For anyone who likes this kind of thing check out Tran World Sport, it's a TV show which covers all kinds of esoteric sports around the world. Like they'll do donkey racing in the Yukon then strength sports in Mongolia in the same episode, it's great.
@@mitchellhooperstrongman Furthermore, you leave out the fact that lots of weightlifters out-squat powerlifting squat records in their training while doing a proper squat very very deep. Not one of these low bar monstrosities masquerading as squats. What can you deadlift without a belt on a stiff bar? A belt adds 30-40kg. Klokov deadlifted 340kg beltless at 100kg and it isn't even his lift. He squatted 335kg ATG no knee sleeves no belt. I doubt you could squat that with his form and high bar and you weigh two of him.
Also: how refreshing to see someone who can officially call himself the WSM admit that he is not the strongest on any day in any discipline, but rather he "just" won a competition! Nice to see you're still down to earth and I hope you bring your A game again next year!
Jeff Capes said much the same thing many years ago. 2X WSM, 6X World Highland Games Champion, 2X European Indoor Shot Put gold. These champs have too much respect for fellow strength athletes to big themselves up - for the most part anyway.
Because it's true. The WSM is a title of a comprehensive competition, not to mean the winner is the absolute strongest in the world. Mitch is very strong comprehensively but he's not the strongest in specific disciplines.
To be truly the strongest in the world, one would have to be the strongest in pretty much all disciplines and that's almost impossible (unless a real Sampson or Superman exists).
I was going to say the same thing. I'm not going to point any fingers or name names but there are definitely *some* former 1 time WSM winners who still refer to themselves as **THE** World's Strongest Man at every available opportunity. At the end of the day it is just a title earned from one competition and an athlete's overall career stats speak far more than the number of times they specifically placed first at WSM.
Novikov's insane performance on the flinstone press at 2022 WSM is a great example of how weightlifting technique carries over to strongman. That split jerk was beautiful
Was Novikov actually an Olympic lifter? I didn't know that. I know Mikhail Kokylaev is probably the most accomplished all around strength athlete in history and he did a 270 kg behind the neck jerk similar to Novikov's flintstone which is tied (afaik) with Lasha at 270 for most weight lifted overhead (although it's quite possible Lasha has done more in training)
A fair amount of the earliest WSM competitors (1977 was the 1st one) were weightlifters and some were even Olympians at one point. Weightlifters and powerlifters made up probably 50% of all the competitors in classic WSM. It was very common to see a weightlifter participating in WSM before it became it's own sport. Jon Pall Sigmarsson was a weightlifter in his youth and only quit because of the dumbass lockout rule. Weightlifting was a lot more popular back then and anybody in strength sports had at least some sort of experience in it. Even bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Colombo (whom competed in WSM 1977) had a background in weightlifting before they found careers in bodybuilding.
A good amount of the earliest WSM competitors were weightlifters, some were even Olympians at one point before Strongman became it's own specific sport. Jon Pall was a weightlifter but quit because of the silly elbow lockout rule and turned to other strength sports. Even bodybuilders like Arnold and Franco Colombo were weightlifters in their youths before finding a career in bodybuilding.
Koklyaev went from elite olympic lifting over to strongman. He came in third at the 2010 World's strongest man and also finished well in multiple Arnold classics
Mitchell, you are an ethical and honest man for being this thorough in your assessment of your achievements. Very helpful for us looking to get stronger!
Dear Mitch, thanks a lot for this video. The humble way you argued about strenght shows us that you are very honest and open to the discussion. Stay healthy, stay strong! ❤💪
Exactly. Overall strength always go to Strongman athletes. They're the most versatile and the most likely to be able to convert that overall strength to something else practical. Your analogy is totally right
I reckon natural stone to shoulder/press is probably the most impressive lift and test of strength out there! There’s a reason the tradition transcends borders and cultures. It would be awesome to see you tackle some someday!
