2023 World’s Strongest Man and reigning Strongest Man on Earth (SMoE) Mitchell Hooper shared his grocery haul before winning the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) in Columbus, OH, on March 1, 2025. Here’s how much food — and how much it costs — it takes to maintain the training volume that converts 24 straight elite contest podiums.
Mitchell Hooper’s Week of Eating
- Meat & Protein
- Hooper eats a steak and six ounces of ground beef twice daily. When tired of meat, Hooper opts for ground turkey and chicken breasts. “It helps with palette fatigue.”
- Eggs & Dairy
- Hooper’s breakfast consists of six eggs, Greek yogurt mixed with orange juice, avocado, banana, and a protein shake. He consumes four liters of milk weekly, which is a protein source and water replacement. Diet Coke, milk, and orange juice are his core beverages.
I don’t drink water, ever.
—Mitchell Hooper
- Carbohydrates
- Hooper’s go-to carbs are whole-grain bread, rice, and pasta.
- Functional Snacks
- Hooper prefers rice chips — “literal pure carbs” — and Lucky Charms to fuel big lifts.
“Mix sugar with fat and complex carbs” to balance the glycemic index. Cookie butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, and Milo chocolate mix make it in Hooper’s grocery cart.
- Sweet Indulgences
- Hooper isn’t shy about his love for ice cream. Halo Top’s “light” ice cream is his go-to. “Four tubs won’t last a whole week, but I pretend I’m not going to eat ice cream every day, and then I usually eat two tubs,” Hooper shared. Another vice is Reese’s cookie dough.
The Science Behind Hooper’s Diet
Protein builds muscle. Carbs fuel muscle performance and aid post-workout recovery. “Carbohydrates are protein-sparing,” Hooper added, meaning the body uses carbs as energy and preserves protein for muscle-building.
I need to maintain my energy and fat stores because, in the end, being heavier helps you move more weight.
—Mitchell Hooper
Hooper weighed around 330 pounds before the 2025 ASC — much lighter than many of his competitors, some weighing upwards of 400-plus pounds.
Hooper prefers healthier fat sources like dairy and avocados, but they are prioritized.
Bad calories mean inflammation, which means less productive energy for recovery.
—Mitchell Hooper
Muscles & Blood Sugar
Having more muscle helps the body absorb sugar. Muscles handle about 80% of this process, which is good for metabolism. Strength training also increases insulin sensitivity and improves blood sugar control. (1)(2)(3)
The Cost of Strength
Upon checking out, Hooper’s grocery bill amounted to $417 for a week’s worth of food, about $22,000 yearly. “Strongman isn’t the most profitable thing in the world, so if you want to become a strongman, think twice about how much it will cost to feed you,” Hooper advised.
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- 2025 Arnold Strongwoman Pro/Am Results
- 2025 Arnold Strongman Pro/Am Results
References
- Merz KE, Thurmond DC. Role of Skeletal Muscle in Insulin Resistance and Glucose Uptake. Compr Physiol. 2020 Jul 8;10(3):785-809. doi: 10.1002/cphy.c190029. PMID: 32940941; PMCID: PMC8074531.
- Haines MS, Dichtel LE, Santoso K, Torriani M, Miller KK, Bredella MA. Association between muscle mass and insulin sensitivity independent of detrimental adipose depots in young adults with overweight/obesity. Int J Obes (Lond). 2020 Sep;44(9):1851-1858. doi: 10.1038/s41366-020-0590-y. Epub 2020 May 13. PMID: 32404950; PMCID: PMC7483278.
- Holten, M. K., Zacho, M., Gaster, M., Juel, C., Wojtaszewski, J. F., & Dela, F. (2004). Strength training increases insulin-mediated glucose uptake, GLUT4 content, and insulin signaling in skeletal muscle in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes, 53(2), 294–305. https://doi.org/10.2337/diabetes.53.2.294
Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
