In a video posted on his YouTube page on Nov. 13, 2023, Hooper tried the seven-time Mr. Olympia winner’s iconic back and biceps workout. Needless to say, the high-volume style of training gave the Canadian strongman an even deeper appreciation for Schwarzenegger’s accomplishments.

Always up for a challenge, Hooper tested his upper-body strength and stamina via a series of back and biceps exercises that left his muscles thoroughly taxed. Paying homage to arguably the most popular bodybuilder ever to live, it didn’t take long for the talented strongman to understand the differences between how athletes from each sport benefit from their specific training modalities.

Hooper kicked off the session with four back exercises before finishing up with several curl variations. The workout begins about 40 seconds into the video.

Wide-Grip Pull-Up

Tipping the scales at about 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, Hooper recruited his lats to lift his sizable frame to the top of the assisted pull-up machine. Going with a wide grip led to enhanced lat engagement and allowed the Ontario native to better utilize his rhomboids and trapezius muscles.

After completing his second set, Hooper took a look at some of Schwarzenegger’s best lifts, which included a 498-pound (226-kilogram) bench press and a 709.9-pound (322-kilogram) deadlift. Despite not being overly impressed by those numbers, Hooper acknowledged that bodybuilders have a distinct advantage in one key area.

“Upper body strength is disproportionally good in bodybuilders because their muscle mass is so high up there,” he explained. “I don’t know what that is. Maybe strongmen should do a lot more upper body accessory work than we do because bodybuilders are so strong comparatively.

Following that brief rest period, Hooper wrapped up the first portion of the workout by completing three more sets of wide-grip pull-ups.

T-Bar Row

Next, Hooper went with a variation of one of Schwarzenegger’s favorite exercises: the T-bar row. Starting with three 45-pound (20.4-kilogram) plates, the big man explosively pulled and squeezed each rep, noting that his upper-body strength isn’t on the same level as his lower body.

“Like 80 percent of everything we do is quad, hamstring, glute,” Hooper said about strongmen. “Leg drive, if you’ve got that, you’re going to do very well.”

Subsequent sets of T-bar rows included heavier loads, which forced the Canadian athlete to use his core and legs to maintain stability throughout the movement.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

Hooper then went over to the dumbbell section to perform single-arm rows. A classic back exercise that’s great for building thickness, he made quick work of 130-pound (59-kilogram) dumbbells for his first two sets. However, just because it looked easy doesn’t mean Hooper enjoyed this part of the workout.

“I think this might be my least favorite exercise,” he explained. “The difficulty is a lot in your core, not a lot in the actual pulling. So it’s like a core workout with an arbitrary dumbbell movement.”

Still, Hooper pushed (or in this case, pulled) on to finish two more sets with the same weight, making sure to maintain a neutral spine as he completed the heavy dumbbell rows.

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown

The final back exercise of the workout put Hooper’s lats to the ultimate test. Having already accepted the reality that he would be “sore as hell” the next day, he mustered up the energy to complete four sets of close-grip lat pulldowns. Hooper leaned back slightly during the movement, pulling the handle down to just above chest level.

Once he finished on the cable machine, he moved on to the second half of his session.

[Related: The Best Arm Workouts for Beginners, With Dumbbells, and More]

Biceps Circuit

With about 20 minutes left to train, Hooper wrapped his biceps in blood restriction cuffs, which have been shown to help increase hypertrophy. (1) Although he performed fewer working sets than Schwarzenegger’s protocol, Hooper still achieved an excellent muscle-building stimulus.

Aiming to hit his biceps from multiple angles, the reigning WSM completed four rounds of a four-part circuit that included the following exercises:

• Standing Barbell Curl — Used a 70-pound (31.8-kilogram) curl bar
• Barbell Preacher Curl — Used the same 70-pound (31.8-kilogram) curl bar
• Alternating Dumbbell Curl — Used 50-pound (22.7-kilogram) dumbbells
• Concentration Curl — Used 45-pound (20.4-kilogram) dumbbells

By the time he cranked out his final rep, an exasperated and vascular version of Hooper seemed happy with the pump he achieved during the expedited biceps session.

Schwarzenegger-Style Back and Biceps Workout

Here’s a complete breakdown of the Arnold Schwarzenegger-inspired back and biceps workout Hooper performed.

