Mitchell Hooper has always been recognized as a very versatile athlete, but he recently surprised his fans with a humongous 211-kilogram (465.2-pound) Split Jerk overhead press. He shared the video on his Instagram and revealed that it was his new personal record. So, considering that he is not an Olympic Weightlifter, Hooper’s split jerk is mind-blowing.
Mitchell Hooper attended the 2024 Wodapalooza Miami, where he met up with Zack Telander, who is a weightlifting coach. The duo then performed a workout, where Hooper decided to build up to a heavy single. He put on a lifting belt, knee sleeves, elbow sleeves, and wrist wraps. After loading 211 kilograms (465.2 pounds) on the barbell, Mitchell picked it off the rack and held it on the front side of his shoulders.
In order to initiate the lift, Mitchell Hooper dipped a bit before explosively straightening himself and transferring the momentum to the barbell. That, along with some incredible shoulder strength and a decent split jerk technique, allowed Hooper to lock out the weight above his head.
“Not perfect, but on the way.”
Watch Mitchell Hooper’s lift here:
Mitchell Hooper first displayed his split jerk training in mid December 2023, when he published a YouTube video called “World’s Strongest Man Tries Olympic Weightlifting”. In the video, he stated that the reason he is learning to do the split jerk is because he wants to have the skill if there comes a time when he needs it. That being said, Hooper has said that he won’t try split jerking a Log, since it would be even more complicated.
However, there have been some Strongman athletes who have utilized the split jerk on the Log in the past, most notably the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man, Pavlo Kordiyaka. Moreover, Oleksii Novikov has proven that it can work when he set a Flintstone Barbell World Record in 2022 by using the Split Jerk technique.
On the other hand, since he is practicing with a barbell, Mitchell Hooper could decide to use his new skill on different variations of the overhead press. Moreover, there is a chance of him performing the split jerk at the 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic, as one of the events will be the Apollon’s Wheels, which will require him to lift a barbell over his head. So, it remains to be seen if Hooper is satisfied with his progress and confident in his ability to perform it. Regardless, he is already lifting huge weight, and it is just a matter of time until he shares another humongous lift.
Mitchell Hooper has had a spectacular 2023, as he became the World’s Strongest Man, won Arnold Strongman Classic, and became the Rogue Invitational champion. So, he has set a goal of defending his titles and winning the shows once again. However, Hooper has also announced an MMA match against Eddie Hall, which is set to take place on February 17th in Qatar.
As if his athleticism isn’t clear enough, Mitchell Hooper also recently shared a video of him performing a Muscle-Up at a bodyweight of over 300 pounds.
Watch the video here:
Related: Mitchell Hooper Recreates Legendary Dorian Yates’ Leg Workout
Mitchell Hooper is approaching a very busy period, as he will dedicate his attention to both Strongman and MMA. However, he still isn’t afraid to learn new skills apart from those, which is why he was able to split jerk a huge 211 kilograms (465.2 pounds). It would also be spectacular to see him use the new skill in an official competition, as he seems capable of locking out massive weights in this manner.
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