3x Natural Olympia champ Brandon Lirio may be the lightest natural athlete to lift the Húsafell Stone.
The Húsafell Stone is a stone weighing 186kg (410lb). And this behemoth weighing nearly half 1,000 pounds is no easy feat to lift as you’d imagine. Especially for a natural athlete, not to mention one that stands 5’5″ and weighs 165 pounds. Well, the natural bodybuilder who fits these criteria and may be the lightest to lift this monumental stone is Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) athlete Brandon Lirio.
Brandon Lirio is a 3x Natural Olympia champion in the Classic Physique category. And he also has a multi-media contract with Generation Iron, Iron Man Magazine, and the INBA PNBA.
Is This 165lb Natural Bodybuilder the Lightest Man to Ever Lift the Húsafell Stone?
The Húsafell Stone is located in a sheep and goat pen in Húsafell, Iceland. This stone has felt the grips of many strongmen worldwide trying to lift it for over a century. Unfortunately, this rock is separated from a standard 400-pound barbell because it’s unbalanced, uneven, and compact, making it much more challenging to lift.
Lirio recently went on a quest with Iceland’s Strongest Man (Stefan Torfason) and Solvi Fannar (retired strongman and agent of Icelandic Strongmen, including Hapthór Björnsson) to attempt to lift the legendary Húsafell Stone. According to Liro, the men there to witness the lift said they’d never seen anyone Lirio’s size do it before. Brandon Liro stated:
“All of the people who witnessed the lift and the training for it in Iceland said I was the shortest and lightest person they have ever seen lift the stone at 165lbs.”
Whether Brandon Lirio was the lightest ever to lift the stone or not doesn’t take away the fact that it’s an awe-inspiring feat for someone of his stature. Lirio expressed:
“Traveling to Iceland to lift the Húsafell was an absolute dream of mine.”
Below are videos of Brandon Lirio’s entire weightlifting experience with Iceland’s Strongest Man at Thor’s Gym. Iceland is known for its bread of strong, gigantic men, and the training Brandon Lirio endured with Stefan Torfason was what you’d expect in the land of the Vikings. Lirio did a mix of the bag over the bar, log press, and circus dumbbell press movements.
The video below is a complete in-depth capture of Brandon Lirio’s experience lifting the Húsafell Stone.
What’s Next for Brandon Lirio?
Next, Brandon Lirio plans to film a food challenge of him eating triple the calories of “The Rock’s” cheat meal he posted recently. So stay tuned to Lirio’s YouTube channel. He plans to undertake this challenge soon. He also plans to upload his leg training to prepare for Natural Olympia in a couple of weeks.
And, of course, Brandon Lirio is eager to take back his thrown of the Natual Olympia Classic Physique division after Derek Joe won at 2021 Natural Olympia, leaving Lirio with a silver medal. Reclaiming the title won’t be an easy task, though. Derek Joe recently spoke with us about his recent physique update in preparation for Natural Universe held in Tampa, Florida, on September 3, 2022.
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