The Strongman community is closely paying attention to Hafthor Bjornsson, as he is preparing for the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic. With the competition just 10 days away, Hafthor is lifting some massive weights in the gym and building up to his peak for the show. However, his recent training session saw an incident occur. Specifically, Hafthor narrowly avoided getting injured after he dropped over 200 kilograms (440.9 pounds) on his back.
Hafthor Bjornsson was practicing for the ‘Big Jerk’ event, which will be featured in the Arnold Strongman Classic. It is basically an overhead press from the blocks for maximum weight possible. So, while pushing his boundaries, Hafthor loaded a tremendous amount of weight on the bar. While he did not reveal exactly how much it was, it seems that he loaded four 20-kilogram (44.1-pound) plates with an additional single 25-kilogram (55.1-pound) plate on each side. When accounting for the bar, the weight unofficially comes out to 230 kilograms (507 pounds).
Hafthor Bjornsson had no trouble pressing 210 kilograms (463 pounds) a few weeks ago. However, this increase in weight proved to be just slightly too much for him on the day. He managed to get the bar near lockout but unfortunately lost control over it. In turn, it ended up coming down quickly, hitting and bouncing off Hafthor’s upper back. Luckily, the Icelandic Strongman did not suffer any significant injuries.
Watch Hafthor Bjornsson’s video here:
Related: Exercise Scientist Critiques Training of 2018 World’s Strongest Man Hafthor Bjornsson, Offers Tips
Hafthor Bjornsson is easily one of the biggest favorites to win the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic alongside Mitchell Hooper. The Big Jerk is predicted to be one of Hafthor’s weaker events at the show, but he will surely make up for it in other exercises. Most notably, Hafthor plans to dominate the Elephant Bar Deadlift event and lock out over 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds) raw. If successful, Hafthor will receive $100,000 for the incredible feat of strength.
Another important thing to note is that Hafthor Bjornsson’s upper-body strength is coming back at an impressive rate. Ever since he tore his pec during a powerlifting meet in 2023, he has struggled with overhead pressing events. However, Hafthor is now lifting massive weights, which definitely increases his chances of winning competitions.
After coming back from Strongman retirement, Hafthor Bjornsson managed to win the 2024 Iceland’s Strongest Man and the 2024 Strongman Champions League Dubai. This added to his already impressive resume, featuring the 2018 World’s Strongest Man, 5x Europe’s Strongest Man, 3x Arnold Strongman Classic, and many other titles.
Hafthor Bjornsson is eager to secure his first major competition title after coming out of retirement, and the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic will be the perfect opportunity for him to do so. ‘The Mountain’ is looking even better than he did last season, meaning that he could be the one to stop Mitchell Hooper’s two-year reign and add another trophy to his cabinet.
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