Born and brought up in Iceland, Hafthor Bjornsson is a skilled and proficient strongman, performer, and retreated but approved, basketball player. He became famous after acting in HBO's Game of Throne Tv-Series The Mountain as a Gregor Clegane. Hafthor remains the Strongest Man from his motherland for five years in a row whereas he is the Strongest Man of Europe for two years; 2014 and 2015. Hafthor Bjornsson has achieved positions in the Top 3 for the World's Strongest Man Competition for the last 3 years. He managed a 33 ft long 650 kg (1,430 pounds) log in five steps and broke the 1000-year-old record in World’s Strongest Viking competition in Norway. He performed Squatting 795 pounds, Bench pressing 510 pounds, and Deadlifting 990 lbs pounds and this is his unbelievable special history. The Workout practice and Nutrition chart of Hafthor Bjornsson of The Mountain is clearly described below for ready reference.

We move on to what Hafthor Björnsson did in a day and practiced quite consistently throughout the months to reach and demolish his goals. This article would talk about his fitness routine including his workouts and his diet plan.

Hafthor Bjornsson Statistics

• Height: 6 ft 9 in or 206 cm
• Weight: 181 kg or 400 pounds
• Chest: 61 inches or 155cm
• Biceps: 21 inches or 53cm
• Thigh: 32 inches or 82 cm
• Age: 28 years old
• Squat: 420kg
• Bench Press: 360kg
• Deadlift: 472kg
• Leg Lift: 210kg

Hafthor Bjornsson Awards and Achievements

World's Strongest Man6th2011 World's Strongest Man 3rd2012 World's Strongest Man 3rd2013 World's Strongest Man 2nd2014 World's Strongest Man 3rd2015 World's Strongest Man 2nd2016 World's Strongest Man 2nd2017 World's Strongest Man 1st2018 World's Strongest Man 3rd2019 World's Strongest Man Arnold Strongman Classic10th2012 8th2013 5th2014 7th2015 5th2016 2nd2017 1st2018 1st2019 Arnold Strongman Classic 1st2020 Arnold Strongman Classic Europe's Strongest Man1st2014 1st2015 Europe's Strongest Man 2nd2016 Europe's Strongest Man 1st2017 Europe's Strongest Man 1st2018 Europe's Strongest Man 1st2019 Europe's Strongest Man

Hafthor Bjornsson Daily Routine

After he got retired from his strongman competitions, an intense focus on his strong was seen by Hafthor "Thor" Bjornsson as he continued to lead towards a slimmer figure (110 pounds down) and work on the other aspects like his endurance. This is all in preference of his boxing debut. In a very recent video on Youtube, Hafthor "Thor" Bjornsson told about his average day in his life which includes his workout routine and diet plan. "I'm extremely happy with my shape right now," he says. "When I started this journey, I weighed 205 kgs (451 pounds). And now I'm down to 155 kgs (341 pounds). Feeling good, feeling healthy."

For breakfast, Bjornsson eats 3 eggs and 200 grams of chicken, as well as a smoothie made with 150 grams yogurt, 100 grams of berries, and 40 grams of oats. This is all before he moves towards his boxing workout, sparring with his coach, and working on using his body weight, and learn some balancing techniques.

Then he goes on to work on the assault bike for a cardio session where he goes slowly for 30 seconds, moderately for 20, and at the highest intensity for 10. He does this 5 times, then takes 3 minutes of rest before completing another 5 rounds. Then is lunch tome in which he has: 220 grams of tenderloin beef and 180 grams of white rice with 100 grams of green vegetables.

The workout during the daytime comprises of a weight training session, that includes incline dumbbell press, bicep curls, lat pulldowns, and face pulls, which is then followed by his lunch number 2 or meal 3: 220 grams of chicken, 250 grams of potatoes, and 100 grams of greens. "This is probably my least favorite meal of the day," he says. "I'm not a huge fan of chicken. But I have different goals now than I did when I was in strongman, so the diet is slightly different. It's as clean as it gets. I'm never really hungry and I'm never really full throughout the day."

Meal number 4, which comes after some time, is rather one of Bjornsson's personal faves: 200 grams of salmon, 100 grams of rice, and 100 grams of greens. After this, he gives time to his family, and then he moves towards his recovery with 15 minutes in an infrared sauna, accompanied by a 15-minute cryotherapy session. Then it's the course for the fifth and last feast of the day: 250 grams Greek yogurt, 100 grams of banana, and 30 grams of almond butter, with a shake containing 1 scoop of whey protein. "Can you believe it?" He laughs. "I'm eating nothing. I'm getting skinny!"

