The 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Mitchell Hooper recently won the bronze at the 2023 Strongman Classic in London, England. It continued his streak of podium finishes from his rookie season into his sophomore year as a pro strongman. However, finishing in third place didn’t sit well with him:
I’m irritated. The longer third place sits with me, the more I’m like, ‘Oh, losing. Losing sucks.’
Hooper’s time off from the competitive stage isn’t long, as his next premiere contest is the 2023 Shaw Classic, scheduled for Aug. 19-20, 2023, in Loveland, CO. On July 12, 2023, Hooper appeared in a video on his trainer’s — 2016 Europe’s Strongest Man Laurence Shahlaei — YouTube channel wherein Hooper secured a new raw bench press triple personal record of 210 kilograms (463 pounds). Check it out below:
[Related: Strongwoman Lucy Underdown Hits 280-Kilogram Raw Deadlift Quadruple PR]
Confidence Under the Barbell
Although Hooper is a contender to win any strongman contest he enters at this stage of his career, he admitted feeling nervous about the 2023 Shaw Classic because he doesn’t feel that the bench press is a strong event for him. The bench press is one of the eight events that comprise the two-day contest:
2023 Shaw Classic Events
- Log Medley
- Max Hummer Tire Deadlift
- Wheelbarrow and Arm-Over-Arm Medley
- Bag Toss
- Car Leg Press
- Atlas Stones
- Bench Press
- Fingal’s Fingers and Power Stairs Medley
Hooper feels powerful in overhead events, but he credits the quality of his overhead performance to his leg drive. That didn’t deter Shahlaei from programming Hooper to bench press more than he ever had before in training. Both strongmen progressively loaded raw bench press sets of three reps each while discussing technique — Shahlaei recommends “squeezing” through a bench press rather than trying to “punch” the concentric. The advice appeared to help Hooper lockout three reps of 200 kilograms and then 210 kilograms — a weight which he admittedly never previously secured a single rep of.
Once bench press training concluded, Hooper continued his push day with log presses. He locked out singles of 142 kilograms, 167 kilograms, and 187 kilograms. He attempted a top rep of 200 kilograms but missed. Shahlaei chalked it up to residual fatigue from the 2023 Strongman Classic.
The training session closed with bag toss training, where Hooper and Shahlaei agreed that the top finishers in the bag toss event at the 2023 Shaw Classic will likely be whoever can successfully convert every bag over the bar, as only a few athletes will successfully do so. We’ll see if Hooper can renew his winning streak in Colorado or if the two-time defending Shaw Classic champion Trey Mitchell can three-peat.
Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
