Eddie Hall to fight Thor Bjornsson: Aug 2021 tbc

duffer

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That is pretty mental that Bjornsson only beat Hall’s record by a kilogram when he has about 5-6 inches of height and probably 30 kilos on him.
The record will go back and forth between them and get much more interest than if he just banged out 520.

A Thor/Hall rivalry will more eyes on the "sport" and more dosh for both men. All a bit pro-wrestling.
 

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A few things, I didn't say that they could max out very often and I didn't say that Hall could do it today. I simply said that the official records aren't necessarily their actual max or the max that they actually lifted, when it comes to official records they set a weight that they are relatively comfortable with, something that they have already done behind closed door and it's unlikely to be their actual max.

As I said in the post that you quoted the same day he beat the record with 465kgs, Magnusson and Pritchett match it and later that day he goes with 500k, on that day he probably could have gone a bit higher even if it was only 1 or 2 more kgs.
The bolded is what i am disagreeing with. At these weights you don't just test it out in training to make sure you can do it, you spend weeks building up to it and end up with a 2 or 3 day window to max out in. Afterwards you have to rest and reset.

Could Thor have set 505kg as his target and lifted it? Possibly, but he definitely didn't do 501kg in training a few days before to make sure he could do it.
 

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The bolded is what i am disagreeing with. At these weights you don't just test it out in training to make sure you can do it, you spend weeks building up to it and end up with a 2 or 3 day window to max out in. Afterwards you have to rest and reset.

Could Thor have set 505kg as his target and lifted it? Possibly, but he definitely didn't do 501kg in training a few days before to make sure he could do it.
But again when did I say that? In the case of Eddie Hall 500Kg record it's a bit special because of what happened afterwards while it probably wasn't his actual max, it was close. But in normal circumstance like Hall's previous record the same day at 465kgs, it was clearly not his "known" max, unless if you believe that Hall is an absolute lunatic and told himself that he was going to lift 35 more kgs without having a clue that he could even lift 5 more?
 

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Eddie Breaks down how he prepares for a lift like this here.


But again when did I say that? In the case of Eddie Hall 500Kg record it's a bit special because of what happened afterwards while it probably wasn't his actual max, it was close. But in normal circumstance like Hall's previous record the same day at 465kgs, it was clearly not his "known" max, unless if you believe that Hall is an absolute lunatic and told himself that he was going to lift 35 more kgs without having a clue that he could even lift 5 more?
This is kind of true. He absolutely maxed himself on the 500kg, collapsed after and suffered a bleed on the brain.
 

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He swam for GB as a kid. He only got fat in his pursuit of strongman, he was a proper athlete before that. He knows how to look after himself too and has messed around with boxing before.

I don't know jack about Thor though and if he'd be any good. You could time their punches with a stopwatch, and it's hard to tell if they really do dislike each other or it's an act.
From listening to the two and seeing videos of them interacting (or not) I think it's clear they don't get on. It doesn't seem like they have any serious animosity towards each other but there is a definite tension between them, which is hardly surprising given the only thing bigger than their bodies is their egos.
 

11101

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But again when did I say that? In the case of Eddie Hall 500Kg record it's a bit special because of what happened afterwards while it probably wasn't his actual max, it was close. But in normal circumstance like Hall's previous record the same day at 465kgs, it was clearly not his "known" max, unless if you believe that Hall is an absolute lunatic and told himself that he was going to lift 35 more kgs without having a clue that he could even lift 5 more?
You said they are lifting for the record something they have already done behind closed doors. Eddie didn't do 500kg in training and Thor won't have done 501kg either. That's not how cycles in weightlifting work.

Hall lifting 465kg was a one off because his target was 500kg. He would probably have lifted up to about 480ish a week or so prior. 465 was effectively a warm up lift on that day.
 

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You said they are lifting for the record something they have already done behind closed doors. Eddie didn't do 500kg in training and Thor won't have done 501kg either. That's not how cycles in weightlifting work.

