Tag: Strongman
Ronnie Coleman Reacts to Brian Shaw’s Most Insane Strongman Lifts: ‘Holy Sh*t’
Legendary bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman was renowned for lifting insanely heavy weights during his career. Following the retirement of Strongman legend Brian Shaw, Coleman shared his reaction to some of Shaw’s most impressive lifts on YouTube.
Ronnie Coleman is widely regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. He presented a jacked package with freakish muscle mass, size, and conditioning in the Men’s Open division. In addition to his look, Coleman made a name for himself with his brutally heavy workouts. He took home the top prize at the 1998 Mr. Olympia and went on a dominant run that saw him win eight Sandow trophies against the likes of four-time champ Jay Cutler, Flex Wheeler, Chris Cormier, and Kevin Levrone.
Given the intense nature of his training, Coleman would eventually suffer from a string of injuries. He needed multiple back surgeries and had trouble walking properly. Fortunately, Coleman made great progress in recovery after getting stem cell treatment. He credited the therapy for helping him recover earlier this year.
As of late, Coleman joined social media fitness sensation Jesse James West for a powerlifting style workout a few months ago. West pranked Coleman by using fake weights to exaggerate his lifts. Coleman conceded he was stunned to see West seemingly lift 700 pounds on the squat with ease.
‘The King’ gave fans a look into four of the greatest bodybuilding poses he incorporated in his performance routine on stage two months ago. He detailed how each pose brought out his strongest features and overall package in the best way possible.
He teamed up with former 212 Olympia champ and Men’s Open standout Derek Lunsford for a grueling back and biceps workout last month. Both men discussed their training philosophies as Coleman mentored him through the session. A few weeks later, Coleman extended his support for Lunsford again by backing him to dethrone reigning Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan at the next event.
The 58-year-old credited fellow legend Flex Wheeler for his immense success in the sport last month. He revealed Wheeler connected him to prolific bodybuilding guru Chad Nicholls, who led him to his first Mr. Olympia victory.
Two weeks ago, the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest concluded with the win of Mitchell Hooper and the exit of Brian Shaw, widely considered to be one of the greatest strength athletes ever. The four-time WSM winner had announced it would be his final appearance in the build-up to the show.
Brian Shaw is one of the most accomplished strongmen in history. He has won the World’s Strongest Man title four times, in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. He has also won the Arnold Strongman Classic three times, in 2011, 2015, and 2017. He is the only person to win both competitions in the same year twice. He has set numerous world records in events such as the Atlas Stones, the Hummer Tire Deadlift, and the Rogue Elephant Bar Deadlift.
Shaw was a regular feature of the WSM events with 16 participations in total. He stands as the fourth-winningest Strongman of all time with 26 international contest wins under his belt. During his decorated career, Shaw battled it out against fellow legends Eddie Hall, Hafthor Bjornsson, and Zydrunas Savickas.
Ronnie Coleman reacts to Brian Shaw’s insane Strongman lifts
In a recent YouTube video, Ronnie Coleman shared his reaction to some of Brian Shaw’s jaw-dropping lifts in Strongman contests.
Coleman started by commenting on Shaw performing the Tire Carry.
“Running with them big old heavy ass tires. Running like it ain’t nothing to it and it wasn’t nothing to it.”
Then, he weighed in on Shaw lifting a 530-lb (240.4-kg) bench press and a 1,091 pounds (494.8 kilograms) deadlift.
“530 pounds like it’s 330 pounds easy to lift.”
“1,000-pound deadlift like it ain’t nothing to it but to do it. Pull it, lightweight baby. That’s how you do it. Make the thousand pounds look like a hundred pounds.”
The next clip was Shaw’s 2016 deadlift of about 980 pounds followed by a lower body exercise.
“That was easy, lightweight. Go ahead and put another 45, 50 pounds on there.”
“I don’t know how much weight that is but I see it’s got to be pretty heavy. I don’t know what kind of contraption that is but ain’t nothing easy about what he’s doing.”
Coleman was astonished by Shaw’s crazy strength on the Kettlebell Toss and Overhead Press.
“Those awesome big ass kettlebells and he tossed them like they peanuts. Those are 60-pound kettlebells, holy sh*t!”
“This is one of the hardest I think I’ve seen. He’s just hopping it like it ain’t nothing.”
Finally, Coleman wrapped up by lauding Shaw for his insane Car Deadlifts and Truck Pull.
Recently, Ronnie Coleman made headlines for selling his home of 26 years for $495,000 in Texas over a week ago. He utilized the home gym during his days of competing on stage, making it a great piece of bodybuilding history.
RELATED: Ronnie Coleman On ‘Comical’ Biceps Comparison with Nick Walker: ‘I Shouldn’t Even Be In This Conversation’
Coleman gave his take on iconic bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger’s strongest lifts last week. He offered to train with Schwarzenegger following the reaction video.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 2 May, 2023 | 5:31 PM EDT
‘I Was in Serious Danger’: Mitchell Hooper Breaks Down 2023 World’s Strongest Man Win
Canadian Strongman Mitchell Hooper is coming off a phenomenal win at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition. Hooper’s experience at the show was nothing short of thrilling, with four days of non-stop action that left him on the edge of his seat. In a recent YouTube video, Hooper shared his breakdown of the victory and his performance at the show.
Mitchell Hooper made headlines for his crazy feats of strength after beating legendary Strongman Brian Shaw in the qualifying stage of the 2022 World’s Strongest Man. He followed up with a dominant win at the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK, where he defeated 13 other competitors just a few months after the WSM. Then, he made his way to the 2022 Giants Live World Tour and took home the top prize ahead of Aivars Smaukstelis and Kevin Faires.
