The Mountain From ‘Game of Thrones’ Wins Europe’s Strongest Man Title For 5th Time
Hafthor Bjornsson is one seriously strong dude.
One of the stars of the biggest TV show in the world. Winner of the 2018 World’s Strongest Man competition. And now 6-foot-9 Icelandic giant Hafthor Bjornsson throws another trophy on the shelf: Europe’s Strongest Man—for the fifth time, ever.
If you really look at Bjornsson his feats don’t sound so crazy. The man is unimaginably huge. Still, even if you might expect a man of his absurd physical dimensions to be stronger than any human has a right to be, watching him deadlift 771 lbs for 10 reps is mind-boggling.
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More than that, it’s not like the fatigue he feels about seven reps in actually shows that much on his face.
According to Men’s Health, here are some of the other challenges Bjornsson faced to win this one:
Along with the axle-deadlift the contest included a log lift challenge, a tyre flip and anchor drag, an Atlas stone lift, and the pillars of Hercules.
That event involves the strongman holding two chains and trying to prevent two 350-pound-plus pillars from falling down.
Check out the biblical drama of Bjornsson holding the pillars up below.
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Wow. It’s safe to say his work as the evil and brutal Mountain (Ser Gregor Clegane) on Game of Thrones is probably the easiest part of his career so far.
Bjornsson sounds like a decent family man, though. He tells Men’s Health that he motivates himself in competition by thinking about “all the hard work, sweat, and tears” he’s put into his career, as well as his daughter.
That Hafthor Bjornsson can deadlift 770-plus lbs for reps is impressive enough, but let’s not forget he can actually deadlift 1,000 lbs. He told Men’s Health his mental trick for nailing deads, and it sounded like the kind of thing that might help anyone at any level. Bjornsson says you “push the ground away with your feet,” when deadlifting, “which will also help you keep your hips lower to the ground.”
Give that a shot the next time you’re in the gym. But not with 771 pounds.
Fans will get to see the massive strongman put his acting chops to work after Game of Thrones premieres on HBO on April 14.
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