Hafthor ‘The Mountain’ Bjornsson deadlifts 501 kg world record on Twitch
hafthorjulius (Twitch)Game Thrones star Hafthor ‘The Mountain’ Bjornsson has made history by becoming the first man in history to deadlift 501 kg / 1104.5 lbs on a conventional barbell – edging past Eddie Hall’s four-year old record.
Aside from being the Lannister’s own personal bodyguard, Hafthor Bjornsson is one of the strongest men in the world. Having been crowned Europe’s Strongest Man five times, the 2018 World’s Strongest Man winner has been gunning for the deadlift world record for quite some time.
After Eddie Hall completed one of the greatest athletic feats in human history by deadlifting 500 kg for the first time in 2016, Bjornsson has had his eyes on that prize ever since — and 2020 was his year.
Hafthorjuilius (Twitch)Hafthor Bjornsson’s deadlift world record
Despite all of the drama between Eddie ‘The Beast’ Hall and Hafthor (surrounding whether the world record should count), the Icelandic giant kept his eyes on the prize and stuck to a regimented routine in preparation for the big lift — all of which was documented on his YouTube channel.
As part of Thor’s prep, the 31-year-old lifted 440 kg / 970 lbs for three reps, while also making light work of 470 kg / 1035 lbs along the way — which was an added bonus, considering that Thor was originally meant to attempt the world record at World’s Ultimate Strongman on April 11.
With his custom-built stage set, Bjornsson pulled 501 kg with very little resistance and gave Magnus Ver Magnusson no reason to disqualify the lift.
After clinching the record that he had longed for, Bjornsson added “I’m blessed, everything today went according to the plans, I’m over the moon.”
He also claimed he could have done more, but said “what’s the point.”
Bjornsson now holds both the conventional and elephant bar deadlift world record (at 474 kg / 1045 lbs) — a lift which is notoriously harder than conventional, due to the added ‘whip’ the bar provides on the way up.
So with the deadlift mastered, will The Mountain turn his talents to another lift? Or will he dial in his training in a bid to earn his second World’s Strongest Man title? Only time will tell…