Hafthor Bjornsson Workout Routine

Well, Hafthor Björnsson was not really born with the genes of a strongman and he had to work really hard for it. Before he became a champion in this field, he played for the basketball team in his country in U17 and U18 segments. Just like any other sportsman, he too had an injury during a match where he had to go through an ankle surgery. “I was very sad,” he told in a sports interview. “I wasn’t sure what the next step was.” Then he moved on strengthening himself in the gym where he learned about and fell in love with weight lifting. “I’ve always enjoyed lifting heavy. I saw extremely good results. I just got hooked, seeing how strong I got and how much my body changed,” he said. This leads him o come inc contact with people from strongman and within 6 years, it also became the highlight of his career as he began performing.

He started taking part in the competitions when he was 46 with the guidance of Magnus Ver Magnusson, four times World Strongman Title, he moved from holding 154 pounds upright to 440 pounds in two years. It is no doubt that the technique of being strongman counts but also the diet and workout were as important. This is how Hafthor Björnsson was reborn. Right from a humungous weight gain, the question was "was he still big enough to win?" In a very recent interview with a sports magazine, he replied to these questions saying, “Getting bigger isn’t a big deal for me. I don’t want to get bigger. But having a nicer body and being stronger is definitely something I’m aiming for.”

Hafthor Björnsson's Cardio Routine

Just to prove his haters wrong, Hafthor Björnsson made it his goal to unleash his potential for cardio and go heads on with it no matter whatever time it is required. No matter what kind of activity he chose, his cardio routine was really amped up and his fitness level was a testament to the fact. His HIIT workouts really helped him to spend less time on cardio and more on shedding weight and fat. However, the key was also on how to build endurance, especially for the later rounds. Of course, in anticipation of the real fight itself, Hafthor Björnsson's cardio routine incorporates sparring sessions or training in the ring which are excellent methods to acquire technique while also receiving a solid cardio session. Thus this is exactly what Hafthor Björnsson's cardio routine looked like:

DayExerciseWeek 1Week 2Week 3MondaySquats3 sets of 10 reps5 sets of 5 reps3 sets of 3 repsMilitary Press4 sets of 8 reps5 sets of 5 reps5 sets of 3 repsPower Cleans5 sets of 5 reps5 sets of 3 reps5 sets of 2 repsChin Ups3 sets to failureBent Over Rows3 sets of 10 repsWednesdayDead Lift3 sets of 10 reps5 sets of 5 reps3 sets of 3 reps Conditioning30 minutes (Sprints, kettlebells, circuit training) Push Press3 sets of 10 reps5 sets of 5 reps5 sets of 2 repsFridaySpeed or Deficit Dead Lift5 sets of 5 reps3 sets of 3 reps5 sets of 5 reps Front Squat3 sets of 10 reps5 sets of 5 reps3 sets of 3 reps Bench Press3 sets of 10 reps5 sets of 5 reps5 sets of 3 reps Upper Body Assistance ExercisesAny two exercises are done for 3 sets to failure Core Exercises10 MinutesSaturdayStrongman Event Practice3-4 events with 3 sets of each eventSundayStrongman Event Practice3-4 events with 1-2 sets of each event

Tuesday and Thursdays are rest days for Hafthor Björnsson.

Here is a list of some of his most favorite workouts in the gym:

Safety Bar Squats

• 242kg
• 3 sets
• 8 reps

From this point, Hafthor Björnsson has only moved up towards competing in many kinds of challenges and he has created a history. That was the time when he also consumed 10,000 calories in just a day to maintain his strength and build muscles. Based on his training program, he also did a lot of lifting. Hafthor Björnsson also played The Mountain in Game of Thrones in which he did this workout every single day.

Stone To Shoulder Lifts

• 194kg using natural stone

Björnsson reveals that the audition rule was unusual. “They asked me to pick one guy up to see if I was strong enough. I picked the man up over my head easily. They were very surprised: ‘Woah, OK you’re strong.'”

