Mitchell Hooper needed barely one year to rise to the top of the sport of strongman. After winning the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM), it’d be fair if the Canadian strongman decided to sit back and roost in his success. Such an achievement does not come lightly, after all. That’s not how this young strength superstar operates.
On Apr. 26, 2023, Hooper posted a video to his YouTube channel where he worked through his first official (filmed) workout after capturing the first WSM title of his career. At the time of the video, Hooper is still in Myrtle Beach, SC — the site of the 2023 WSM. In the workout, Hooper does not necessarily reinvent the wheel. Nor does he introduce any outlandish concepts. It’s still an exercise routine noteworthy for someone who is officially one of the strongest people on the planet.
Hooper characterizes his workout as one of a “bodybuilding” variety. As the athlete explains, he didn’t “feel sore” mere days after his WSM triumph and wanted to ratchet up the intensity as a result.
Throughout his workout, Hooper focuses heavily on his chest and upper body. While he doesn’t provide precise specifics on repetitions and weight on every single segment of his training session, it’s still evidently a routine that pushes some of the limits of the current face of strongman.
Hooper begins the day with a classic barbell bench press, and gradually works his way up to 142.8 kilograms (315 pounds) for a set of 15 reps. He would close this portion with a 15-rep set at 102 kilograms (225 pounds). Here, the strongman seemingly appeared to start feeling some of the fatigue from his resounding WSM performance.
“I feel good,” Hooper explained. “My muscular endurance is terrible though. I can already feel some fatigue setting in during that [the bench press].”
The next piece of his workout saw Hooper utilize a Standing Bench Press machine, which Hooper noted was an event recently announced to appear in the 2023 Shaw Classic, taking place Aug. 19-20, 2023.
While continuing to focus on his chest endurance, the athlete powered through a few high-rep sets with the inadvertent aim of scoring a muscle pump. The variation is apparently easier than a traditional bench press, but it still pushed Hooper to a level of fatigue.
“I am getting a severe pump at the moment, big time pump,” Hooper said. “It is easier [than a traditional bench press], but I am just so fatigued.”
After giving his chest significant attention, Hooper threw in a measure of high-rep neutral-grip lat pulldowns. After several sets, his attention turned to a young lifter across the gym performing deadlifts. Hooper offered some deadlift form tips and watched as the gym-goer hoisted 206.4 kilograms (455 pounds) for six repetitions. The WSM champion gave the fortunate fan more general training advice before returning to his workout.
Back on track, Hooper completed his pulldowns, followed by lateral raises, triceps extensions, and bicep curls on a machine. While assuredly not an endeavor that happened quickly, Hooper described his overall routine as something that almost felt unproductive due to its relative brevity and intensity.
Here’s an overview of Hooper’s complete first workout as the 2023 WSM champion.
Mitchell Hooper | First Workout As WSM Champion
- Bench Press
- Standing Bench Press Machine
- Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown
- Lateral Raise
- Cable Triceps Extension
- Machine Biceps Curl
Of course, for this strongman star with plenty on his plate, he still got a lot done.
“It is funny, you almost feel like you are in and out without doing anything,” Hooper clarified. “But, biceps are pumped, chest will be sore, triceps will be sore. Objective achieved.”
With his first WSM victory in tow, Hooper could be expected to continue be full steam ahead during the 2023 competitive calendar. The athlete will likely be a central fixture at the 2023 Shaw Classic (SC) and the 2023 Strongman Rogue Invitational (SRI). The strongman finished in third place at the 2022 iterations of both contests.
At the time of this writing, Hooper has not clarified whether he has any other plans for strongman competition through the remainder of the year. Though, it’s likely he will add more to his docket. Hooper is now a definitive household name, taking in workouts when he can, looking for the next strongman podium to conquer.
Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