• Wide-Grip Pull-Up — 5 x 8-12
• T-Bar Row — 5 x 8-12
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row — 4 x 8-12
• Close-Grip Lat Pulldown — 4 x 8-12
• Standing Barbell Curl — 4 x 8-12
• Barbell Preacher Curl — 4 x 8-12
• Alternating Dumbbell Curl — 4 x 8-12
• Concentration Curl — 4 x 8-12

While you shouldn’t expect to see Mitchell Hooper enter a bodybuilding show anytime soon, the fact he’s willing to try different styles of training and share his honest feedback shows why he’s one of the more well-respected and popular strength athletes today. Already a world-class strongman, anything he does to improve in other areas will only make him a more fierce competitor moving forward.

Featured Image: Mitchell Hooper / YouTube

References

1. Wortman RJ, Brown SM, Savage-Elliott I, Finley ZJ, Mulcahey MK. Blood Flow Restriction Training for Athletes: A Systematic Review. Am J Sports Med. 2021 Jun;49(7):1938-1944. doi: 10.1177/0363546520964454. Epub 2020 Nov 16. PMID: 33196300.

The post Mitchell Hooper Tackles Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Brutal Back and Biceps Workout appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In a video posted on his YouTube page on Nov. 16, 2023, Hooper took on the improbable challenge of performing a Coleman-inspired back workout that included three basic exercises using loads that gave him a newfound appreciation for the living legend’s accomplishments in the gym.

Besides boasting an incredibly muscular and symmetrical physique, The King earned plenty of praise for his ability to train with the strength of a powerlifter (which Coleman was at one point). Known for working with extremely heavy weights and pushing himself to the point of failure, Coleman set personal records in some staple lifts that still seem unfathomable years later, including military pressing 315 pounds (143 kilograms) for 12 reps and squatting and deadlifting 800 pounds for two reps. Combining that powerbuilding approach with a high-protein diet and an ultra-disciplined lifestyle helped the Louisiana native collect 26 IFBB pro show wins, including eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles from 1998-2005.

However, even for Hooper, who became the fourth person to win WSM and the Arnold Strongman Classic in the same year back in April 2023, Coleman’s training style seemed well beyond his capabilities. Still, the Canadian strongman showed he’s no slouch by making easy work of the first back exercise.

The three-part workout begins around the 1:05 mark of the video.

Conventional Deadlift — 800 pounds (362.9 kilograms) for two reps

Coleman famously completed two reps of an 800-pound conventional deadlift in the 2000 documentary Ronnie Coleman: The Unbelievable. For most people, replicating that feat would be downright impossible. Yet for Hooper, who has pulled 1,000 pounds, matching Coleman’s best deadlift didn’t present much of a challenge.

The 28-year-old started with a warm-up set of 575 pounds (260.8 kilograms), showcasing picture-perfect form by driving his hips forward during the lockout phase. Before performing his next set, Hooper pointed to the peanut tattoo on the inside of his left ankle and noted that he got it to pay homage to Coleman’s “Ain’t nothing but a peanut” signature catchphrase.

After a final warm-up set of 685 pounds (310.7 kilograms), the accomplished strongman raised the stakes and attempted to hit 800 pounds (362.9 kilograms) twice just as Coleman did more than two decades ago. Unsurprisingly, Hooper had no trouble matching The King’s best deadlift, completing two clean reps.

[Related: 7 Tips to Perfect Your Deadlift Form]

Bent-Over Row — 515 pounds (233.6 kilograms) for 10 reps

Six years after setting his deadlift PR, Coleman smashed 10 reps of barbell bent-over rows with a total of 515 pounds (233.6 kilograms) in the 2006 documentary Ronnie Coleman: Relentless. A taxing exercise that targets your lats, spinal erectors, glutes, hamstrings, and scapular stabilizers, this row variation requires excellent core strength to execute safely.

Despite his strongman background, Hooper didn’t have nearly the same level of confidence about being able to match Coleman’s bent-over row record as he did during the deadlift. Starting with a warm-up set of 405 pounds (183.7 kilograms) that already looked challenging, Hooper added another 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms) to the barbell.

“It’s funny how this is a really light deadlift, but when you pick it up and you’re now in the context of “you have to row it” the feeling is completely different,” he explained during his rest period.

Ultimately, Hooper didn’t even attempt to match the weight Coleman used in his prime. Instead, he topped out at eight reps of 455 pounds (206.4 kilograms) before moving on to the final exercise.

