Hafthor Bjornsson has been on a streak of incredible results in Strongman ever since he came out of retirement. However, he had a bit of a setback at the recent 2026 Enhanced Games, where he failed to break his own Deadlift World Record. Well, less than two months later, Hafthor has decided to give it another try, having announced a 511-kilogram (1,126.6-pound) Deadlift World Record attempt at the Enhanced Breakers 1 on July 11th in Los Angeles.
Hafthor Bjornsson’s initial target was a 515-kilogram (1,135.4-pound) deadlift. Unfortunately, that proved to be too difficult for him back in May, which left the Icelandic Strongman feeling disappointed. He pinpointed the issue to be bodyweight, as he was a couple of pounds short of the ideal mark.
Weeks have passed since, and Hafthor Bjornsson has decided to go for another Deadlift World Record attempt. However, on this occasion, he will be looking to exceed the record by a smaller margin, as he will be deadlifting 511 kilograms (1,126.6 pounds). That said, there is no doubt that Hafthor has ambitions of pushing the record even further at some point in the future.
Check out the announcement here:
Hafthor Bjornsson has been the undisputed king of the deadlift for a number of years now. It all started with his 501-kilogram (1,104.5-pound) pull, which made him the second man in history who managed to lift half a ton or more off the floor. This sparked a massive debate and fueled a rivalry between him and Eddie Hall, who did not acknowledge his record as legitimate due to the circumstances under which it was performed. The debate led to a boxing match between Bjornsson and Hall, with ‘The Mountain’ coming out on top.
Hafthor Bjornsson ended up retiring from Strongman, but a large part of the community kept throwing dirt on his Deadlift World Record. Consequently, he decided to come out of retirement and set a goal to break the record once again. He first pushed the mark to 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds), which was a short-lived record because he broke it once again just months later at the 2025 World Deadlift Championships. Other athletes also had the opportunity to go for the record at that same competition, but Hafthor was the only successful one. He ended up pushing the record to 510 kilograms (1,124.4 pounds), which still remains untouched.
In 2026, Hafthor decided to fully commit himself to the deadlift. He had his best preparation yet and was hopeful of breaking the record once again. Although he was unsuccessful, he now has another chance to achieve his goal. Moreover, Hafthor has also confirmed his participation in the 2026 Rogue Invitational, showing that he is not done with regular Strongman competitions either.
Despite the quick turnaround from his recent setback, Bjornsson looks primed to attack the platform in hopes of setting a new World Record. If the exceptionally smooth training clips he’s shared online are any indication, the 511-kilogram (1,126.6-pound) milestone is in serious jeopardy on July 11th.