its going to be the last event in next years arnolds strongman classic -- pressing a stone - loading a stone then shouldering a stone --- i say only - 4 guys get all three --- not sure if the last stone to shoulder will be for reps or its just quickest time for all 3
I would say the Super Yoke is the ultimate test of strength. You drop the biggest weight on a person and those with insufficient frames, bones and mass will just crumble with injury, leaving the largest guys standing. So the mass monsters are truly the strongest
@@Minotona Brian Shaw always loved a monster super yoke. Problem is you’ve got people like Mitch being so flawless with it that it almost looks to light! 😂
Absolutely not such a stupid comment. This only benefits athletes whom are tall with long wing spans. Stick to your gaming kid. A true Strength test should an equal playing field in the implement itself to the movement expected to be executed. Let’s just have an event stepping up onto a 4 feet box or ducking under a 3 feet pole. 🤦🏼♂️
I lean toward Strongman as the overall indicator of the strongest person overall. There are some truly amazing athletes in other sports, however they are almost without fail much more specialized in their technique and/or movement. Strongman does a very good job in combining aspects from most strength sports. This is especially true when you look at the event variations from the different promotions. That said, it is always a pleasure to see someone who has reached the pinnacle of their craft/sport.
I agree, they're not the most explosive, have the most endurance or have the most 1RM strength on static movements but they're a damn good blend of the 3 compared to people in each discipline at the top for sure
Strongman covers all aspects/areas of strenght( functional, explosive and static) whereas the other disciplines are one aspect specific. Therefor I believe the strongman sport is the best way to measure general strenght of an athlete.
If strong is just moving the heaviest weight, period, we would have to give it to the power lifters. Strongman competitors are the most well rounded and it is incredibly entertaining to watch. But when I see Lasha yanking 500 pounds from the floor, flicking it over his head, and standing up in one fluid motion like the weight is not even there, I know I am watching athletic greatness in its purest form that goes beyond strength.
Why stop at powerlifters? Why not give it to the ego lifters leg pressing 600kg for sets of 10 with 1 or 2 cm of ROM? The weight is heavier than everyone else and it was moved ya know
In weightlifting we hold weights by locking out our arms and squeezing our shoulder blades. So instead of supporting it with muscles the weight sits on bone, if that makes sense.
I love the big 3 strength sports. Powerlifting, Weightlifting, and Strongman all have something amazing to offer. However, I do feel that strongman is still the best way to determine who is overall the strongest.
Lasha would be my #1 as far as explosive strength. It can of course be debated on how stringent drug testing is in Oly lifting, but he does tested, so perhaps as well as we can test, he's the strongest tested lifter in the SHW class as well...definitely more than the Soviet lifters as least
@@durrantmiller8810lol yes it does. Because it means he could have even more potensial when he got on gear and started strongman. How did all 3 of you not get this?!
this video is basically convincing me to buy your merch man, the self awareness and the humility with which you approach everything while still being elite is inspiring
I have always wanted this question answered, so recently I launched a brand and competition concept that incorporates the three power lifts, the two Olympic lifts, farmer’s walk, 18” deadlift, and log press. The goal is to start having competitions within the next year. I actually think you (Mr. Hooper) would dominate such an event.
Unbelievable humility and true humbleness. Thanks for speaking the truth. In a world full of ego and attitude, you, Mr. Hooper, are a breathe of fresh air. Now a subscriber.
I think the arguments here are usually kind of silly. For one, there is no answer. Secondly, anyone who claims that their sport is “the true test of strength” is obviously just speaking from ego. The important thing? LIFT HEAVY STUFF. Literally everyone on the planet should be doing this. It’s soooo good for you.
@AlejandroSanchez-pl6jw No because Koklyaev competed while on gear and Mark always competed drug free. Mark still holds the all time raw record combining Bench/Squat/Deadlift/Snatch/Clean and Jerk.
Specialists can put up some pretty huge numbers, and their technique, built up through years of dedicated practice, is impressive, but in the end I'm even more impressed by how strongmen have to be strong in so many different ways, and not only lift weight but move with weight. Strongmen have to be well rounded athletes and yet perform to extremes. P.S. - Congrats on winning the WSM Mitchell, from a fellow Canadian who has an interest in Kinesiology and has been watching the contest since its inception.
Great discussion on who is truly strongest. One other important consideration however is what events WSM choose in any given year as that alone can sometimes, not always, decide the overall winner .