[Related: Legendary Ronnie Coleman Explains the Four Bodybuilding Poses That Built His Career]

T-Bar Row — 505 pounds (229 kilograms) for 12 reps

The session concluded with Hooper trying to go toe-to-toe with Coleman’s T-bar row record of 12 reps of 505 pounds (229 kilograms) set in 2006. He began with an easy warm-up set of 315 pounds (142.9 kilograms), which set the stage for a short discussion about the impact of lifting heavy.

“It’s a reality that every strength athlete has to face — that if you push yourself to the limit over and over and over it can result in long-term damage,” Hooper explained. “All you’re doing is shifting risk profiles. It’s important to recognize that pushing yourself to the limit does increase the risk of certain musculoskeletal issues down the track but it also completely diminishes the risk of others.

After sharing his insight about the dangers of training to the extreme, Hooper shifted his focus back to the corner of the gym for what turned out to be his final set of T-bar rows. As was the case with the bent-over rows, Hooper didn’t come close to matching one of his icons.

The winner of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition maxed out at 10 reps of 405 pounds (183.7 kilograms), proving that The King truly was (and still is) on another level.

Featured Image: Mitchell Hooper / YouTube

The post Mitchell Hooper Attempts 3 of Ronnie Coleman’s Heaviest Lifts Ever appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On August 7, 2023, Hooper posted a video to his YouTube channel where he performed a mix of strongman and CrossFit exercises. It appears to be a round-up of clips from previous videos that have appeared on Hooper’s channel. In the process, the athlete discussed the distinction between the two different athletic disciplines. The video is overlayed with Hooper walking in an undisclosed neighborhood, narrating his included workouts while sharing his thoughts. The narrated conversation takes place throughout the clip.

Over the course of his various workout clips, Hooper seemingly leaves no stone unturned. Highlights included him performing variations of high-rep log presses, clean & jerks, muscle-ups on a pull-up bar, jump rope, running on a treadmill, and classic back squats.

In the end, Hooper used a familiar argument against strongman’s effects on one’s health as it relates to CrossFit. Hooper particularly highlighted the unique tests of elite competition.

“The big challenge with CrossFit is that you take what the pros do, and it’s sort of the same argument as, ‘Strongman’s not good for your health,’ which, of course it’s not … because you’re pushing your body past what it’s capable of and, in the end, sometimes that causes you to break down. And CrossFit’s the same way.

When you look at how CrossFit Games are planned, often times when you’re dealing with the best in the world, you’re going to program things in a way that make it particularly challenging on the body. Let’s say you do a squat into a deadlift into a clean. That is massively challenging on the posterior chain and your back is going to blow up. But that’s the goal. When you’re at a competition and you’re at the professional level, that’s what you should be doing.”

At the local, non-professional level, Hooper condensed his argument in a manner more accessible for less experienced athletes and recreational lifters who don’t plan to shine at the Games. How athletes use CrossFit to get fit can vary greatly from person to person, with everyone having different goals and needs.

“The biggest difficulty [at the local level] is that every CrossFit box is sort of up to the person who runs it. Do you want to follow that style of programming? Do you want to follow it more holistic? And in the end, CrossFit has a whole bunch of fundamental movement patterns that they believe are fundamental skills, that they believe encompass fitness.

I think the only time you get into a challenge, and why people often hate on CrossFit and call it ‘stupid,’ is when you do something like a high-rep clean & jerk with someone who’s not proficient at doing the clean & jerk in the first place … that becomes really dangerous because your strength level and skill level have such a discrepancy.”

It is that discrepancy that Hooper says creates a conflict for CrossFitters of all experience levels. Per Hooper, it’s here that a coach should become a significant priority.

“So, that’s what happens with CrossFit. Even if you’re not particularly strong, that zero skill is going to have to be balanced out with some sort of strength. So you’re automatically stronger than your skill allows you to be. And that’s where a really smart and really good coach is going to help you get there.”

Perhaps few other people could explain the challenges and drawbacks of CrossFit as eloquently as Hooper. His rationale as an elite strength sports athlete makes sense and is one any prospective CrossFitter should heed.

Featured image: Mitchell Hooper on YouTube

The post Mitchell Hooper Discusses Risks and Benefits of CrossFit, Draws Parallel to Strongman appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On July 12, 2023, Hooper appeared in a video on 2016 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) Laurence Shahlaei’s YouTube channel, where he documents part of his preparation for the 2023 Shaw Classic (SC). The contest takes place on August 19-20, 2023, in Loveland, CO. Shahlaei helps train Hooper in the video, and the workout has Hooper polishing up his bench press, log lift, sandbag throw, and chest press. At the approximate 13:10 mark of the video below, Hooper successfully locks out a 210-kilogram (463-pound), three-rep bench press for a new personal record (PR).

