Strongman legend Eddie Hall has seen some incredible highs and lows throughout his career, leading to some interesting discussions. Joining Bradley Martyn on November 6, 2024, he opened up on his worst injuries, steroids, and his ongoing rivalry with Hafthor Bjornsson.
Eddie Hall was the 2017 World’s Strongest Man winner. His long-time rival, Hafthor Bjornsson, deemed the triumph controversial and thought Hall cheated his way to the top of the sport. Although Hall once held the deadlift world record (1,102 pounds), Bjornsson took that honor away from him in 2020, pulling a total of 1,104 pounds.
The two have attempted to settle the score, taking part in a high-profile boxing match. Hall enjoyed success with a handful of knockdowns but the judges ultimately awarded Bjornsson the unanimous decision. Having retired from the sport, Eddie Hall still tests himself athletically. He tried his hand at bodybuilding briefly and took part in a 2-on-1 MMA match, which he won dominantly.
Hall intends to square off against Brian Shaw but this time, the pair will compete in arm wrestling. And despite tearing his tricep shoulder pressing 220 pounds, ‘The Beast’ doesn’t plan on losing when he meets the strongman icon on December 14.
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Eddie Hall Discusses Rivalry With Hafthor Bjornsson, Steroids, and Worst Injuries of Career
Hall explained that he accidentally trapped his penis in between cast iron weight plates using the leg press machine.
“I always made sure I’d slam the plates on really fucking hard just so it made an echo around the gym,” said Hall. “I was just doing a set slamming these plates on, and then I did a set, added some more weight on went to slam it and there was no dink. My dick I must have stood too close, my dick was just like an inch, sort of trapped it.”
He described the bloody injury as surreal, adding that he couldn’t have sex for three months. The situation was made even worse anytime he got an erection because the stitches would rip open.
“Mate, the blood that came out of my shorts was surreal. So yeah, I did,” he shared. “I think it was a real hurtful time in my life because I couldn’t have sex for probably about three months. It was a right mess. I had to go to the hospital and get stitches.”
“Every time I got a hard-on it would rip open and everything.”
Hall mentioned that tearing the volar plates in his fingers was among the worst injuries of his career.
“I’ve had hundreds of tears, like muscle tears in the pecs, triceps, the biceps, all throughout my strongman career. The only thing that I actually tore off the bone were my they call them the volar plates, the little ligaments that hold your fingers together. I tore two of those.”
According to Hall, the only supplements he deemed necessary were creatine and amino acids.
“I’d say 80 percent of them are just not worth taking. I just think keep it simple. I think if I were to go back in time, it would just be a little bit of creatine. I’d probably take a hell of a lot more protein with essential amino acids. Other than that, I just wouldn’t bother with anything else really.”
In his opinion, he’d like sports to be ‘100 percent doped’ to truly measure the potential of athletes. He believes performance-enhancing drugs can be used safely but when abused, they pose a danger to health.
“No, I don’t [talk about steroids much]. We all know it goes on. I think there’s some people out there that do a really good job at making it healthy and safe but if it was down to me personally, I would rather every single sport was 100 percent doped. We just want to see what the human potential can be naturally.”
“If it’s used sensibly, it could be actually very beneficial to your health. If abused, it can be very detrimental to your health.”
Lastly, he discussed his rivalry with Bjornsson, who contested his 2017 World’s Strongest Man victory.
“Yeah, it was real beef,” says Hall. “He’s got some problems with the way World’s Strongest Man worked I think. He threw some accusations that there were some cheating going on when I won World’s Strongest Man and it just threw a load on my win. It really hurt me career-wise.”
“It was just a thing to do from a so-called friend. We were mates at the time and then it just went south. We just never really seen eye to eye since.”
Ahead of his clash with Brian Shaw, Hall has utilized a strict carnivore diet. As a result of the new program, ‘The Beast’ has dropped 15 pounds. He reported that his energy levels are great and appears ready for the next venture on the horizon.
From injuries to rivalries, Eddie Hall has seen it all during his strongman career. Don’t miss his arm wrestling match against Brian Shaw next month!
RELATED: Eddie Hall Calls Out 5x WSM Mariusz Pudzianowski For Showdown After Winning 2 vs 1 MMA Debut
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Full disclosure, Eddie set the 500kg deadlift record in a competition. Hafthor did his pull in the gym “sanctioned” by World’s Ultimate Strongman. There should be a HUGE asterisk next to THAT one in any so-called “record books.” Those of us in the iron game who are purists only recognize lifts IN COMPETITION for any records.