Who has the biggest chest in the world?

Monticello, Missouri - Hairy chests come thick, fluffy, and full, but we're not here to talk about bushy busts - we're here to talk about girth. Let's take a look at the biggest chest in the world and why it was so humungous.

No, that's not the biggest chest in the world - but it is brilliantly bushy!
No, that's not the biggest chest in the world - but it is brilliantly bushy!  © IMAGO/Pond5 Images

Big, broad, and brawny, these are the three words we want you to think about when you check out the world's biggest human chest.

It's not about hair, it's not about pecks, it's about sheer size and surface area - and one hunky shirt size! The question, though, is how someone's chest can get this gargantuan.

So who holds the world record for having the biggest human chest ever recorded?

Joke of the Day for May 7, 2024: Get your funny on
Joke of the Day Joke of the Day for May 7, 2024: Get your funny on

We take a look at the size of the biggest chest in the world . Let's dive in!

Who has the biggest chest in the world?

Robert Earl Hughes is known to have been the man with the largest chest ever recorded, an accolade he earned when he appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records way back in 1955. He was, at the time, also consider the heaviest human being, having weighed 946 pounds when they awarded him the prize.

He achieved the goal mere years before his untimely death in 1958, at the young age of only 32. At the time that he died, it is reported that he had weighed a whopping 1067 pounds. What was extraordinary about Robert, though, is that unlike many people who cannot walk due to their weight, he was able to move around, despite his immense size, almost until the end of his life.

His remarkable weight and chest size, however, was not simply the result of overeating. When he was only about five months old, Robert Earl Hughes caught whooping cough. This apparently ruptured his thyroid, causing the extreme weight gain that he experienced throughout the rest of his life.

As a result, he was already more than 200 pounds when he turned six, and his parents had to design, build, and buy specially made and reinforced furniture for him. Despite the tremendous difficulty, he continued to stay positive, telling the Fort Lauderdale News in 1956: "I've just got to make the best of what the Lord gave me".

It is because of his immense weight and size that Robert's chest became the biggest ever recorded in a human.

Robert Earl Hughes had the biggest chest ever recorded in human history.
Robert Earl Hughes had the biggest chest ever recorded in human history.  © Screenshot/YouTube/@BuyoutFootage

Biggest chest size

Measured in 1955, Robert's chest was 124 inches, making it the biggest human chest ever measured. His immense size and shape quickly garnered local attention, and he even began making appearances at festivals and fairs to make some money from his condition. Before too long, though, he needed a cane to walk.

Over a number of months in 1958, Robert's body deteriorated. After he was diagnosed with the measles and developed a uremia, it wasn't long before Robert Earl Hughes sadly passed away. His records were only ever surpassed by Jon Brower Minnoch, who weighed in at 1400 pounds during his peak.

What causes big chests, and what are the biggest chest muscles?

The biggest muscle found in someone's chest is the pectoralis major, found in the anterior chest wall and beneath the breast. In Robert's case, his chest became the world's biggest on account of his extraordinary weight gain . After all, he held the title of the world's heaviest person for many years as well.

Large chests that have developed due to excessive weight gain, and can lead to many severe and troublesome health issues. In other words, while it might seem cool to be a world record holder, this one may be heavy to bear.

Cover photo: IMAGO/Pond5 Images

More on World Records: