2023 World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper asked an intriguing hypothetical: What would happen if some of the most notable fitness influencers competed against each other on the lifting platform?
To answer that question, he experimented by comparing the best lifts, based on estimated lifts and DOTS (a formula to compare lifters across different weight categories), of Greg Doucette, Jeff Nippard, Christian of the Tren Twins, Sam Sulek, Will Tennyson, and Jesse James West. He shared the results on Aug. 22, 2025.
Squat
Hooper started with Christian’s 405-pound, narrow-stance high bar squat before a missed 495-pound attempt. The three-time Arnold Strongman Classic champion scored Christian with an estimated 465-pound squat.
Doucette was credited with the 573-pound lift he completed in a powerlifting meet. West completed a 445-pound attempt in a meet, which he only had 30 days to prepare for. Tennyson has a competition lift of 507 pounds. Nippard was credited with his competition lift of 456 pounds.
Hooper used Sulek’s set of 495 pounds for 12 reps with elevated heels and a narrow stance. Hooper noted that Sulek did not use a lifting belt or knee sleeves. Hooper estimated that with proper training, stance, and equipment, Sulek’s squat potential was about 838 pounds.
Bench Press
Christian of the Tren Twins has been filmed benching 505 pounds with elbow wraps and no pause. Hooper penalized him for this and scored him with a lift of 435 pounds.
Doucette’s best bench press was 529 pounds. West has a meet-best of 335 pounds. Tennyson’s competition lift was credited 353 pounds; Nippard had the same weight to his credit. Sulek was scored with a lift of 651 pounds based on a set of incline presses of 405 pounds for seven reps.
Deadlift
Hooper counted Tren’s 635-pound deadlift with a sumo stance and lifting straps, assuming he would use a hook grip in a meet. Doucette’s best pull in competition was with 705 pounds. Tennyson, West, and Nippard had lifts of 530, 489, and 453 pounds, respectively.
Hooper felt Tennyson and Nippard had more in the tank, scoring them 540 and 470 pounds, respectively. Hooper went with Sulek’s claimed best deadlift of 405 pounds, albeit not a one-rep max.
Totals
Based on the above numbers, Hooper shared the final tallies of each lifter:
- Sam Sulek — 1,894 pounds
- Greg Doucette — 1,807 pounds
- Christian Tren — 1,535 pounds
- Will Tennyson — 1,400 pounds
- Jeff Nippard — 1,279 pounds
- Jesse James West — 1,269 pounds
Hooper noted that these results were impacted by bodyweight, experience, and natural versus enhanced status. Nippard, Tennyson, and West were considered natural lifters. Hooper applied the DOTS scoring, which showed Doucette in the top rank with a score of 530.94.
Hooper acknowledged that based on Sulek’s estimated lifts in this experiment, combined with specific powerlifting training, he could potentially achieve a 2,364-pound total.
“Sulek’s DOTS would be 637. He would be the second-best raw powerlifter of all time behind John Haack. I do not feel comfortable saying that, but the logic checks out,” Hooper concluded.
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Featured Image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