1993 Worlds Strongest Man Gary Taylor had been an elite level Olympic weight lifter before going into strongman. Would love to see what Lasha could do.
Mikhail Koklyaev was an even better Olympic lifter than Gary Taylor with a 250kg clean and jerk. He did very well at WSM for several years. Lasha would need to lose 50lbs which may affect his strength
Your work and technique on the apolon wheel was a prime example of weightlifting technique with strongman strength. Even licis missing his push press on his first attempt the following it immediately with a split jerk and getting it was symbolic of the techniques superiority in getting heavy ass weight over head. That being said, it’s my opinion that Olympic lifting is the truest test of power, powerlifting is the truest test of strength, and strongman depends on the event. Winning a strongman meet is symbolic of being the best at the sport, but a meet could be comprised of varying degrees of strength or endurance qualities in each Individual event.
Mark Henry needs a mention. A world class raw powerlifter and competed in the olympics in weightlifting. And with his powerlifting and weightlifting total combined has the world record total between those five lifts.
This is such a cool video to make. Many people do need to understand that World’s Strongest Man is just the name of a strongman competition and tv show. There is no way definitively accepted way to quantify who the strongest person on the planet is!
@@Hermanubis1 it does, but that's more like it really just gives those taller guys an even bigger advantage at those specific events, but it doesn't mean that they're not still the strongest. A taller person has the potential to be a larger person, which gives them the potential to be a stronger person. A powerlifter who out totals Brian Shaw or Thor still isn't stronger than them in my opinion.
@@ezradanger at least 50% of the events have a huge height advantage. I don't rate powerlifters. They sumo, they have good mornings as squats. They are useless for any functional movement. Weightlifters squat and press more than them and deadlift similar while being athletes and powerful. Strongman and weightlifting are much more respectable as sports. But strongman should make the events not have a height advantage or at least equalise them.
@@ezradanger In the strict sense of the word, no. It is strength endurance with a height advantage. You could argue gymnasts are the strongest in the world functionally. The assumption with strongman is: all humans are farmers. It's basically farmer strength endurance with a height advantage. The height of the stones are arbitrary. Short men must shoulder press 200kg stone to get it up and Brian Shaw has to lift it to knee height.
There's a Kenyan strongman called tiger power who could do some pretty crazy ass things, he could get smashed by a truck and take it, he could pull nails in wood with his teeth, and so much more. Underrated!
Someone like a Mark Henry would be good to look at. Top ten at the olympics in weightlifting, drug tested world records in powerlifting and won the first Arnold strongman event. If he had stuck to strength events rather than pro wrestling, could have maybe been the strongest ever considering most of this was done before turning 28…
Hi Mitchell. This was a good original topic, and video. You brought a lot of categories into perspective for me, but in the end, I agree, "Strong Man" competitions, to me, determine the strongest man in the world.
I may be biased but I feel as though the snatch is the ultimate expression of strength, power, mobility and athleticism. It’s the ultimate measure of your athletic capability
Anatoly Pisarenko did 265kg clean and jerk (2kg less but 61kg lighter then Lasha), 280kg clean and 270kg jerk. Deserves a mention if Lasha does for sure
This makes for an interesting conversation. If you were to ask someone who doesn't pay attention to strength sports who can benchpress more, the current worlds strongest man or Julius Maddox? Assuming they don't jump to the conclusion that its a trick question, the most logical answer would surely be the world's strongest man, when infact it isn't correct. Winning the world strongest man competition definitely makes you worthy of the title nonetheless, even if its not as literal as it sounds. The fact that you would post this video highlights the kind of champion you, humble and real, and it's honestly refreshing. Nice one my man
Really excellent video Mitch. I love the comparisons. Also, I agree that Strongman is the best gauge for strongest person. The other clubs are too specialized. Good luck at Arnolds!
You're very modest. Watched the finals on TV today, impressive. Always been impressed with strongman in many disciplines, who could walk past you on the street, as a normal looking guy. Was big fan of jouko ahola back in the 90s.
This is a brilliant presentation, honest and candid. Strongman as "the fundamental movement patterns of life." Thanks, even as a strongman fan, I learned a lot.
