The mantle of Worlds Strongest Man is a heavy one to bear. Since relinquishing it, Hafr Bjrnsson feels considerably lighter. More than 50kg lighter, to be precise.
I feel so much better than when I weighed 205kg, the strongman-turned-pugilist tells MH. Im obviously healthier, but I am also more focused. In the pursuit of weightlifting records, bigger is better. But when I had to force-feed myself every day, I used to get so tired, he says. Now, Ive retired from that.
Bjrnsson, whose formidable size earned him the role of Gregor the Mountain Clegane in Game of Thrones, is speaking to MH from Dubai, where his days are structured and repetitive. He eats the same five meals every day and boxes six times a week, while taking on four strength workouts two upper body, two lower body and four endurance sessions. Assault bike intervals are a killer, but they mimic the stop-start nature of a fight and train him to stay mentally sharp in a state of exhaustion. On other days, he rides at a steady pace for up to an hour. (Youll be on there for half an hour, and youre just, like, Fuck, I still have half an hour left?) In total, Bjrnsson is in the gym for up to five hours per day.
Yet he trusts that the rewards will be worth it. If I stay focused, Ill reach my goal, he says. Im that kind of person. I love being obsessed. I love seeing results.
When youre working at such an intensity, you need to rest hard, too. Bjrnsson knows that he walks a fine line between pushing his limits and compromising his recovery, so he takes his rest as seriously as his work. As well as ice baths and saunas, he is an advocate of the Graston technique, a form of soft tissue therapy using metal instruments.
But the hard graft hasnt dulled his passion for boxing. I am absolutely loving boxing right now, and I enjoy it more each week, he says. It is hard. But I like hard work.
supplied by Scarlett Wrench
Bjrnsson eats five times a day, balancing protein with slow-burning carbs. Heres a sample menu.
Andri Mr Engilbertsson
For ring-ready fitness, take on Bjrnssons quick-fire cardio routine.
Repeat these exercises for three minutes, take 60 seconds rest, then jump on the assault bike and go at it hard for three minutes. Rest and repeat for four rounds.
Squat down, keeping your back straight, until your thighs are parallel with the floor and your bum is about level with your knees. Explode upwards into a jump, and go straight into the next squat.
From a standing position squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor and place your palms on the floor. From there kick your feet back as far as you can while keeping your arms extended. As soon as your feet land jump them back in towards your hands, then jump up into the air. Land and immediately squat down to go into the next rep.
Get down into a press-up position. From there lower your body until your chest is an inch from the ground then explosively drive up by fully extending your arms.
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Hafr 'Thor' Bjrnsson Shares the Diet and Cardio Workout Behind His 50kg Weight Loss - Men's health UK
