THOR ON SMASHING RECORDS
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is the embodiment of peak strength. Now on a path to become a boxer, he’s still striving to reach the top
Thor is one of those rare athletes who transcend their sport. The 6ft 9in Icelander not only conquered strongman but, following his star turn in Game of Thrones, he has lifted it to new peaks of popularity. And he has no trouble carrying this weight of expectation on his impossibly broad shoulders. He is enjoying the spotlight and wants more. Björnsson’s latest feat – a record-breaking 501kg deadlift that, remarkably, looked rather comfortable – cemented his place in strongman history and saw him usurp Britain’s Eddie Hall to take his place on the Iron Throne of deadlifting.
The GOAT’s next challenge? “The World’s Strongest Fight”: a boxing match with Hall, a former World’s Strongest Man rival and current YouTube adversary, in late 2021. As Björnsson explained to Men’s Health, this tectonic shift in training styles has presented more than a few challenges, but he’s confident of summiting them all.
Men’s Health: How did the 501kg deadlift actually feel?
Hafþór Björnsson: I was very positive going into that lift. I believed in myself but, of course, when you’re about to break a world record, you’re always a little bit nervous. Especially when the whole world is watching.
MH: And afterwards?
HB: After the lift, I was over the moon. Especially with how well I felt. After
Eddie Hall did his 500kg, he almost died. He didn’t look good. He was bleeding in his nose, eyes and ears. He fell down and I saw that and
I thought, “Is this going to be worth it?” But I pulled the weight and I felt great. When you do these lifts, you can block the pain away. You don’t really feel it at the time. Then it hits you afterwards, when your body starts to ache and you’re, like, “Wow, I’m sore.” It’s similar to any sport – when you’re competing in the moment, you’re not thinking about how tired you are. If your body gives up, then you fall down. My body was not close to giving up. I felt very strong going into that lift.
MH: Could you have gone heavier? HB: I strongly believe that I could have pulled 510kg on that day. Possibly more. It’s hard to say – every kilo on that bar is a lot.
MH: Did you use any mental tricks ahead of the lift?
HB: I like to visualise. A few weeks before, I saw myself lifting that weight. I saw it in my head over and over again. I told myself that I was able to do it and that, basically, I believed in myself. I saw the people not believing [in me] and saying that it’s not possible and the guy that did 500kg almost died and he’s supposed to be the best ever in deadlifting – but I believed. I worked hard and then I pulled 501kg without almost dying.
MH: What lessons did you learn that can help a normal guy improve his deadlift?
HB: Work on your technique. Make sure you have the right training programme to follow. Technique is everything, guys. You can get injured right away if you do
it wrong. If you work on your technique and you have the right programming with the right diet and enough sleep, you’re good to go.
MH: Any tips for grip strength?
HB: When I was training my grip for World’s Ultimate Strongman or the Arnold Classic, I liked to hold the bar behind my back and hold it for as long as possible, or for 30 seconds, three times. I did that three or four times, once a week, for a maximum of a minute. I did that, and some farmer’s walks on the same day. The behind-the-bar hold worked very well for me – holding for as long as you can, increasing the time slightly every week. I was holding 100kg behind my back and then changed it to 105kg the week after. Then 111kg, then 115kg. My grip just kept getting better and better.
MH: We live in a time when it’s pretty common for top athletes to take to YouTube and give insights into their lives and process. Do you like to share training tips, or are they top secret?
HB: I’m always willing to help guys out. Anyone who has reached out is always welcome to come to Iceland to train with me. Top athletes in our sports have come here, including Martins Licis and the Stoltman brothers. I’m happy to give anyone a tip if they want it. I’m not the kind of guy who holds anything back. I want to win against the guys who are at their very best ability.
MH: In your opinion, what role do genetics play, compared to hard work?
HB: I believe that, of course, some people have better athletic abilities than others. Some people are also better with books and other things in life. I believe that I’m gifted with my athletic abilities. I learned that first, when it comes to my body, genetics do help a lot. But that shouldn’t be a factor for people who have a dream. You should never tell yourself that you can’t do something because you might not have the height, or because you’re “too big”. Follow your passion and work hard.
MH: How different is your diet ahead of the fight, compared to what you ate before the deadlift?
HB: It’s similar, just with fewer carbs.
I still eat carbs – just less in each meal. I used to have six eggs [for breakfast] with rice and spinach but, this morning, I only had five eggs and just spinach. I skipped the rice. I’m trying to lose weight for the fight. It’s working well: I’ve already lost 16kg. For the deadlift, I weighed 206kg. Today, I weigh 190kg. It feels great – I have much more energy.
Being this big isn’t easy, to be honest with you. It takes a lot of energy. You’re constantly tired. It’s difficult. I’m excited for the coming weeks, months and year to have this different goal to work towards, and I feel better in general. I already feel better and I’ve already lost 16kg. It’s a lot, but for a guy who has weighed 206kg, a lot of water has gone and, of course, I’ll lose muscle. But I’ll try to keep it and get rid of the fat.
MH: What would you say is the hardest part of learning to box?
HB: The hardest part, right now, is to learn the game. This is all new to me. I’m working really hard every day and doing a lot of new movements every single day. After this talk, I’m going to be doing some boxing for the second time today. It’s very different – a lot of cardio, a lot of technique work and footwork.
MH: Have you always done your training twice a day?
HB: No. I used to lift in the gym, working on strength, four to five times a week. But I’m always in the gym stretching or doing 10 minutes on the bike here and there to increase my appetite. It’s a whole different ball game. You train totally differently. It’s not the same sport.
MH: You’ve trained with everyone from elite CrossFit athletes to Conor McGregor and even Dan Bilzerian. Which training partner has surprised you the most?
HB: Probably Dan Bilzerian. He’s quite a humble guy. People will see something on the internet and automatically, you know, judge, but I try not to. I’m very neutral – he surprised me a lot. He’s a very down-to-earth guy and super nice. I thought he would be louder and more of a showman. He was quite quiet and very respectful.
“I WANT TO WIN AGAINST GUYS WHO ARE AT THEIR BEST”