The sport of Strongman has existed for multiple decades and has produced extremely talented athletes. However, it is hard to say that anyone has had a better start to their career than Mitchell ‘The Moose’ Hooper. He has won two of the greatest Strongman titles within just one year of his debut, which is what the large majority of Strongmen could not during their years-long careers. He is most notable for being the 2023 World’s Strongest Man, but also for his impressive consistency across the season. So, here is how Mitchell Hooper’s life path has gone and helped him grow into the athlete that he is today.
Mitchell Hooper Statistics
| Full Name: Mitchell Hooper (Strongman) | ||
| Weight | Height | Age |
| 320-lb (145-kg) | 6’3″ (190 cm) | 28 years |
| Date of birth | Era | Nationality |
| September 29, 1995 | 2020s | Canadian |
Early Life
Mitchell Hooper was born on September 29, 1995, in the city of Barrie, located in Ontario, Canada. He went to a public school called Forest Hill, where he already had quite an eventful experience. During elementary school, Mitchell failed to show interest in doing the work that was assigned. Not long after, it turned out that Mitchell was “gifted”, so he was moved to a special class. However, even in the gifted class, Hooper still did not want to complete his work and was thus kicked out.
However, Mitchell Hooper was interested in hockey at the time, which led him to play in a low-level rep league. He found success, managing to lead his team in points and goals, but also penalty minutes.
Mitchell Hooper then transitioned to the sport of golf at the end of elementary school and once again displayed tremendous talent. Moreover, at one point, Mitchell worked under Sean Foley, who was Tiger Woods’ coach during his prime. He got a chance to pursue this goal further, but he did not want to move to Florida.
When he got into high school, Mitchell Hooper chose the most popular sport in the group — American Football. So, he would play football during fall, basketball during winter, and experiment with other sports in summer.
After his time in high school was done, Mitchell Hooper went to the University of Guelph to study Human Kinetics. During this time, he moved on from football but continued lifting weights in the gym. It took him some time, but after his second year at the university, Mitchell decided to get shredded and compete in a bodybuilding show. His only goal was to lose weight, so he finished in 11th place without caring too much about posing or other relevant factors.
For his next adventure, Mitchell Hooper found inspiration in his mother, as she often ran marathons. So, he prepared and completed a marathon as well, all while weighing around 225 pounds (102 kilograms).
Around the end of his university education, Mitchell Hooper landed a job as a strength and conditioning coach for a pro basketball team. However, after some time, he realized that he wanted more out of his life. So Hooper made a massive switch and traveled to Australia to complete his Masters in Exercise Physiology.
Hooper’s strength journey reached a whole new level in Australia, as he soon got introduced to powerlifting. He took part in three APU-sanctioned competitions, won all three, but got bored of performing three lifts repetitively. So, after setting some records, he moved on from powerlifting as well.
Related: A Look into World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper’s Day
Strongman Career
Mitchell Hooper had built a great foundation in powerlifting and decided to try out Strongman. He began with lower-level competitions in Australia, notably claiming the win in his debut. He won multiple shows and made his first major step in Strongman by deadlifting 475 kilograms (1,047.2 pounds) in one of them.
When Mitchell Hooper got back to Canada, he found that there was no way for him to continue training for Strongman due to the lack of equipment. However, the luck turned in his favor, as he got invited to compete at the 2022 Giants Live Deadlift World Championships. Not long after, Hooper was announced as a reserve for the 2022 World’s Strongest Man competition.
Mitchell Hooper prepared for the WSM, not knowing if he would compete, when Rauno Heinla decided to withdraw. This opened up a spot for Hooper and gave him a chance to prove himself. He ended up shocking everyone by making it to the finals of the 2022 WSM and ultimately placing eighth in his debut.
It only got better from there on, since Mitchell Hooper earned multiple invites to other major competitions based on his success at the WSM. The hype around him started to grow, and he grew with it. So, Mitchell went on to claim podium finishes in countless shows after the WSM, including the Shaw Classic, Arnold UK, Rogue Invitational, and more.
Stepping into 2023, Mitchell Hooper got ready to make his debut at the Arnold Strongman Classic. He once again turned up stronger than before and outperformed the likes of Oleksii Novikov, Tom Stoltman, and others to take the title. Less than two months later, Mitchell also won the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition. What is most impressive is that Hooper achieved all of this within one year of making his debut on the professional Strongman scene.
International Strongman Appearances
- 2022 World’s Strongest Man: Eight-Place
- 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic: Second-Place
- 2022 Giants Live World Open: Second-Place
- 2022 Shaw Classic: Third-Place
- 2022 Arnold UK: First-Place
- 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals: First-Place
- 2022 Rogue Invitational: Third-Place
- 2023 Australia’s Strongest International: First-Place
- 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic: First-Place
- 2023 World’s Strongest Man: First-Place
- 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic: Third-Place
- 2023 Shaw Classic: Second-Place
- 2023 Giants Live World Tour Finals: Third-Place
Personal Records
Note: These are Mitchell Hooper’s personal records from lifts performed in official competitions.