A great video topic and great humble attitude to be factual despite winning WSM! The end argument depends on how you define strength. Scientific style definitions state it as ‘the amount of force the muscles can exert’. Taking that as the starting point to me, makes the powerlifting records the best measure of strength as being completely static is required to produce the most force. Training the same events as the competition also allows the lifters to figure out how to produce the most force with their body in each lift, so we get a true representation of how strong a massive human being can become. However, your comments Mitchell about Strongman events and their movement patterns most closely representing ‘real life’ make total sense as we all know strength in the real world is not often completely static with ideal shaped barbells and isolated situations. So it makes sense to me that Strongman is the greatest measure of ‘functional’ strength. So that leaves the question of ‘absolute vs functional’ strength and I don’t think there is an answer to which is ‘best’, more of an opinion/viewpoint for that one! Thanks for the video Mitchell and congrats on the win 👏💪
In my humble opinion, when it comes to the strongest person, you have to look at static weight lifted. So I believe the strongest people are those who compete in the world of raw dead lifting. At any given time whoever holds the 3 lift total record in their weight class are the strongest people in the world. What you folks do in strongman is more fun to watch because of the combined strength and athleticism you have to display in various events. It's great and I subscribe to Shaw and Official Strongman. Olympic lifting is a whole different world, full of technique... face it a huge person pulling almost 500 lbs so hard, while leaving his feet and crouching down in mid air to catch that bar at the right instant to complete a snatch lift is an incredible thing to see. You've had a great year Moose, and thanks for your effort, I've enjoyed it a lot, but the way Mateus moved that Iron Bull last month... if he were totally healthy... he would be the one to beat in your sport.
Agree 100%. Strongman is filled with dozens of different events, some completely....different, and some pretty straightforward, but, with the amount of different, always heavy implements that are lifted and moved, coupled with the athleticism strongman need and many have, among their brute strength, def. makes you guys truly the strongest in the world. You may not press 590 over your head, but you still can press nearly 500, which is nuts, and a 550 bench for someone who is more inclined with actual strongman events (especially) is absolutely insane. But overall still, you guys are stronger and well versed in so many different events that there really shouldn't be a debate over which sport proves the strongest. It's obviously strongman. It's too diverse.
The only major Olympic lifter who turned strongman was Mark Henry, he was good enough to compete for America in the Olympics and then turned to strong man and then WWE star. By what I’ve read he was reasonably successful at strongman.
Great video!! I 100% agree with you. Strongman is the best test of pure strength across a range of human motion. Weightlifting is the best test of explosive power and powerlifting is the best indicator of harnessing maximum muscular force.
Trying to find "the strongest" is cloud chasing, the reality is you cannot separate the measure from the measurement. It's an interesting question but it's more a philosophical one. I think that's why they are so many hot debates, trying to find the "purest" from, but I think in that chase you can lost the real goal, having fun and not to worry about how and why. Specificity is king and queen and the measure affects that we like that or not.
Misha Koklyaev did came from high level Weightlifting to Strongman, he end up being the most accomplished hybrid strength athlete in all 4 major strength sports - weightlifting, powerlifting, strongman and highland games. His clean and jerk was 250 kg and he did 200 kg on the Appollon axel press and 202 on the log press, at the time was a world record (i think). He also held multiple powerlifting records and was a pro athlete in highland games. And then Is Mark Henry who won Arnold and was a member of the American Olympic team for weightlifting, he did hold powerlifting records as well.
Louis Cyr is a very cool historical Canadian titled "The Strongest Man In History". I would highly recommend checking him out and some of the bizarre but also very impressive feats of strength he performed.
6:58 I think as an overall event strongman is a fantastic indicator for total body strength, large variety of lifts and the overall demand on the body means if you have significant weaknesses you're going to expose them. However if you want one singular lift to judge someone's strength, olympic weightlifting is great barring the technique demands, so maybe a power clean and press which is easier would be better. Still great to see people at high levels throw insane weight around or over their head as a warmup, actual superhero territory
@@wanderer_oti I think so too. He was strict pressing when everyone else was using a drive, I think his effort to prove how strong he was stopped him from breaking more records. Pretty much saying what you did in more words, haha
As far as exhibitions of real-practical-traditional-old-school-warrior-farmer strength goes, I think Strongman takes the cake. Sure there's no bench press, but I think the log or axle press is the more impressive feat of strength even if the weight is lower.