In November 2022, Hooper set the new World Record on the Dinnie Stones Hold, clocking in a time of 39.58 seconds by holding a total 732 pounds across both arms at the 2022 Rogue Invitational. He also left the fans stunned with his impressive strength earlier this year, having set a new two-rep PR on the raw squats of 771.6-lb (350-kg). Shortly after, Hooper extended his commanding competition streak with another win at the 2023 Australia’s Strongest International Competition.
Following the competition in Australia, Mitchell Hooper continued preparing for two biggest competitions of the year. So, Hooper crushed an intense set of 420-kg (925.9-lb) raw deadlift to achieve a new PR in training. In addition, just two months ago, Hooper smoked a heavy set of 770-kg (1,697.6-lb) raw leg press for eight reps in preparation for the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic. In the end, his hard work paid off as he came out on top of the contest last month.
The 27-year-old was last seen in action for his second WSM appearance at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man a week ago. Hooper went up against the most elite contenders and managed to win the coveted title.
Mitchell Hooper breaks down his win at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man
In a recent YouTube video, Mitchell Hooper shared his experience of competing and scoring gold at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest.
“On Sunday, Kate and I went to the alligator park,” said Hooper. “You guys see me do a lot of stuff before contests that most guys won’t like drinking, going to the alligator park, I’d be more than down to go to a swimming pool because that’s how I get myself in the headspace to perform my best.”
“In my group I had Mateusz Kieliszkowski, who was probably the number one guy I didn’t want in my group aside from Pavlo. I also had Aivars, which you never want a good stone lifter in your group. I also had Matt Ragg, who I knew people were sleeping on. We also had Spenser Remick who won the OSG and Graham Hicks. I’m looking at that group and thinking who on earth would be the bottom two. It’s really quite impossible to tell. The work was cut out.”
“The heat events were really good for me. I went to bed thinking I had a good shot but full form Mateusz on those events could beat anyone and Aivars can beat me on stone so I didn’t go in with 100 percent confidence.”
“The deadlift machine was interesting experience. It got very heavy after the barrel 6 or 7. It seemed to disproportionately get heavy.”
“I knew that if I won Conan’s Wheel I would sweep into the finals. I picked up that Conan’s Wheel horribly. After about half a lap, it came down my arm and I was in this sort of like handcuff position that was sort of weird for about half a lap. I thought I was in serious danger at this stage I needed to get a lap in three quarters. It fell into my wrist after the lap and a bit and then it was okay. I think next time I’ll be much better. Interlocking fingers, getting elbows close would be much better strategy.”
“Surprise group winner Jaco Schoonwinkel, amazing job. Sometimes, there’s guys who behave like they could definitely win the group and then this guy just came out of nowhere. He didn’t seem particularly confident or like he was ready to go smash it. He just absolutely killed the heats. I never expected it to happen so huge well done to him.”
Hooper revealed the difficulties he faced at the 2023 WSM
Mitchell Hooper laid out the difficulties he faced as a competitor at the show.
“Everything doesn’t run perfectly at World’s obviously. Everything doesn’t run perfect everywhere. It’s just highlighted the most at World’s because there’s so much emotion around it. We did our equipment testing, that was all good, then we had a meeting, Flex Lewis got introduced as Flex Wheeler, we talked about the rain situation and we weren’t given a set of rules. The only time I read any rules were when I asked for the rules on the bus on the way to day one of the finals. Then I gave it back to production. Otherwise, to my knowledge, no athlete actually had a set of rules that we traditionally get a package of. No athlete got that. No one was clear on the rules from the get go.”
“Shield Carry, I essentially thought if I beat Tom I will be in a good spot. That was my entire thought. Thankfully, Tom is very fast with a shield and I couldn’t keep up to him. I got a lap and a quarter about 30 meters and shield was already slipping, I did a bit of pop to readjust the shield up high, walk all the way down to the end, came on back, started crab walking a bit, and ended up beating Tom by the smallest of margins.”
“The story here is mostly around Pavlo, who’s the best at Shield on the day but his foot didn’t cross the line. He was deducted 19.8 meters off of his distance which is a harsh penalty for just missing the line. That being said, if there was an actual 100 percent proper rule, he should’ve been deducted 39.8 meters because nothing should count until their foot crosses that line and they come back. While it was a harsh penalty, I don’t think it was overstepping reason because they did still give him a distance.”
“The Fingal’s Fingers didn’t go so well. I won’t get into too much detail but I went into Day 2 half a point ahead of Oleksii, 1 point ahead of Tom and 2.5 points ahead of Trey. I wasn’t particularly confident at this stage. I was going to push hard for the podium.”
Hooper called for a clearer ruleset & explained his road to victory
Mitchell Hooper suggested developing a clearer ruleset to avoid ambiguity and shared his road to victory.
“Dumbbell was difficult. There’s some questions around rules and equipment, a big challenge. The biggest was should we be allowed to wear a medical cuff on our elbows to stop things like tendonitis. That’s their primary function but the secondary function can be they help you lift more. I was very hard on the argument that this is such a bicep heavy show this year meaning that we needed protection. If we’re not safe what’s the point of doing it? That was approved. There was a lot of talk in the athletes teens between us to the refs about what equipment should be allowed or not. There’s no long-standing ill will and I don’t think it’s going to be brought up again. We just need to be super clear and have a rule sheet.”
“Max dumbbell, I overperformed dramatically on that. My personal best was 125 kilograms. I ended up hitting 140 kilograms in the competition. That is the performance I’m most proud of and I believe what secured me the World’s Strongest Man.