Bench Press

• 190kg
• 3 sets
• 5 reps

While he worked hard for his workout to sculpt his physique he admits to using steroids and other unnatural processes in the past. “When you want to be the best, you do whatever it takes,” he told in an interview. He wasn’t really enthusiastic to embellish on his steroid use though. When questioned on how frequently he uses steroids and whether he still does, the strongman responded: “Can we just skip those questions?” All these actions may appear to be superhuman, but all blanch in contrast to when we talk about the 1,000-year-old, Viking’s record. Legend states that 50 men attended Viking Orm Storulfsson to get the enormous redwood log-in position on his back. The log ought to be supposed to have weighed around 1,500 pounds. The holder had just taken three steps, and on the third step, his back broke.

When questioned about the record, this is what Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson replied to the questions saying:

“I had to take at least four steps to break the record. And I remember when I went under the bar, and I tried to pick it up, and I felt the pressure going from my neck through my body and straight to my toes. I felt like my body was going to collapse, so i took a break, a good breath, went under again. I took a step and felt my back was strong. It was going to hold, so I carefully took another step. I faced straight ahead, more pain in my back. My third step, it felt like my body was going to break. I took the fourth step, and I realized I broke the record. After that, I felt my body was quite fucked up. [laughs] It did heal up quite fast after the record. I did celebrate with my friends, and I ate a lot.”

That was all about the workout routine of Hafthor Björnsson who practice very hard to reach where he is. He also gives some absolute techniques to enhance his workout routine.

Hafthor Bjornsson Workout Tips and Tricks

Here are some of the workout tips that Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson gives to the people who want to follow the same track as himself.

• Change is important: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson advice not to focus on a particular tissue for too long because then your muscles will get habitual to it. You can begin with a variety of easily adaptable weights.
• Warm-ups are essential: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson always make sure to warm up properly before he begins his workout. He aims for a full-body warm-up as well as the selective portion of the body that he is working on that day.
• Attainable Goals: He likes to keep his goals attainable and not something impossible to attain. Focus on eating cleans and lifting heavy are some of his goals.
• Combination of workouts: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson says that many people think that there are two kinds of workout: strength training and cardio. Nevertheless, people require to know that these workout types must be done together like in a HIIT movement for a better result. HIIT workouts will not only make the routine more efficient for you but will also destroy the boredom. You can do the most basic moves for yourself like jumping rope or just run which requires minimal equipment.
• Do not rely too much on machines: Machines are excellent when you are working out with heavyweights, however, relying too much on them can go against your goals and have negative impacts. You can thus try to hop off them and start lifting free weights rather which will help you make a more conventional workout for yourself. It is rather better than lifting the weights of the machine as you'll lift and balance your own body weight. It will also give you better results.
• Perfect breaks are important: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson always takes and recommends breaks between a set or exercise which must be perfect, which means, it shouldn't either be too little or too much. So all you need to time your breaks accordingly. Taking breaks and the kind of breaks must depend on what workout you are doing. The best kind of break would be anyplace between 1 to 5 minutes which depends on your workout.
• Effortless switch: If you want to change from one exercise to another, make assured you do not take a pause and change effortlessly. It is an excellent idea to have a time-efficient exercise and supplement some cardio to your cycle. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson makes sure that he is always choosing dinner kinds of workouts too. He shifts the focus so that he is not too fatigued either.

• All failures are not bad: If Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson came till the very end it was because of his mindset which might be a little shocked to hear this one but it is not what you think. You might not need to lose but it might just encourage you to achieve something better. Although you apparently think that you don't want to fail, the analysis recommends that aiming to fail can benefit you more than it can hurt you. The logic for this is because it can cause your muscles to get bigger since failing means your muscles are too exhausted to do another workout while maintaining the custom.
• Keeping track is important: Keeping a record of whatever you are beginning is a great idea to develop. So one can download an app or can solely have a notebook where one can write their daily rate. It will help you improve by looking at your improvements and telling where you have lacked.
• Include someone in your routine: Having a partner to work out with you is always quite great and that is what Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson likes to do too. He always has someone with him so that it is not just fun but that someone will also hold him responsible. Besides, this also means that there is healthy competition and people would want to work out more.

Moving on to what does Hafthor Björnsson eats to support his huge frame along with what gives him ample energy to do the rest.

Hafthor Bjornsson Diet Plan

With the assistance of his nutritionist, Farthjálfun Valgeirs Gauta, Hafthor Björnsson has made a great diet plan for himself which gives him all the nutrients that he needs for himself. He has a strict diet that includes 5 to 7 meals in a day which he follows for 6 days a week and the 7th day is the cheat day. However, he is careful during the cheat day too and doesn't overdo it. This is dedication, isn't it? It might be quite over the top for some people but this is what Hafthor Björnsson does in real life.

