The Arnold Strongman Classic 2024 has one of the most exciting lineups this year. With yesteryear veterans returning to lock horns with the current title holder, fans can’t wait to see how the show goes down. One of the contestants that everyone is waiting for with bated breath is Hafthor ‘The Mountain’ Bjornsson.
The Icelandic strongman rose to fame with his gravity-defying 1,000-pound squat and a 1,100-pound deadlift. He’s one of the strongest athletes on the globe, with many world records to his name. He retired from strongman championships earlier in 2020 to move on to other sports. However, Bjornsson seems to have changed his mind sometime in 2023, when he announced his return at the Arnold Strongman Classic 2024.
Now, with the championship merely days away, Bjornsson opened up about how he truly felt about returning to his first love. Having won the Arnold Strongman Classic title three times, he was now addicted to the feeling of winning. He even confessed that it was hard for him to let go of that feeling of being the best.
Since he had been on a hiatus from the sport since 2020, his body changed, resetting to Strongman standards. However, the process had been fulfilling for him since he could feel himself getting stronger over time. Lifting the same amount of weight and performing the same exercises kicked off his muscle memory.
“Muscle memory is a real thing. I have shocked myself many times in this preparation by the fact how fast I’m getting strength.”
Strength gain hasn’t come easily for the Icelandic athlete. After sustaining a horrifying injury to his muscles, his focus shifted from training to recovery. Yet he persisted with his consistent training and jaw-droppingly heavy weightlifting. It takes a village to make a champion, and Bjornsson revealed how his father helped him along the way.
“I feel like I have all the tricks in the books. I even had my dad to make my meals to know that I have meals ready every single day.”
Bjornsson seems ready to take on the challenge. His strength increases day by day, and he feels confident about his return to the podium. Although he now has a new group of challengers, including World’s Strongest Man 2023 champion Mitchell Hooper, he plans to go in and give his best.
How a pec tear hampered Hafthor Bjornsson and his career plans
Sometime in April 2023, Bjornsson was attempting a bench press record with a 556-pound barbell. All hell broke loose when the strongman couldn’t lift the weight and ended up with a painful pec tear.
Calling it one of the worst injuries of his career, Bjornsson’s pec tear was more than just a freak accident. It took him two operations to correct the injury and a subsequent infection, leaving his future in peril. After a long recovery process, he finally persisted enough to get back to lifting and squatting heavy. And now, with the Arnold Strongman Classic merely days away, fans are excited to see him back in action.