“There were some calls that were soft, not as strict as they could be. For example, my reps a lot of them I locked out here, I’ll speak about me, there were plenty of soft reps given to other guys. The reason it’s not a problem is that nothing should change about the judging of Strongman currently. It can modify but nothing should change altogether. I got some calls that I believe wouldn’t have been called in other competitions. A lot of other guys are in the same boat. It’s because my body was not completely vertical.”
“All we can ask for in Strongman is that in a given competition it is equal referring. No one’s getting reps they shouldn’t get when other people aren’t getting those reps. If everyone’s getting soft calls, fair enough.”
“I feel for Oleksii and Pavlo because their lockouts were perfect. If the judging was the most strict in the world, those guys would’ve had disproportionately good results so fair play to them.”
“On the Bus Pull, there is this unbelievable chunk of people at 32 seconds, I believe there was seven guys. Tom goes and he has the lowest time of 32 seconds, still in that chunk of guys meaning that if I did 32 seconds flat I would get 7 or 8 points more than if I did 33 seconds which you can imagine the pressure on something I did very poorly in the past. Now I have to go essentially win the event or lose the competition. I started the track pretty well and ended up winning the event which helped me tremendously.”
Following the result, Mitchell Hooper opened up on the victory in an exclusive interview with Fitness Volt. He detailed his mindset and credited his fellow standouts for inspiring him on his way to the title. Hooper now continues preparing for other competitions, as he plans on making a few more appearances by the end of the year.
You can watch the full video below.
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, final results, event recaps and in-depth analysis: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
Published: 29 April, 2023 | 4:12 PM EDT
2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Lineup Revealed
If you’re a fan of Strongman, now is the perfect time to enjoy the sport. In the course of this season, almost every competition has been nothing short of spectacular. So, the next one on the schedule is the 2023 Strongman Classic which is set to take place on July 8th, 2023, at the Royal Albert Hall, in London, England. However, Giants Live, while organizing the 2023 Strongman Classic, has now managed to call up 12 incredible athletes. The full athlete lineup has already been revealed on their Instagram page, more than two months in advance of the competition.
The 2023 Strongman Classic is the third edition of this competition, and it seems that it will be the greatest one yet. The winner in both previous years was Oleksii Novikov, who is also recognized for his 2020 WSM title. However, in order to win the Strongman Classic for the third year in a row, Novikov will have to face some fierce rivals, including two more WSM champions.
2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Lineup
Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou (Burkina Faso)
Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
Luke Stoltman (Scotland)
Eddie Williams (Australia)
Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
Tom Stoltman (Scotland)
Evan Singleton (USA)
Rongo Keene (Australia)
Spenser Remick (USA)
Kevin Faires (USA)
Related: Exclusive: Mitchell Hooper Reveals How Brian Shaw, Tom Stoltman, & Licis inspired Him To Win The 2023 WSM
Lineup Overview
The main favorite for the 2023 Strongman Classic has to be Mitchell Hooper. He just won the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition, and became the first Canadian in history to do so. In addition, he has stood on the podium in nine consecutive appearances, and hopes to continue it at the 2023 Strongman Classic as well.
Hooper’s main rivals will be Oleksii Novikov and Tom Stoltman, as both have had their fair share of success in the previous years. Judging by their competition history, Novikov seems to be more successful in this kind of competition, as Tom has won two WSM competitions, but failed to achieve a victory in any other competition. On the other hand, Novikov has won the 2022 Europe’s Strongest Man, 2022 Rogue Invitational, as well as some other events.
Pavlo Kordiyaka and Pavlo Nakonechnyy are also title contenders, having beaten some of the biggest names during their careers. Kordiyaka has achieved fame at the recent 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man, while Nakonechnyy is recognized as the future of the sport despite winning only one competition so far.
Next in the line seem to be Evan Singleton and Luke Stoltman, as both men are known for their solid performances. Even if their chances of winning are slim, both have a realistic chance to stand on the podium.
One potential surprise for the 2023 Strongman Classic can be Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou, since it is hard to predict what his performance could look like. Seeing that static strength is his trademark, Iron Biby could definitely make a charge for the title depending on the events.
Related: Brian Shaw Reveals How He Almost Lost His Leg In Preparation For 2023 World’s Strongest Man
The 2023 Strongman Classic is already a very promising competition, since it features one of the strongest lineups of the season. It is still hard to make predictions, as the events are unknown, but they will be revealed soon enough as well.
Published: 28 April, 2023 | 7:15 PM EDT
15 Incredible Stats & Facts about 2023 World’s Strongest Man by Laurence Shahlaei
Featuring over 30 participants, the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest wrapped up this past weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. So, in a recent Big Loz YouTube video, former Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) champ, Laurence Shahlaei, and his wife, Liz Mason, broke down 15 stats about the WSM competition.
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man took place from Apr. 19-23 with over 30 contenders from 14 nations making their way to the event. There were several notable names on the roster, including Ukrainian sensation Oleksii Novikov, the British strongman brothers ,Tom and Luke Stoltman, and legendary 4x champion Brian Shaw.
Ahead of the show, Shaw announced it would be his final appearance at the WSM contests. Having won the title on four occasions (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016), Shaw was looking to level the record of five-time WSM winner Mariusz Pudzianowski. However, he underwent surgery and nearly lost his leg in preparation for the competition, but managed to recover fully in time. In the end, Shaw finished in seventh place.
Maxime Boudreault was planning to participate in the event, but got forced to withdraw due to a fracture in his shin bone caused by an incident two months ago. Pavlo Nakonechnyy was also gearing up to make his maiden appearance at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. Unfortunately, he picked up a knee injury and pulled out of the event a few weeks ago. America’s Thomas Evans got the chance to replace Nakonechnyy.