He consumes a 10,000 calorie diet in his regular day which is divided into multiple meals through the day of his rigorous training. He shared his diet plan with si fans and followers on social media in which he revealed that he had the macros which weight out at Protein: ~1 gram per pound of bodyweight Fat: ~0.4 grams per pound of bodyweight Carbs: The rest of his calories which is lower due to his cutting back on carbs. This is what his meal plan looks like:

• Meal 1: (at 6:50) Morning workout! Cardio + CORE for 30min Bcaa, Glutamine + handful of almonds
• Meal 2: (at 7:30) 8 eggs + 200gr Oats + blueberries & strawberries + avocado
• Meal 3: (at 9:30) 400gr Beef, 400gram Sweet potatoes, a handful of spinach & greens
• Meal 4: (at 11:50) BCCA, glutamine
• Meal 5: (at 12:00) 400 gram Chicken + 400gr potatoes, greens + some fruits
• Meal 6: (at 14:00) Blender = 150gram oats or sweet potatoes, 2 bananas 150gr Kelloggs rice Krispies, frozen berries, handful almonds, peanut butter, and glutamine
• Meal 7: (at 14:30) Training strongman, Bcaa, glutamine, Vitargo
• Meal 8: (at 17:30) 60gr protein + 2 bananas
• Meal 9: (at 18:00) 500gr beef + potatoes, greens
• Meal 10: (at 20:30) 500 gram salmon + 500 gram sweet potatoes
• Meal 11: (at 22:30) 50 gram casein protein or 6 eggs + avocado + 30 gram almonds + 50 gram peanut butter

Unreal? There’s more. He drinks 30 to 35 glasses of water every day which includes two glasses before every meal. Besides this, he also has two servings of glutamine and one of creatine so that he can balance out his workouts. In addition to this, he also has whey protein immediately after his workout along with 4 square flapjacks an hour before. He continues to say, "I feel so much better than I felt when I was 205 kilograms."

"I was force-feeding myself every single day, about to puke every single day. I kept eating because my goal was to be the strongest human on this earth. Now I have different goals so I don't have to be force-feeding myself. Feels good." he continues.

What Thor Bjornsson Doesn’t Eat

One of the most important parts of his foods is the fibrous carbs which is the filling that can be useful for weight loss but are hard if you want to gain weight. Thus he limits the following foods:

• Oatmeal
• Bread
• Brown rice
• Legumes

The exception includes if they have been sprouted or fermented like for example, sourdough. However, he does include all these kinds of foods too even though a major part of his carbs intake includes low fiber, fast-digesting white rice.

Hafthor Björnsson also attempts to decrease the consumption of high FODMAP vegetables. That stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols, which are the kinds of carbs that are not digested quickly and are avoided by people who have problems such as IBS or irritable bowel syndrome or other such issues. The basic idea is for Hafthor Björnsson to digest all the carbs quickly so that there is room for other kinds of foods so that he could gain weight. Some studies also prove that the foods in the FODMAP group also helps to improve gut health and other indigestion problem. Thus in addition to limiting the above-mentioned foods, he also excludes:

• High raffinose vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc.)
• Garlic
• Onions

“High raffinose vegetables like broccoli and asparagus can impede or impair iodine uptake,” tells Efferding. Raffinose is a kind of sugar that’s immune to digestion. He continues to tell, “That can be very important for athletes who are training hard and sweating a lot because it can affect the thyroid function and metabolism. I have a very specific reason I’d prefer to use a low gas vegetable that’s cooked instead, such as spinach, cucumbers, squash, potatoes, even fruits.”

Thor Bjornsson’s Diet Staples

There are some kinds of foods which are liked by Hafthor Björnsson and that make for a great option for his goals. These includes:

• Red meat (a denser source of B-vitamins, creatine, and iron than most other protein sources, though whole eggs and fatty fish are also used)
• White rice
• Spinach
• Potatoes
• Whole fruit
• Other low-FODMAP vegetables (especially red peppers, squash, tomato, and berries)
• Fruit juice (for extra carbohydrates that are easy to digest)
• Coconut water (for potassium)
• Bone broth (high in glutamine, may improve digestion)

A classic Hafthor Björnsson meal is what he describes as a “monster mash:” that includes, ground beef, white rice, and bone broth. Bjornsson lately partook a full day of eating and most of his meals developed a template of red meat, white rice, broth, spinach, bell peppers, and either coconut water or fruit juice. The main motive of these foods was to keep the appetite high and the process of digesting the food low.