Hall lifting 465kg was a one off because his target was 500kg. He would probably have lifted up to about 480ish a week or so prior.
That was my point, the 500 was a bad example due to the aftermath and I have to admit that you are correct. Regarding Thor I'm skeptical, it didn't look like Hall's record, I don't know if he is good at pretending that he was okay but it didn't look like it was his max, it looked like the "normal" records.
 

duffer

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Any sort of fight between these two units would be a pretty terrible watch. They'd be gassed out after 30 seconds.

Tug of war, arm wrestle or mercy. That's what I want to see!
 

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Any sort of fight between these two units would be a pretty terrible watch. They'd be gassed out after 30 seconds.

Tug of war, arm wrestle or mercy. That's what I want to see!
Slapping would be a good contest.
 

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Hall makes a few good points in the Geordie video. He may well have achieved the record but the timing of it seems off. He had 4 years to manage this and suddenly during a lockdown at his own gym he does it. He was scheduled to attempt it in April at a competition but obviously that was postponed so why didn't he just think of waiting again? He has also had a few attempts at 501kg and failed. Good points by Hall too about the calibrated weights. Like he says, he's made unofficial weight lifts of 536kg with books but it isn't regulated and in competition standard so I don't think that we can look at this as official until it is managed in a competition environment with independent adjudicators.
 

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That was my point, the 500 was a bad example due to the aftermath and I have to admit that you are correct. Regarding Thor I'm skeptical, it didn't look like Hall's record, I don't know if he is good at pretending that he was okay but it didn't look like it was his max, it looked like the "normal" records.
Looking at how he did it i think he could lift more, but 501 was his target and that's what he would have been working towards in training. It would VERY roughly go something like:

Week 1 - 250x10
Week 2 - 350x6
Week 3 - 400x4
Week 4 - 425x3
Week 5 - 450x3
Week 6 - 465x2
Week 7 - 480x1
Competition day - 501x1

You couldn't do that 501 any earlier and the way you train, unless your target was just too low, it would be incredibly difficult to then go and do 510 afterwards.


Now he has done it and possibly surprised himself at how easy he found it, i wont be surprised if he comes back in some months and goes heavier.
 

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From listening to the two and seeing videos of them interacting (or not) I think it's clear they don't get on. It doesn't seem like they have any serious animosity towards each other but there is a definite tension between them, which is hardly surprising given the only thing bigger than their bodies is their egos.
What :lol: they're good friends behind the scenes. This is just a work.

If you follow WSM they're always there supporting eachother while being huge rivals also. Clearly they're very competitive but to say they don't get on is incorrect.
 

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What :lol: they're good friends behind the scenes. This is just a work.

If you follow WSM they're always there supporting eachother while being huge rivals also. Clearly they're very competitive but to say they don't get on is incorrect.
I disagree. Yes they will support each other, the Strongman community is rather surprisingly very good at doing that generally. That doesn't mean they are friends. Whenever I've seen them interacting it always looks a little awkward. There is mutual respect but you definitely do not get the impression they've ever chatted away for hours together. Not sure why you find the notion there may be some tension between them so amusing, unless you know one of them personally and are privy to something I'm not.
 

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That is pretty mental that Bjornsson only beat Hall’s record by a kilogram when he has about 5-6 inches of height and probably 30 kilos on him.
Isn’t the deadlift a bit more of a difficult movement the taller you are? The range of motion is a lot longer compared to a shorter guy.
 

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Isn’t the deadlift a bit more of a difficult movement the taller you are? The range of motion is a lot longer compared to a shorter guy.
Correct. Thor is an unbelievable deadlifter considering his height, which works against him
 

11101

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Isn’t the deadlift a bit more of a difficult movement the taller you are? The range of motion is a lot longer compared to a shorter guy.
More to do with your proportions and the angles you have to lift from. Long legs/femurs is the killer for deadlifting. If Thor is just overall big it wouldn't make too much difference.
 

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I disagree. Yes they will support each other, the Strongman community is rather surprisingly very good at doing that generally. That doesn't mean they are friends. Whenever I've seen them interacting it always looks a little awkward. There is mutual respect but you definitely do not get the impression they've ever chatted away for hours together. Not sure why you find the notion there may be some tension between them so amusing, unless you know one of them personally and are privy to something I'm not.
“I used to really like Thor, we were great friends. He used to be a really great guy, and I think there’s a lot of people that can back that up. I don’t know what’s changed about Thor, but he became a bit of a monster. Everything had to be his way. I think that really started at World’s Strongest Man 2017, with all the bad negativity about that. I think honestly, up until that point, me and Thor were fine. We got on, we talked, we respected each other.

