With a kinesiology degree and the Axle Press world record on his resume, 2024 Strongest Man on Earth Mitchell Hooper is certainly a qualified expert on pressing exercises.
The combination of formal education and practical experience enabled the 2023 World’s Strongest Man to become a dominant figure in strongman and a well-respected voice within the fitness community. On Oct. 17, 2024, Hooper shared his five favorite pressing exercises for building size and strength.
Just like he’s previously called out a few overrated leg exercises, Hooper put a pair of “pointless” pressing moves on the chopping block, too.
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Mitchell Hooper’s Mighty Five Pressing Moves
Hooper proved his pushing prowess in July at the 2024 Strongman Classic by successfully split-jerking an Axle bar world record of 218 kilograms. What would someone who’s capable of pressing nearly 500 pounds overhead recommend for the best push exercises? Here’s a quick glance at Hooper’s top five:
- Incline Barbell Bench Press (Close-Grip)
- Standing Military Press
- Viking Press
- JM Press
- Dumbbell Chest-Supported Front Raise
With a bench press variation leading the way, the Canadian native’s other selections include a classic shoulder builder and a Strongman competition staple. Hooper rounded out his list with two less popular but still valuable exercises targeting the triceps, chest, and shoulders.
Ticking All The Boxes
Hooper’s top choice among all pressing movements is a close-grip incline barbell press.
We’re ticking all of the boxes: building size in the chest shoulders, and triceps; pressing strength…relatively safely.
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In addition to translating directly to the bench press and overhead press, Hooper highlighted several key benefits of the exercise:
- Builds triceps strength
- Eliminates range of motion issues
- Eliminates momentum problems with other machines
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The Rest of The Best
While the standing military press and Viking press share some commonalities, Hooper separated them for a distinct reason: degrees of freedom. Here’s his explanation on the military press:
“It’s not instability of the bamboo bar, but a greater level of instability where you truly have to control that weight.”
The military press exposes imbalances between the left and right sides and any range of motion issues.
Stay Strict With The Viking Press
A strict Viking press offers several advantages, including controlling all ranges of motion.
Hooper provided a few technique tips for maximizing returns on this classic strongman movement:
- Squeeze the glutes
- Stay as upright as possible (avoid leaning back)
I absolutely love a standing strict Viking press.
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Rounding Out The Top Five
The other two exercises that made the cut are likely seen in bodybuilding programs. Hooper penciled the JM press into the fourth slot, aptly describing the exercise as “if a close-grip bench press and a skull crusher had a baby.”
This movement helps develop stronger triceps, a key weakness Hooper believes prevents most people from being proficient pressers.
“You’ll see people who have huge bench presses and not huge pecs. You will never see someone who has a huge bench press without huge triceps.”
His final pick swaps out a barbell for a pair of dumbbells, as the chest-supported front raise forces you to develop shoulder flexion strength.
“If you don’t have flexion strength, there’s no way for you to be able to work heavy weight back into its lockout position,” Hooper explained.
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A Pair of Popular (But Pointless) Exercises
You can cross two exercises off your next push day: the seated machine press and anything involving a bamboo bar.
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Here’s Hooper’s rationale for skipping both:
- On the seated machine press: “We are taking out every postural control muscle possible, every bit of core strength possible, and every degree of freedom away.”
- On the bamboo bar: “I’ve never seen treating 60 pounds unstable carry over to a 300-pound overhead press.”
Even though the stability challenges of a bamboo bar may seem like a mountain worth climbing, take it from someone who’s ascended to the top: It’s simply not worth your time, effort, or energy.
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Featured image: Mitchell Hooper / YouTube
