The Strongman Who’s Cleaning Up: Why Anatoly’s Pranks Never Get Old
Olympian Vladimir Shmondenko Cracks Us Up Every Time
In a digital wasteland of offensively unfunny YouTube pranks, one man has emerged as the patron saint of the genre: a wiry Ukrainian with the strength of a forklift, the presence of Borat, and the comic timing of, well, also Borat.
Meet Anatoly — real name Vladimir “No Average Shmo”* Shmondenko — the powerlifter who disguises himself as a humble gym janitor, only to casually outlift bodybuilders who look like they could eat him for a pre-workout snack. The format never changes much. And that’s the genius.
It seems that if you enjoy one Anatoly video, you’ll enjoy ten thousand Anatoly videos.
There’s a reason this farm boy from a small town in Eastern Ukraine has millions of followers across multiple platforms.
But what is that reason? And why does Anatoly never get old?
That’s what I’m here to take a look at.
🎭 1. The Setup Is Classic – and Relatable
By choosing the “cleaner” persona, Anatoly communicates the visual language of the consummate underdog: hunched posture, timid eyes, and an oversized uniform. He plays a janitor, an old man, and sometimes a clueless beginner — each character challenging the perceptions of the weightlifters he dupes.
We all know what’s coming, but we need to see it happen anyway. And it hits every damn time.
This is remarkable since 99 percent of online prank videos make anyone with just a drop of intelligence weep for what our society has become.
It’s similar to watching a magician. You know the illusionist is going to be pulling the card you picked out of a rabbit’s tush, so there isn’t that much tension. But the reveal still amazes you.
🦸♂️ 2. The Reveal Is Always Spectacular
When Anatoly lifts something outrageous — like a 400 kg deadlift — you see that he’s not just strong - he’s Popeye if Popeye was Krytponian and rocketed to a planet made of spinach strong. The fact that he’s dressed up as a janitor and crushing egos makes it all the better.
Seeing his victims’ reactions is like the pump you feel after a perfect set. It’s that little extra something that lets you know the execution was perfect.
Anatoly routinely pulls off superhuman feats in mundane settings. That contrast alone is pure entertainment gold. It’s Clark Kent upstaging Superman at a Planet Fitness near you.
😱 3. The Reactions Slap
Many of his videos lead with the reaction— a simple but effective choice. We see the wide eyes, dropped jaws, and disbelieving blinks teased in thumbnails. And we immediately want to see how we’re going to get there.
Unlike a vast majority of YouTube pranksters, the reactions in Anatoly’s videos feel honest and deeply satisfying. Just as importantly, they feel joyful - in almost all cases we end up laughing with the victims and not at them.
There’s no cruelty in an Anatoly prank video. People aren’t embarrassed — they’re amazed. They go from skeptical to delighted. Meanwhile, the viewer is delighted throughout.
😂 4. He’s Genuinely Funny — and Weirdly Sweet
The man’s got actual comedy chops Whether he’s dusting a barbell before repping it or correcting someone’s form while dressed like a hapless dweeb, his punchlines hit their marks.
This adds an element of what we call “talent” to his videos. Unlike like most online pranksters, who typically deal in shock value, Shmondenko is a natural comedian capable of producing genuine belly laughs.
🧠 5. It Taps Deep Psychological Buttons
It’s clear that there is more to the laughter than just a janitor with a thick Eastern European accent. Anatoly taps into something deeper than simple buffoonery.
- Subversion of expectations: Watching the 98-pound weakling get the dub is always satisfying, especially for those of us who can’t lift a Volkswagen over our heads.
- Underdog bias: You find yourself pulling for Anatoly, even though you know he’s a character being played by a genuine badass. He’s David with a mop instead of a slingshot, slaying the giants the rest of us only wish we could challenge.
- Power fantasy: What man wouldn’t want to be the strongest man in the room in just about every room on Earth?
- Schadenfreude - For the most part, Anatoly’s victims are laid back and friendly gym bros who seem genuinely happy after the big reveal. None the less - we enjoy seeing the muscle-bound lifters get gently “humbled.”
- Short-form mastery: The structure is perfect for our TikTok length attention spans: setup → tension → explosion → joy → rinse, repeat.
He’s not just doing a bit. He’s tapping into a primal desire to see the bullied overcome the bully under the guise of a circus strongman hiding in plain site.
🔁 6. The Format Is Repeatable… and That’s the Point
It really never gets old.
New gym, new disguise, new victims. It doesn’t matter. We’re not here for the novelty — we’re here for the ritual.
Just like Mr. Bean or Bugs Bunny, Anatoly’s entertainment value isn’t just in what he does — it’s in how joyfully he does it. Everyone involved in the video, including the prankster, the pranked, and the viewers, arrive at the same happy destination every single time.
🎬 7. “Fake”? Who Cares — the Strength Is Real
It’s always been good policy to believe none of what you hear and half of what you see. And when it comes to online pranks, a good rule of thumb is to not believe anything.
But with Anatoly, that is besides the point.
It doesn’t really matter if the situations are staged. It’s the spectacle. Whether the gym-goers know what’s coming or not, they still seem genuinely shocked when Anatoly casually helicopters 400 pounds around his shoulders like it’s a broomstick. Watching a 175 pound man do the impossible is thrilling, whether it’s on a YouTube short in 2025 or at the county fair in 1925 . It doesn’t matter if the prank is real — it’s that the strength is real, and the reactions feel genuine.
Final Thought
There’s a lesson in all this: when you pair absurd talent with humility, mischief, and good editing, you get a formula that doesn’t just go viral — it defies the the online entertainment odds.
Anatoly’s content doesn’t hit because it’s outrageous.
It hits because at its core, it’s human.
And humanity, it turns out, really likes watching a freakishly strong janitor cleaning up.
*I completely made that nickname up. I don’t imagine it will stick, nor should it. It’s ridiculous and unwieldy. I just don’t get many opportunities to weave “shmo” into my work organically.
Update: As soon as I published this, I immediately got over Anatoly. I guess I had to work a few things out before I could move on.