On July 26, 2022, strongman Mitchell Hooper shared footage on his Instagram profile where he performed a 907.2-kilogram (2,000-pound) leg press for eight reps. Per the caption of his post, Hooper says the display of staggering leg strength was part of his preparation for the upcoming Shaw Classic, which will take place on August 13-14, 2022, at the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland, CO.
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At the time of this writing, events for the 2022 Shaw Classic have been public knowledge for over two months. Hooper was probably inspired to showcase his leg press prowess after seeing Brian Shaw pressing the a 2,000-pound car rigged to a leg press — which is the same set-up the athletes will use in Colorado. (Shaw is the event organizer and is competing.) Hooper’s leg press clip came an approximate day after Shaw showed off an example of the Car Leg Press for Reps during the competition.
Hooper is leaving no weight unlifted regarding his training for the contest. In mid-July 2022, the strongman captured a personal record (PR) 406-pound log press double. The Log Press is another staple event in this edition of the Shaw Classic. Judging by the ease with which Hooper cruises through both the leg press and log press in his recent training feats — the athlete might not have much of an issue when it’s time to compete again.
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Here’s the schedule and complete list of events for the 2022 Shaw Classic:
2022 Shaw Classic Events
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
At the time of this article’s publication, here’s the confirmed roster for the contest:
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
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At this pace, it’s apparent Hooper will take on any challenge presented to him.
Over the past couple of months, the rising star was a prominent part of the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) and Giants Live Strongman Classic contests. A qualifying round blitz in the 2022 WSM — where he almost doubled Shaw’s points output — is what put him on the map in the first place. To follow that stellar debut performance with a second-place finish to former WSM champ (2020) Oleksii Novikov in the Strongman Classic could speak to Hooper’s rapid progress as a competitor.
It seems the promising 26-year-old strongman wants to make his third contest in as many months — the 2022 Shaw Classic — his best yet.
Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
