The most powerful athletes on the planet are arguably the behemoth-sized professional strongmen who load 400-plus-pound Atlas Stones, deadlift 1,000 pounds on obscure apparatuses, and pull literal trucks, buses, and airplanes with their bodies. These titans of strength clash against each other in competitions like the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest and the Rogue Strongman Invitational.
What happens when there is presumably not enough weight in the gym worthy of being lifted by these WSM winners? Well, 2019 WSM champion Martins Licis and 2023 champ Mitchell Hooper demonstrated that raw strength sometimes requires getting creative.
On March 18, 2025, the duo shared a video wherein Licis floor-to-shouldered Hooper, who was in a fetal position. Yes, you read that right — and you can watch the stunning feat below:
[Related: The Stoltman Brothers Train to Defend and Rebuild via Heavy Dumbbell Pressing]
In addition to the sheer strength necessary from Licis, Hooper had the unenviable task of maintaining his rigid position so that Licis could lap him, clean him to his shoulder, and then lock him out.
Licis, wearing a lifting belt and knee sleeves, hoisted Hooper as though performing a routine stone-to-shoulder — an event commonly featured in elite strongman contests. At no point did the lift appear in doubt, as Hooper maintained his curled position to remain as rounded as possible so that Licis could mimic stone lifting.
Remember: The 2025 World’s Strongest Man will be held from May 15-18 in Sacramento, CA.
However, these feats of strength are not to be done haphazardly, even by the best in the world.
“Remember, when spotting your friends doing incredible displays of strength, play it safe and wear [a lifting]belt and sleeves to make sure you can help support and do your job as a spotter,” Licis wrote.
Licis is scheduled to present the 2025 Santa Monica Classic on June 28-29 at the Santa Monica Pier. More details about the event, including featured divisions, are forthcoming, and competitor sign-ups are expected to go live the week of this article’s publication.
More Strongman Content
- 2025 Kaos English Strongman and Strongwoman Championships Results
- 2025 Ireland’s Strongest Woman Results
- Eddie Hall vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski MMA Fight Nearly Confirmed
Featured image: @martinslicis and @mitchellhooper on Instagram
