Weightlifting

All eyes in the bodybuilding world are on Columbus, Ohio, this weekend for the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival, and Saturday's action certainly did not disappoint.

From chess to arm wrestling to physique, there was a little bit of everything on the third day. And of course, the Strongman Classic was a big draw. The full schedule for the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival can be found on the event's official website.

Perhaps the biggest storyline of the weekend turned out to be Hafthor Bjornsson, aka The Mountain on HBO's Game of Thrones. After a second-place finish last year, everyone wondered if this would be the year he finally won the Arnold Strongman Classic competition.

Not only did he win, but he did so in record-setting fashion.

The 6'9", 386-pound Bjornsson set a world record in the elephant bar deadlift event, per Rogue Fitness:

Rogue athlete @ThorBjornsson_ wins the Elephant Bar Deadlift Event and set new a new world record of deadlifting 472KG (1,041LBS) using the Rogue Elephant Bar! He tops the leaderboard going into the final event tonight. pic.twitter.com/3yMrzROOlj

— Rogue Fitness (@RogueFitness) March 3, 2018

Massenomics posted video of the incredible performance:

One. Thousand. And. Forty. One. Pounds. Wow.

Bjornsson was rightfully proud of his amazing feat:

Of course, The Mountain was not the only one competing Saturday.

Cailer Woolam also managed to set The Cage deadlift record with a 930-pound pull:

In the Pro Wheelchair event, Harold "King Kong" Kelley won his third Arnold Classic title:

#ArnoldClassic2018 Pro Wheelchair Finals
5- Steven Lister
4- Daniel Minster
3- Gabriele Andriulli
2- Reggie Bennett
1- Harold Kelley@Tadthedietcoach

— NPC News Online (@NPCNewsOnline) March 3, 2018

After coming out victorious once again, Kelley talked to Muscular Development:

There were plenty of other events featuring bodybuilders, including the prejudging:

RXMuscle.com provided a roundup of other events taking place Saturday:

THE CONQUEROR TAKES COLUMBUS! WILLIAM BONAC IS YOUR 2018 ARNOLD CLASSIC CHAMPION!

1. William Bonac
2. Dexter Jackson
3. Cedric McMillan
4. Roelly Winklaar
5. Steve Kuclo
6. Lionel Beyeke#ArnoldClassic pic.twitter.com/uIPv9iYnsb

— RXMuscle.com (@RXMuscledotcom) March 4, 2018

TEIXEIRA TWICE AS NICE!

Angelica Teixeira takes her second consecutive Ms. Bikini International crown!

Ms. Bikini International Top-6:

1. Angelica Teixeira
2. Janet Layug
3. Casey Samsel
4. Romina Basualdo
5. Jen Ronzitti
6. Breena Martinez

Photo: NPC News Online pic.twitter.com/59Ikn7SrTL

— RXMuscle.com (@RXMuscledotcom) March 4, 2018

Roelly Winklaar wins the "Most Muscular" award and Fred Smalls wins the "Best Poser" award. pic.twitter.com/dYUOU5US8f

— RXMuscle.com (@RXMuscledotcom) March 4, 2018

FERGUSON FOR THE WIN!

Andre Ferguson tops his Olympia runner-up finish by winning his first ever Arnold Men's Physique title!

Arnold Men's Physique Top-6:

1. Andre Ferguson
2. Raymond Edmonds
3. Brandon Hendrickson
4. Logan Franklin
5. George Brown
6. Steven Cao pic.twitter.com/rSYQERZMDm

— RXMuscle.com (@RXMuscledotcom) March 4, 2018

Also of note, new WWE star Ronda Rousey was honored by being inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame:

@RondaRousey was just inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/bcRa6a2HLX

— JLawAKAfatwhite (@JLawAKAfatwhite) March 3, 2018

The 2018 Arnold Sports Festival wraps up Sunday.

After a second-place finish at the 2017 Arnold Sports Festival Strongman Classic, Hafthor Bjornsson, aka The Mountain on HBO's Game of Thrones, had a record-setting performance as he finally took home the crown.

Bjornsson got off to a good start on Friday by defeating last year's Strongman Classic champion Brian Shaw in the throwing competition by tossing a 95-pound bag over the 15-foot high bar and also recorded a third-place finish in the stone shoulder event. The strong start had him in first after the opening day.

Heading into Day 2, he let his fans know he was ready to finish the job:

Boy was he.

The Mountain used a time of 11.80 seconds to pull out a third-place result in the timber carry event. While Shaw managed to finish one spot ahead of him with a time of 10.03 seconds, Bjornsson did enough to give himself a chance to win overall.

It was the rogue elephant bar deadlift event that saw the 6'9", 386-pound HBO star make a statement. With a record-setting lift of 1,041 pounds, he bested second place by 20 pounds and the third-placed Shaw by 25 pounds.

