Let’s just say Mitchell Hooper loves a good #LegDay.
Renowned for his powerful lower body and knowledge of kinesiology, the 2023 World’s Strongest Man knows exactly what it takes to develop size and strength. To help fellow fitness enthusiasts maximize their returns in the gym, Hooper broke down his top five leg exercises in a video posted on his YouTube channel on Oct. 10, 2024. Check it out below:
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Which Moves Made Mitchell Hooper’s Top Five?
Narrowing down the best leg exercises to literally just a handful is no easy feat. However, Hooper had strong convictions about each of the five moves that made his list. Before we delve into the details, here’s a quick rundown (in order):
Clearly, the Canadian strongman is a big fan of squats, a fundamental movement pattern everyone should master. He also put the deadlift, another powerlifting staple, in his pantheon of leg exercises.
While simply referencing Hooper’s list might suffice for some lifters, his technique tips and rationale behind his selections provide valuable insight that can help you unlock even more gains. So, before you chug your favorite pre-workout and get ready to crush some squats, find out why each move matters from the former World’s Strongest Man.
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The Leg Press Is King
Just how effective is the leg press for developing a strong, muscular lower half? Hooper’s explanation should leave no doubt about its efficacy, especially for athletes with a high level of strength.
“We actually have to be careful because it’s easy for us to pull muscles off of the bone.”
Even if you’re not leg pressing 1,000+ pounds, you can use this exercise to develop stronger quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Plus, you can manipulate factors like your stance and tempo to reap additional leg press benefits.
Squats Have a Special Place in Hooper’s Heart
Three squat variations made the cut, which speaks volumes about how important it is to get comfortable with executing this highly functional exercise. As a testament to their versatility, Hooper highlighted versions that require different equipment and physiological demands.
Back Squat and Hack Squat
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Hooper put barbell back squats in his top three. This is a staple movement in just about every strength training program, as it has been shown to help develop both stronger legs and a stronger core. (1)
While there are many useful variations, Hooper specifically chose close-stance, high-bar squats. Here’s why:
“The closer your feet are, the more your knees are going to track forward and the more upright your torso is going to stay,” he explained. “The more upright your torso stays, the less load we put on the spinal erectors.”
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Similarly, the hack squat enables you to train your quads and hamstrings without taxing your lower back.
“We’re okay losing degrees of freedom because we can focus on the movement pattern.”
Split Squat
The split squat earned the fifth spot on Hooper’s list. Here’s his take on this unilateral exercise:
“Anytime we take one leg away and focus on a single-leg movement, we are building disproportionate hip strength,” Hooper explained.
He emphasized the importance of strengthening glutes, piriformis, and other small internal hip muscles to develop a stable core. Those muscles contribute to the lateral stability of your pelvis, a key factor that can impact your lifts and everyday movements.
Don’t Rely Solely on the Deadlift
Despite earning a spot, the deadlift only ranked fourth on Hooper’s list. Why didn’t this popular compound exercise rank higher?
Let the strongman explain:
“For the vast majority of people, the weak link in the chain is actually going to be your core—not necessarily your legs. This is a great closed-chain hamstring exercise, but it might not be the best exercise if you’re looking to strengthen your legs specifically.”
So, even though there’s a long list of deadlift benefits, you shouldn’t focus too much of your attention on this movement if your goal is maximum leg gains.
Two “Bad Exercises” to Reconsider
Don’t expect to grow strongman-like legs with walking lunges or safety bar squats. Both moves earned the “bad exercise” label from Hooper, at least in terms of maximizing your leg gains.
“We can get a really good return and really good hip strength by doing split squats or Bulgarian split squats without the downsides of the rest time with walking lunges,” Hooper noted.
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Meanwhile, the benefits of the safety squat bar don’t outweigh some of the tradeoffs of putting your body in a disadvantageous position for optimal leg strength.
“If we’re creating a weak link in the chain of our thoracic vertebrae, our legs are naturally not going to take as much of that load,” Hooper said. “We need our legs to be close to failure or as close as possible in a safe manner to make steady progress.”
Ultimately, Hooper still deemed it a “phenomenal exercise for a lot of reasons,” but not a great one if you’re purely trying to strengthen your legs.
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References
1. Aspe RR, Swinton PA. Electromyographic and kinetic comparison of the back squat and overhead squat. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Oct;28(10):2827-36. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000462. PMID: 24662228.
Featured image: Mitchell Hooper / YouTube
