Hafthor Bjornsson’s Return to Strength
When Hafthor Bjornsson decided to withdraw from the 2026 Arnold Strongman Classic due to a rotator cuff injury, he made it clear that he didn’t want to compete if he wasn’t in his best condition. However, he also reassured his fans that he was on the path to recovery and slowly returning to weightlifting.
Now, it seems that his healing process is going well. A recent post of him working out with heavy dumbbells in the gym has given his fans a sense of relief. In an April 17 Instagram post, the Strongman was seen doing a dumbbell incline bench press with 176-lb dumbbells. He shared an update on his progress through the caption, which reads, “Back to 80KG dumbbells! Every step is progress, and I’m so close to being back to where I was. Time to use the momentum to get even stronger! Powered by @transparentlabs.”
In addition to this, on April 14, he shared another video of himself doing an incline dumbbell press with 150 lbs and 8 reps. These updates have been significant for both Bjornsson and his fans, as this injury not only kept him from competing in the Arnold Strongman Classic—where he earned a bronze medal in 2025—but also prevented him from participating in the 2025 Rogue Invitational.
Bjornsson had an unusual 2025 year, as the Strongman from Iceland finished second at the 2025 Siberian Power Show. However, he posted a better result at the 2025 Iceland’s Strongest Man, winning that competition. In 2025, he also aimed to set a 1113.3 lbs deadlift world record at the Eisenhart Black Competition. He improved the record, and during his appearance at the 2025 Giants Live Strongman Open, he set a 1124.4 lbs deadlift record and went on to win the entire competition.
However, before the 2025 Rogue Invitational, he decided to withdraw with the statement, “I have been dealing with lately, like for one week right now, some shoulder issue on my right shoulder. I think it’s some kind of nerve issue. It’s taking all the power away from my pressing strength.”
While Bjornsson’s progress is visible in his gym clip, this also marks a milestone he achieved before his next challenge, which will take place on May 24.
Preparing for the May 24 Deadlift Challenge
Hafthor Bjornsson is getting ready for his May 24 deadlift challenge. The Strongman is preparing to redefine history by pushing his limits of strength once again. He announced he will participate in the inaugural 2026 Enhanced Games and will try to break his 510 kg deadlift world record by pulling 1212 lbs.
On January 7, during a podcast with TMZ Sports, the Icelandic giant said, “I’m stoked, honored, and happy that I have the ability to break the record again. I just know that I’m going to break the record. I’m really, really confident in my ability to do so. I have roughly 19 weeks right now until I break that, and I cannot wait.”
He will be the only competitor in an exhibition event at the May 24 games at Resorts World in Las Vegas, where performance-enhanced d**** are permitted, so Thor will not have to adhere to the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Only time will tell whether he will be able to break his record or not.
