A new chapter in strongman history was written on July 27, 2025, during the Eisenhart Black Competition in Bavaria, Germany, as the Icelandic giant Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson smashed his own deadlift world record by pulling a colossal 1,113-pounds / 505-kilograms.
It was a thunderous statement set by the man they call “Thor.” The 6’9″ man-mountain, who won the World’s Strongest Man crown in 2018 and featured in the HBO classic Game of Thrones, bettered his previous (2020) 1104.5-pound/ 501-kilogram world record pull, but this time there was no covid induced lockdown or home gym performance to leave any doubt.
As heart-pounding footage from the German event shows, Björnsson gripped the bar, loaded up with 1,113-pounds / 505-kilograms of unforgiving iron and then raised the barbell while it bent under the herculean weight. Thor made a textbook lift however, locking his core and pulling his shoulders back, going to work until he got the undeniable win.
Hafþór Björnsson Sets New Deadlift World Record
Of course, the journey to a ratified 1,113-pounds / 505-kilogram deadlift was expectedly brutal. Björnsson has been grinding for more than twenty years, sculpting his body into a fortress of power, but injuries have been a concern as of late. He tore his pec in 2023, and earlier in 2025, dropped a 441-pound / 200-kilogram weighted barbell on his back. Fortunately, he soon bounced back.
Björnsson’s most recent world record breaking success has been praised by many within the weightlifting community, including former deadlift world record holder Eddie Hall (1,102 pounds / 500kg), who was quick to congratulate the achievement. “Records were mean to be broken,” enthused The Beast. With this in mind, the world now looks to another World’s Strongest Man, Mitchell Hooper (2023), who is expected to try for 1,113 pounds/ 505kg at the 2025 World Deadlift Championships on Sept. 6 in Birmingham, England. This will prove to be a monumental battle, since the current record beater, Thor is also expected to compete.
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