This makes the discs in my spine twinge just thinking about it

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**Wolfstan**

http://www.blastr.com/2015-2-3/game-thrones-mountain-just-broke-legendary-viking-strength-record

Legendary Viking strength record

As much as we get sucked in by the epic power struggles, magic, and violence of Game of Thrones, we're still aware that it's all make-believe. Lena Headey isn't really a callous queen. Carice van Houten isn't really a shadow-birthing sorceress. Jack Gleeson isn't really a sadistic, ludicriously cruel brat king. At least one member of the show's massive cast, however, does carry over a particular element of his character into his real life: Hafþór Björnsson, who plays Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane, really is a fantastically strong giant of a man who could probably crush all of our skulls like grapes.

See, when he's not slaughtering dudes at the behest of Cersei Lannister or swinging a 6-foot broadsword around with one hand like it's a pinwheel, Björnsson is a competitive strongman, and he's really, really good at it. Last summer he was named Europe's Strongest Man, and he finished second in the 2014 World's Strongest Man competition. Earning honors like that means pulling off a number of feats of strength, but a few days ago, at Iceland's annual World's Strongest Viking competition, Björnsson pulled off something no man's been able to do in more than a thousand years.

According to Ilkka Kinnunen, a promoter for the Strongman Champion League, Icelandic sagas describe the legendary strongman Ormur Stórólfsson putting a massive log that weighed more than 1,200 pounds on his back and attempting to carry it. He made it three steps.

“The legend of the Icelander Ormur Stórólfsson goes that he walked three steps with a monster wooden log which weighed over 650 kg and was 10 m long," Kinnunen said. "It took 50 mere mortals to help him place it on his back. After he took his third step, his back broke under the enormous pressure and he was never the same after that.”

At the World's Strongest Viking competition, Björnsson put just such a log on his own back and managed to walk five steps while keeping his back intact. So I guess you can add "Real-Life Viking Legend" to his list of occupations. Oh, and needless to say, he won the competition, too.

Björnsson wrote on his Instagram page after the competition:

"Well today my friends I made history!! As well as winning the title of The World's Strongest Viking for the second time in a row I carried this MONSTER LOG 5 steps! My back held up fine!! As I'm on my way to my ultimate goal to win The World's Strongest Man! NOTHING CAN STOP ME!! NOTHING CAN BREAK ME!!"

**H.B.M.C.**

650kg? Holy crap!

**KingCracker**

Good gravy! Seriously wouldn't want to tussle with that fella

**SagesStone**

He could not only throw you, but possibly throw your car at you too if you pissed him off.

**Jihadin**

There's pictures of him circulating around some departments of him sitting in a normal chair built for normal people. Actually he stands before the desk as they process his paperwork in some offices of USCIS.

**Ratius**

As someone with a bit of a dodgy back all I can say is eeeek.

**LordofHats**

KingCracker wrote:
Good gravy! Seriously wouldn't want to tussle with that fella

Bronn certainly knew better

**easysauce**

Thats awesome, good for him

Must take a lot of CGI or make up to remove all those tatoos from him in the show though... guy has like two full sleeves in RL but is bare in the show.

**Medium of Death**

This guy is like a living Astartes.

Get him some power armour immediately!

**Jihadin**

Medium of Death wrote:
This guy is like a living Astartes.

Get him some power armour immediately!

Power Armor?!?! Surely you jest!

Terminator Armor with a Custom Made Centurion Suit hand crafted by Sisters of Battle. Along with endless supply of Cuban Cigars rolled on the inner thighs of Hot Latin Cuban Females!!

**Ensis Ferrae**

easysauce wrote:

Must take a lot of CGI or make up to remove all those tatoos from him in the show though... guy has like two full sleeves in RL but is bare in the show.

I've seen some extras in movies or shows or something... But yeah, anyhow, there is a special sort of makeup that they can use to cover up just about any sort of tattoos. Depending on the person, role, etc. it can be a "prosthetic" or a brush on material.

But, what I find more amazing is that he has basically gotten that strong in just 6 years.