In his own words.

Whether they truly have "fallen out" or this is just a great way to get their names across the world... hmm...

I don't believe it personally. This is too Mayweather/Mcgregor for me.
 
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Adam-Utd

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I don't think it's embedded properly because all I can see is Thor lifting some weights, but I'm guessing there's something else that's supposed to be there?
Yes apologies there's a facebook link but I can't get it to post properly for some reason, but was from 2014.
 

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Yes apologies there's a facebook link but I can't get it to post properly for some reason, but was from 2014.
“I used to really like Thor, we were great friends. He used to be a really great guy, and I think there’s a lot of people that can back that up. I don’t know what’s changed about Thor, but he became a bit of a monster. Everything had to be his way. I think that really started at World’s Strongest Man 2017, with all the bad negativity about that. I think honestly, up until that point, me and Thor were fine. We got on, we talked, we respected each other.

In his own words.

Whether they truly have "fallen out" or this is just a great way to get their names across the world... hmm...

I don't believe it personally. This is too Mayweather/Mcgregor for me.
I've googled it and found the post I think you were referring to. It does seem like they may have been closer in the past than I thought, but I wouldn't read too much into a Facebook post from one professional promoting another and an event involving the two of them.
As for today, I think undeniably it is primarily about marketing - creating a rivalry to generate attention. That said, I don't think that rivalry has totally been plucked out of nowhere & I stand by my view that interactions between the two always seem a little awkward. Compare them to say Shaw and Hall, who are unmistakably close friends which reflects in the way they interact. I don't believe they dislike each other but with those sorts of egos some tension is often unavoidable.
And I wouldn't underestimate the impact Thor's actions comments in 2017 could have. Hall had just achieved what he had dedicated the majority of his life towards. That is the moment that defines his life. Thor's comments have the effect of undermining that achievement, disputing its legitimacy. That's gonna piss him off. To me it seems like Thor and Hall are acquaintances who exchange pleasantries and some small talk when they meet but that's the extent of their relationship - Hall's own comments hardly sound like how someone would describe an actual friend, more like a colleague: 'We got on, we talked, we respected each other.'
 

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I've googled it and found the post I think you were referring to. It does seem like they may have been closer in the past than I thought, but I wouldn't read too much into a Facebook post from one professional promoting another and an event involving the two of them.
As for today, I think undeniably it is primarily about marketing - creating a rivalry to generate attention. That said, I don't think that rivalry has totally been plucked out of nowhere & I stand by my view that interactions between the two always seem a little awkward. Compare them to say Shaw and Hall, who are unmistakably close friends which reflects in the way they interact. I don't believe they dislike each other but with those sorts of egos some tension is often unavoidable.
And I wouldn't underestimate the impact Thor's actions comments in 2017 could have. Hall had just achieved what he had dedicated the majority of his life towards. That is the moment that defines his life. Thor's comments have the effect of undermining that achievement, disputing its legitimacy. That's gonna piss him off. To me it seems like Thor and Hall are acquaintances who exchange pleasantries and some small talk when they meet but that's the extent of their relationship - Hall's own comments hardly sound like how someone would describe an actual friend, more like a colleague: 'We got on, we talked, we respected each other.'
Tbh reading more into it, it seems their relationship has probably soured since the 2017 WSM; I didn't realise Thor had upset him quite that much so while they once were friends perhaps it has soured.

I still think this is probably more of a "goliath v goliath" for a 7 figure sum while they over egg their bad blood. Anyway it'll be alright for a laugh, not sure i'd want a punch off either :D
 

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Tbh reading more into it, it seems their relationship has probably soured since the 2017 WSM; I didn't realise Thor had upset him quite that much so while they once were friends perhaps it has soured.

I still think this is probably more of a "goliath v goliath" for a 7 figure sum while they over egg their bad blood. Anyway it'll be alright for a laugh, not sure i'd want a punch off either :D
I think if I pissed one of them off a punch would be the least of my worries. It would be scary to see how much they could ragdoll the average bloke weighing 70kg or whatever.

