Mitchell Hooper reclaimed his World's Strongest Man crown this year in Myrtle Beach after a string of close finishes following 2023. And the Canadian strongman places functionality at the center of it all.

Most people treat strength and performance as two completely different metrics. Hooper, however, flips that picture on its head, arguing, “The cool thing about strongman is that it really is the fundamental human movement patterns."

In a recent interview with Men's Journal, Mitchell Hooper discussed his training philosophy and what goes on behind the curtains of one of the most spectacular fitness marvels, like the WSM.

“I find strongman is one of the most functional things that you can do. Because it really is a test of your ability to push, pull, overhead press, squat, hinge, and carry, and those are really the six things that you do in life," Hooper explained.

This exact philosophy drives most of the fitness game, no matter whether you're training for physique or performance. Even Strongman mimics everyday movements, beyond the weight marvels.

However, what truly makes Strongman all the more grounded is the irregularity of the lifts, instead of a simple barbell. As Hooper argues, it fosters adaptability. And his WSM victory was the epitome of just that.

Mitchell Hooper grinds through close-calls and challenges to reclaim WSM victory

Hooper was already riding high off his 4th consecutive 2026 Arnold Strongman Classic triumph when he entered the competition. However, Myrtle Beach demanded more than sheer brawn.

The finals, alongside Rayno Nel, proved to be a litmus test for the Canadian's resilience. A strong one at that, Nel grabbed 3 back-to-back wins in Flip and Carry, Deadlift, and Titan’s Toss.

Hooper, who tailed right behind, delivered a consistent 2nd-place win in Max Log Lift the next day. But that's where it went downhill for Nel, who skidded down to third. At the final event, Atlas Stones, the Canadian's score remained consistent, while Nel skidded down further to fifth.

Even though the contest was a hairsbreadth apart, Hooper's consistency, ability to adapt to evolving challenges, and resilience wrote the story of his triumph in the WSM 2026.

Whether you train for competitions or not, would you give Mitchell Hooper's training methods a go?

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil