The Mountain Deadlifted Over 1,000 Pounds and Just Missed a New Record
STRONGMAN HAFTHOR BJÖRNSSON has been back in the game since 2023, when he unretired from strength sports competition after a few years off pursuing boxing. He's had some solid finishes at major competitions like the Rogue Invitational, where he placed second in 2024. But "The Mountain" hasn't attempted to break any of the major records he set during his sterling run as one of the most dominant figures in strength from 2017 to 2020 – until now.
Björnsson just attempted to smash his 2019 record of 475 kilograms (about 1,047 pounds) for the Elephant Bar deadlift to kick off the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic in Columbus, Ohio with a 501 kilogram pull (about 1,105 pounds). He couldn't convert the lift, however, raising the bar just off the floor before setting it back down. Still, Björnsson won the event with a 466 kilogram (1,026 pound) lift, earning 10 points in the first of six events as he moves forward in the competition.
He first set the standard in the event back in 2018, the first of his three straight victories at the Arnold Strongman Classic. The Elephant Bar is designed to be longer than a standard barbell, making it a slightly different (and potentially more difficult) lift. The event also required participants to take on the bar "raw,"—meaning they lifted without special suits or figure-eight straps that can help to handle the weight.
Björnsson started the competition at a lower weight than expected, with a 916 pound first lift, then allowed the rest of the field to finish their attempts before re-entering at 1,026 pounds and smashing the rep easily. After that, he addressed the crowd to ask for an additional rest break before taking on the final pull. The strongman shared a message with fans on his Intagram shortly after the lift:
With the event win, Björnsson puts himself in a great position for another Arnold Strongman Classic win—but he just missed out on a $101,000 prize purse for a 501 kilogram lift. He was followed by a standout performance from Mitch Hooper, the two-time defending champ of the event, who bowed out of taking his final lift in a show of sportsmanship (and gamesmanship) to give Björnsson sole possession of the stage for the record attempt.
We caught up with Björnsson shortly before the big lift via his sponsor, REIGN Total Body Fuel, to hear more about his training, his mindset going into the event, and what his next big goals will be after the Arnold.
MEN'S HEALTH: How did your training cycle go ahead of the competition?
HAFTHOR BJÖRNSSON: Training went really well. My body is feeling healthy, no injuries, nothing is bothering me. I'm in a very good spot, mentally and physically.
MH: You had a training accident though recently, when you dropped an overhead press rep. That looked scary.
HB: I was a little bit worried at first. I was just like, f*ck—I just dropped 230 kilograms [about 507 pounds] on my back, and it felt a bit sore, the first half an hour. When something like that happens, you might not know you're injured or know how bad it actually is until a bit later. And thankfully, my body was able to handle that very well. I am perfectly fine today.
MH: We're now six years from your last Elephant Bar record in 2019, and almost five years from your standard bar deadlift record from 2020. Why did you decide that now is when you're going to set this record again?
HB: Timing. It feels fitting. Strength-wise, I'm ready. I wouldn't be attempting it if I didn't believe I was capable of doing it. People believe I can do it, I believe I can do it—that's why the offer is there. The people behind the event generally believe that I'm capable of doing it. Everything to do with just timing and where I am at in my career. Obviously, after 501 in 2020, I retired from from Strongman, went into boxing—so for that period, I wasn't ready to deadlift anything like that.
MH: How does your approach for the Elephant Bar deadlift vary from your approach to deadlifts with a standard bar?
HB: It is a conventional deadlift with just a longer bar. It slightly whips, a bit more, it's slightly different than my record on a standard bar where I pulled 501—we're allowed to use figure-eight straps, we're allowed to wear a deadlift suit. Here [for the Elephant Bar], it's completely Strongman-style raw, without any suits or briefs. We're allowed to use normal straps, which is slightly riskier because they can slip out of your hands.
MH: Your pull is very smooth. What do you think is the key to your pull?
HB: Just overall preparation. I've been training weights since 2004, so years, decades of training and preparing myself for these specific moments are keys of my success. Just being consistent throughout those years also—it's not one moment, it's all those years that have played a huge impact.
MH: Along with the record, you're shooting for a fourth Arnold Strongman Classic title. The deadlift is only the first event, though. How will you recover and stay in good shape for the rest of the competition?
HB: It doesn't worry me. I usually recover quite well after each event. Obviously, pulling a big lift like that is going to fatigue you, so I won't be in my best ever shape after that, but I still believe I can win the whole show. I still believe I can perform very well. I'll do my best to score as high as possible in each and every event, and I can only hope for the best outcome.
MH: What other strength records are you eyeing in the future?
HB: I definitely have some other records in mind. It's all about opportunities and timing. So if I get the opportunity and the right offer, I might attempt different records as well. I'm definitely open for discussion. And I have been in talks with different promoters regarding potentially breaking my 501 record on a normal deadlift bar. So that's a possibility. And I've also been talks with promoters regarding pulling a raw deadlift, the raw record, on a normal deadlift bar. We're talking about different records here—we're talking about the Elephant Bar, raw. Then we're talking about normal deadlift, raw, and then the normal deadlift equipped with a suit and everything. So a lot of people sometimes get confused here, like, 'What do you mean raw?' Yes, I am on the Elephant Bar—but then I might get an opportunity to break the raw record on a normal deadlift bar. That record is held by Trey Mitchell, [at] 470 kilograms [1,036 pounds].
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
You Might Also Like
