man. Conan wins, but it’s a brutal, close fight – his human strength pushed to its absolute limit against something genuinely superhuman.

What This Means in Modern Terms

If Conan was consistently the strongest human in a world of warriors, pirates, and soldiers, what would that translate to in a modern gym?

Here’s where I think we need to be honest: Conan wasn’t just “gym strong” – he was elite. A lifetime of combat, climbing, and survival from childhood, combined with obvious genetic gifts, would put him firmly in competition-level territory.

With even basic barbell training to refine his technique, he’d be pushing towards powerlifting competition numbers.

As a caveat to that, elite lifters spend years honing their craft and technique. Conan does not have that luxury, and therefore, without extra training, he would have the technical side of lifting working against him.

The Lifts

To work out some realistic weights, I’m using the website Strength Level.

I’m also using these numbers as a kind of comparison. And I’m comparing Conan to himself.

Well, kind of.

Arnold’s Schwarzenegger’s best ever lifts are given as: Squat – 610lbs (276 kg), Bench – 525 lbs (238 kg) and Deadlift – 710 lbs (322kg).

I think these weights are slightly above an untrained Conan, for two reasons. Arnie was an incredibly well trained bodybuilder, and dedicated his life to strength and muscle training. He also used steroids.

It should also be noted that although Arnie was ‘only’ a bodybuilder when compared to powerlifters (another breed altogether, and with numbers far above Arnie) he was an exceptionally strong one and his numbers are nothing to be sniffed at.

So, using strength standards for a 225-pound man, here’s where I’d place Conan.

I decided on these numbers as they are classified as at the lower-mid end of ‘elite’ on Strength Level.

With specific lift training, he could of course move even higher up in the category.

It could also depend on the period of his life – 17, 25 or 40 could have far different results.

Squat: 525 – 575 lbs 245 kg (238 – 261 kg) – Conan would have had phenomenally powerful legs from climbing, riding, and the explosive movements of sword fighting. His mountain upbringing in Cimmeria – constantly traversing rough terrain – built a foundation most modern athletes can only dream of.

Bench Press: 425-475 lbs (193 – 216 kg) – Years of sword work, shield use, climbing, and grappling would build serious pressing strength. His “massive chest” and “heavy arms” support elite pressing capability.

Deadlift: 600-650 lbs (272 – 295 kg) – Picking up bodies, dragging treasure, carrying wounded companions, hauling on ship rigging – Conan’s lifestyle was essentially deadlift training. I’d expect this to be a very strong lift for him. Howard describes him carrying people on his back during escapes – that’s some serious posterior chain strength.

Weighted Pull-ups: Bodyweight + 68 kg (150 lbs) Conan spent his early career as a thief, climbing towers and castle walls. Howard frequently describes him “swarming” up sheer surfaces. His back and grip strength would have been exceptional – I’d estimate he could manage 30-35 bodyweight pull-ups, or carry a full-grown person on his back while climbing. At 100kg (225lbs) 28 reps would get him into elite territory, but I think he’d breeze past that.

These are all at least elite numbers – roughly what you’d need to think about compete at national powerlifting levels in the 100kg class.

But here’s the thing: Conan wouldn’t just be strong in the gym. He’d maintain this strength while also being fast, having incredible endurance, extreme explosive power and possessing genuine combat skills.

That’s what makes him exceptional.

Conan’s Speed: Like a Panther

Howard’s most consistent description of Conan’s movement involves big cats. The word “panther” appears more than any other comparison:

“A pantherish twist and shift of his body avoided the blundering rush of two yellow swordsmen.” – Xuthal of the Dusk (The Slithering Shadow)

“He was like a tiger among baboons as he leaped, side-stepped and spun, offering an ever-moving target.” – Queen of the Black Coast

Conan wasn’t just strong – he was explosively fast, with reflexes honed by years of combat where a moment’s hesitation meant death.

Sprint Speed: The 100 Metre Question

For a man of 6’3″ and 225 pounds, how fast could Conan actually run?

I think 11 seconds for 100 metres is realistic – possibly 11.5 on a bad day. That might not sound elite compared to Olympic sprinters, but consider the context:

Jonah Lomu, the legendary All Blacks winger, stood 6’5″ and weighed 265 pounds. He reportedly ran 10.7–11.2 seconds for 100 metres. Will Carling famously called him a “freak” – no one had ever seen that combination of size and speed on a rugby pitch. Lomu could outrun smaller men while being big enough to run through them.

Bo Jackson, at 6’1″ and 227 pounds, ran a hand-timed 4.12-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine – still considered one of the fastest ever recorded. That translates to roughly 11-second 100m territory.

Micah Parsons, the NFL linebacker at 6’3″ and 245 pounds, ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. He’s been compared to Lawrence Taylor for his combination of speed and power.

Conan fits this mould perfectly – the freak athlete who shouldn’t be that fast at that size, but somehow is. Fast enough to close distance with an archer before they could nock a second arrow. Fast enough that even quick opponents couldn’t simply run away.

Endurance Running

This is where Conan truly excels. Howard repeatedly emphasises Cimmerian endurance – the ability to cover vast distances on foot through harsh terrain.

