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As the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic approaches, excitement grows as we get to witness the strongest humans on earth. On February 28, 2025, ten strongmen competitors battle it out over six punishing events. The winner will take home the Louis Cyr trophy and a handy paycheck for their troubles.
Household names take to the stage, including the 2024 champion Mitchell Hooper and Tom Stoltman. However, most of the excitement centers around the eagerly anticipated return of Hafthor Bjornsson, AKA The Mountain.
After three years off, Bjornsson returned at the 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic, taking fourth place. However, this year he promised to break his elephant bar deadlift world record which stands at 1046 pounds.
In a recent training session, Bjornsson barely escaped injury after dropping a 440-pound bar near his head. Here’s what went down in what was a narrow escape from disaster.
Key Takeaway
- Hafthor Bjornsson, AKA The Mountain, narrowly escaped injury during a recent training session as he was pressing 440 pounds overhead. As he attempted to press, the bar narrowly missed his head before landing on his back.
- Bjornsson was training for the Big Jerk for Max event which will take place at the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic. Alongside this, he’ll attempt to break his elephant bar deadlift world record which stands at 1046 pounds.
- He’s one of the favorites for the overall title despite only returning to competition last year. He came fourth in his most recent 2024 Arnold Strongman showing.
A Close Call For ‘The Mountain’
Tension builds as we approach the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic. Most of it focuses on Hafthor Bjornsson as he attempts to win his first competitive title after three years off. He’ll also try to break his Elephant Bar Deadlift world record, which stands at 1046 pounds.
Bjornsson is widely regarded as one of the greatest strongmen of all time. However, even the best of us have close calls in the gym now and again. Nearly dropping 440 pounds on your head during training is the one that’s always going to make headlines.
In a recent training session, Bjornsson can be seen lifting some huge weights in preparation for the event. As he pressed nearly 500 pounds overhead to near-lockout, he lost control of the bar. It crashed down quickly, narrowly avoiding his head before bouncing off his back.
With many of his fans concerned, Bjornsson took to Instagram to share an update.
“I’m thankfully fine! Thanks for all the messages.”
The incident occurred as Bjornsson practiced for the Big Jerk. This will be one of six featured events, which include the Overhead Gauntlet, Frame Carry, Timber Text, and Atlas Stones. Alongside this, he’ll aim to break his record in the Elephant Bar Deadlift.
The Big Jerk event requires you to press the maximum weight overhead from a standing position. This makes it an excellent test of raw power and overhead strength.
Hathor loaded a huge amount of weight onto the bar as he prepared for the competition. While we can’t give you the exact weight, it looked to be around 440–500 pounds. He seemed to have four 44-pound plates with an additional 55-pound plate on each side.
While he had no problem pressing around 460 pounds three weeks ago, the recent weight appeared to be too much. However, it represents a minor setback in his quest to be the strongest man on earth. He’ll likely dust himself off and continue his heavy training.
Hafthor Bjornsson’s Epic Comeback
Hafthor Julius Bjornsson is no stranger to the public spotlight. At just 36 years old, he’s widely regarded as one of the strongest men of all time. He’s the only person to win the World’s Strongest Man, Europe’s Strongest Man, and the Arnold in the same year.
With 31 international competition wins, he holds multiple titles from several strength federations, including multiple world records. With this, he’s the third-most decorated strongman in history behind Zydrunas Savickas and Mariusz Pudzianowski.
Bjornsson grew up in Kopavogur, Iceland, after moving there at 11 years old. Here he discovered his passion for basketball, playing at a national level for Iceland. At just 29 years old, he started training to be a strongman. As he continued to pack on size, he won over 60 strongman titles in a decorated career.
Bjornsson retired in 2020 after winning his tenth Iceland’s Strongest Man title. This led him to take a three-year break to pursue other physical challenges, including boxing fellow strongman Eddie Hall. During this time, he continued his role as one of the main characters in the popular Game of Thrones TBO series. Many know him commonly by his character The Mountain.
After returning to Strongman in 2023, he tore his chest muscle when training for a competition. This didn’t stop him from competing in the 2024 Arnold Strongman. But, in this, he took a disappointing fourth place.
With little over a week to go, Bjornsson seems to be in excellent shape despite the incident. With a decorated resume, he has every chance of taking the 2025 Arnold Strongman title and deadlift world record.
The 2025 Arnold Strongman Schedule
The 2025 Arnold Strongman event will take place on February 28, 2025, and March 1, 2025. Both event days will be held at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio.
The event will feature ten of the world’s strongest men as they compete in six events. The winner will get their hands on the Louis Cyr trophy alongside bragging rights as the strongest in the world.
- Friday, February 28, 2025 (11 am – 6 pm EST):
- Elephant Bar Deadlift (World Record Attempt).
- The Overhead Gauntlet.
- Frame Carry.
- Saturday, March 1, 2025 (10 am – 6 pm EST):
- The Big Jerk.
- The Timber Text.
- Atlas Stones To Shoulder.
Follow along as we await the big day in just over a week. We’ll make sure to keep you up to date with breaking results here at Endomondo!
Conclusion
Bjornsson is determined to earn his first major title after his brief retirement from strongman competition. Despite his recent setback, The Mountain is arguably looking in even better shape this time around. On February 28, 2025, the Arnold Strongman Classic provides the ideal opportunity for him to gain back some momentum.
As we approach the event, eyes will be glued to the screen as he attempts to break the world record. If we had to make a prediction, we think he’s got every chance of doing it. Get ready for a showdown like no other!
Frequently Asked Questions
Hafthor Bjornsson is an Icelandic professional strongman, widely regarded as one of the best strongmen of all time. Alongside this, he’s well-known for starring as The Mountain in the popular HBO series Game of Thrones.
Hafthor is one of the favorites to win the 2025 Arnold Strongman, despite coming fourth at last year’s event. Many also believe he’ll break his elephant bar deadlift world record which stands at 1046 pounds.
Hafthor will compete against Bobby Thompson, Tom Stoltman, and last year’s champion Mitchell Hooper. There will be a total of ten competitors fighting it out for the top prize.
Hafthor has publicly stated that he wants to break the deadlift powerlifting world record following the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic. Alongside this, he’ll likely continue in different movie roles.
About the Author
Chris Marshall, MSc, PT Personal Trainer
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