Hafthor Bjornsson is losing weight during boxing prep.
If there’s one thing you can say about strength sports, the bigger you are the better equipped you are to lift heavier weight. When you’re trying to lift historic weight it takes a massive amount of training. To be more specific, you must train heavy to lift massive numbers. To lift massive numbers you must build massive muscle.
While an individual can lift more than their bodyweight it still requires a certain amount of musculature. Strongman competitors and powerlifters may not look like bodybuilders, but they pack a ton of muscle. It’s pretty much a requirement if you want to be a strength sport competitor.
For Hafthor Bjornsson his incredible size built over years of hard work aided in his feat to deadlift 501 kg. Now that he’s accomplished that incredible feat he’s moving on to participate in a very different sport.
Set to meet rival Eddie Hall in a boxing match, Hafthor Bjornsson is now deep in preparation. But boxing is a very different sport than strongman. Having the massive muscle isn’t exactly an advantage. Too much muscle can slow you down, burn you out, and hinder your athletic performance.
Boxing is about footwork, defense, punch placement, speed, and explosive strength. Hafthor Bjornsson may have the strength part down, but the other attributes will take time to develop. He and Eddie Hall will get the time they need as their bout is over a year away.
While the match has been touted as the heaviest in history, the reality is that both men will need to lose weight. In a recent post Hafthor Bjornsson demonstrated that fact clearly.
While prepping to do battle with Eddie Hall, Hafthor Bjornsson has dropped 40 Lbs (18 kg)!
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As he continues his training his weight will continue to drop. That drop in weight will help his cardiovascular ability as well as his overall movement. Big and slow is good way to get hit. Big and swift can be extremely devastating, just ask Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.
How much weight do you think Hafthor Bjornsson and Eddie Hall will shed?
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Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Header image courtesy of Instagram