To answer your question, Mitchell Hooper: much like there are different strength competitions, there are different types of strength. (As you already know, of course.) I would classify each as follows: Powerlifting=Best Static Strength Olympic Lifting=Best Dynamic/Explosive Strength Strongman=Best Functional/Variety Strength. Overall, I think the strongest person would be the strongman simply because of the variety of strength required to do it. You must be strong all over to be the best strongman and it uses much less muscle memory than either Olympic or powerlifting due to the tremendous variance in implements and events. An Olympic or powerlifter would likely beat a strongman in their particular event(s,) but a strongman would win out in any competition which tests multiple types of functional strength. Strongman translates to everyday, practical, functional strength in a manner which no other strength sport does. Besides, I have never heard anyone question the validity of "The World's Strongest Man" as literally being the world's strongest man and there is a reason for this. I hope this answers your question because you are "The World's Strongest Man" and the world's strongest man!
For me it’s WSM. Because of the variety of athletic strength disciplines. It’s been good to see the more functional strength guys come through. Although of course nothing beats the big lifts in the 4 disciplines. Except perhaps the stones??
To me the "world strongest man" has become a type all by itself. In the beginning, when I watch the old "world strongest men", there are competitors from all different backgrounds. However, now it is specialized. You "train" for it, rather than just being a strongman. So, to me, you are just a title, like a power lifter or Olympic Lifter, because you train for it specifically rather than be taken from your specialty and see how one does in the strongmen type of events. Truthfully, that is what I liked about Bill Kazmaier, he was a current powerlifting champion that simply came over and dominated the world strongest men contest. How about a contest which included some of the other disciplines, such as a bench press, clean and jerrk and the snatch combined with world strongest men. One more: They had something like this sometime ago: "The Superstars", where they invited people top of their sport to compete and an array of events; however, the athlete could not compete in their specialty. Like a sprinter could not compete in the 100 m dash.
Very humble and respectfull move to make this kind of video, questioning the WSM title. I couldnt see Eddie doing this type of video, when he had the title. Not hating, just stating.
You are not the strongest man because of a specific test, you are the strongest man because your are good at everything, actually you are the most compete strong athlete
For me strongman determines the strongest man, simply because that one feels like you could ask them to do any task that requires raw strength that is not something they specifically train for, and they'd be the best.
Imagine what Mark Henry could've accomplished in strength sports had there been money in it. He was the top in Powerlifting, Olympic Weightlifting, and when he did The Arnold's, he dominated his first Strongman competition.
As a non lifter/strongman (but a fan) It's impossible to really say a particular event proves whos the strongest in the world. Even the stones which are beyond belief to "normal" people, technique and speed rule the show. Theres so many competitions now that whoever wins a certain event deserves it , end of. Im a car /motorsport guy and in history people will say this was the best driver or best team etc but in reality world championships are won by great teams with unlimited budgets and occasionally the "lesser" teams win. Same effort from all involved but when it works it works. I've been a fan of WSM since Geoff Capes and more since Eddie Hall won it (I'm British of course) but events suit others more then others. Look at the size of these guys now , it cant compare too much when the shorter guy may have advantage with certain lifts and the taller guy can have an advantage in other lifts. All in all I admire the dedication any athlete puts into their sport and getting results is icing on the cake. PS as a Brit I love the attitude and success of Brian Shaw, what a dude! , so glad him and Eddie are mates 👍. Great vid Mitchell hope you have a great Christmas mate.
2016 to 2017 there was zero doubt Eddie was the strongest man in the world. His raw gym lifts were insane - max and rep ranges. Then he pulled 500kg in competition after other huge lifts. Then he beat Z, Thor and Shaw to the WSM title, when they were near their best. I've never seen a Year of strength like that. I think you're right Mitch - when it comes to all round functional strength and resilience Strongman is the truest test. And your performances in the last two years...the number of podiums in the elite events...I think you have the legit claim to say, right now, you ARE the guy. You are the strongest man in the world.