Rogue athlete @ThorBjornsson_ wins the Elephant Bar Deadlift Event and set new a new world record of deadlifting 472KG (1,041LBS) using the Rogue Elephant Bar! He tops the leaderboard going into the final event tonight. pic.twitter.com/3yMrzROOlj

— Rogue Fitness (@RogueFitness) March 3, 2018

Instagram account Massenomics posted video of the amazing feat:

The Mountain was rightfully very proud of his record accomplishment:

That incredible effort had him in a good position entering the final event.

With his first Arnold Sports Festival Strongman Classic title within reach, Bjornsson finished the job in the fifth and final event, Apollon's Wheel. As Rogue Fitness tweeted, he was unstoppable this weekend:

From unproven to unstoppable. Congrats to Rogue athlete @ThorBjornsson_ on winning the 2018 Arnold Strongman Classic! #ryourogue #ASF2018 pic.twitter.com/cpJ3RT1cBt

— Rogue Fitness (@RogueFitness) March 4, 2018

The Arnold Strongman Classic title is just the latest addition to an already impressive resume. He previously won the title of Europe's Strongest Man, Iceland's Strongest Man and Iceland's Strongest Viking multiple times each.

Now, all eyes will be on the World's Strongest Man contest to see if The Mountain can finally capture the elusive title. He has three runner-ups—including each of the past two years—and three third-place finishes.

     

Results via ArnoldSportsFestival.com.

Some of the biggest names in bodybuilding descended on Columbus, Ohio, Friday for the second day of the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival. 

Ohio's capital city hosts the annual festival, and a number of headlining competitions took place on the second day of the four-day event, including the finals of the Arnold Classic 212, Figure International and Fitness International.

Those in attendance also experienced things such as the Fitness Expo and chess competitions among a full slate of activities. The full schedule for the weekend can be found on the event's official website.

However, it was the Arnold Classic 212 that immediately stood out, as Kamal Elgargni captured the championship. RX Muscle declared a "new star is born" as he beat out the likes of Charles Dixon (second place), Samir Troudi (third place), David Henry (fourth place), Jose Raymond (fifth place) and Guy Cisternino Jr.

A NEW STAR IS BORN!

KAMAL ELGARGNI SHOCKS COLUMBUS AND WINS THE ARNOLD 212!

Arnold Classic 212 Top-6

1. Kamal Elgargni
2. Charles Dixon
3. Samir Troudi
4. David Henry
5. Jose Raymond
6. Guy Cisternino

Photo: NPC News Online pic.twitter.com/K95fb6j8Is

— RXMuscle.com (@RXMuscledotcom) March 3, 2018

Elgargni wasn't the only one to stand out Friday, as Whitney Jones captured the title in the Fitness International competition against a loaded field.

According to the event's official Twitter page, she beat out Kate Errington (second place), Bethany Wagner (third place), Regiane Da Silva (fourth place), Ariel Khadr (fifth place) and Derina Wilson (sixth place) to take home the coveted title.

RX Muscle shared a look at the winner:

...and the NEW Ms. Fitness International is...Whitneeeey Jones!

Ms. Fitness International Top-6

1. Whitney Jones
2. Kate Errington
3. Bethany Wagner
4. Regiane Da Silva
5. Ariel Khadr
6. Derina Wilson pic.twitter.com/HaZYqONlil

— RXMuscle.com (@RXMuscledotcom) March 3, 2018

She was joined on the winner's list by Figure International victor Candice Lewis-Carter.

Lewis-Carter beat out Cydney Gillon (second place), Heather Dee (third place), Michelle Silva (fourth place), Bojana Vasilijevic (fifth place) and Maria Luisa Baeza Diaz (sixth place), per the event's official Twitter page.

RX Muscle passed along a look at Lewis Carter as well:

CANDICE LEWIS-CARTER TAKES 2018 FIGURE INTERNATIONAL CROWN!

Figure International Top-6

1. Candice Lewis-Carter
2. Cydney Gillon
3. Heather Dees
4. Michelle Silva
5. Bojana Vasiljevic
6. Maria Diaz pic.twitter.com/BkZyhoDYwv

— RXMuscle.com (@RXMuscledotcom) March 3, 2018

Elsewhere, Breon Ansley made history as the winner in the first-ever Classic Physique Arnold competition, and Shanique Grant took home the victory in the Women's Physique:

QUESTION: FIRST EVER CLASSIC PHYSIQUE ARNOLD CHAMPION?

ANSWER: BREON ANSLEY!

Arnold Classic Classic Physique Top-6

1. Breon Ansley
2. Arash Rahbar
3. Courage Opara
4. Danny Hester
5. Kevin Ford
6. Dani Younan

Photo: NPC News Online pic.twitter.com/Y9APEGlGs7

— RXMuscle.com (@RXMuscledotcom) March 3, 2018

THE FUTURE IS HERE! SHANIQUE GRANT TAKES WOMEN'S PHYSIQUE GOLD AT THE ARNOLD!

