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Mitchell Hooper Tackles Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Brutal Back and Biceps Workout

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Mitchell Hooper Tackles Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Brutal Back and Biceps Workout As if attempting to match Ronnie Coleman’s best lifts wasn’t challenging enough, Mitchell Hooper also tried to keep pace with another all-time great’s signature workout. Although the reigning World’s Strongest Man typically doesn’t focus on getting a pump during his training, he had no choice but to embrace that satisfying feeling Arnold Schwarzenegger strived for during his legendary gym sessions. In a video posted on his YouTube page on Nov. 13, 2023, Hooper tried the seven-time Mr. Olympia winner’s iconic back and biceps workout. Needless to say, the high-volume style of training gave the Canadian strongman an even deeper appreciation for Schwarzenegger’s accomplishments. More from Breaking Muscle: The Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Every Lifter From Beginner to Advanced How to Eat More for Muscle and Strength Gains Always up for a challenge, Hooper tested his upper-body strength and stamina via a series of back and biceps exercises that left his muscles thoroughly taxed. Paying homage to arguably the most popular bodybuilder ever to live, it didn’t take long for the talented strongman to understand the differences between how athletes from each sport benefit from their specific training modalities. Hooper kicked off the session with four back exercises before finishing up with several curl variations. The workout begins about 40 seconds into the video. Wide-Grip Pull-Up Tipping the scales at about 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, Hooper recruited his lats to lift his sizable frame to the top of the assisted pull-up machine. Going with a wide grip led to enhanced lat engagement and allowed the Ontario native to better utilize his rhomboids and trapezius muscles. After completing his second set, Hooper took a look at some of Schwarzenegger’s best lifts, which included a 498-pound (226-kilogram) bench press and a 709.9-pound (322-kilogram) deadlift. Despite not being overly impressed by those numbers, Hooper acknowledged that bodybuilders have a distinct advantage in one key area. “Upper body strength is disproportionally good in bodybuilders because their muscle mass is so high up there,” he explained. “I don’t know what that is. Maybe strongmen should do a lot more upper body accessory work than we do because bodybuilders are so strong comparatively. Following that brief rest period, Hooper wrapped up the first portion of the workout by completing three more sets of wide-grip pull-ups. T-Bar Row Next, Hooper went with a variation of one of Schwarzenegger’s favorite exercises: the T-bar row. Starting with three 45-pound (20.4-kilogram) plates, the big man explosively pulled and squeezed each rep, noting that his upper-body strength isn’t on the same level as his lower body. “Like 80 percent of everything we do is quad, hamstring, glute,” Hooper said about strongmen. “Leg drive, if you’ve got that, you’re going to do very well.” Subsequent sets of T-bar rows included heavier loads, which forced the Canadian athlete to use his core and legs to maintain stability throughout the movement. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Hooper then went over to the dumbbell section to perform single-arm rows. A classic back exercise that’s great for building thickness, he made quick work of 130-pound (59-kilogram) dumbbells for his first two sets. However, just because it looked easy doesn’t mean Hooper enjoyed this part of the workout. “I think this might be my least favorite exercise,” he explained. “The difficulty is a lot in your core, not a lot in the actual pulling. So it’s like a core workout with an arbitrary dumbbell movement.” Still, Hooper pushed (or in this case, pulled) on to finish two more sets with the same weight, making sure to maintain a neutral spine as he completed the heavy dumbbell rows. Close-Grip Lat Pulldown The final back exercise of the workout put Hooper’s lats to the ultimate test. Having already accepted the reality that he would be “sore as hell” the next day, he mustered up the energy to complete four sets of close-grip lat pulldowns. Hooper leaned back slightly during the movement, pulling the handle down to just above chest level. Once he finished on the cable machine, he moved on to the second half of his session. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mitchell Hooper (@mitchellhooper) [Related: The Best Arm Workouts for Beginners, With Dumbbells, and More] Biceps Circuit With about 20 minutes left to train, Hooper wrapped his biceps in blood restriction cuffs, which have been shown to help increase hypertrophy. (1) Although he performed fewer working sets than Schwarzenegger’s protocol, Hooper still achieved an excellent muscle-building stimulus. Aiming to hit his biceps from multiple angles, the reigning WSM completed four rounds of a four-part circuit that included the following exercises: Standing Barbell Curl — Used a 70-pound (31.8-kilogram) curl bar Barbell Preacher Curl — Used the same 70-pound (31.8-kilogram) curl bar Alternating Dumbbell Curl — Used 50-pound (22.7-kilogram) dumbbells Concentration Curl — Used 45-pound (20.4-kilogram) dumbbells By the time he cranked out his final rep, an exasperated and vascular version of Hooper seemed happy with the pump he achieved during the expedited biceps session. Schwarzenegger-Style Back and Biceps Workout Here’s a complete breakdown of the Arnold Schwarzenegger-inspired back and biceps workout Hooper performed. Wide-Grip Pull-Up — 5 x 8-12 T-Bar Row — 5 x 8-12 Single-Arm Dumbbell Row — 4 x 8-12 Close-Grip Lat Pulldown — 4 x 8-12 Standing Barbell Curl — 4 x 8-12 Barbell Preacher Curl — 4 x 8-12 Alternating Dumbbell Curl — 4 x 8-12 Concentration Curl — 4 x 8-12 While you shouldn’t expect to see Mitchell Hooper enter a bodybuilding show anytime soon, the fact he’s willing to try different styles of training and share his honest feedback shows why he’s one of the more well-respected and popular strength athletes today. Already a world-class strongman, anything he does to improve in other areas will only make him a more fierce competitor moving forward. Featured Image: Mitchell Hooper / YouTube References Wortman RJ, Brown SM, Savage-Elliott I, Finley ZJ, Mulcahey MK. Blood Flow Restriction Training for Athletes: A Systematic

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Mitchell Hooper Attempts 3 of Ronnie Coleman’s Heaviest Lifts Ever

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Mitchell Hooper Attempts 3 of Ronnie Coleman’s Heaviest Lifts Ever Although he competes in a vastly different sport, Mitchell Hooper can appreciate the superhuman strength and sheer determination it took for Ronnie Coleman to become the most decorated bodybuilder of all time. While the reigning World’s Strongest Man can toss around kettlebells and overhead press heavy logs with relative ease, he had to eat a proverbial slice of humble pie after attempting to match some of the eight-time Mr. Olympia winner’s best lifts. In a video posted on his YouTube page on Nov. 16, 2023, Mitchell took on the improbable challenge of performing a Coleman-inspired back workout that included three basic exercises using loads that gave him a newfound appreciation for the living legend’s accomplishments in the gym. More from Breaking Muscle: The Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Every Lifter From Beginner to Advanced Deadlift vs. Romanian Deadlift: Learn the Best Way to Hit Your Posterior Chain Besides boasting an incredibly muscular and symmetrical physique, The King earned plenty of praise for his ability to train with the strength of a powerlifter (which Coleman was at one point). Known for working with extremely heavy weights and pushing himself to the point of failure, Coleman set personal records in some staple lifts that still seem unfathomable years later, including military pressing 315 pounds (143 kilograms) for 12 reps and squatting and deadlifting 800 pounds for two reps. Combining that powerbuilding approach with a high-protein diet and an ultra-disciplined lifestyle helped the Louisiana native collect 26 IFBB pro show wins, including eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles from 1998-2005. However, even for Hooper, who became the fourth person to win WSM and the Arnold Strongman Classic in the same year back in April 2023, Coleman’s training style seemed well beyond his capabilities. Still, the Canadian strongman showed he’s no slouch by making easy work of the first back exercise. The three-part workout begins around the 1:05 mark of the video. Conventional Deadlift — 800 pounds (362.9 kilograms) for two reps Coleman famously completed two reps of an 800-pound conventional deadlift in the 2000 documentary Ronnie Coleman: The Unbelievable. For most people, replicating that feat would be downright impossible. Yet for Hooper, who has pulled 1,000 pounds, matching Coleman’s best deadlift didn’t present much of a challenge. The 28-year-old started with a warm-up set of 575 pounds (260.8 kilograms), showcasing picture-perfect form by driving his hips forward during the lockout phase. Before performing his next set, Hooper pointed to the peanut tattoo on the inside of his left ankle and noted that he got it to pay homage to Coleman’s “Ain’t nothing but a peanut” signature catchphrase. After a final warm-up set of 685 pounds (310.7 kilograms), the accomplished strongman raised the stakes and attempted to hit 800 pounds (362.9 kilograms) twice just as Coleman did more than two decades ago. Unsurprisingly, Hooper had no trouble matching The King’s best deadlift, completing two clean reps. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mitchell Hooper (@mitchellhooper) [Related: 7 Tips to Perfect Your Deadlift Form] Bent-Over Row — 515 pounds (233.6 kilograms) for 10 reps Six years after setting his deadlift PR, Coleman smashed 10 reps of barbell bent-over rows with a total of 515 pounds (233.6 kilograms) in the 2006 documentary Ronnie Coleman: Relentless. A taxing exercise that targets your lats, spinal erectors, glutes, hamstrings, and scapular stabilizers, this row variation requires excellent core strength to execute safely. Despite his strongman background, Hooper didn’t have nearly the same level of confidence about being able to match Coleman’s bent-over row record as he did during the deadlift. Starting with a warm-up set of 405 pounds (183.7 kilograms) that already looked challenging, Hooper added another 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms) to the barbell. “It’s funny how this is a really light deadlift, but when you pick it up and you’re now in the context of “you have to row it” the feeling is completely different,” he explained during his rest period. Ultimately, Hooper didn’t even attempt to match the weight Coleman used in his prime. Instead, he topped out at eight reps of 455 pounds (206.4 kilograms) before moving on to the final exercise. [Related: Legendary Ronnie Coleman Explains the Four Bodybuilding Poses That Built His Career] T-Bar Row — 505 pounds (229 kilograms) for 12 reps The session concluded with Hooper trying to go toe-to-toe with Coleman’s T-bar row record of 12 reps of 505 pounds (229 kilograms) set in 2006. He began with an easy warm-up set of 315 pounds (142.9 kilograms), which set the stage for a short discussion about the impact of lifting heavy. “It’s a reality that every strength athlete has to face — that if you push yourself to the limit over and over and over it can result in long-term damage,” Hooper explained. “All you’re doing is shifting risk profiles. It’s important to recognize that pushing yourself to the limit does increase the risk of certain musculoskeletal issues down the track but it also completely diminishes the risk of others. After sharing his insight about the dangers of training to the extreme, Hooper shifted his focus back to the corner of the gym for what turned out to be his final set of T-bar rows. As was the case with the bent-over rows, Hooper didn’t come close to matching one of his icons. The winner of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition maxed out at 10 reps of 405 pounds (183.7 kilograms), proving that The King truly was (and still is) on another level. Featured Image: Mitchell Hooper / YouTube The post Mitchell Hooper Attempts 3 of Ronnie Coleman’s Heaviest Lifts Ever appeared first on Breaking Muscle. Although he competes in a vastly different sport, Mitchell Hooper can appreciate the superhuman strength and sheer determination it took for Ronnie Coleman to become the most decorated bodybuilder of all time. While the reigning World’s Strongest Man can toss around kettlebells and overhead press heavy logs with relative ease,

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Mitchell Hooper Discusses Risks and Benefits of CrossFit, Draws Parallel to Strongman

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Mitchell Hooper Discusses Risks and Benefits of CrossFit, Draws Parallel to Strongman In the current strongman pantheon, a star probably doesn’t shine any brighter than Mitchell Hooper. The Canadian athlete is the reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion and has firmly established his overall dominance atop the sport of strongman. As a versatile athlete, Hooper is clearly also willing to flex his fitness knowledge. He posted this one day after the conclusion of the 2023 CrossFit Games. On August 7, 2023, Hooper posted a video to his YouTube channel where he performed a mix of strongman and CrossFit exercises. It appears to be a round-up of clips from previous videos that have