Following a very successful qualifying round, Jaco Schoonwinkel ended up getting injured on day one of the finals after trying to perform an overhead press of 115-kg (253.5 pounds). The setback appeared to be serious as it forced him to the sidelines. Meanwhile, Mitchell Hooper took the lead early with Novikov and Tom in the distance behind him. Following the second day, Hooper emerged as the winner of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. He secured the coveted title in his second showing at the event. Tom slotted in second place with Novikov taking bronze.
15 Stats & Facts about the 2023 World’s Strongest Man
In a recent YouTube video, Laurence Shahlaei and Liz Mason shared their analysis of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man with 15 stats.
The first time a contender won four final events out of six — Mitchell Hooper delivered an incredible performance throughout the whole contest. He won eight events combined; four in his group in the Qualifying stage and another four out of six events in the Final. His win in the Reign Shield Carry was a result of Pavlo Kordiyaka getting his performance docked, which pushed him down the rankings. However, Hooper is the first man to win four events since the six-event format has been introduced to the WSM
Top 3 featured contenders from three different nations for the 11th year in a row — Champion Hooper represented Canada in first place whereas Tom Stoltman represented the UK. Novikov, however, carried the flag of Ukraine to round up the podium at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. It marked the 11th year in a row where each of the top three finishers was from a different country.
Two athletes tied in a timed event — Tom and Evan Singleton both recorded a time of 32.27 seconds to get second place in the Bus Pull event. It’s only the second time in the WSM history that two contestants clocked in at the exact same time, down to one-hundredth of a second. Previously, Travis Ortmayer and Brian Shaw tied in the Plane Pull event at the 2009 WSM.
Two Ukrainians were in the Final — The Final featured two Ukrainians for the first time ever. 2020 WSM champ Novikov extended his impressive run with another Final appearance and Kordiyaka entered the finals in only his second showing at the contest.
New Zealand gets the first athlete in the Final — Mathew Ragg created history by being the first athlete to represent New Zealand in the finals at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. Eventually, he placed ninth behind Brian Shaw and Luke Stoltman, respectively, after Schoonwinkel’s withdrawal.
Three WSM wins in a row were missed for the fifth consecutive time — Former champion Tom Stoltman was targeting to score the third straight win at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. It marked the ninth time an athlete attempted the feat and the fifth time straight it did not work out. Only Bill Kazmaier and Magnus ver Magnusson hold the honors of winning three in a row. Since Stoltman got dethroned by Hooper, he missed out on the three-peat.
Three USA athletes in the final — There have been three athletes that represented the USA in the Final in every edition of the show since 2017. Veteran Brian Shaw, Trey Mitchell, and Evan Singleton continued the impressive streak for their native land by featuring in the finals of the WSM this year as well.
Canada joins the list of countries with a WSM champ — The country of Canada got its first WSM champion in Mitchell Hooper this year. They become the 13th country to win gold in the history of the event. Previously, Tom Mcgee came close with a runner-up finish but it wasn’t until Hooper’s win that Canada joined the list. Countries with WSM winners: U.S.A., UK, Iceland, Netherlands, Wales, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Scotland, and Canada.
Hooper becomes the eighth youngest winner ever — Mitch Hooper became the eighth youngest winner of the WSM competition at the age of 27-years-old. Out of a total of 24 champions, Jon Pall Sigmarsson holds the record for being the youngest winner ever at 24-years-old, with Novikov in second at 24 as well.
All 2nd place athletes retained an advantage in the Stone-Off — Every athlete in second place managed to retain their advantage in the stone-off. The format came into effect in 2021. 13 of the 15 athletes who did the stone-off in second place made it through to the final. The only two exceptions were Kevin Faires and Bobby Thompson at the 2022 WSM.
Hooper turned in a strong performance but did not beat the best — Hooper turned in a strong performance with four event wins in the Final. However, it was not the most dominant performance ever seen in the history of the WSM competitions. Mariusz Pudzianowski pulled off the most convincing victory of any athlete with 66 out of a possible 70 points (94.3%) in 2003.
Hooper’s international streak continues — After making his International debut at the previous WSM, Mitch Hooper continued his dominant run of getting a podium finish in every international competition he participated in, which is 90 percent. Out of the 10 he competed in, he came out on top of 5 of those and had only been out of the podium once.
Shaw and Heinla set a new record for Stone-Offs — Shaw and Rauno Heinla went up against each other in the Stone-Off event to qualify for the Final. Both athletes set the record for the most reps performed in the contest, having lifted 11 stones each. While they both lifted 11 stones each, Shaw won as Heinla was the first one unable to lift the stone anymore.
Shaw sets history with 15th straight qualifications to the Final — Brian Shaw left no stone unturned in his final WSM appearance. He created history by qualifying for his 15th consecutive final, the most of any athlete ever. He also raised his record for the most WSM event wins to 62 with a win at the Kettlebell Toss.
Mark Felix becomes the oldest WSM participant — Mark Felix set the record for the oldest man ever to compete at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. He participated in the group stage at the age of 57 years and two days old. He also broke his own record for the most appearances at WSM with his 18th appearance at the event.
2023 World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper gave fans a look into the first training session after the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. Although it was just a light workout focused on getting a pump, it signals that Hooper is already getting prepared for his next competitions.
You can watch the full video below.
2023 WSM Contest Coverage
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, final results, event recaps and in-depth analysis: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
Published: 28 April, 2023 | 5:01 PM EDT
Hafthor Bjornsson Shares Intense Pre-Surgery Recovery Techniques for Gruesome Pec Tear
Strongman legend Hafthor Bjornsson was working his way back into competitions when he got forced to the sidelines due to an injury. In a recent YouTube video, Bjornsson shared a look into the advanced recovery methods he’s utilized in the lead-up to his surgery.
