Packing on legitimate muscle is a science most beginners get wrong. It’s far more nuanced than just eating more calories or lifting heavier weights sometimes. It requires training periodization, recovery, nutrition, and patience.
Three-time Arnold Strongman Classic champion and 2024 Strongest Man on Earth Mitchell Hooper wasn’t always a muscle-bound giant. He’s found practical strategies for adding quality mass.
Before Hooper was timber carrying 882 pounds or hoisting massive Atlas stones, he was a 225-pound marathon runner. He steadily grew to 325 pounds and harnessed that weight to claim the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) title in 2023. He shared how he did that in early June 2025:
[Related: Is It Easy to Truly Overtrain?]
Each stage of Hooper’s fitness journey was tailored to specific goals. Capitalizing on diet structure, activity, and restoration to progress.
| Year | Milestone | Body Weight | Body Fat | Calories/Day | Lean Mass |
| 2017 | Marathon Runner | 225 lbs | 14% | 3,000 | ~195 lbs |
| 2019 | Powerlifting Champion | 270 lbs | 19% | 4,000–4,500 | ~219 lbs |
| 2022 | First World’s Strongest Man | 315 lbs | 27% | 5,000–5,500 | ~230 lbs |
| 2025 | Peak Strongman | 325 lbs | ~18% | 5,000 | ~265 lbs |
Mitchell Hooper’s Gaining Muscle System
When putting on muscle, “calories in vs. calories out” is a standard methodology. While there’s truth to that concept, it’s not the end-all, be-all. In Hooper’s experience, eating dirty foods didn’t produce productive weight gain. He felt it worsened inflammation, and his body struggled to absorb the nutrients.
“When you eat food, it doesn’t enter your system until absorbed,” Hooper explained. “Whilst I might have eaten 5,000 calories daily, did I absorb all those calories? Or did I have systemic inflammation stopping me from using that effectively?”
Focusing on clean, whole foods and tracking body weight weekly can be more beneficial for muscle growth than obsessing over calorie amounts. (1)(2) Research suggests that certain food sources, such as beef, can significantly affect muscle-building results. (3)
Hooper’s transition from powerlifting to strongman led to a 20-pound weight gain in two months; training periodization and intensity were the main drivers. Instead of targeting max lifts, he alternated between strength, endurance, and power to promote optimal muscle adaptations. (4)
“When you give something a new stimulus, you’re going to get a return greater than the stimulus you provided before,” Hooper explained.
Recovery is the unsung hero of muscle gain. Lifters send their bodies a message for muscle growth by training. However, they won’t acquire new muscle tissue via muscle protein synthesis until they sleep and recover. (5)
Hooper’s Recovery Tips
- Prioritize 7-9 hours of sleep to support recovery, growth hormone release, and muscle repair.
- Program deload weeks every six-12 weeks; reduce volume by 30% and intensity by 50% to avoid burnout.
- Manage overall health to enhance recovery and nutrient absorption.
Trusting the process and being patient are necessary for gaining muscle. Despite elite genetics, it took Hooper nearly eight years to gain 70 pounds of muscle, and he averaged less than one pound of muscle per month.
References
- Granic A, Dismore L, Hurst C, Robinson SM, Sayer AA. Myoprotective Whole Foods, Muscle Health and Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review of Observational and Intervention Studies in Older Adults. Nutrients. 2020 Jul 28;12(8):2257. doi: 10.3390/nu12082257. PMID: 32731580; PMCID: PMC7469021. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7469021/
- Tinsley GM, Harty PS, Stratton MT, Smith RW, Rodriguez C, Siedler MR. Tracking changes in body composition: comparison of methods and influence of pre-assessment standardisation. Br J Nutr. 2022;127(11):1656-1674. doi:10.1017/S0007114521002579 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34325758/
- Pinckaers PJ, Domić J, Petrick HL, et al. Higher Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates Following Ingestion of an Omnivorous Meal Compared with an Isocaloric and Isonitrogenous Vegan Meal in Healthy, Older Adults. J Nutr. 2024;154(7):2120-2132. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.11.004 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37972895/
- Evans JW. Periodized Resistance Training for Enhancing Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength: A Mini-Review. Front Physiol. 2019 Jan 23;10:13. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00013. PMID: 30728780; PMCID: PMC6351492. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6351492/
- Dattilo M, Antunes HK, Medeiros A, et al. Sleep and muscle recovery: endocrinological and molecular basis for a new and promising hypothesis. Med Hypotheses. 2011;77(2):220-222. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2011.04.017 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21550729/
Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
