Hafthor Björnsson Crushes a 195-Kilogram (429.9-Pound) Paused Bench Press as Powerlifting Return Looms

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While he prepares to compete as a powerlifter again on Dec. 3, 2022, legendary strength sports icon Hafthor Björnsson is seemingly leaving no stone unturned in his general training. With his last powerlifting meet occurring more than four years ago at the 2018 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF-Iceland) Thor’s Powerlifting Challenge, such a mindset might be more than appropriate. Since a veteran strongman like Björnsson is more accustomed to the dynamics of that sport, being prepared for every potential obstacle is probably a smart thought process.

On Nov. 25, 2022, Björnsson shared an Instagram clip of himself completing a 195-kilogram (429.9-pound) paused bench press with wraps during a training session. Björnsson seems to make the feat look rather easy on a lift that would be considered massive for many athletes. Knowing that, it might be indicative of a flourish soon to come for the strongman/powerlifter, especially if he’s to match his previous best powerlifting performance — a 250-kilogram (551.1-pound) bench press during the 2018 WRPF-Iceland contest.

With his return to powerlifting only an approximate week away from the time of the clip, Björnsson offered a little more context in what was apparently one of his last hard workouts pre-competition. In fact, it’s almost as if he deliberately made it more challenging for himself and his body.

“Four hours of sleep … no breakfast … some would call that fasting,” Björnsson wrote. “No music and training at 3 a.m.”

That said, while Björnsson seemingly pulled out all the stops to make this session harder, he likely knows when to pull back the reins. If he’s going to reach his stated goal of a 1,000-kilogram (2,204.2-pound) powerlifting total, every minute of quality rest could factor in.

“… My last heavy session before Dec. 3,” Björnsson continued. “Happy with the prep, and now I gotta get some proper rest in and a few light workouts before I smash my goal of a 1000-kilogram total.”

At the time of this writing, it remains unclear what powerlifting contest Björnsson will compete in on Dec. 3, 2022. However, it appears the athlete is more than open to sharing his competitive exploits with any willing spectators. Anyone who wants to see Björnsson feature as a powerlifter again can watch a live stream on his respective Twitch and YouTube channels.

Given Björnsson’s platform as one of the bigger names in the overall strength sports sphere, it’s fair to assume many will tune in to see him potentially notch that fateful 1,000-kilogram (2,204.2-pound) total.

Once he’s finished dipping his toes back into the powerlifting waters, Björnsson likely won’t rest for long. In mid-October 2022, the athlete revealed he would be working on his full-time return to strongman. Not that that sort of commitment is necessarily surprising. For a man with a reputation of titanic power, it might be full steam ahead in the coming months.

Featured image: thorbjornsson on Instagram

The post Hafthor Björnsson Crushes a 195-Kilogram (429.9-Pound) Paused Bench Press as Powerlifting Return Looms appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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