The biography, life, and accomplishments of Mitchell Hooper
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition has come to an end, and a new champion has been crowned. At just 27 years old, Mitchell Hooper is the new World’s Strongest Man, and this was only his second time on that stage! He has accomplished a remarkable feat, and we had the pleasure of interviewing him after his victory, so there is no better time for us to really tell you who Mitch is!
Below is a complete breakdown of Mitchell Hooper’s profile, stats, biography, training and diet regimens.
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Full Name: Mitchell Hooper (Strongman) |
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| Weight | Height | Date Of Birth |
| 320 lbs | 6’3″ | 09/29/1995 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Strongman | 2020s | Canadian |
Mitchell Hooper Biography
The Canadian-born champion was not always a world class strongman, he actually started out in a much different setting. He is only 27 years old, but Mitchell Hooper has managed to gather a large assortment of athletic achievements, some you may not expect. One of them being a brief stint in collegiate football, then a rookie bodybuilding competition, and finally, Mitch has run multiple marathons. Yes you read that right, the World’s Strongest Man used to be a marathon runner. He even told us at Generation Iron that he would like to complete a triathlon in the future!
Mitch is also a physical therapist with a Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology from the University of Sydney, accompanied by a Bachelors in Human Kinetics from the University of Guelph. On top of that, he is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and he is now the top Strongmen in the world. Whether it be competing, coaching, or educating, everything Mitch does is backed by the strongest scientific evidence available and he states that is how he has gotten so far as not only an athlete, but also a coach. He told us that he would never have his athletes do something he was not comfortable doing himself.
Mitchell Hooper Competition History
Mitch has competed in numerous different sports, so let’s bear with us as we break it down.
His first sanctioned powerlifting competition took place back in June of 2019, at the Australian Powerlifting Union’s NSW State Championships. Mitch managed to pull a 331 kilogram deadlift (733 pounds) while weighing just 116.8 kilos (257 pounds). Talk about superhuman strength. He also bench pressed 174 kilograms (385.5 pounds) and squatted 292 kilos (644.8 pounds), at that same meet.
Way before that, Mitch competed in a Men’s Physique bodybuilding show which took place way back in 2015. He followed this up by participating in not one, but three full marathons.
Fast forward to the 2022 World’s Strongest Man competition, this was Mitch’s first time on stage. Mitch was young, and on top of that he was actually a last minute replacement pick. At this competition Mitch was able to grab an eighth place finish, which is pretty great for someone newer to the scene. Then at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic, Mitch took the whole thing home.
Finally, with just a little over one more month of preparation, Mitch competed at and won the entire thing at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. So within a year of his first WSM competition and his second, he managed to go from 7th place to 1st.
Training
Strongman training is far different than something like bodybuilding training, as much more goes into it than just 4 sets of 12 reps. Although, Mitch told us that the week after his victory it will be higher volume bodybuilding style workouts to help recover and reset, ad that times like that are needed every now and then. Mitch has also stated before that when it comes to training, he does not give himself numbers that he can’t hit. One piece of advice he has given is that you don’t always have to be a bulldog during your workouts. He is all about finding the right weight that you can work with and train at the right volume, and keep an eye out for the signs of systemic fatigue.
Mitch is very much about overall health and wellness in life, and recovery is huge for him. He stated that fancy techniques such as massage guns or cold plunges may feel good, but might not be doing nothing for yourself by using them if you partake in these things rather than what he calls the “three pillars of recovery” which are:
He has stated that even the most advanced lifters need time to recover between lifts, and something like the deadlift does not need to be done more than twice a week. Mitch stated that your tolerance to heavy training depends a lot on the adaptation rate of “passive tissues” like your tendons and ligaments. This is part of the reason you see bodybuilders experience injuries and tears when they try out strength sports, as they have spent time developing active tissues. Mike O’Hearn is a good example here, as he trains similarly, to strengthen his tendons and ligaments and lets the muscle follow.
Mitch has recommended taking the time to strengthen your joints, tendons, and ligaments. This can help to ensure structural integrity. Some things that Mitch suggested are plyometrics, isometric work, and eccentric-focused tempo movements.
Nutrition
Aside from his victory meal of pizza, ice cream, and beer that he told us about, Mitch stated that the diet to train in strongman is not nearly as restrictive as something like bodybuilding. You see bodybuilders counting each meal, measuring protein, fats, and carbs, and eating the same thing over and over. Strongman is not like that, the eating is more free which is part of the reason Mitch enjoys it. He dabbled in bodybuilding but ultimately said he wanted to eat more of what he wants to, and that can be done in strength sports.
Mitchell Hooper Personal Life
Outside of being the strongest man in the world, Mitch is a husband and a dog dad, as well as an entrepreneur, with his training business. His mission is ultimately to help people improve their strength, train pain free, educate on biomechanics, recovery, strength and conditioning. Mitch wants people to be successful in in the long term, whether that be just for their regular training or their long term health.
