On July 13, 2022, over Instagram, strongman Mitchell Hooper shared footage of himself capturing a 184-kilogram (406-pound) log press for two reps. Per Hooper, this log press feat is a new personal record (PR).
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Hooper’s log press training is part of his preparation for the 2022 Shaw Classic. The Log Press is one of this year’s staple events and will kick off Day Two of the competition. The contest will take place at the Budweiser Events Center on August 13-14, 2022, in Loveland, CO.
Here’s the confirmed, current roster for the 2022 Shaw Classic:
2022 Shaw Classic Roster
- Trey Mitchell — Defending Champion
- Brian Shaw — 2021 Runner-up
- Mitchell Hooper
- Žydrūnas Savickas
- Tom Stoltman
- Luke Stoltman
- Oleksii Novikov
- Evan Singleton
- Gabriel Rheaume
- Aivars Smaukstelis
- Bobby Thompson
- Maxime Boudreault
- Konstantine Janashia
- Gabriel Peña
- Kevin Faires
- Jerry Pritchett
Here’s the schedule of events for both days of the 2022 Shaw Classic:
Day One — Saturday, August 13, 2022
- Max Hummer Tire Deadlift
- Super Yoke Event
- Circus Dumbbell
- Throwing Event (Bag or Keg)
Day Two — Sunday, August 14, 2022
- Log Press
- Frame Carry Arm-Over-Arm Medley
- Car Leg Press for Reps
- Atlas Stones
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Staying Busy
It’s been quite an eventful past few months for the 26-year-0ld Hooper.
Ever since a promising debut at the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) — where Hooper blitzed Group 2 of the Qualifying Round and placed eighth in the Finals — the Canadian become one of the more noteworthy names in strongman. That WSM performance helped earn a Wild Card nod to the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic in early July, where he finished in second place. Now, with the 2022 Shaw Classic roughly a month away at the time of this writing, Hooper will have competed in three major strongman contests in just over two and a half months.
Hooper is staying occupied and diligent with his training, too. Before this new log press double PR, the strongman deadlifted a staggering 425 kilograms (937 pounds) for two singles during a late June 2022 training session. (His best-ever deadlift is 475 kilograms.) That lift occured before the Strongman Classic, but it could also help Hooper excel on the Max Hummer Tire Deadlift at the Shaw Classic.
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A Tall Hurdle
According to Strongman Archives, Hooper has never won an international contest. If he’s going to change that history at the Shaw Classic, he’ll have to top some of the biggest names in strongman.
The field includes four-time WSM Champion (2009-2010, 2012, 2014) Žydrūnas Savickas, eponymous organizer, and fellow former WSM winner (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016) Brian Shaw, 2020 WSM champion Oleksii Novikov, and two-time reigning WSM champion (2021-2022) Tom Stoltman.
Hooper has arguably already put himself on the strongman map. If he can beat these legends, there will be no denying his arrival as a strongman superstar.
Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