Yeah it would be naive to assume they are fighting because they actually want to physically hurt each other. The idea they’ve fallen out to the point of wanting to fight is silly.
 

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Can this be any worse than 2 you tubers fighting?

At least they have incredible strength, I can't imagine what it would be like if they could properly connect with a punch
 

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How's the stamina of these guys? I reckon they'll gas out pretty quickly unless they train hard for boxing specifically for many months. I predict that one of the following will happen:
1. The Mountain loses on stamina and sheer will and becomes target practice for Eddie, which results in the ref calling it off before it gets to brutal.
2. The Mountain manages to keep his distance and wins on points. This is assuming that both of them have the stamina to go all the rounds.
Going to be Kimbo Slice vs. Dada 5000 part 2.

 

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Looking at how he did it i think he could lift more, but 501 was his target and that's what he would have been working towards in training. It would VERY roughly go something like:

Week 1 - 250x10
Week 2 - 350x6
Week 3 - 400x4
Week 4 - 425x3
Week 5 - 450x3
Week 6 - 465x2
Week 7 - 480x1
Competition day - 501x1

You couldn't do that 501 any earlier and the way you train, unless your target was just too low, it would be incredibly difficult to then go and do 510 afterwards.


Now he has done it and possibly surprised himself at how easy he found it, i wont be surprised if he comes back in some months and goes heavier.
I sincerely apologize for the link but he thinks that he can deadlift 510 comfortably and between 515-520 grunting.
 

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I sincerely apologize for the link but he thinks that he can deadlift 510 comfortably and between 515-520 grunting.
I don't doubt it, but i don't know when we will see it. Hall will never attempt that again and I'm not sure who else can challenge Thor.
 

JPRouve

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I don't doubt it, but i don't know when we will see it. Hall will never attempt that again and I'm not sure who else can challenge Thor.
I saw someone on a forum suggest the idea that he might do it in an official competition and it makes sense when you consider what Brian Shaw and Oberst have said about the record, basically they believe that Thor has beat the record and they understand why he did it but they also think that it shouldn't be recognized officially when it's done outside of a strongmen competition.

 
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I don't doubt it, but i don't know when we will see it. Hall will never attempt that again and I'm not sure who else can challenge Thor.
I saw someone on a forum suggest the idea that he might do it in an official competition and it makes sense when you consider what Brian Shaw and Oberst have said about the record, basically they believe that Thor has beat the record and they understand why he did it but they also think that it shouldn't be recognized officially when its done outside of a strongmen competition.
I agree with Hall that these sorts of achievements have to happen within internationally sanctioned events, not in personal training. Not that it matters to Thor, but I personally don't count him as the new world record holder.

Having said that, if Thor's lift was legit 501kg, the added adrenalin and tension of competition and audience will see him smash 501kg in a new attempt.
 

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I agree with Hall that these sorts of achievements have to happen within internationally sanctioned events, not in personal training. Not that it matters to Thor, but I personally don't count him as the new world record holder.

Having said that, if Thor's lift was legit 501kg, the added adrenalin and tension of competition and audience will see him smash 501kg in a new attempt.
If you watch the Brian Shaw video JP posted the opposite is true. He says doing it in competition is harder.
 

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If you watch the Brian Shaw video JP posted the opposite is true. He says doing it in competition is harder.
If you are interested Oberst also has good points that go in that direction, he also says that he beat records during training as others have done too.

 

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If you watch the Brian Shaw video JP posted the opposite is true. He says doing it in competition is harder.
Interesting. I’d have through it was opposite.

I find it much easier to PR when in front of people watching, psyches me up, though my 170kg 1RM is a galaxy away from what these guys pull.
 
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JPRouve

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Interesting. I’d have through it was opposite.

I find it much easier to PR when in front of people watching, psyches me up, though my 170kg 1RM is a galaxy away from what these guys pull.
Thor said that having a crowd helps him which is probably true to some extent but in a competition you don't choose when you do the lift, some unforseen events can derail your contest and make you underperform on the day.