There is a completely bench press-centric event at the 2023 SC, making Hooper’s display of an upper-body milestone an excellent sign for his chances in the competition. In the sole SC appearance of his career in 2022, the strongman finished in third place to two-time defending champion Trey Mitchell (2021-2022) and the contest’s legendary eponymous competitor, Brian Shaw (second place).

Per Hooper, the bench press hasn’t usually been one of his strengths in the past.

“I’m probably the most nervous about this one (the Bench Press event) at the Shaw Classic,” Hooper explained. “I don’t think I’m a good bench presser. I think a lot of my overhead strength comes from my legs.”

Hooper had a three-contest winning streak to start the 2023 strongman season that was snapped with a third-place result at the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic (GLSC). The athlete will undoubtedly be seeking an emphatic way of putting himself back into the winner’s column at the 2023 SC. A Hooper win would also notably keep the iconic Shaw from a triumph in his last-ever strongman competition.

Hooper didn’t appreciate falling short at the 2023 GLSC:

“The longer the third place [at the 2023 GLSC] sits with me, the longer I [expletive] hate it,” Hooper said. “Losing really doesn’t really sit right with me.”

Here’s the roster of strongman competitors at the 2023 SC, including Hooper:

2023 Shaw Classic Roster

• Trey Mitchell (United States) — Reigning two-time Champion
• Brian Shaw (United States) — 2022 runner-up
• Mitchell Hooper (Canada) — 2022 third place
• Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
• Bobby Thompson (United States)
• Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
• Graham Hicks (United Kingdom)
• Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
• Thomas Evans (United States)
• Maxime Boudreault (Canada)
• Kevin Faires (United States)
• Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• *Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom) | *Replaces Mateusz Kieliszkowski

Of the overall 2023 SC roster, Hooper figures to be one of the favorites alongside Mitchell and Shaw. Dark horses might include former two-time WSM champion Tom Stoltman and 2020 WSM champion Oleksii Novikov.

No matter what happens at the 2023 SC, Hooper has firmly established himself as a household name in strongman. Part of what makes him so great is that he will likely push full throttle for another victory regardless of a well-earned reputation.

Featured image: Big Loz Official on YouTube

The post Mitchell Hooper Records 210-Kilogram (463-Pound) 3-Rep Bench Press PR appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On May 23, 2023, Hooper shared an Instagram clip of himself squatting 238.1 kilograms (525 pounds) for 24 reps. The strength mark was an AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) performance and officially surpasses the legendary 1980 Mr. Universe Tom Platz — who set the initial standard with this achievement with 23 reps of 525 pounds in 1992 during the “Great American Squat-Off.” Hooper notches a good depth into “the hole” on each of his repetitions and donned a lifting belt and knee sleeves during the squat set.

Many have attempted to break Platz’s AMRAP record over the years, potentially seeing it as a rare strength accomplishment where an athlete must truly have a unique blend of endurance and power. Perhaps the most recent notable example is prolific powerlifter Joe Sullivan, who fell just short in June 2022 after some earnest preparation.

In the strength sports sphere, Hooper is the first to climb this summit, which is all the more fitting given his WSM victory and ongoing status as a competitive bulldozer. A mid-May 2023 squat set of 210.9 kilograms (465 pounds) for 20 reps might have been Hooper unofficially teasing his vying for Platz’s AMRAP squat record.

According to his page on Strongman Archives, Hooper has stood on a podium in nine consecutive strongman contests and won his last three competitions, including his breakthrough 2023 WSM triumph. To this stage, he has undoubtedly established himself as a household name in strongman and strength sports overall. Breaking Platz’s mark is but another noteworthy notch to add to his ever-impressively growing resume.

What’s evident about Hooper as an athlete is his hunger to continually improve and push himself. The strongman was already in the process of refining aspects of his training that he felt needed more polish. To capture a squat-endurance mark many have chased for nearly 30 years potentially speaks to Hooper’s ongoing greatness.

Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram

The post Mitchell Hooper Squats 525 Pounds for 24 Reps, Surpasses Tom Platz’s Previous “Record” appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On May 14, 2023, Hooper shared an Instagram clip of himself capturing a 210.9-kilogram (465-pound) back squat for 20 reps. The display of endurance appears to be a smooth exercise of ease for a true superstar in strength sports. It might even be a preview of what’s to come for an already elite competitor sanding off the perceived rough edges in his overall strength profile.