![DDG & G Herbo - Nosey [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/I9Ra0Zc2NlQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Very cool to shout out Strength Unknown. Martins is doing a great job exploring the history and traditions of strength culture around the world.
For anyone who likes this kind of thing check out Tran World Sport, it's a TV show which covers all kinds of esoteric sports around the world. Like they'll do donkey racing in the Yukon then strength sports in Mongolia in the same episode, it's great.
Couldn’t agree more 💪
It's nice to see how Mitch is promoting strongman culture in so many ways. It is not just about him. I watched some of Martin's show. It was great.
@@mitchellhooperstrongmanthis year you are the best, next one, i dont know
@@mitchellhooperstrongman Furthermore, you leave out the fact that lots of weightlifters out-squat powerlifting squat records in their training while doing a proper squat very very deep. Not one of these low bar monstrosities masquerading as squats. What can you deadlift without a belt on a stiff bar? A belt adds 30-40kg. Klokov deadlifted 340kg beltless at 100kg and it isn't even his lift. He squatted 335kg ATG no knee sleeves no belt. I doubt you could squat that with his form and high bar and you weigh two of him.
Also: how refreshing to see someone who can officially call himself the WSM admit that he is not the strongest on any day in any discipline, but rather he "just" won a competition! Nice to see you're still down to earth and I hope you bring your A game again next year!
Jeff Capes said much the same thing many years ago.
2X WSM, 6X World Highland Games Champion, 2X European Indoor Shot Put gold.
These champs have too much respect for fellow strength athletes to big themselves up - for the most part anyway.
What can I say, I stick to the facts 💪
Because it's true. The WSM is a title of a comprehensive competition, not to mean the winner is the absolute strongest in the world. Mitch is very strong comprehensively but he's not the strongest in specific disciplines.
To be truly the strongest in the world, one would have to be the strongest in pretty much all disciplines and that's almost impossible (unless a real Sampson or Superman exists).
I was going to say the same thing. I'm not going to point any fingers or name names but there are definitely *some* former 1 time WSM winners who still refer to themselves as **THE** World's Strongest Man at every available opportunity. At the end of the day it is just a title earned from one competition and an athlete's overall career stats speak far more than the number of times they specifically placed first at WSM.
Novikov's insane performance on the flinstone press at 2022 WSM is a great example of how weightlifting technique carries over to strongman. That split jerk was beautiful
Very true!
Was Novikov actually an Olympic lifter? I didn't know that. I know Mikhail Kokylaev is probably the most accomplished all around strength athlete in history and he did a 270 kg behind the neck jerk similar to Novikov's flintstone which is tied (afaik) with Lasha at 270 for most weight lifted overhead (although it's quite possible Lasha has done more in training)
A fair amount of the earliest WSM competitors (1977 was the 1st one) were weightlifters and some were even Olympians at one point. Weightlifters and powerlifters made up probably 50% of all the competitors in classic WSM. It was very common to see a weightlifter participating in WSM before it became it's own sport. Jon Pall Sigmarsson was a weightlifter in his youth and only quit because of the dumbass lockout rule. Weightlifting was a lot more popular back then and anybody in strength sports had at least some sort of experience in it. Even bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Colombo (whom competed in WSM 1977) had a background in weightlifting before they found careers in bodybuilding.
A good amount of the earliest WSM competitors were weightlifters, some were even Olympians at one point before Strongman became it's own specific sport. Jon Pall was a weightlifter but quit because of the silly elbow lockout rule and turned to other strength sports. Even bodybuilders like Arnold and Franco Colombo were weightlifters in their youths before finding a career in bodybuilding.
That just goes for any overhead work, jerking is just easier than pressing when it comes to weight
Koklyaev went from elite olympic lifting over to strongman. He came in third at the 2010 World's strongest man and also finished well in multiple Arnold classics
Didn't he get high placing at IFSA as well
He would have won WSM guaranteed if he had stayed with them instead of going to IFSA.
He competed at a world class level in weightlifting, strongman AND powerlifting!
Kkoklyaev was against a prime Big Z in overhead pressing and Big Z matched Misha's olympic ability using only strengh.
I came here to comment this 👏
I want to see Lasha in strongman so bad, doubt it would ever happen but that man is built for strength.