Arnold Classic W-Physique Top-5

1. Shanique Grant
2. Natalia Coelho
3. Margita Zamalova
4. Michaela Aycock
5. Kira Neuman
6. Priscila Cavilha pic.twitter.com/9VeNm2Z9Y0

— RXMuscle.com (@RXMuscledotcom) March 3, 2018

Fans in Columbus were treated to a Hollywood showdown as well, as Hafthor Bjornsson—known by many as The Mountain on HBO's hit show Game of Thrones—won the bag-over-bar throw and finished in third place in the stone shoulder as part of the Strongman Classic competition.

He squared off in a memorable battle with last year's Strongman Classic champion, Brian Shaw, in the throwing competition and prevailed by throwing a 95-pound bag over a 15-foot high bar.

Rogue Fitness captured the victorious moment:

Rogue athlete @ThorBjornsson_ takes the win in Event One in the Arnold Strongman Classic with a 95LB weight-over-bar throw! #ryourogue #asf2018https://t.co/Xgd8bBWGEd pic.twitter.com/RqOQa6y4x1

— Rogue Fitness (@RogueFitness) March 2, 2018

Bjornsson was impressive in the stone shoulder as well, especially considering it came after he already won the prior event. He finished behind Mateusz Kieliszkowski and Mikhail Shivlyakov but once again beat Shaw in the battle within the battle.

The Mountain wasn't the only Hollywood presence in Columbus, as the famed host of the event, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was there to show off what he can do even at the age of 70:

Just having fun in the @ArnoldSports Festival getting a quick pump. pic.twitter.com/GI6PvaD5oE

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 2, 2018

While Friday featured plenty of memorable moments between marquee names, there is another full slate of events Saturday. The highly anticipated finals of the Arnold Classic highlights the slate and figures to serve as a defining event in this year's Arnold Sports Festival.

Hafthor Bjornsson, best known for his role as The Mountain on HBO's Game of Thrones, got off to a strong start at the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival Strongman Classic with his efforts in the bag-over-bar throw and the stone shoulder.

Competing against last year's Strongman Classic champion Brian Shaw, Bjornsson earned the victory in the throwing competition by tossing a 95-pound bag over the 15-foot high bar as his time was winding down. 

Rogue athlete @ThorBjornsson_ takes the win in Event One in the Arnold Strongman Classic with a 95LB weight-over-bar throw! #ryourogue #asf2018https://t.co/Xgd8bBWGEd pic.twitter.com/RqOQa6y4x1

— Rogue Fitness (@RogueFitness) March 2, 2018

Shaw attempted to counter by skipping the 95-pound bag and throwing 100 pounds over the bar, which would have tied the world record. His two attempts came up just short, putting Bjornsson in the top spot after the first day of events. 

This is nearly identical to what happened last year. Bjornsson took the top spot with 10 points in the bar throw, followed by Shaw in second place. 

Immediately after the bar throw ended, the stone shoulder event took place. Bjornsson turned in a third-place finish to earn five points. He came in behind Mateusz Kieliszkowski and Mikhail Shivlyakov but was one spot ahead of Shaw. 

That spells good news for Bjornsson with three events coming on Saturday. This figures to be a showdown between Bjornsson and Shaw, so his two head-to-head triumphs over the defending champion put him in an excellent position to earn his first career win in the Strongman Classic.

When Bjornsson isn't acting, he's been competing in strongman competitions since 2010, winning Iceland's Strongest Man competition each year since 2011. His rivalry with Shaw dates back to his inaugural year when they finished first and second at the Jon Pall Sigmarsson Classic with the American coming out on top. 

Shaw has won the Arnold Strongman Classic three times since 2011, including last year, and he hasn't finished lower than second in six years.

Bjornsson's best overall finish at the Arnold Strongman Classic came in 2017 when he was the runner-up to Shaw. 

Friday's triumph is a good first step for Bjornsson to finally get over that hump, though he has to keep putting pressure on Shaw. They will be back in action tomorrow with three events, including the timber carry, elephant bar deadlift and Appolon's Wheel, to determine this year's Arnold Strongman Champion.

Shaw dominated these events last year, finishing first in the timber carry and elephant bar to finish six points ahead of Bjornsson in the final standings. 

With an additional year of training and preparation behind him, Bjornsson knows the task ahead of him will require even more stamina and power on Saturday than he displayed in the first round. 

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University of La Verne strength and conditioning coach Matt Durant is starting his son young.

On Tuesday, the boy—identified as Baby J—put in work in the team weight room. With the players pumping him up, the little guy set a clean "PR."

It looked like he used 11-pound rubber plates.

The kid is a beast.

[Instagram]

https://twitter.com/mheaden31/status/854773255525281792

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The friend, while lowering the bar to his chest, accidentally ripped a booming fart. The rest of the group went into a frenzy. The spotter was genuinely screaming.

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[Twitter] 

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