Hafthor Bjornsson is widely regarded as one of the greatest Strongman athletes of all time. The Icelandic sensation started his professional career in national shows in 2009 and earned a wild card entry to the 2011 World’s Strongest Man competition, where he placed sixth in his maiden appearance. Bjornsson established his place in the mix of title contention with regular top-three placements, scoring three silvers and three bronze medals over the next six years. He finally secured the win at the 2018 edition of the event.
Other than his incredible feats of strength, Bjornsson also gained attention for his role as ‘The Mountain’ in the popular HBO television series Game of Thrones. Bjornsson stepped away from strongman competitions in favor of boxing matches in 2020. He squared off against standout Eddie Hall for a clash inside the ring and came out on top by unanimous decision. Although he considered extending his run in combat, he eventually decided against it to make his return to strength sports.
Bjornsson delivered an incredible performance in his comeback last October. He set the 20-feet 3-inch weight over bar world record at the 2022 Rogue Invitational. Following the win, Bjornsson survived an injury scare while performing a heavy set of 340-kg (749.6-lb) squats.
’Thor’ recovered quickly and smoked a 793.6-lb (360-kg) deadlift for two reps in preparation for his return to a powerlifting competition. Then, he amped up the training by crushing 195-kg (429.9-lb) on the paused bench press. When it was time for his powerlifting comeback, Bjornsson made a statement and won gold with a total of 970-kg (2,138.5-lb). Given his decorated career, Bjornsson was honored with an induction into the International Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Hafthor Bjornsson planned to break the All-Time World Record Total in powerlifting before making his way back to Strongman in 2024. However, his plans were cut short after he tore his pec in an attempt to lift 252.5-kg (556.7-lb) bench press at a competition in his gym. He revealed he would need surgery to recover from the injury as his upper chest muscles got torn off the bone. He reported findings from a visit to the doctor on the pec tear and laid out his recovery process last week.
Hafthor Bjornsson reveals advanced recovery methods ahead of surgery
In a recent YouTube video, Hafthor Bjornsson shared some of the innovative recovery techniques he’s using to get ready for the surgery.
First, he visited a health specialist who offered him a special shake, some drinks, and supplement packages to utilize in the days leading to his surgery. While they did not list the ingredients, the goal was to help boost connective tissue, muscle repair, and blood plasma levels.
Then, he did three cycles of 20 minutes on the infrared light bed and three minutes in the cryogenic chamber before finishing in the hyperbaric chamber for one hour. Finally, Thor went to Restore Orthopedics Center to get his X-rays done. He also got a check-up where flatness in his torn pec muscles was identified along with an analysis of the injury.
RELATED: Hafthor Bjornsson Shows Off Ripped Physique Update, Shares ‘Hardcore’ Abs and Back Workout
There’s no doubt Hafthor Bjornsson is doing everything in his power to make a quick recovery from the torn pec muscle injury.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 26 April, 2023 | 5:16 PM EDT
Mitchell Hooper Shares His First Workout Post 2023 World’s Strongest Man Victory
Mitchell Hooper is definitely a standout in the world of strength sports. The man is an absolute beast, standing at around an impressive 6’4″ and weighing in at a whopping 330 pounds. But it’s not just his size that’s impressive; his strength and power are simply awe-inspiring. Watching him perform feats of strength that would leave most people struggling just to lift the weights he warms up with is a sight to behold. This was displayed at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition, as Hooper dominated the events and won the title. Despite putting up tremendous efforts for multiple days, Mitchell has immediately focused on his next goals. Thus, he has already completed his first training session post competition and shared it on his YouTube channel.
As Mitchell Hooper began his first workout back after four days of intense competition, he did not want to overload himself. He decided to perform a bodybuilding style workout in order to get the blood flowing through the body in order to achieve his goal.
“We’re going to hit a bodybuilding workout. My philosophy is, if a muscle is sore, going and doing training at a lower intensity is useful. Now, I actually don’t feel sore, so I might be able to workout a bit harder than I usually would.”
So, after searching for a gym in Myrtle Beach, Mitchell Hooper stumbled upon the “Pump House”. This gym is also owned by Wayne Van Nostrand, a multiple powerlifting bench press World Record holder. Mitchell was inspired by Wayne and opted for the bench press as his first exercise of the day.
Mitchell Hooper began with one plate on each side of the barbell, and continued adding a plate with each set. Once he reached 315 pounds, Mitchell decided to stick with it and complete a set of 15 reps. He then followed it up with another 15-rep set with 225 pounds.
“I feel good. My muscular endurance is terrible though. I can already feel some fatigue setting in during that.”
In addition, Mitchell Hooper was delighted to find a Standing Bench Press machine, as a similar event will be featured in the 2023 Shaw Classic later this summer. So, he utilized this workout to get used to the machine. When asked how he felt after a few sets on it, this was his reply.
“Weird, really weird. I am getting a severe pump at the moment, big time pump… It is easier (than the regular bench), but I am just so fatigued.”
Mitchell Hooper then moved onto the lat pulldown machine to perform some reps as well. However, while performing one of the sets, his eyes wandered to a guy trying to max out his deadlift on the other side of the gym. So, as the current World’s Strongest Man, Hooper completed the set and went straight over to give a few tips to a fellow gym-goer.
Mitchell Hooper continued his workout with some light lateral raises, triceps extensions, and machine biceps curls. However, he completed a substantial amount of reps in order to get a nice pump.
“It is funny, you almost feel like you are in and out without doing anything. But, biceps are pumped, chest will be sore, triceps will be sore, objective achieved.”