As Hooper himself details in the caption of his post, he characterized himself as lacking in conditioning before his wins at the 2023 WSM and the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC). Aside from the victories themselves, a person observing this extended squat set from Hooper would never know he had any apparent drawbacks. The same could be said of a recent 200-kilogram (440-kilogram) overhead press with bands for reps, where Hooper attempted to start polishing up his upper body stamina.

Hooper is evidently focused on improving his endurance and conditioning even though he seemingly didn’t really need it en route to his recent dominance of the professional strongman scene. Given Hooper’s success at this stage, this ambitious mission could make him even more dangerous in future strongman endeavors down the line.

“I wasn’t happy with the direction my conditioning was heading through the Arnold [Strongman Classic] and the Worlds [Strongest Man],” Hooper wrote. “It didn’t cost me, but I know I could be better.”

At the time of this article’s publication, Hooper’s short-term competitive plans for 2023 appear to be lined up. The athlete was announced to compete at the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic (GLSC) in July, and he is expected follow that with an appearance at the 2023 Shaw Classic (SC) later this summer, as well as the 2023 Strongman Rogue Invitational (SRI) sometime in the fall. Hooper placed second in the 2022 GLSC and finished in third place in the 2022 editions of the other two contests. Beyond those, any other potential goals to stand at the top of a podium again might be up in the air.

Per his page on Strongman Archives, Hooper has stood on a podium in nine consecutive contests and won his last three competitions, including that climactic 2023 WSM triumph. At this rate, whenever he does lift an Atlas Stone again in an official capacity, it would be fair to assume Hooper thrives amongst his powerful peers.

Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram

The post Mitchell Hooper Crushes a 210.9-Kilogram (465-Pound) Squat for 20 Reps appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On May 15, 2023, Hooper posted an Instagram Reel of himself performing standing barbell overhead presses in a squat rack with resistance bands attached to the bar and rack.

Hooper revealed in the post comments that he measured the resistance applied by the bands and confirmed that he was working with a total weight of 184 kilograms (405.7 pounds) at the bottom of the rep and 200 kilograms (440 pounds) in the lockout position. That weight includes the barbell itself, which was loaded to 174.6 kilograms (385 pounds).

In the video, he is seen taking a wide stance inside the rack while wearing a weightlifting belt, wrist wraps, and elbow sleeves. Hooper performed three reps and held the final repetition locked overhead for a few extra moments before returning the bar to the rack. In the post caption, Hooper shared why he was using this particular exercise — to build triceps-focused lockout strength.

“Working on good, solid lockouts. Time to keep pushing.”

This approach may be a wise one for the Canadian strongman because one of the events listed for the upcoming GLSC is the Viking Press, which calls for competitors to perform a standing shoulder press with handles at shoulder level and heavy objects set on an apparatus behind them. The athlete must be able to perform the press and lockout their elbows without having to bend their knees to generate extra force — also known as “double dipping.”

Hooper was strategically using bands on the barbell, which offered more resistance as he pressed the weight upward. This forced him to work harder to achieve the lockout. Since the bands applied less tension at the bottom, they weren’t impacting Hooper’s shoulders as much, making this a more efficient way to train while emphasizing strength in the final lockout phase of the lift.

With both the Arnold and World’s Strongest Man titles under his belt, Hooper may be going into the Giants Live Strongman Classic as a favorite. He will be facing stiff competition in the form of Oleksii Novikov, the 2020 WSM champion who has won the previous two editions of the GLSC in 2021 and 2022, as well as two-time WSM winner Tom Stoltman, and nine other elite strongmen who look to win the title for themselves.

Full 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Roster

• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
• Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
• Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
• Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
• Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou (Burkina Faso)
• Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Kevin Faires (United States)
• Eddie Williams (Australia)
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• Rongo Keene (Australia)
• Spenser Remick (United States)

Featured Video: @mitchellhooper on Instagram

The post Mitchell Hooper Trains Overhead Press with Bands, Locks Out 200 Kilograms (440 Pounds) for Reps appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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

The post Mitchell Hooper Crushes His First Workout as the World’s Strongest Man appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Apr. 24, 2023, a day after the conclusion of the latest climactic WSM, Stoltman posted a reflection on his performance to his Instagram. While he didn’t make history, Stoltman already appears to be looking ahead to another title shot and more coming strongman greatness.

