When The Mountain lifts, you should probably stop, look and listen
The Icelander – real name Hafthor Bjornsson – is the reigning World’s Strongest Man and the very first person to win that title alongside the Arnold Strongman Classic and Europe’s Strongest Man and in the same year.
Even when he’s not gearing up for a competition, Bjornsson is still smashing it in the gym. The Game of Thrones actor posted this four-set strength circuit to his Instagram account. It looks pretty brutal, to say the least.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo4Xln6HV2o/?hl=en&taken-by=thorbjornsson
If the lifts themselves aren’t impressive enough, Bjornsson performed them back-to-back in true circuit-training style, with no rest in between.
Log Press
- The log lift / log press is a variation of the overhead press you commonly see in strongman competition. The neutral grip handles within are actually a little easier on your shoulder joints than a standard barbell, but when you’re pressing 162kg like The Mountain, that goes out of the window.
Axle Lift
- This looks similar to a clean and press, but the transition is different. The lifting off the floor and pressing isn’t normally as smooth due to the thicker bar and heavier weight. Lifters will clean the weight so far up before setting the bar on their chest and front shoulder rack position.
Dumbbell Press
- Most gyms stock a dumbbell rack that goes up to around 50-60 kilograms. Not The Mountain’s. He presses 105kg overhead, and there are probably even heavier dumbbells out of shot that you can’t see.
Block Press
- At first glance, this looks like Bjornsson is just pressing a breeze block overhead, but you rarely find ones that weigh 135 kilograms. One thing’s for sure, if the acting and strongman work fizzles out then Bjornsson could arguably make it in the construction industry.
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