Hafthor Bjornsson made an appearance at the Enhanced Breakers 1, which took place on July 11th in Los Angeles. The Icelandic Strongman set his sights on the Deadlift World Record, and to do so, he had to pull 511 kilograms (1,126.6 pounds) off the floor. Unfortunately, Hafthor was unable to complete the deadlift despite getting the barbell up to his knees.
As per his pre-lift statement, the last time that Hafthor weighed himself prior to the competition, his body weight exceeded 200 kilograms (440.9 pounds). This was one of the key points for this attempt, since he has previously identified it as the perfect mark for him when it comes to heavy deadlifts.
Hafthor Bjornsson opened up with a 425-kilogram (937-pound) deadlift and followed it up with a very solid 470-kilogram (1,036.2-pound) pull. So, at that point, it seemed like he was in a very good position ahead of the record-breaking attempt.
After taking a couple of minutes to rest, Hafthor Bjornsson walked out to attempt a 511-kilogram (1,126.6-pound) deadlift. He made sure that everything was set up perfectly, including his deadlift suit and lifting straps. The opening part of his pull looked good, as he managed to get the barbell up to his knees. However, he then spent multiple seconds trying to lift the bar higher but ended up depleting his energy and abandoning the lift.
Watch Hafthor Bjornsson’s attempt here:
Hafthor Bjornsson has been chasing the Deadlift World Record ever since he came out of retirement. Although he already held the record of 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds), many disputed the validity of it because of the circumstances under which it was performed. Bjornsson has successfully improved the record on multiple occasions since, starting with a 505-kilogram (1,113.3-pound) pull at the 2025 Eisenhart Black Competition.
That record did not stand long, since Hafthor Bjornsson made an appearance at the 2025 World Deadlift Championships just weeks later. There he managed to pull 510 kilograms (1,124.4 pounds) and set a new World Record. Hafthor attempted to increase the record by 5 kilograms (11 pounds) at the 2026 Enhanced Games but was unable to reach full lockout.
Apart from the Deadlift World Record, Hafthor Bjornsson has accumulated a number of other achievements in Strongman. He has won 44 international and national competitions, with his most notable victories being the World’s Strongest Man and Arnold Strongman Classic competitions.
Hafthor Bjornsson concluded his performance at the Enhanced Breakers 1 with an optimistic statement, simply saying, “Next time!” So, it is clear that his ambitions to break the Deadlift World Record still remain.
