You may not know him by name, but you’ve definitely seen Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, aka The Mountain and Thor—either on ESPN 2 winning the World’s Strongest Man in 2018, as Gregor Clegane on HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones, or repping top-tier fitness brands like Rogue and Reign Total Body Fuel.
In the world of strength sports, the 6’9”, 425-pound Strongman had a banner year. He first won the Arnold Strongman Classic in Columbus, OH—one of the premier events in the world of competitive Strongman—in March, then claimed third place in the World’s Strongest Man competition in Bradenton, FL, in June. Never one to rest for long, he snagged first place at Iceland’s Strongest Man in August.
On top of all that, he operates Thor’s Power Gym in his native Iceland and consistently uploads videos onto his YouTube channel. Oh, and he just wrapped shooting for an action film titled Pharaoh’s War, which is currently in post-production. Being the strongest dude on the planet is hard work.
Despite his busy schedule, Muscle & Fitness had the chance to sit down with Björnsson at a Reign Total Body Fuel event to discuss his current training, breaking the Húsafell record at Iceland’s Strongest Man, and his advice for beginners.