He would be a beast 👀
@@mitchellhooperstrongman try and get him to do stones with you - might need a translator
@frazerobrien548 The only person who would probably could help him is Janashia
@@petershortland478 and how awesome would that be?!
Lasha and Levan both coming over to strongman as the big Georgian Badasses next to Janashia would be amazing
Mitchell, you are an ethical and honest man for being this thorough in your assessment of your achievements. Very helpful for us looking to get stronger!
💪💪
He is fake as hell. He is posing as an honest man but actually isnt
@@Hermanubis1elaborate
@@Hermanubis1Elaborate?
@@Hermanubis1do you have any proof or this just your feelings😂😂🤡🤡
There was a video of Lasha doing a 270kg clean and jerk in training, 100% worth looking at
My best squat is 240kg, I couldn't even imagine what god given strength it takes to throw 270kg over head
@@Agnes135your squat is strong as fuck too
Cool to see a clip of Clarence. It'd be awesome to see a collab between him and Mitchell. Maybe he could teach Mitchell some Oly lifting.
Badminton is clearly the only true test of strength
Dear Mitch, thanks a lot for this video. The humble way you argued about strenght shows us that you are very honest and open to the discussion. Stay healthy, stay strong! ❤💪
MMA proves who the best all around fighter is, strongman proves who the best all around strength athlete is. It’s the MMA of strength.
Great analogy.
Never thought about it that way, good analogy
@@Anonymous-jf2gy thank you
Exactly. Overall strength always go to Strongman athletes. They're the most versatile and the most likely to be able to convert that overall strength to something else practical. Your analogy is totally right
What if I could do the most in the world in EVERY lift mentioned? Then I'd truly be the world's strongest man?
I reckon natural stone to shoulder/press is probably the most impressive lift and test of strength out there! There’s a reason the tradition transcends borders and cultures.
It would be awesome to see you tackle some someday!
its going to be the last event in next years arnolds strongman classic -- pressing a stone - loading a stone then shouldering a stone --- i say only - 4 guys get all three --- not sure if the last stone to shoulder will be for reps or its just quickest time for all 3
I would say the Super Yoke is the ultimate test of strength. You drop the biggest weight on a person and those with insufficient frames, bones and mass will just crumble with injury, leaving the largest guys standing. So the mass monsters are truly the strongest
@@jessehall9420 oh that’s awesome, natural stone lifting always separates the best from the rest 😂
@@Minotona Brian Shaw always loved a monster super yoke. Problem is you’ve got people like Mitch being so flawless with it that it almost looks to light! 😂
Absolutely not such a stupid comment. This only benefits athletes whom are tall with long wing spans. Stick to your gaming kid. A true Strength test should an equal playing field in the implement itself to the movement expected to be executed. Let’s just have an event stepping up onto a 4 feet box or ducking under a 3 feet pole. 🤦🏼♂️
What a bloody nice bloke and humble too......and a phenomenal strongman
I lean toward Strongman as the overall indicator of the strongest person overall. There are some truly amazing athletes in other sports, however they are almost without fail much more specialized in their technique and/or movement. Strongman does a very good job in combining aspects from most strength sports. This is especially true when you look at the event variations from the different promotions. That said, it is always a pleasure to see someone who has reached the pinnacle of their craft/sport.
So, what you’re saying is - I am the strongest man in the world 😎
@@mitchellhooperstrongman Indeed I am sir.
I agree, hooper is just trying to be humble, hes the strongest man overrall
Perfect and true comment
I agree, they're not the most explosive, have the most endurance or have the most 1RM strength on static movements but they're a damn good blend of the 3 compared to people in each discipline at the top for sure
Strongman covers all aspects/areas of strenght( functional, explosive and static) whereas the other disciplines are one aspect specific. Therefor I believe the strongman sport is the best way to measure general strenght of an athlete.
You need to visit Georgia, eat khinkali and make a video with Lasha titled "Trying olympic weightlifting with greatest ever"
474kg DL is extremely impressive. Nothing to scuff at. Awesome to see you applaud other mens feats of strength, you clearly love strength sports!
If strong is just moving the heaviest weight, period, we would have to give it to the power lifters.
