Magnús began powerlifting in 1984, and in 1985 he won a medal in the junior European and World Championships. He won the Senior European title in the 125 kg class in 1988 and 1990. His best lifts in competition include a 437.5 kg squat, 400 kg raw squat, 275 kg bench press with shirt and 250 kg raw bench press, 375 kg raw deadlift, and a raw total of 1015 kg. He once held the world record for a tire deadlift of 445 kg.
Strongman
Magnús competed in his first strongman contest in 1985, finishing third in the Iceland's Strongest Man competition won by Jón Páll Sigmarsson. He decided to focus solely on strongman competition after he won the 1991 World's Strongest Man contest. His strongman victories include the 1989 Pure Strength contest in Scotland, the 1991 and 1993 International Power Challenge, the 1992 Scandinavian Strongest Man, the 1992 Nordic Strongest Man, the 1994 Europe's Strongest Man, the 1995 World Muscle Power Championship, and the 1995 and 1997 Viking Challenge. In addition to his four World's Strongest Man titles, he was also runner-up in 1992 and 1993. He has also won the Iceland's strongest man competition many times and the West coast Viking of Iceland nine times. He is considered to be one of the first modern strongman competitors and is regarded by many to be one of the best strongmen of all time. He carried Jón Páll's formula of being athletic for the dynamic tests of strength and having tremendous static strength to out lift some of the best Powerlifters. He was able to easily out deadlift the favoured O.D Wilson by 40 kg in 1991 and out squatted the world record holder in the squat, Gerrit Badenhorst, in 1995. After Magnus squatted 437.5 kg, Badenhorst commented that he had previously underestimated Magnus' pure strength and that Magnus' squat was the greatest squat he had ever seen from someone of his bodyweight. He competed in a one-off event at the Giants Live Strongman Championship 2019 held in Wembley against fellow strongman legend Bill Kazmaier in the Hercules Hold, with the weight being reduced by 20kg on each side from what the professional athletes were working with. Despite having not competed in a strongman event since 2004, Magnusson stunned the capacity crowd with a time of 101.2 seconds, whilst Kazmaier could only manage just over 18 seconds.
Personal life
Magnús lives with his wife Maggý Mýrdal, who is a company owner of a design store Fonts, her daughter Sóldögg María, and his daughter Vera Mist, in Kópavogur, Iceland. His older daughter Maríanna lives in Mosfellsbær and is a nurse. Magnús frequently judges international powerlifting and strongman competitions. Magnús owns a powerlifting and strongman gym in Kópavogur called Jakaból. The name Jakaból is a reference to an old gym in Reykjavík where Jón Páll Sigmarsson and many other Icelandic legends used to train. Magnús has been the referee of the since 2017. On May 2nd 2020 Magnús was the referee when Hafthor deadlifted 501 kilograms, which was broadcast on ESPN. Magnús met Hafthor in 2009 when Magnús was training "I was in the gym and I ran in to this tall guy and said would you like to come lift?, Hafthor said I'll think about it" Hafthor's first competition was the 2009 westford's viking in iceland
Personal record
In competition:
Squat - 437.5 kg
Facts
In 2008, he made an appearance on Comedy Central's The Daily Show.
Magnus appeared in a Coors Light commercial as the "World's Strongest Man" which aired in the United States.