“I put fruit in there and it stimulated the thyroid production, or at least conversion into a usable form, and it increases body temperature,” says Hafthor Björnsson. “I’m pretty specific with the foods I recommend because they provide so many positives. But I’m not trying to be a zealot about those foods or claim other foods are bad for you.”

That wasn't all about what Hafthor Björnsson has to say. He also gives us a few extra tips when it comes to the diet plan so that one can be smart about what they put in the body. Here er some diet tips by him.

Hafthor Bjornsson Diet Tips

Following are the diet hints of Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson which he follows very rigorously and he shares them with his followers too.

Organic and Whole Foods

According to Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, organic food should be used to the greatest extent possible. Find out if there are any organic stores in your region, especially for fruits and vegetables. It is wonderful to have the best proportion of diet and exercise. In this way, you will be able to have quality goods that will serve your health in the long run.

The importance of refreshments or recreation

By getting the proper massage, your body cells and tissue will be rejuvenated and it is very relaxing too. This message will not only recover the muscles fast but also help to build up the body faster. All the hardness in the tissue and even in the body can be easily removed with the help of massage and it also develops flexibility in the body tissues. Your body, mind, and soul will not be stressed further. Besides massage, yoga or foam rolling can also be tried for body relaxation and soothing.

Right sleeping Pattern

Following the proper sleeping pattern is important for the person to get a full recovery. so it is definitely a better concept to get a sound sleep at night. While you are sleeping, your body is in an anabolic environment while sleeping and you amplify muscle to the fullest. Your overall health will be excellent when you got up fresh in the morning. Your performance will not excel in the next day's competition if you don't get sound sleep at night as your muscles won't get relaxed and recovered. You have to make assure that you have a comfortable bed and darkroom to have a sound and undisturbed sleep for 7 to 8 hours at a stretch. Taking a warm shower, eating a light meal or warm milk before going to sleep, and also turning off your electronics before going to sleep are some other good ways to get to sleep.

Hydration is of key importance

Our whole body contains almost 70% of water and so are muscles. They and connected muscles are constituted with essential water and other liquid matters. Dehydration will be caused if water is not consumed properly. This will be harmful and destructive to the body as a whole. Your muscle appearance will not only slow down but also get stopped. To avoid such a situation during the training sessions, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson always assure to take as much water as he can so that there won't be any pain or cramp in the body. Therefore, sufficient water is essential for the proper functioning of the muscles since it does the work of grease for the muscles. The intake of water should be assessed because some athletes drink gallons in a day without thinking. Your intake of water should be adjusted in terms of multiplying your body weight by 0.6 to get the required measurement. Your body's nutrients can be emptied due to overdrinking of water and other liquid substances.

Hafthor Bjornsson Nutrition and Supplements

To become a powerful strongman, supplements definitely have to be consumed by Thor Bjornsson. However, Efferding doesn't recommend a lot of supplements. According to him, if a proper diet plan is followed, deficiencies in the body can be avoided easily. But there are some micronutrients which he bestows with his patrons as per their requirements.

• Choline (whole eggs)
• Vitamin B12 (red meat)
• Folate (leafy greens, whole eggs)
• Sodium (added to meals)
• Potassium (coconut water and potatoes)
• Magnesium (supplemented)
• Vitamin D3 (supplemented)

He does not commonly use probiotic bacteria or digestive enzymes notwithstanding his emphasis on digestive health, since he takes the position that there aren't enough studies on them. He does, however, occasionally prescribe hydrochloric acid pills. “Hydrochloric acid, usually paired with pectin, might be of benefit particularly among people who might be low acid,” Thor Bjornsson explains, “That’s one of the first things I try to resolve for people taking antacids because, without adequate acid, you won’t digest foods and absorb micronutrients, particularly minerals.”

He begins by eating just one capsule at the starting of the email and increase it depending on the needs, If that is done the body might be able to develop better acid which will lead to digesting food better. Thus this is a temporary fix. Dextrose is a thing that can also be found in rice that will produce the production of amylase which is a digestive enzyme that will help us to break down the carbs.

For better liver health, Hafthor Björnsson takes blood tests to identify liver enzymes like AST and ALT, and if they’re too high he might recommend Tudca (Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid) and N-Acetyl Cysteine, which he has thought is useful at lessening liver enzymes and improving hunger. But of course, conducting these tests and adding supplements to your diet must ways be supervision before adding it to your diet.