Between training, meal prepping, oh yeah – and working a full-time job – 24 hours in the day often doesn’t feel like enough time to complete the to-do list. And if you feel that way, just imagine how Strongman Mitchell Hooper feels. 

From spending upwards of 15 hours in the gym to eating 5,500 calories a day, the 2023 World’s Strongest Man has a lot more on his plate than just chicken and rice. 

Mitchell Hooper Does It All 

As an athlete, you might assume Hooper spends his days lifting, foam rolling, and tending to his body. And while his routine does incorporate a fair amount of physical activity, Hooper’s days are also filled with work, just like the rest of us. 

“I got into Strongman as an athletic pursuit to relate to people who I was seeing as a clinical exercise physiologist,” Hooper, the founder and owner of Longevity Nexum, an exercise physiology clinic in Barrie, Ontario, says. 

“Through marathon running, bodybuilding, and ultimately Strongman, I was looking to build my repertoire of relatability to clients,” he continues, explaining that his love of fitness and exercise came long before his career as a Strongman. “Being great at Strongman simply became a byproduct of loving to lift heavy, work hard, and a highly competitive drive.” 

A prime example of someone who practices what he preaches, Hooper’s performance as a Strongman is a testament to his knowledge as a strength and conditioning specialist. With a Master's in Clinical Exercise Physiology and a Bachelor's in Human Kinetics, Hooper is dedicated to “helping people improve their strength, train pain-free, and set themselves up for long-term health.” 

In & Out of the Gym 

In the gym, Hooper puts his knowledge to use by training five days a week and spending roughly 15 hours hitting the weights. “This doesn’t include the mobility, foam rolling, hot tubs, and hydrotherapy that I’ve been forced to incorporate as my body gets beat up over regularly competing,” Hooper says. 

In addition to the tools he uses for recovery, Hooper also notes his use of a unique athletic mouthpiece from AIRWAAV, which helps to maximize his training. “You invest your time in training, using a simple tool to get the most out of your investment is a no-brainer. The research speaks for itself – if you want to be the strongest version of yourself, an AIRWAAV mouthpiece will get you there faster,” the Strongman says of the performance mouthpiece.

Outside of the gym, Hooper credits his team at Longevity Nexum with being the reason he’s able to excel in so many different avenues. 

“I have great people around me and they help me stay on track,” Hooper says of his staff. “My assistant Kate makes sure nothing is missed. Everyone is on track and nothing falls through the cracks. My marketing manager Quinn goes above and beyond to make sure we are sending out the correct messaging, launch schedules, stay on point, and our sponsors are regularly promoted. I’ve been lucky enough to include my sister Cassie on our team, who runs the entire apparel business and takes a big load off my plate. Ian shoots and edits all of our YouTube content where we post 3 times a week. This would traditionally be jobs for a team of 10, but the five of us are cut from the same cloth and get an immense amount of meaningful work done together. On top of this, I have a clinic manager, Mel, who handles all things Kinesiology,” Hooper says, singing the praise of the team that allows him to focus on things like spending 15 hours in the gym and chasing another World’s Strongest Man title. 

And while it might sound like Hooper has it all figured out, the Strongman admits that even he struggles to fit everything into 24 hours. 

“I don’t have much of a personal life outside of weekly Friday night parties where we invite all our friends over to swim in the pool and have a barbecue,” Hooper says of trying to manage training, business, and having a personal life. 

“I want to create a better balance and have less stress,” he says of his future personal goals. He also lists “buying – and learning to fly – a helicopter, and opening a chimp sanctuary” in his hometown as two goals he has on the horizon – because he doesn’t already have enough going on, right? 

Fueling The Fire 

Whether at the clinic assisting patients or training to once again take the title of World’s Strongest Man, it’s no surprise that Hooper’s daily goals take a lot of fuel – 5,500 calories a day, in fact. 

“Diet is a huge part,” Hooper says of the role diet plays in keeping his body feeling its best. “At 5,500 daily calories, it can be a challenge, especially on the busy days, but if you don’t have the fuel to perform and recover, you are behind the 8-ball and will never get ahead,” he stresses. 

“That being said, if I can inspire people to exercise and live healthier lives in body and mind, that is my ultimate purpose that will last until I die. Seeing people benefit from the companies that I partner with, wearing ‘Lift Heavy, Be Kind’ merchandise, and consuming my content to improve themselves is where I find my true joy.”

“I owe Stan Efferding a big thank you for helping with my diet,” says Hooper, crediting the bodybuilder and founder of the Vertical Diet for getting his eating on the right track. 

While Efferding and 5,500 daily calories physically fuel Hooper, he says that he thinks “about my family, my friends, my employees and the people close to me as much as possible” when it comes to what fuels his motivation to keep pushing himself mentally. “I want to make them proud, and while winning makes them proud, so does conducting myself in a positive manner and being the person I want to be.” 

“If I put a controllable factor, like my demeanor, at the forefront of my mind, the competition becomes the easy bit,” Hooper continues, explaining how he prepares mentally before a competition. 

What’s Next? 

A World’s Strongest Man title, a thriving business, and a great team of employees, family, and friends behind him – it may seem like Mitchell Hooper has already done it all, but for the Strongman, there’s still much more to come.

“I would love to win another WSM title and continue to cement my legacy in the sport,” Hooper says of what’s next.

“That being said, if I can inspire people to exercise and live healthier lives in body and mind, that is my ultimate purpose that will last until I die. Seeing people benefit from the companies that I partner with, wearing ‘Lift Heavy, Be Kind’ merchandise, and consuming my content to improve themselves is where I find my true joy.”

For more on Mitchell Hooper’s journey, you can follow him here, or train with him here. 

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