Mitchell Hooper’s Workout
Bench Press
Standing Bench Press
Lat Pulldown
Lateral Raises
Cable Triceps Extensions
Machine Biceps Curls
Watch the video here:
Related: Strongman Mitchell Hooper Sets a 420-kg (925.9-lb) Raw Deadlift PR In Training
During this year alone, Mitchell Hooper has competed three times and won each competition. Most importantly, that includes two of the biggest events in Strongman, World’s Strongest Man, and Arnold Strongman Classic. Overall, during his short career, Hooper has taken part in 10 International competitions and won five of them. In addition, he became the first WSM winner from Canada.
Mitchell Hooper still has big plans for this year, which include the 2023 Shaw Classic and the 2023 Rogue Invitationals. He has stated that he still can’t fathom that his victory at the 2023 WSM was real and not a dream. However, once everything settles, Hooper’s confidence will skyrocket, which will make him an even fiercer competitor.
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, final results, event recaps and in-depth analysis: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
Published: 26 April, 2023 | 11:15 AM EDT
Tom Stoltman Reacts To Second Place Finish at 2023 WSM: ‘I Gave Everything I Had This Year’
The past two years in Strongman were defined by just a few names, the most notable being Tom Stoltman. The Scottish athlete was crowned as the World’s Strongest Man in both 2021 and 2022, joining the elite club of those who have managed to defend their title. In addition, Tom Stoltman was aiming to win his third consecutive title at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest, which took place on April 19-23, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This would make him the first athlete with three wins in a row since Magnús Ver Magnússon achieved the same in 1991. However, Tom came just short of the title this year, having to satisfy himself with a second-place finish.
Tom Stoltman was fired up going into the finals of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man, as the scheduled events looked great for him. So, finishing day one of the finals, which featured the Shield Carry, Deadlift, and Fingal’s Fingers, Tom sat in second place, just one point behind Mitchell Hooper. This seemed like a perfect situation for Tom Stoltman, since the second day of the finals was supposed to feature the events which are in his favor.
The second day of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals started with the Max Dumbbell event. This was the worst out of the three events for Tom, but he still had some hope. Mitchell Hooper, his rival, has previously displayed quite poor performances in this event. Therefore, it was expected that Tom would place higher than him this time around. However, in a shocking and amazing display, Hooper tied for first place in the event, while Tom got stuck in a four-man tie for third place. Due to this, Hooper extended the lead to 4 points.
Tom Stoltman still had hope, as the second event was the Bus Pull, which usually suits the bigger guys like Tom better than those of Hooper’s build. In turn, Tom performed extremely well, beating six of the athletes with two more yet to come. However, in an unbelievable turn of events, Evan Singleton clocked the exact same time of 32.27 seconds and Tom once again had to share points. In addition, Hooper once again surprised everyone and won his fourth event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals.
The final event was the Atlas Stones, Tom Stolmans’s dearest event. However, even though everyone knew that Tom was going to win, it was almost impossible to catch up on Hopper’s lead of 5.5 points. Hooper also put in a great performance, winning the competition overall as well.
Tom Stoltman’s 2023 World’s Strongest Man Performance
Qualifying
Loading Race: 5 in 43.84 s (Second-Place)
Deadlift Machine: 6 reps (Tied-Second)
Log Ladder: 5 in 41.56 s (First-Place)
Conan’s Wheel: 598 ° (Sixth-Place)
Kettlebell Toss: 6 in 21.99 s (Third-Place)
Stone-Off: 3 stones (Won / Qualified)
Finals
Reign Shield Carry: 63.15 m (Second-Place)
Knaack Deadlift: 6 reps (Fifth-Place)
Fingal’s Fingers: 5 in 39.36 s (First-Place)
Max Dumbbell: 132 kg (Tied-Third)
Bus Pull: 32.27 s (Tied-Second)
Atlas Stones: 5 in 33.26 s (First-Place)
Related: Exclusive: Tom Stoltman Believes He Could Win Six WSM Titles to Become The Winningest Strongman Ever
Despite the fact that Tom Stoltman did not win his third title this year, he is still satisfied with what he has accomplished. This was his fourth podium placement in the final four years, but it is even more special since many people doubted him after the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic.
“I gave everything I had this year! Hitting the big dumbbell was a personal goal for myself and been consistent throughout. I’m very proud.”
Tom Stoltman has previously talked about his goals for the future, which include a 505-kilogram (1,113.3-pound) deadlift, as well as more WSM titles. It’s uncertain what path his career will take in the future, but we hope that losing his WSM title doesn’t have a negative impact on him.
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, final results, event recaps and in-depth analysis: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
Published: 25 April, 2023 | 9:28 AM EDT
Exclusive: Mitchell Hooper Reveals How Brian Shaw, Tom Stoltman, & Licis inspired Him To Win The 2023 WSM
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest took place on April 19-23, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and saw Mitchell Hooper win. Hooper thus became the first Canadian ever to win the title with an amazing display in both qualifying and finals stages. Aged 27-years-old, Hooper is also very young and relatively inexperienced in the sport of Strongman.
However, that did not stop him from enduring a difficult training regimen since he has a motto that he lives by. In addition, Hooper enjoys doing Strongman, especially having found inspiration in the likes of Tom Stoltman, Martins Licis, and Brian Shaw.
Following the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition, Mitchell Hooper sat down to give us an exclusive interview about his new achievement, the training leading up to it, his inspiration, as well as future goals.
Our Exclusive Interview with Mitchell Hooper
Mitchell Hooper (Todd Burandt / World’s Strongest Man)
Mitchell Hooper explained that he didn’t do anything special to win the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition. He just showed up every day and put in the work during training sessions, performing well enough to come out on top.
Fitness Volt: What do you attribute your success to, and how have you prepared for this competition?