**Jehan-reznor**

easysauce wrote:
Thats awesome, good for him

Must take a lot of CGI or make up to remove all those tatoos from him in the show though... guy has like two full sleeves in RL but is bare in the show.

Why use CGI there is a product for that

**jreilly89**

Oh, hey it's Paul Bunyan's real life equivalent

**easysauce**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
easysauce wrote:

Must take a lot of CGI or make up to remove all those tatoos from him in the show though... guy has like two full sleeves in RL but is bare in the show.

I've seen some extras in movies or shows or something... But yeah, anyhow, there is a special sort of makeup that they can use to cover up just about any sort of tattoos. Depending on the person, role, etc. it can be a "prosthetic" or a brush on material.

But, what I find more amazing is that he has basically gotten that strong in just 6 years.

steroids probably.

Id be happy to be wrong on that one though.

**Ensis Ferrae**

easysauce wrote:

steroids probably.

Id be happy to be wrong on that one though.

From what I've seen online, it doesn't appear so... Apparently, the photo at age 20 was taken shortly before some form of basketball injury gave him an epiphany moment, and he basically became a professional weight lifter shortly after. You'd be amazed what the body can do in six years if all you're doing every day is lifting and preparing the body to lift.

I could be wrong on this as well, but nothing that I've seen would really indicate that.

**Shadow Captain Edithae**

Steroids or no...that doesn't look healthy. Surely there comes a point at which the sheer mass of muscle risks causing damage? Skeletal strain etc.

**Steve steveson**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
easysauce wrote:

Must take a lot of CGI or make up to remove all those tatoos from him in the show though... guy has like two full sleeves in RL but is bare in the show.

I've seen some extras in movies or shows or something... But yeah, anyhow, there is a special sort of makeup that they can use to cover up just about any sort of tattoos. Depending on the person, role, etc. it can be a "prosthetic" or a brush on material.

You can cover a surprising amount with good makeup. There is a few specialist concealers that are used for film and by people with visible scars and the like. Someone I know uses it to cover a birth mark and you would never know. I believe people also use it to cover tattoos.

Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
Steroids or no...that doesn't look healthy. Surely there comes a point at which the sheer mass of muscle risks causing damage? Skeletal strain etc.

Same goes for most elite athletes. Putting your body through that kind of punishment is not good for it. They still remain healthier than the average person, but given the state of the average person that's not saying much. In terms of most to least health it's more like: Healthy person who does some exercise and eats well > elite athlete > average person who eats an average diet and it probably overweight.

**KingCracker**

Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
Steroids or no...that doesn't look healthy. Surely there comes a point at which the sheer mass of muscle risks causing damage? Skeletal strain etc.

Skeletal strain? You remember the first post mentioned he carried a 1200 pound log right?!

**Ashiraya**

Now imagine if he was an Astartes.

**Ensis Ferrae**

Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
\Surely there comes a point at which the sheer mass of muscle risks causing damage? Skeletal strain etc.

Surprisingly, not as bad as you'd think... As long as his muscles stay healthy, much of the rest of him stays very healthy. Of course, lifting that much does create a situation where one accident in the gym and he's about done for.

At the kinds of weight he's lifting, as long as his connective tissue stays healthy there's very little "skeletal strain" risk. The one thing he IS at major risk for though, is arthritis. Also, keep in mind that he is 6 foot 9 inches tall, so 300 lbs. of man isn't all that much when you consider his proportions

**NuggzTheNinja**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
easysauce wrote:

Must take a lot of CGI or make up to remove all those tatoos from him in the show though... guy has like two full sleeves in RL but is bare in the show.

I've seen some extras in movies or shows or something... But yeah, anyhow, there is a special sort of makeup that they can use to cover up just about any sort of tattoos. Depending on the person, role, etc. it can be a "prosthetic" or a brush on material.

But, what I find more amazing is that he has basically gotten that strong in just 6 years.

Hello, roids here. Science wins nature loses.

Not that there's anything wrong with that...still takes a lot of work to get anywhere close to that even with juice.

**Cheesecat**

Doesn't really look like a roid body to me.