To date, only the United States’ Bill Kazmaier (1980-1982) and Iceland’s Magnús Ver Magnússon (1994-1996) have ever won three straight WSM titles. With a victory, Stoltman would’ve been the third and joined their very exclusive company in the contest’s illustrious 46-year history.

Alas, such an achievement wasn’t meant to be for one of modern’s strongman’s biggest names. It would’ve been understandable if Stoltman wanted to lament his misfortunes and missed opportunities. An athlete of his prowess, standing on the precipice of almost unprecedented greatness, taking the time to highlight what went wrong likely wouldn’t have been stunning.

However, like a great competitor with a championship mentality, Stoltman instead showed graciousness in what he left in his latest WSM appearance. A British Record Max Dumbbell Press of 132.5 kilograms (292 pounds) likely helps his standing.

That’s regardless of past performances, like a sixth-place result at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC).

“I gave everything I had this year!” Stoltman wrote. “Hitting the big dumbbell was a personal goal for myself and I was consistent throughout. I’m very proud … I got told I wouldn’t be getting near the podium at [the 2023 WSM] due to my Arnold [Strongman Classic] performance. I worked hard and gave my all!”

Stoltman’s WSM title run officially ended with four podium appearances in the last four years. In both instances where Stoltman didn’t win, he was the runner-up to the champion — Hooper in 2023 and Oleksii Novikov in 2020. Stoltman finished ahead of the third-place Novikov at the 2023 WSM.

As for paying tribute to those who paved the way, Stoltman seemed remiss if he didn’t mention a more established strongman legend. After qualifying for his 15th WSM Finals, Brian Shaw will no longer be a fixture at the flagship strongman competition as he nears his retirement.

Stoltman made sure to pay his appropriate respects to the strength icon.

“Thank you to Brian Shaw for everything you have done for this sport and for myself.”

Stoltman’s excellent past precedent suggests that his 2023 WSM runner-up placing won’t be the last anyone sees of this superstar strongman. If anything, moving forward, he’ll likely channel it as motivation to complete a successful climb to the top again.

Featured image: @tomstoltmanofficial on Instagram

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The Shahlaeis started the video with a recap of the last day of competition, beginning with the Circus Dumbbell. They noted that 2020 WSM winner Oleksii Novikov was expected to do well based on his long string of dominating the event in past competitions, while Hooper and defending champion Tom Stoltman may likely lose points on the leaderboard.

Liz expressed her thoughts about the refereeing during this event, highlighting some potentially questionable lockout calls, while Big Loz noted that the calls were at least consistent with all the athletes.

He was most shocked that 2020 World’s Strongest Man Oleksii Novikov didn’t win the event — Novikov would tie for second place, along with Tom and Luke Stoltman, and Pavlo Kordiyaka. All four competitors completed a lift with the 132.5-kilogram (291-pound) dumbbell. Hooper and Evan Singleton tied for the win in that event, successfully lifting the 140.4-kilogram (309-pound) dumbbell.

Next up was the Truck Pull. Every man that was still in the competition finished in less than 40 seconds, which surprised Loz. Hooper won that event with a time of 30.24 seconds, which padded his overall lead over Stoltman going into the final event.

“I have to say, I’ve never seen the Truck Pull done so quickly at World’s Strongest Man.”

Indeed, the last time a vehicle pull was performed faster in a WSM Finals event was Manfred Hoberl’s blazing 29.64-second truck pull in the 1994 WSM contest.

Shahlaei also noted that he was glad there appeared to be no controversy over who won the event, as Hooper’s time exceeded the runner-up by more than two full seconds.

“The winner was a clear winner,” Big Loz said while pointing out that Hooper’s previous performance in the event — 49.24 seconds in the 2022 WSM — wasn’t as competitive as his recent performance. 

“He’s worked extremely hard at this. This whole competition has just been phenomenal. I’ve been blown away.”

The couple then covered the Atlas Stones, in which Hooper placed second behind Stoltman. However, Hooper’s collection of points on the leaderboard was still good enough to clinch the title. Loz and Liz even showed Loz’s live reaction as the results were shared online. The coach summed up his client’s performance as a dominant one. 

“It’s been an emotional week. We’re so proud of Mitch Hooper. We’re proud of all the athletes. Obviously I’m coaching Mitch, and I’m invested in him.”