Mitchell Hooper: “Being good enough every day. None of my training sessions look particularly astonishing. I don’t do anything insane on a given day, but I don’t miss a day. My training motto is Good Enough Every Day.”
We spoke to Mitchell Hooper, the winner of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition, to get his perspective on the challenges he faced during the tournament. Despite making many of the events seem effortless, we were curious to know what he found to be the most difficult aspect of the competition.
Fitness Volt: Which event in the World’s Strongest Man competition did you find the most challenging?
Hooper: “It was Max Dumbbell. Max Dumbbell is a weakness of mine. I came, I believe ninth out of ten in Rogue (Invitational) and that was four or five months ago… I would say max dumbbell and that is when I got most excited.”
The fans were definitely impressed by Mitchell Hooper’s performance in the Max Dumbbell, but he put up one of the most epic displays ever in another event. That was the Reign Shield Carry, the first event of the finals. At one point in the event, it looked like Hooper was completely exhausted, but he kept carrying the shield with every last ounce of strength he had left. In the end, Hooper won the event and took max points.
Fitness Volt: You had shown incredible resilience and put up one of the most epic performances in the Shield Carry event against Tom Stoltman. So, many fans believe that this largely influenced the remainder of the finals. What do you think about it, and how did it feel to cross the final few feet?
Hooper: “Winning the first event allows you to know what to do for the rest of the competition… It set it up really well and I think it was a statement to kick off the finals.”
Despite professionally competing for under one year, Mitchell Hooper has already had the experience of competing with all of the greatest Strongmen in the world. So, we asked him if anyone surprised him and if he found any athlete inspirational.
Fitness Volt: You’ve faced tough competition from some of the strongest athletes in the world. Who has been your biggest rival or inspiration, and why?
Hooper: “I am inspired by so many of the guys. I am inspired by Tom and his journey to become the strongest man in the world. Martins, Martins and I talk quite a lot. Brian and his four wins and everything he does outside of the sport as well. It is really an amalgamation of a lot of people and we are not short of people to be inspired by in the Strongman world.”
Obviously, finishing day one of the 2023 WSM finals at the top of the leaderboards results in some very powerful feelings. However, Hooper revealed that he did not think of himself as the winner at that point. Instead, he remained focused until the final moments of the competition.
Mitchell Hooper (Credit: Todd Burandt / World’s Strongest Man)
Fitness Volt: Earlier this year, you claimed the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic title in March. How did that victory influence your preparation and mindset for the World’s Strongest Man event?
Hooper: “You have to go prove yourself every single event and it was the same attitude when I started winning the events in the finals. You can’t celebrate before everything is over.”
Each Strongman athlete has their own unique motivation for pursuing the sport, whether it be for the glory, the accolades, or personal fulfillment. Mitchell Hooper recently shared his personal goals and aspirations within the Strongman community.
Fitness Volt: How do you see the future of strongman, and what role do you hope to play in its growth?
Hooper: “I hope to grow it at the community level as much as possible. I think it is a great way for people to get moving… The gym can be a daunting place, but the Strongman community is one of the most welcoming communities that I have been a part of.”
Related: 4x WSM Brian Shaw Completes His Final World’s Strongest Man Appearance; An End Of An Era
Mitchell Hooper 2023 WSM Finals Performances
Mitchell Hooper opened up the qualifying stage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man perfectly, winning all three events of day one. Then moving on to day two of the qualifying, Hooper needed to do the bare minimum to advance to the finals. However, he wanted to put on a show for the fans and thus gave his all on day two as well. Two events were on the schedule, so Mitchell ended up winning Conan’s Wheel and placing second in the Kettlebell Toss event.
Mitchell Hooper (Todd Burandt / World’s Strongest Man)
Qualifying
Loading Race: First-Place
Deadlift Machine: First-Place
Log Ladder: First-Place
Conan’s Wheel: First-Place
Kettlebell Toss: Second-Place
After one rest day, Mitchell Hooper came back fully energized for the finals. He opened up the finals similar to the qualifying, winning the Reign Shield Carry and Knaack Deadlift event on day one. However, he placed sixth in the Fingal’s Fingers and lost a lot of his lead over Tom Stoltman and Oleksii Novikov.
On day two of the finals, Mitchell Hooper once again won the first two events, thus needing just a few points on the final event. He ended up getting those points and claiming the title. Fun fact, Hooper is the first man to win four events in the finals of the World’s Strongest Man competition since the 6-event format was introduced.
Finals
Reign Shield Carry: First-Place
Knaack Deadlift: First-Place
Fingal’s Fingers: Sixth-Place
Max Dumbbell: Tied-First
Bus Pull: First-Place
Atlas Stones: Second-Place
Mitchell Hooper (Todd Burandt / World’s Strongest Man)
It is incredible to think that Mitchell Hooper has already become this big of a figure in Strongman despite not competing for even one full year. However, he has taken part in 10 International competitions, winning five of them, including the 2023 WSM and 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic.
Mitchell Hooper will continue pushing himself, as there are some more big titles for him to win. In addition, judging by his performances at the 2023 WSM, Hooper will end up with a plethora of World Records in a few years. So, there is still a lot to look forward to.
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, final results, event recaps and in-depth analysis: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
Published: 24 April, 2023 | 10:28 AM EDT
4x WSM Brian Shaw Completes His Final World’s Strongest Man Appearance; An End Of An Era
Every sport has its legends and Brian Shaw is without a doubt one of the greatest in Strongman. Having competed in the sport since 2007, Brian has dedicated almost two decades of his life to being as strong as possible. This required much sacrifice, but it paid off since he was the World’s Strongest Man four times. However, there won’t be any more titles for Shaw, as he has just made his final appearance at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man.