- Deadlift: 475 kilograms (1,047.2 pounds)
- Hummer Tire Deadlift: 476 kilograms (1,049 pounds)
- Log Lift: 200 kilograms (440.9 pounds)
Related: Mitchell Hooper Speaks Out About His Struggle With Mental Health And Suicidal Thoughts
Training Program
Mitchell Hooper’s training program changes quite often, since every competition features a different set of events. So, he cannot stick to one program at all times but instead has to make a specific plan for each goal that he sets for himself. Luckily, he has Laurence “Big Loz” Shahlaei, a former well-respected Strongman, as a coach. Mitchell has, however, shared some workouts on his YouTube channel, where he often collaborates with athletes from other sports, such as CrossFit and Bodybuilding.
Mitchell Hooper also does not shy away from challenges during his training sessions. So, he has previously taken on Tom Platz’s 525-lb Squat AMRAP, Eddie Hall’s “Death by Deadlifts”, and even came up with his own 1,000-pound challenge.
Hooper’s blood flow restriction workout
- Flat Bench Dumbbell Press
- Standing Dumbbell Curl
- Skull Crushers
*Perform 15 reps of each and repeat for 3 sets, with 30 seconds of rest in between rounds.
Hooper’s Shoulder Workout with Flex Lewis
- Standing Lateral Raise machine (dropset to failure)
- Seated Shoulder Press Machine (2 sets to failure)
- Forward Lean Pec Deck Fly (superset with Reverse Pec Fly)
Related: Mitchell Hooper Shares His First Workout Post 2023 World’s Strongest Man Victory
Diet and Nutrition
Mitchell Hooper is a big man, which is why he requires a lot more calories than an average person would. His daily intake of calories comes to approximately 5,500 but he increases that to 6,000 if he wants to gain weight. Mitchell also prefers red meat as opposed to chicken, which he finds a bit dry.
As of recently, Mitchell Hooper started working with the highly respected Stan Efferding on his diet and now has detailed plans for his full days of eating. Before he partnered up with Stan, Hooper did not pay that much attention to his diet; instead, he only made sure to put in 320 grams of protein. As for the rest, Mitchell ate what made him comfortable. However, after spending some time on Efferding’s diet program, Mitchell has been feeling better and lighter.
Meal One
- Whey Protein with Milk
- Four Pills of Magnesium
- Four Pills of Vitamin D3
- Orange Juice mixed with plain Greek Yogurt
- Crackers
- Hummus
Meal Two
- Salmon
- Rice
- Orange Juice
- Water mixed with Salt and Sugar
Meal Three
- Kinoa
- White Rice
- Chicken or Beef
- Peppers or Spinach
- Shake: Berries, Greek Yogurt, Whey Protein, Milk
Supplement Stack
As per Mitchell Hooper, his non-negotiable supplements are Creatine and Protein Powder. So he makes sure to take proper amounts of them every day.
Anabolic protein shake:
- 2 scoops of Diesel Mint Chip Whey Isolate
- 1 cup skim milk
- 2 scoops creatine (10g)
- About a cup of Frozen mixed berries
- Peanut butter (optional)
- Chocolate chips (optional)
Pre-workout slushy:
- Water
- 1 and a half scoop of ALTRD State (pre-workout)
- 1 scoop iPREP
- Vitamin C
- Cubed ice
Check out Hooper’s Full Day of Eating YouTube video here:
Related: ‘I Was in Serious Danger’: Mitchell Hooper Breaks Down 2023 World’s Strongest Man Win
Current Life
Mitchell Hooper is currently living a very active life, as he has spread out in multiple directions. Obviously, he is very focused on his Strongman career, since he hopes to defend his titles and utilize his potential to the fullest. There were concerns that Hooper would move on to the next sport following his success in Strongman, but he has stated that it won’t be the case this time. Having already claimed the highest honors in Strongman, Mitchell is now also focused on improving the sport overall and making it better for others as well.
On the other hand, Mitchell Hooper also runs a Physiology / Kinesiology clinic in his hometown, where he helps people overcome injuries and conditions that hinder their ability to go through life normally. The clinic is also very important to him, as he has revealed on multiple occasions that helping people is one of his life goals.
In addition to everything, Mitchell Hooper is also preparing for an MMA match next year. As per his announcement, he will fight the 2017 World’s Strongest Man, Eddie Hall, as a part of a $300 million tournament in Qatar. The match will take place on February 17th at the Lusail Stadium.
Despite not being on the professional level for too long yet, Mitchell Hooper has already established himself as a Strongman of the highest caliber. The quickness of his rise on the leaderboards was never seen before, which speaks for itself. If Hooper also proves to have good longevity in Strongman and achieves a few more major titles, it will be hard to dispute the fact that he is among the greatest of all time.
Mitchell Hooper’s Tips
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