Since ancient times, people participate in various kinds of competitions. Men have always shown off their strength to women. Why was this done? Because the stronger the person, the healthier he is, and the better offspring will be. In antiquity, this rule worked. Now - not always, due to the rapid development of pharmacology. Today, any person can be artificially made strong by pumping with special drugs. But the consequences of this will not be the best. But there are natural strongmen. Their distinctive feature is character: they are kind and always cheerful. As they say now, charismatic personalities. There has long been even a proverb about such a saying: the more people, the kinder.
Now these guys are competing not in lifting stones or horses (although there are such competitions), but in lifting the bar. Three main exercises that are included in modern competitions in powerlifting (powerlifting):
- squat with a barbell;
- bench press from the chest;
- deadlift (or, as it is called officially, Deadlift - deadlift).
Between themselves, the heavyweights say that it is one exercise that separates the boy from the man - this is the deadlift of a barbell over 400 kilograms.
Benedict Magnusson: height, weight, life story
The hero of our story today has a unique charisma with its height of 183 centimeters and a weight of about 175 kilograms. This unusually strong man set three times the world record in deadlift, bringing it to 465 kg. Meet: Benedict Magnusson. At home in Iceland, he is called Benedicht, and in the powerlifter circles he has a simple fun nickname - Benny. What to do to a little boy in an island cold country, where there is only the sea around and a lot of stones? Of course, pick them up and throw them. As a child, Benedict did this with his friends: who will give up and who will raise more. While skiing, the boy received a back injury. Surprisingly, it was from this moment that the real life began, which Benedict Magnusson likes to remember. The biography of the athlete is full of achievements.
First achievements
At the age of 16, he first came to the gym to heal his back, and the coach advised to pull the bar to strengthen the muscles of the back and intervertebral discs. Weighing 140 kg, Benedict Magnusson immediately pulled 120 kg, after a couple of days - already 180 kg. At the age of twenty, the young man received the title of the most powerful person in his homeland in Iceland. Benny's brother, Magnus Magnusson, is also a professional powerlifter.
World record holder
Powerlifting has its own associations and weight categories. Benedict Magnusson (deadlift 460 kg) acts only in heavyweights for 120 kg. His personal weight he ranged from 140 to 175 kg. In 2005, Benny was already pulling the winning 440 kg. In the Arnold Classic competition , Benedict Magnusson was twice fifth in 2006 and 2008. Training hard, the heavyweight really liked the fans, subduing them not only with their lifted loads, but also with their unique energy and childish enthusiasm at the performances. In 2011, Benedict Magnusson became famous for the world record in deadlift of 460 kilograms (without additional equipment, without straps and supporting overalls). He later broke his record by taking weight 5 kg more.
What is Benedict Magnusson doing today?
Due to a quadriceps muscle injury, Benny stopped training and speaking. Heavy loads are always a huge risk of injury. Benny started selling sports nutrition and equipment. His record was eventually broken (Eddie Hall from the USA reached the coveted milestone of 500 kg). But Benny will be remembered for a long time by everyone with his kind and cheerful smile. He pulled the Hammer tires weighing 500 kg, although this is not included in the professional standard. The best achievement of Benedict Magnusson in squats with a barbell is 380 kg, bench press - 220 kg without equipment. Benedict has now cured the injury and continues to train further, intending to regain his world title again. This cheerful big man found himself the same wife, who is similar to him even externally and also does powerlifting. In his homeland, Gemma was awarded the title "The most powerful woman in the UK." This family in Iceland has its own Super Bench gym, where spouses hold powerlifting competitions.
The Slavs also from ancient times on festive squares held various heroic competitions. This tradition has survived now. Our athletes are again approaching world achievements already in modern heroic games and powerlifting. After all, it is very spectacular when giant uncles rush about, lifting, throwing, and carrying completely non-childish weights with a childish fuse.