Benedikt "Benni" Magnússon (/ˈbɛni ˈmæɡnəsən/ BEN-ee MAG-nə-sən, Icelandic: [ˈpɛːnɛtɪxt ˈmaknusɔn]; born 4 June 1983) is an Icelandic strongman and powerlifter. He held the raw deadlift world record from 2011 to 2022 with 460.4 kg (1,015 lb), and it remains the heaviest raw deadlift ever done in conventional stance.^[1][2]

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Benedikt Magnússon

Benedikt in 2008
Personal information
Nickname	Benni
Born	(1983-06-04) 4 June 1983 (age 40) Reykjavík, Iceland
Occupation(s)	Strongman, powerlifter
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	150–164 kg (331–362 lb)
Children	3
Relative	Magnús Magnússon (brother)
Medal record Strongman Representing  Iceland World's Strongest Man Qualified 2015 Arnold Strongman Classic 5th 2006 5th 2008 IFSA Strongman World Championship 7th 2006 Iceland's Strongest Man (IFSA) 1st 2003 1st 2004 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2003 2nd 2004 2nd 2010 Iceland's Strongest Viking 1st 2007

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Benedikt also holds the record for the heaviest raw conventional deadlift ever performed within a full powerlifting competition at 442.5 kg (976 lb).^[3] He also set the world record for the heaviest strongman deadlift in 2014 with 461 kg (1,016 lb), which stood until English strongman Eddie Hall lifted 462 kg (1,019 lb) the next year.

Benedikt formerly held the world record for the Hummer tire deadlift of 500 kg (1,102 lb) at the Arnold Strongman Classic, in which hummer tires are used instead of powerlifting plates under strongman rules where lifting straps are allowed. Benedikt finished fifth at the Arnold Strongman Classic in 2006 & 2008, and was winner of Iceland's Strongest Man in 2003^[4] as well as runner up in 2004 and 2010.^[5]

Benedikt is the current WPO powerlifting world record holder in the deadlift. He lifted 440 kilograms (970 lb) in 2005 in Helsinki.^[6] He held the Icelandic Log press record at 180 kg (397 lb) until Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson pressed 213 kg (470 lb) in 2018, and the strongman deadlift world record, lifting 460.4 kg (1,015 lb) at MHP's Clash of the Titan's IV (Ronnie Coleman classic) on 2 April 2011, which is only surpassed in sumo stance.

Benedikt lays out his training routine leading up to his 460.4 kg (1,015 lb) 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.^[7] He was sponsored by online sports nutrition brand Myprotein.^[8]

After his absence from competing due to injury and the following rehabilitation, Benedikt returned and broke the Strongman Deadlift World Record at the Giants Live Strongman competition in Melbourne, Australia by deadlifting 445 kg (981 lb) raw with straps.^[9]

After only eight weeks of training due to an operation to re-attach a finger tendon, Benedikt broke his own strongman deadlift world record at the World Deadlift Championships at Europe's Strongest Man 2014 with a lift of 461 kg (1,016 lb) on a standard bar and plates.

Benedikt then went on to compete in the World Deadlift Championships at Europe's Strongest Man 2016, lifting 465 kg (1,025 lb)^[10] to equal the strongman world record deadlift on a standard bar, with standard plates, which had been set moments earlier by Eddie Hall.^[11] Eddie Hall then went on to be the first person to deadlift 500 kg (1,102 lb),^[12] which Benedikt Magnusson attempted also, but was unsuccessful.^[13]

Benedikt is the brother of fellow Iceland's Strongest Man winner Magnús Magnússon.^[14]

Benedikt and Britain's Strongest Woman winner ex wife Gemma Taylor co-owned a heavy lifting gym in Iceland called Super Gym, which ran monthly "raw" (without the aid of lifting suits) competitions including Log Lift Max, Deadlift Max, Rolling Thunder Max, Bench Press Max, and Squat Max.

• List of strongmen