Benedikt Magnússon

Benedikt "Benni" Magnússon ( , ; born 4 June 1983) is an Icelandic strongman and powerlifter. He held the raw deadlift world record from 2011 to 2022 with , and it remains the heaviest raw deadlift ever done in conventional stance. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest deadlifters of all-time.

Benedikt also held the record for the heaviest raw conventional deadlift ever performed within a full meet at for 15 years. He also set the world record for the heaviest strongman deadlift in 2014 with and briefly shared it with in 2016.

Powerlifting career Benedikt started his powerlifting journey at the age of 16, in 1999, deadlifting in single ply equipment during Íslandsmeistaramót national championships. By 2001, he progressed to a total in singly ply equipment. In 2004, at the age of 21, he totaled and the following year took it to with a squat, bench press and a deadlift, in singly ply equipment.

Benedikt's breakthrough performance came in 2005, when he switched from equipped to raw division in powerlifting. At 2005 WPO European Semi Finals, in Helsinki, Benedikt broke Andy Bolton's all-time deadlift world record by pulling raw as his opener. Andy who was also competing at the same competition, responded with a equipped pull to re-claim the record. But it did not last very long as Benedikt shattered it in his second lift with a massive raw pull, increasing the record to a never approached territory.

The record stood only four months until Bolton pulled equipped during 2006 Arnold Classic. Benedikt suffered an injury and for the next three years was out of the limelight, where Bolton took the record to and by 2009. In his return after the injury, Benedikt pulled raw at 2010 FPO Bullfarm Championships in Helsinki but was surpassed by Bolton who pulled equipped in the same meet.

At 2011 Ronnie Coleman classic - Clash of the Titans IV, Benedikt reclaimed the all-time world record with which remained the heaviest raw or equipped deadlift for 11 years until 2022, and to this day remains the heaviest raw deadlift ever done in conventional stance.

Strongman career Benedikt's strongman career started in 2003 where he won both Iceland's Strongest Man and Iceland's Strongest Man IFSA version. The following year he won the IFSA version but lost the main title to the veteran Magnús Ver Magnússon. In 2006 he was invited to the Arnold Strongman Classic where he placed fifth. Benedikt won the timber carry event and placed second to Brian Siders at the 15 inch elevated Hummer tyre deadlift, where hummer tires were used instead of standard powerlifting plates, and lifting straps were allowed.

In 2007, he won Iceland's Strongest Viking and returning to the Arnold Strongman Classic in 2008, again emerged fifth, sharing the hummer tyre deadlift world record with Oleksandr Pekanov with a pull of before pulling on the record breakers attempt following the competition. In 2010 Iceland's Strongest Man he emerged runner-up to Stefán Sölvi Pétursson. Benedikt's next competition was the 2014 Giants Live FitX Melbourne where he broke Brian Shaw's strongman deadlift record with . A few months later at World Deadlift Championships, Benedikt broke the strongman deadlift record again with and then in his last attempt, pulled , surpassing his own powerlifting world record of , making the new performed in strongman standards, the 'all-time world record' deadlift.

In 2015, Benedikt qualified to the World's Strongest Man but couldn't enter the finals and was eliminated at the group stage. At 2015 World Log Lift Championships Benedikt pressed a log, surpassing Ari Gunnarsson as the Icelandic national log press record holder. He held the record for one year until Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson pressed at 2016 Arnold South America.

At 2016 Europe's Strongest Man, Benedikt deadlifted to equal the, now all-time deadlift world record (irrespective of strongman or powerlifting) with Jerry Pritchett and Eddie Hall. Hall then went on to be the first person to deadlift , which Benedikt also attempted, but was unsuccessful. Benedikt's last competition was 2016 Giants Live Scandinavian Open in Sweden.

Personal records Powerlifting: Raw: Squat (w/wraps) – (2010 FPO Bullfarm Powerlifting Championships) Bench press – (2010 FPO Bullfarm Powerlifting Championships) Deadlift – (2011 Hardcore Clash of the Titans IV) (World Record) Total – (2010 FPO Bullfarm Powerlifting Championships)

Equipped (single ply): Squat – (2005 KRAFT Íslandsmeistaramót í kraftlyftingum) Bench press – (2005 KRAFT Íslandsmeistaramót í kraftlyftingum) Total – (2005 KRAFT Íslandsmeistaramót í kraftlyftingum)

Strongman: Deadlift – (2016 World Deadlift Championships) (Former World Record) Deadlift for reps – for 5 reps (2010 Steve Gym comp) (Former World Record) Hummer tire Deadlift (15 in from the floor) – (2008 Arnold Strongman Classic, record breakers) (Former World Record) Log press – (2015 World Log Lift Championships) → Benedikt has also pressed and in training Apollon's Axle press – for 3 reps (2006 IFSA Ukraine Grand Prix) Timber carry (raw grip) – for 40 ft in 11.47 seconds (2006 Arnold Strongman Classic) Keg toss – over (2004 Westfjord's Viking)

Personal life Benedikt is the brother of fellow Iceland's Strongest Man winner Magnús Magnússon.

Benedikt and his Britain's Strongest Woman winner ex wife Gemma Taylor co-owned the Super Gym in Iceland, which ran monthly 'raw' competitions including Deadlift, Squat, Bench press, Log press and Rolling Thunder.

Benedikt lays out his training routine leading up to his deadlift in two simple steps, starting with the pre-conditioning phase and ending with the muscle-building phase. Between the two phases, he would spend 4–6 days in the gym per week. He was sponsored by online sports nutrition brand Myprotein.