appeared on Hooper’s channel. In the process, the athlete discussed the distinction between the two different athletic disciplines. The video is overlayed with Hooper walking in an undisclosed neighborhood, narrating his included workouts while sharing his thoughts. The narrated conversation takes place throughout the clip. More from Breaking Muscle: Best Barbells for Powerlifting, CrossFit, Olympic Weightlifting, and More Learn How to Build Strength with Three Key Principles Over the course of his various workout clips, Hooper seemingly leaves no stone unturned. Highlights included him performing variations of high-rep log presses, clean & jerks, muscle-ups on a pull-up bar, jump rope, running on a treadmill, and classic back squats. In the end, Hooper used a familiar argument against strongman’s effects on one’s health as it relates to CrossFit. Hooper particularly highlighted the unique tests of elite competition. “The big challenge with CrossFit is that you take what the pros do, and it’s sort of the same argument as, ‘Strongman’s not good for your health,’ which, of course it’s not … because you’re pushing your body past what it’s capable of and, in the end, sometimes that causes you to break down. And CrossFit’s the same way. When you look at how CrossFit Games are planned, often times when you’re dealing with the best in the world, you’re going to program things in a way that make it particularly challenging on the body. Let’s say you do a squat into a deadlift into a clean. That is massively challenging on the posterior chain and your back is going to blow up. But that’s the goal. When you’re at a competition and you’re at the professional level, that’s what you should be doing.” At the local, non-professional level, Hooper condensed his argument in a manner more accessible for less experienced athletes and recreational lifters who don’t plan to shine at the Games. How athletes use CrossFit to get fit can vary greatly from person to person, with everyone having different goals and needs. “The biggest difficulty [at the local level] is that every CrossFit box is sort of up to the person who runs it. Do you want to follow that style of programming? Do you want to follow it more holistic? And in the end, CrossFit has a whole bunch of fundamental movement patterns that they believe are fundamental skills, that they believe encompass fitness. I think the only time you get into a challenge, and why people often hate on CrossFit and call it ‘stupid,’ is when you do something like a high-rep clean & jerk with someone who’s not proficient at doing the clean & jerk in the first place … that becomes really dangerous because your strength level and skill level have such a discrepancy.” It is that discrepancy that Hooper says creates a conflict for CrossFitters of all experience levels. Per Hooper, it’s here that a coach should become a significant priority. “So, that’s what happens with CrossFit. Even if you’re not particularly strong, that zero skill is going to have to be balanced out with some sort of strength. So you’re automatically stronger than your skill allows you to be. And that’s where a really smart and really good coach is going to help you get there.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mitchell Hooper (@mitchellhooper) More from Breaking Muscle: Best Weightlifting Belts for CrossFit, Powerlifting, Olympic Weightlifting, and More How to Eat More for Muscle and Strength Gains Perhaps few other people could explain the challenges and drawbacks of CrossFit as eloquently as Hooper. His rationale as an elite strength sports athlete makes sense and is one any prospective CrossFitter should heed. Featured image: Mitchell Hooper on YouTube The post Mitchell Hooper Discusses Risks and Benefits of CrossFit, Draws Parallel to Strongman appeared first on Breaking Muscle. In the current strongman pantheon, a star probably doesn’t shine any brighter than Mitchell Hooper. The Canadian athlete is the reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion and has firmly established his overall dominance atop the sport of strongman. As a versatile athlete, Hooper is clearly also willing to flex his fitness knowledge. He posted this one day after… The post Mitchell Hooper Discusses Risks and Benefits of CrossFit, Draws Parallel to Strongman appeared first on Breaking Muscle. Robert Zeglinski{authorlink}https://breakingmuscle.com/mitchell-hooper-strongman-crossfit-comparison/Breaking Muscle Breaking Muscle https://breakingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cropped-bmlogowhite-red-120×68.png

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