In my opinion, Conan could sustain a military pace of 4–5 mph for hours on end, covering 30–40 miles in a day when necessary. That’s not casual hiking – that’s Special Forces selection territory. The British SAS “Fan Dance” covers similar distances over brutal Welsh mountain terrain, and only the most elite candidates complete it.

His 5K time? Probably around 20 minutes – impressive for a 225-pound man, but not quite elite runner territory. He’s simply too big for distance running to be his strength. But that 20-minute 5K while carrying weapons? That’s genuinely formidable.

For longer efforts, think military selection rather than marathon running. Conan could ruck with a heavy load across broken terrain for days on end – a capability built through years of mercenary work, mountain living, and the harsh Cimmerian upbringing.

The Cimmerian Training Programme

Conan didn’t train in a gym – his strength came from life itself. But if we were to reverse-engineer his capabilities, what would the programme look like?

In my opinion, the closest modern equivalent is something like Tactical Barbell – a programme designed for military and law enforcement personnel who need strength, endurance, and the ability to perform unpredictably.

The key elements:

1. Base Strength: Heavy compound movements (squat, deadlift, press, pull-ups)
2. Endurance Base: Running, rucking, swimming – the ability to move for hours
3. Work Capacity: Circuit-style training that builds the ability to perform under fatigue
4. Skill Work: Combat skills, climbing, swimming – the specific demands of the job

This is functional training in the truest sense – not exercises that look impressive, but capabilities that keep you alive.

My Stats (For Posterity)

This post came about because I do have more than a passing interest in health and fitness.

So I thought I’d add my own numbers, not only to embarass myself, which I must surely do here, but to have some kind of comparison.

I train using Tactical Barbell and it really is good for functional fitness. I do not claim for my stats to be great in any way, but I’m mostly happy with them relative to my size. I also ran a marathon a few years back.

These are my stats from the last few years:

• Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
• Weight: fluctuates between 75-80 kg (165-176 lbs)
• Back Squat: 115 kg (254 lbs) for 5 reps
• Bench Press: 95 kg for 1 rep (209 lbs)
• Deadlift: N/A (I don’t deadlift)
• Pull-ups: 18 bodyweight, or +30 kg (66 lbs) for 3 reps
• 5K PB: 20:37 (well off that now)
• 1oK PB: 43:07
• Half Marathon: 1:43:50
• Marathon: 4:03:25 (still gutted I didn’t go under four hours)

These numbers only put me somewhere between novice and intermediate on Strength Level charts – and that’s with consistent training. My running stats are far from anything exciting, though I’m still happy I can say I finished a marathon.

It really shows how much work goes into reaching elite levels. Conan’s estimated numbers are in a completely different category, the kind of strength that takes either a lifetime of physical labour or years of dedicated training (plus genetic gifts most of us don’t have).

My weight is a few kilos heavier now, though I still lift about the same. I don’t back squat much any more either; I find goblet or Bulgarian splits easier on my lower back. I blame it on being over 40.

I guess I’ve got some work to do before I’m storming any Stygian temples.

Was Conan’s Strength Realistic?

Here’s where I think Howard got it right: Conan’s strength is exceptional but not impossible. The numbers I’ve suggested – a 525-575 lb squat, 425-475 lb bench, 600-650 lb deadlift – are achievable by elite natural athletes at his weight class. They’re not world records, but they’re firmly in the “competition powerlifter” range.

What makes Conan special isn’t any single attribute – it’s the combination:

• Elite strength
• Elite speed for his size
• Elite endurance
• Combat skills honed over decades
• Pain tolerance and mental fortitude

That complete package is what’s rare. Plenty of powerlifters can outlift those numbers; they can’t usually run 10k or fight for hours. Plenty of endurance athletes can cover huge distances; they can’t usually bench press 400 pounds. Conan can do both.

In my opinion, this makes him more impressive than a character with clearly superhuman abilities. His strength could exist in our world – it just rarely does.

Is Conan-Level Fitness and strength Achievable?

Honestly? For most people, probably not, no – not the full package. Building elite strength while maintaining elite endurance and combat skills requires either:

1. A lifetime of physical labour starting in childhood
2. Full-time dedication to training
3. Genetic gifts most of us don’t have
4. Probably all three

That being said, there are some humans alive who would surely test Conan. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (The Mountain that Rides from Game of Thrones, and World’s Strongest Man in 2018) springs to mind. There must be others, too.

In his prime, Andre the Giant must have been stronger than Conan. But clearly nowhere near as fast.

Yet elements of Conan’s fitness are absolutely achievable. You can build impressive functional strength. You can develop solid endurance. You can maintain combat readiness. The question is what you’re willing to prioritise – and that’s the difference between training for life and training for sport.

Follow Conan’s latest comic exploits here or start with the original Robert E Howard Conan stories here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Reading

• Who is Crom? Conan’s God Explained – The philosophy behind Cimmerian self-reliance
• Cimmeria: Conan’s Homeland Explained – The harsh land that forged the barbarian

What do you think – could you train to Conan levels? Let me know in the comments, or share your own training stats for comparison.