The Arnold Strongman Classic UK witnessed the rise of Canadian ‘Moose’ Mitchell Hooper. His strength and technique were unparalleled, managing to beat the veterans at their best. However, in a recent Instagram post, he revealed missing out on a crucial part of his prep due to an injury.
Late in 2023, at the Shaw Classic, Hooper tore his hamstring, leading to a severe injury. He pressed on to prepare for his upcoming shows in Ohio and the UK, but his condition limited him. He couldn’t perform deadlifts for a while and had to spend time recovering and preventing further injuries.
Hooper worked his way up to the desired weight category. The Arnold Strongman Classic UK featured an event that involved performing reps with a 700+ lbs deadlift bar. To pull that off, he needed some serious training and support to get through.
In his Instagram post, he showed how he finished a whopping eight reps on a 771 lbs bar to win the title. Throughout his training process, Hooper hasn’t been able to deadlift off the ground. Recalling his shortcomings, he talked about his injury.
View this post on Instagram
“How many do you think I could have done?
For those who follow closely, you’ll know I haven’t been able to deadlift from the ground in training for months due to a groin tear.”
The feat that got him the loudest cheers from the crowd and the title. However, it also served another purpose. Being able to channel all his might and strength to pull the deadlift reps off gave him a surge of confidence.
“…this was a massive confidence boost that I can work around an injury and maintain a good level of strength.”
Hooper’s powerful feat wasn’t his only claim to fame. Both the Arnold Strongman Classic shows witnessed his controlled techniques, balancing between exerting all his might and not going overboard. Being on the smaller side compared to other veteran strongmen, he has an edge over the others with his skills. Fans have been in awe of this and flooded the comment section of his recent post with their thoughts.
Fans believed Mitchell Hooper could’ve aimed for the moon with his deadlift reps
Hooper needed more than seven reps to win the title of the competition. He wrapped up with eight, lifting the trophy triumphantly. However, some fans believed he looked like he could go for more.
“You looked comfy enough for 10+. I loved that 7 was enough but you gave it 8 to seal the deal. Legendary performance!”
One even thought he could tie the number of reps with Hafthor Bjornsson’s ten smooth lifts.
“I say you could’ve tied with Thor”
One fan expressed their shock at Hooper performing the impressive stunt with an injury.
“Brother you are amazing and o my goodness training around injury….to be feared for sure!”
The consensus was that he could perform at least ten reps with that bar since eight almost looked too easy. Hooper’s strength till the end of the competition came as a warning for competitors to watch out for future shows.