They concluded the video by recapping the top ten as a collective, and he saluted four-time World’s Strongest Man (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) Brian Shaw, who made his last appearance at the contest.

“It’s been a pleasure and a nightmare at times to compete against him in my career, but it’s been an honor, and I hope he goes on and does great things.”

Featured Image: @biglozwsm on Instagram

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The video was succinctly titled “I WON: World’s Strongest Man 2023,” and it was published on his channel the morning of Apr. 24, 2023. The video opens with Hooper walking to the contest area, apparently excited about the upcoming day. Despite winning six of the eight previous contest events, he also acknowledged that there was no guarantee of victory against his elite peers.

“It’s going to be a battle between the four of us today … We’ll see how my dumbbell [event] goes. We’ll see how Tom [Stoltman’s] dumbbell [event] goes. We’ll see how Oleksii [Novikov’s] [Atlas] stone goes. Trey [Mitchell], in the mix with them all. We’ll see how it all shakes out. 25% chance for us all, maybe. Wish me luck.”

Hooper can then be seen warming up on the Circus dumbbells before the first event of the contest’s final day. He was greeted by 2019 World’s Strongest Man Martins Licis, as well.

Due to the copyrights of the video footage, Hooper is only seen briefly performing in the event before it cuts to him talking to his family afterward. He tied for first place with Evan Singleton as the only competitors to lift the 140.4-kilogram (309-pound) dumbbell.

The video then cuts to Hooper resting and talking to the camera after the Truck Pull, where he placed first by beating his nearest competitors by more than two seconds. Even though the title was now clearly in Hooper’s sights at this point in the competition due to his points on the leaderboard, he said that he was assuming nothing until the last event was over.

Trying to coax a reply from Hooper, the cameraperson asked, “If you were to predict how you’re going to do on the stones, where do you think you’re going to fare?” Hooper’s reply was a humble dismissal of the fact that, to that point, he had placed first in eight of the 10 previous events.

“Not going to do that. Not worried about it. Just gotta go have a clean, smooth run. Get through them. There’s a lot of really good stone lifters here so, anything could happen … We’ll see how it goes.”

The video then shows Hooper and previous champion Tom Stoltman making their entrances to the Atlas Stones area, where Hooper would clinch the title by finishing in second place in the event. The camera then shows his family reacting to the moment he won the title followed by his wife hugging him in celebration while Hooper held the trophy.

He is also shown taking photos, doing interviews, speaking with 2017 World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall, and signing autographs. He signed off the video giving thanks to everyone who followed the action throughout the week.

“It’s crazy. It’s going to take a long time for this to sink in … Thank you so much to everyone who showed their support,” he said. “Thank you so much to everyone who supports the sport and to everyone who came before me. Really, really cool and incredibly humbling experience that I’ll have trouble putting into words for awhile.”

Hooper is the first athlete from Canada to win the World’s Strongest Man title. He is also the first man to have won both the Arnold Strongman Classic and the World’s Strongest Man in the same year since Hafthor Björnsson pulled off the feat in 2018. 

Featured Image: Mitchell Hooper / YouTube 

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After the wild gauntlet that was the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM), Mitchell Hooper used the final day of the contest to capture his first WSM title. Former two-time reigning champion Tom Stoltman (2021-2022) and 2020 victor Oleksii Novikov rounded out the podium. Here’s an overview of the event-by-event results from Day 4 of the 2023 WSM and the official standings leaderboard from the 2023 WSM Finals.

Editor’s Note: Results were provided by our official reporter in attendance. These results were not considered official until after they were confirmed on the World’s Strongest Man homepage.

2023 WSM Finals Leaderboard

Here’s a recap of the results from the fourth and final day of the 2023 WSM, including how each of the top 10 competitors fared on the Max Dumbbell, Bus Pull, and Atlas Stones.

Max Dumbbell Recap

The Max Dumbbell tasked the respective athletes with a single-arm, overhead press of an oversized, thick-handled dumbbell. The athletes lifted in rounds of gradually increasing weight until they couldn’t lift the next sequential dumbbell.

The weights of the dumbbells featured were as follows: 115 kilograms (254 pounds), 125 kilograms (275 pounds), 132.5 kilograms (291 pounds), 140 kilograms (309 pounds), 145 kilograms (319 pounds), 151 kilograms (333 pounds — a World Record weight), and 155 kilograms (342 pounds).

