Mitchell Hooper is likely best known for his recent run of strongman dominance, culminating with his first-ever World’s Strongest Man (WSM) victory during the 2023 iteration in April. However, the Canadian athlete prides himself as an all-around strength dynamo, working on his conditioning and dispensing some of his first-hand training knowledge seemingly whenever he can. The superstar’s latest feat in the gym is a lesser-known but legendary milestone to capture. On May 23, 2023, Hooper shared an Instagram clip of himself squatting 238.1 kilograms (525 pounds) for 24 reps . The strength mark was an AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) performance and officially surpasses the legendary 1980 Mr. Universe Tom Platz — who set the initial standard with this achievement with 23 reps of 525 pounds in 1992 during the “Great American Squat-Off.” Hooper notches a good depth into “the hole” on each of his repetitions and donned a lifting belt and knee sleeves during the squat set.
Entering the 2022 Mr. Olympia , former two-time champion (2020-2021) Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay was a presumed heavy favorite to complete a legendary “three-peat.” Instead, the Egyptian superstar finished in fifth place, forcing a potential recalibration for one of bodybuilding’s biggest names. That seemingly refocused energy now appears to be coming back into play for Elssbiay. In a recent interview with Frank Sepe of Muscle & Fitness, Elssbiay discussed his current competitive trajectory as the 2023 Mr. Olympia in Orlando, FL, inches closer by the week. The athlete offered a glimpse into his mentality and clarified that his most recent Olympia result is being utilized as a source of motivation in training . View this post on Instagram A post shared by Frank Sepe (@frank_sepe) More from Breaking Muscle: How to Build Muscle: The Training and Diet Guide for Lifter s Supersets Explained: A Technique for Better Results a