Mitchell Hooper stormed the professional strongman scene with an outstanding debut at the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM). Just months later, the star is already in a place where he may keep stacking achievements on top of achievements.
On Oct. 11, 2022, Hooper shared an Instagram clip of himself completing a raw 488.6-kilogram (1,075-pound) 19-inch deadlift. According to the caption of the Canadian athlete’s post, it’s a new personal record (PR). Hooper wore a lifting belt and lifting straps and completed the pull in his socks.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: 4 Workouts With a Single Dumbbell for Muscle, Fat Loss, and More]
Hooper wrote that he completed his deadlift from a 19-inch position for “strongman reasons.” What he’s alluding to is the 2022 Rogue Invitational, which will take place on Oct. 28-30, 2022, in Austin, TX. At the time of this writing, the contest’s events have not been announced. It appears Hooper is preparing his strength for a related deadlift as a contingency.
The Canadian strongman has shown off plenty of eye-opening training displays of strength in recent months.
In late June 2022, Hooper completed a 425-kilogram (937-pound) raw traditional deadlift for two singles. Roughly a couple of weeks later, in mid-July 2022, the athlete logged a 184-kilogram (406-pound) log press double PR. Then, in mid-September 2022, before a recent spate of competitive success, Hooper completed a 315-kilogram (695-pound) squat for a five-rep PR.
[Related: How to Do the Hack Squat — Benefits, Variations, and More]
Should Hooper transfer his power to Austin and win, it will mark his third consecutive victory in a strongman competition. The athlete previously won his first pro contest at the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK in late September. Then, in early October 2022, he followed that performance with his first career victory on the Giants Live circuit at the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals. Perhaps even more impressively, if Hooper finishes in the top three again, it will be his sixth straight appearance on a strongman podium dating back to the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic.
Here’s the current roster of athletes Hooper will try to topple at the 2022 Rogue Invitational:
2022 Rogue Invitational Roster
- Martins Licis — Reigning Champion
- Mitchell Hooper
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy
- Maxime Boudreault
- Bobby Thompson
- Eythór Ingólfsson Melsted
- Kevin Faires
- Oleksii Novikov
- Rob Kearney
- Trey Mitchell
View this post on Instagram
[Related: How to Do the Inverted Row — Benefits, Variations, and More]
Hooper has enjoyed a meteoric rise in his early strongman career, and it doesn’t seem like he plans to slow down any time soon. At his rapid pace, this 26-year-old phenom could very well cement himself as a prominent fixture in the sport for years to come.
Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