The event started with an unfortunate shake-up for South Africa’s Jaco Schoonwinkel. In his first-ever WSM Finals, Schoonwinkel appeared to suffer an injury during his first lift of the event. The athlete would be forced to withdraw in a result that led to his eventual 10th-place finish.

Mitchell Hooper and Evan Singleton would tie for first place in the Max Dumbbell as the only competitors to lift the 140-kilogram (309-pound) dumbbell.

1. Mitchell Hooper — Four lifts
2. Evan Singleton — Four lifts
3. Oleksii Novikov — Three lifts
4. Tom Stoltman — Three lifts
5. Pavlo Kordiyaka — Three lifts
6. Luke Stoltman — Three lifts
7. Trey Mitchell — Two lifts
8. Brian Shaw — Two lifts
9. Mathew Ragg — Two lifts
10. Jaco Schoonwinkel — Withdrawn

Bus Pull Recap

Next on the docket for the 2023 WSM elite was the Bus Pull. This event gave the respective competitors the objective of pulling a staggering 23,133-kilogram (51,000-pound) bus as far as possible down a 25-meter (82-foot) path with a time limit of one minute.

Hooper once again won the event, finishing the Bus Pull in 30.24 seconds. This event marked Hooper’s eighth event victory throughout the contest.

1. Mitchell Hooper — 30.24 seconds
2. Tom Stoltman — 32.27 seconds
3. Evan Singleton — 32.27 seconds
4. Pavlo Kordiyaka — 32.46 seconds
5. Trey Mitchell — 32.49 seconds
6. Brian Shaw — 32.65 seconds
7. Luke Stoltman — 32.83 seconds
8. Mathew Ragg — 36.29 seconds
9. Oleksii Novikov — 33.35 seconds
10. Jaco Schoonwinkel — Withdrawn

Atlas Stones Recap

As is WSM tradition, the Atlas Stones put a cherry on top of the 2023 WSM. The athletes had to lift five progressively heavier stones onto their respective platforms within a one-minute time limit. The five stones had weights of 150 kilograms (330 pounds), 160 kilograms (350 pounds), 180 kilograms (395 pounds), 200 kilograms (440 pounds), and 210 kilograms (460 pounds).

Entering this final event, all Hooper needed to secure his first WSM title was a minimum sixth-place result. After a few competitors faltered on the fifth Atlas Stone, Hooper’s second-place finish was more than enough to pen him down in strongman history. Though, runner-up Tom Stoltman would win the Atlas Stones event by lifting all five Stones in 33.26 seconds to entrench himself on the 2023 WSM podium.

1. Tom Stoltman — 5 stones, 33.26 seconds
2. Mitchell Hooper — 5 stones, 36.96 seconds
3. Trey Mitchell — 5 reps, 45.72 seconds
4. Oleksii Novikov — 4 reps, 27.43 seconds
5. Evan Singleton — 4 reps, 28.16 seconds
6. Brian Shaw — 4 stones, 35.88 seconds
7. Pavlo Kordiyaka — 4 stones, 45.86 seconds
8. Luke Stoltman — 4 stones, 48.49 seconds
9. Mathew Ragg — 4 stones, 49.5 seconds
10. Jaco Schoonwinkel — Withdrawn

A Historic World’s Strongest Man

There was no shortage of worthy storylines at the 2023 WSM.

With his title, Hooper capped one of the more remarkable approximate one-year runs in strongman history. Now, while sitting at the top, he may well be beginning an extended reign of dominance as the sport’s preeminent royalty.

On a bittersweet but likely still happy note, four-time WSM champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) Brian Shaw finished in seventh place in his last WSM Finals. The strongman legend walks off into the sunset having qualified for the WSM Finals on 15 of 16 occasions in his career.

Meanwhile, the former two-time defending champion in Tom Stoltman fell short of a historic three-peat, but that doesn’t mean he’s lost his place as an elite competitor. In the weeks and months ahead, and in any ensuing WSM, it wouldn’t be a far cry to see Stoltman contend for many strongman titles.

As far as debuts go, Mathew Ragg’s WSM debut was the first time in 40 years that a New Zealand competitor reached the WSM Finals, with Allan Hallberg being the last representative in the 1983 WSM. South Africa’s Jaco Schoonwinkel also had an extremely solid showing, dominating his Qualifying Group before falling to injury in the Finals.

Indeed, the 2023 WSM was a cornucopia of incredible strength and athletic resolve. In the end, Hooper stood tall above the rest of his talented peers.

Featured image: Todd Burandt / Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man

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