On a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show, the conversation turned toward the world of performance enhancement when Russian strength athlete Andrey Smaev came up. Known online for his physical transformation, Smaev has built a reputation as a bodybuilder, powerlifter, strongman, and arm wrestler whose size and reported d*ug use continue to surprise fans.
John McCarthy first brought him up during the discussion, asking Joe Rogan, “Have you seen Andrey Smaev?”
Rogan immediately reacted with excitement and called out to producer Jamie Vernon, saying, “Yes! Jamie, pull up that guy.”
As images of Smaev appeared on screen, McCarthy broke down just how massive the Russian athlete has become.
“He’s kind of a hybrid,” McCarthy explained. “He’s a bodybuilder, powerlifter, strongman, arm wrestler. He’s 350 lbs. I mean, 27 inch arm, something like that.”
The visuals immediately caught everyone’s attention, especially Smaev’s enormous hands. Looking at the photos, Rogan remarked, “His hands are so big they look like catcher’s mitts.”
The group then compared photos of Smaev from 2016 to recent images from 2026, with the dramatic transformation leaving the hosts surprised. As they discussed the change in his appearance, the explanation for his oversized hands and overall growth came up quickly.
“His hands are huge because of growth hormone,” McCarthy noted.
He then commented on the reported scale of Smaev’s enhancement protocol.
“He takes everything,” McCarthy said. “He takes a thousand units of growth hormone a day. That’s 10 vials.”
The reaction around the table was immediate.
“Is that real? A thousand. Oh my god,” Rogan said in disbelief.
Despite his massive size, the group was equally surprised by Smaev’s athletic ability. Rogan pointed out that the Russian strongman can still perform elite-level calisthenics.
“That dude does one arm pull-ups at 350 lbs,” McCarthy said.
What surprised Rogan even more was that Smaev reportedly lives a relatively ordinary life outside of his internet notoriety.
“He has a regular job,” Rogan said. “I think he has a factory job. He’s not even doing it for money.”
The conversation then shifted toward how dramatically Smaev appears to have aged physically.
“He’s 27 years old. Look at him. He looks like he’s 50,” McCarthy said.
Looking back at older photos of Smaev, Rogan pointed out how normal he appeared before the transformation.
“That looks like a regular athlete,” Rogan said while referencing a 2016 image. “And then all of a sudden he becomes this immense freak.”
The discussion also touched on testosterone use and the visible effects it appeared to have had on Smaev.
“He does a lot of testosterone to lose his hair like that,” Thompson observed. “He did everything.”
Rogan summed up the entire transformation in one final line.
“He’s done everything there is,” Rogan said. “Whatever you got, give me it.”
