Mitchell Hooper is one of the most active elite Strongman athletes across all of social media. The World’s Strongest Man frequently puts out educational content, looking to help people perform better at any level of physical activity. So, most recently, Hooper released a YouTube video where he debunked the ten biggest fitness myths.
Trends and sayings are often quickly popularized in the fitness community, but in some instances, they may not be correct. So, Mitchell Hooper used his years of experience in Strongman, bodybuilding, powerlifting, and marathon running, as well as the knowledge he gained in pursuit of his Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology, to give his thoughts on the most common myths when it comes to working out.
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Mitchell Hooper Debunks Ten Biggest Fitness Myths
1. ‘Specific Warm-Ups Are Crucial’
Mitchell Hooper explains that warm-ups are crucial for any workout, but that it is not necessary to do specific ones while preparing for certain types of exercises. Instead, he advises:
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- Do actual working sets with lighter weights for 3-4 sets
- Raise core body temperature
“This is way overpopularized… You will never prevent every possible injury. So, just get stuck in and don’t overcomplicate your warm-up.”
2. ‘X Diet Will Make You Healthier”
Mitchell Hooper does not believe in specific diets, as they often present a deceiving image. Certain types of diets restrict some varieties of foods, thus resulting in weight loss. However, they also restrict the intake of some very important nutrients, which can have a damaging effect on overall health.
“Any diet that has a name that has a particular restriction or a particular focus is all a lie! We just need to focus on eating a general variety of fruits and vegetables, meats, grains, and everything else to get a good breath of micronutrients and macronutrients. Any diet that purports to be any sort of miracle is lying to you.”
3. ‘Exercise Will Help You Lose Weight’
Mitchell Hooper explains that this is a controversial myth, as exercise often forces people to eat more food, thus not resulting in a calorie deficit. However, the sole purpose of exercise should not be just to lose weight, but instead to improve the cardiovascular system, state of mind, and much more.
“The literature, again and again, tells you that exercise is not helping you lose weight… We are, of course, going to increase the calories out when we exercise, as a byproduct of movement, heat, sweating… But what is consistently shown is that your appetite also starts to match. So, you are exercising more, but you are also eating more. The only way that you are going to start losing weight is by dieting.
That being said, there are many independent variables that exercise benefits you from a health perspective. Exercise is the only way to lose visceral fat that will kill you.”
4. ‘Creatine Is a Gateway Drug’
A myth that often impacts younger lifters or newcomers to resistance sports is that creatine is a supplement that could have some severe side effects. However, Hooper reveals that it is one of the most researched supplements and that it does have decent benefits. He recommends it to everyone, but also states that it is not as complex as people make it out to be. It is basically an added energy source for a few seconds of activity, and does not have a steroid-like effect on people.
“This is absolutely absurd… Creatine monohydrate is totally fine. Creatine is the energy source for the first five seconds of movement… That is all creatine is; there is no hormone, and there is no extra secret pathway.
The only time you shouldn’t take it is if you are having sensitive bloodwork done or when you are pregnant… Creatine is not just recommended; I believe it is an absolute must for anyone who resistance trains to any extent.”
5. ‘The Pro’s Are Doing Something Different’
Another myth that places mental limits on athletes is that the professionals are doing something different. Well, like Hooper states, athletes at the highest level often have very simple regimens. On the other hand, he also criticizes the types of social media coaches who film themselves doing complex exercises in order to go viral, as it promotes this myth.
Moreover, Mitchell Hooper revealed that the greatest exercise for any sport that requires rotational force is the squat, which proves just how simple it can be.
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“The basis of what they are doing is working very hard and being very consistent; that is it, add on some genetic gifts and you get to a really good spot…
The pro’s are doing much less complicated stuff than you think… Normal stuff will get you where you want to go, as long as you are interested, consistent, and apply the method of progressive overload.”
6. ‘Carbs Are Evil’
Often, when dieting, people are afraid of eating any carbs because of the myth that they are evil / bad. Luckily, Mitchell Hooper explained that carbohydrates are actually a necessity, as they are the primary fuel source for any short-term activity. However, an excess of anything leads to danger. In this case, an excess of carbs turns into fat.
“Carbs are incredibly delicious and are an energy source for any exercise that lasts shorter than 3 minutes. It is the primary energy source for any moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic work… You store carbohydrates in your muscle, your muscles are bigger, and you look better.
An excess of carbohydrates is going to turn into fat, just like an excess of anything else, vegetable or fruit. But carbohydrates are vital for normal human function.”
7. ‘Fat Is Evil”
Going hand-in-hand with the previous myth, Hooper decided to explain that fats are not evil either. Specifically, he revealed that not all fats are the same. So, when dieting, Hooper advises people to add some omega-3 and omega-6 fats to their list in order to improve their health.
“There is no evil when it comes to food. Fat is an energy source. It helps your nails, hair, skin, and joints. Now, trans fats are bad, fried food; we are not looking for that. But fish fat, omega-3 and omega-6 fat are vital for your health. It improves your cholesterol, it improves your blood pressure, and your long-term health outcome.”
8. ‘There Is a Hack To Building Strength or Muscle’
Mitchell Hooper felt the need to point out that there are no shortcuts when it comes to building strength or muscle. So, the biggest factor to make improvements in these two aspects is to be consistent with training.
“There is no hack; you just get in and work hard, as much as you can recover from. Honestly, what I believe has made me a champion is that I don’t miss a day in the gym. I don’t miss a rep, set, or attempting anything for a decade. Your consistency is what matters most.”
9. ‘Aesthetics Reflect Your Health’
Mitchell Hooper revealed that not everyone who looks healthy from an outside perspective actually is. So, even being at a normal bodyweight would not mean that a person is healthy. So, in order to improve health, Hooper advises lifestyle changes instead of purely focusing on losing weight.
“This place in the middle, where people are at a normal bodyweight and shredded, clearly they must be healthy. This is entirely untrue. The healthy body fat range for a male is somewhere between 12 and 18 percent. People with visibly shredded abs are well below that…
We have a growing pandemic of something called ‘Normal Weight Obesity”, where you look at someone and they look fine from the outside. But, their visceral fat, the fat around their organs, which you can’t see, is extremely high. They are at the same risk of cardiovascular disease and early death as someone who is in the obese category.”
10. ‘Your Workout Must Be Perfect’ (Most Important)
Working out must not be a task or a job. Instead, Mitchell Hooper points out that it is important to enjoy what you do. So, a workout that is perfect for him might not lead to the best results possible for someone else. Consequently, the workout that a person performs should be adjusted individually according to their own desires.
“You have to do things you enjoy. You are going to be consistent over the long run and you will not hate your life for it… If you enjoy the process, you will get to a really productive place.”
Watch the full video here:
Related: Mitchell Hooper’s Drill for a Pain-Free Back and Strong Core
Mitchell Hooper has recently defended his titles at the 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic in Ohio and in the UK edition. So, he is now preparing for the 2024 World’s Strongest Man competition, where he will hope to claim his second consecutive victory. There are approximately three weeks left until the competition, but Hooper is already looking insanely strong.
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