Eddie Hall at Radisson Blu Hotel in Leicester Square, London LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Eddie Hall at Radisson Blu Hotel before attending the Shelter UK Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. CAP/MAR MAR/ Great Britain Copyright: xMartinxHarris/CapitalxPicturesx
Eddie Hall at Radisson Blu Hotel in Leicester Square, London LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Eddie Hall at Radisson Blu Hotel before attending the Shelter UK Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. CAP/MAR MAR/ Great Britain Copyright: xMartinxHarris/CapitalxPicturesx
Jul 24, 2026, 7:00 PM CUT
How Eddie Hall prepared his mind to Deadlift a Historic 500kg
At 28, Eddie Hall stopped the strength world in its tracks after lifting 500kg, once considered impossible by many. That was more than a physical feat, with Hall unlocking the darkest corners of his mind to exploit his psychological trigger system.
"I would rub my gum shield in the blood. So when I put the gum shield in, I would taste blood... So I'd taste blood, and that is a massive activator for the human mind to release adrenaline," explained Hall on June 20th.
English strongman Eddie Hall revealed his mental tactics at the 2016 Europe's Strongest Man competition in a January episode of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast by James Haskell. Haskell reposted that clip on Instagram.
Eddie Hall at Radisson Blu Hotel in Leicester Square, London LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Eddie Hall at Radisson Blu Hotel before attending the Shelter UK Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. CAP/MAR MAR/ Great Britain Copyright: xMartinxHarris/CapitalxPicturesx
Eddie Hall at Radisson Blu Hotel in Leicester Square, London LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Eddie Hall at Radisson Blu Hotel before attending the Shelter UK Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. CAP/MAR MAR/ Great Britain Copyright: xMartinxHarris/CapitalxPicturesx
Although tasting your own blood is no hard-and-fast rule to induce an adrenaline rush, it helped Hall enter a pre-conditioned intense mental state.
"...I'd be like lifting a car off of my kids," the 'Beast' added.
He likened it to the deadlift bar. That triggered his fight-or-flight mode, helping him challenge human limits and bridge the gap of the last 37 kgs from his personal best.
Hall's extreme methods are not unique. Across strength sports, elite athletes are turning to hypnosis and psychological conditioning.
Why elite athletes embrace hypnosis
While Eddie Hall's intense preparation made the headlines, many other athletes have also turned to hypnosis and psychological manipulation to enhance their performance.
Scottish strongman Tom Stoltman clinched the World's Strongest Man title a record-breaking third time in 2024 after he added a sports psychologist to the crew.
In fact, talking with The Sun last year, he revealed his experience.
"I think the sports psychologist really helped me get a mindset that I was starting to play a few mind games with people," he said.
Guinness world-record-holding powerlifter Liam Beville also told SportsJOE how hypnosis and visualizing the win before even stepping onto the stage helped both his nerves and his performance.
What the evidence repeatedly shows is supported by science, too. One article published by the National Library of Medicine stated that hypnosis can help athletes with their self-confidence, energy conservation, and even improve their skills.
From Hall to Stoltman, mental conditioning continues to shape how champions prepare for their biggest moments. What's your view on hypnotherapy?
Written by
Proma Chatterjee
Edited by
Aadesh Dhote