Brian Shaw was hoping to claim his fifth title at the 2023 WSM in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This would make him equal with Mariusz Pudzianowski, who is the only man to win five times. However, Brian faced setbacks for the entire season, even at the competition itself.
Brian Shaw first suffered a leg infection in January, which tied him to the hospital bed for over a week and almost resulted in amputation. So, getting prepared for the WSM after that was almost impossible. However, Brian still got the best out of it and got into contention for the title.
Unfortunately for Brian Shaw, he had to go into a Stone Off against Rauno Heinla in the qualifying stage, since he did not win his group which would have earned him direct qualification. In addition, Brian and Rauno then both lifted 11 stones in the Stone-Off, which is the most anyone has ever done. This made Brian significantly more fatigued than other athletes in the finals, which was evident in all six events.
Brian Shaw’s 2023 World’s Strongest Man Performances
Qualifying
Loading Race: 5 in 53.70 s (Third-Place)
Deadlift Machine: 8 reps (Tied-First)
Log Ladder: 4 in 33.99 s (First-Place
Conan’s Wheel: 411 ° (Fifth-Place)
Kettlebell Toss: 7 in 48.45 s (First-Place)
Stone-Off: 11 stones (Won / Qualified)
Finals
Reign Shield Carry: 39.1 m (Eight-Place)
Knaack Deadlift: 7 reps (Tied-Second)
Fingal’s Fingers: 4 in 26.61 s (Seventh-Place)
Max Dumbbell: 125 kg (Tied-Seventh)
Bus Pull: 32.65 s (Sixth-Place)
Atlas Stones: 4 in 35.88 s (Sixth-Place)
Brian Shaw / Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man
Related: Strongman Brian Shaw Opens Up About Battle With Leg Cellulitis: “This Has Been Extremely Challenging For Me”
Brian Shaw achieved so many mind-blowing achievements at the WSM that it is almost impossible to list them all. He has now appeared in 16 World’s Strongest Man competitions, only failing to make the finals in his 2008 debut. So, Brian has been in 15 consecutive finals in each of the past 15 years, more than anyone else. In addition, he has stood on the podium ten times, which is a record tied with Zydrunas Savickas, another icon of the sport.
Apart from the World’s Strongest Man, Brian Shaw has competed in 66 International and National competitions overall. He has won an impressive 28 of them, including the 3x Arnold Strongman Classic titles as well.
Brian Shaw will also completely retire from professional Strongman later this summer. His final appearance will be at the 2023 Shaw Classic, which is the fourth edition of his own competition. So, this truly marks the end of an era, since we are witnessing Brian’s final moments in the sport.
Brian Shaw / Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man
Full WSM 2023 Coverage
Published: 23 April, 2023 | 4:44 PM EDT
Mitchell Hooper Wins The 2023 World’s Strongest Man
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition took place from April 19-23, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In hopes of determining this year’s greatest Strongman, the organizers summoned 30 athletes who had proven themselves the most in the past season. These athletes were divided into five groups of six for qualifiers, which lasted for two days. After completing six events, the best two athletes from each group went on to the finals. In the finals, the ten athletes completed another ten events and Mitchell Hooper proved to be the best out of the bunch. So, Hooper earned the prestigious title of 2023 World’s Strongest Man..There was never any doubt that Mitchell Hooper could become the 2023 World’s Strongest Man, having put up very consistent performances in both the qualifying and the finals. He faced some fierce pressure from Tom Stoltman and Oleksii Novikov, as only one point separated the top three after day one of the finals. So, day two of the finals was crucial.
However, Mitchell Hooper entered the second day of the finals even better than the first one, winning two out of three events and solidifying his place at the top. He then went to perform the Atlas Stones and easily sealed the deal.
Mitchell Hooper 2023 WSM Finals Performances
Qualifying
Loading Race: 5 in 42.05 s (First-Place)
Deadlift Machine: 8 reps (First-Place)
Log Ladder: 5 in 39.51 s (First-Place)
Conan’s Wheel: 636 ° (First-Place)
Kettlebell Toss: 6 in 17.18 s (Second-Place)
Finals
Reign Shield Carry: 64.8 m (First-Place)
Knaack Deadlift: 8 reps (First-Place)
Fingal’s Fingers: 5 in 49.89 s (Sixth-Place)
Max Dumbbell: 140 kg (Tied-First)
Bus Pull: 30.24 s (First-Place)
Atlas Stones: 5 in 36.96 s (Second-Place)
Mitchell Hooper / Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man
Mitchell Hooper had an unbelievable performance throughout the entire competition. He first won four out of the five events in the qualifiers, placing second in the fifth event as well. He then moved on to the finals and met up with the best performers from other groups as well. In the finals, Hooper managed to win another four events, more than anyone expected. So, it is evident that no one was more deserving of this title than Mitchell Hooper.
It is crazy to think how this was just the second appearance at the World’s Strongest Man competition for Mitchell Hooper. Moreover, his professional Strongman debut came in late may of 2022, when Hooper placed eight at the 2022 WSM. So, he has not even spent a year in the sport, but has already claimed the biggest title in the sport.
In the 11 months that Mitchell Hooper has been competing, he already took part in 10 International competitions and won five of them.
Mitchell Hoopers International Victories
Related: Brian Shaw Reveals How He Almost Lost His Leg In Preparation For 2023 World’s Strongest Man
Mitchell Hooper looks like the next man in line to reach the heights of Zydrunas Savickas and Brian Shaw, especially due to his consistency in every event. While we will learn soon whether he has the desire to do so, he has already made history by becoming the first Canadian to win the World’s Strongest Man competition.
Full WSM 2023 Coverage
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, final results, event recaps and in-depth analysis: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
Published: 23 April, 2023 | 4:01 PM EDT