Strongman competitors are the most well rounded and it is incredibly entertaining to watch.
But when I see Lasha yanking 500 pounds from the floor, flicking it over his head, and standing up in one fluid motion like the weight is not even there, I know I am watching athletic greatness in its purest form that goes beyond strength.
Why stop at powerlifters? Why not give it to the ego lifters leg pressing 600kg for sets of 10 with 1 or 2 cm of ROM? The weight is heavier than everyone else and it was moved ya know
The names confuse things. Powerlifting is about strength, Olympic weightlifting is about power, Stongman is strength, power and muscular endurance.
What amazes me of Lasha is his elbow strength, capable of holding that much weight overhead.
Yeah, wild 🤯
In weightlifting we hold weights by locking out our arms and squeezing our shoulder blades. So instead of supporting it with muscles the weight sits on bone, if that makes sense.
I'd like to see what Lasha could do with a 230kg axle.
I love the big 3 strength sports. Powerlifting, Weightlifting, and Strongman all have something amazing to offer. However, I do feel that strongman is still the best way to determine who is overall the strongest.
Lasha would be my #1 as far as explosive strength. It can of course be debated on how stringent drug testing is in Oly lifting, but he does tested, so perhaps as well as we can test, he's the strongest tested lifter in the SHW class as well...definitely more than the Soviet lifters as least
Why does being drug free matter in this conversation..
He is obviously on drugs...
I mean worlds strongest man doesn't even test for drugs... So it really doesn't matter if Lasha is on drugs (he is) for comparison's sake
lol my thoughts, wtf this guy thinking @@jamesbecker9573
@@durrantmiller8810lol yes it does. Because it means he could have even more potensial when he got on gear and started strongman. How did all 3 of you not get this?!
this video is basically convincing me to buy your merch man, the self awareness and the humility with which you approach everything while still being elite is inspiring
Giving his peers respect. What a legend
Well, Mikhail Koklyayev was an open weight Olympic weightlifter who did really well in Strong Man. Another example would be Mark Henry.
Misha kokliev made a successful switch from oly lifting to SM..
The dude was a beast.
He was great
He’s a prime example of what I was talking about!
He really is 👍
I have always wanted this question answered, so recently I launched a brand and competition concept that incorporates the three power lifts, the two Olympic lifts, farmer’s walk, 18” deadlift, and log press.
The goal is to start having competitions within the next year.
I actually think you (Mr. Hooper) would dominate such an event.
Kyriakos Grizzly is the strongest man in the world.
Well duh! Competitions are obviously to determine who the second strongest in the world is.
Unbelievable humility and true humbleness. Thanks for speaking the truth. In a world full of ego and attitude, you, Mr. Hooper, are a breathe of fresh air. Now a subscriber.
Lasha is the strongest man to ever live. No doubt in my mind. He would be the best of all time in any strength sport he dedicated his life to.
I think the arguments here are usually kind of silly. For one, there is no answer. Secondly, anyone who claims that their sport is “the true test of strength” is obviously just speaking from ego.
The important thing? LIFT HEAVY STUFF. Literally everyone on the planet should be doing this. It’s soooo good for you.
Mikhail Koklyaev was an elite olympic weightlifter who went on to be an elite strongman and powerlifter.
I believe he has the highest total in strength beating mark Henry.
@@AlejandroSanchez-pl6jw you're probably right. He's done so many amazing lifts throughout his career. And still lifts fairly heavy.
There seems to be a couple I missed!
and that guys is still in shape
@AlejandroSanchez-pl6jw No because Koklyaev competed while on gear and Mark always competed drug free. Mark still holds the all time raw record combining Bench/Squat/Deadlift/Snatch/Clean and Jerk.
Specialists can put up some pretty huge numbers, and their technique, built up through years of dedicated practice, is impressive, but in the end I'm even more impressed by how strongmen have to be strong in so many different ways, and not only lift weight but move with weight. Strongmen have to be well rounded athletes and yet perform to extremes.
P.S. - Congrats on winning the WSM Mitchell, from a fellow Canadian who has an interest in Kinesiology and has been watching the contest since its inception.
Great discussion on who is truly strongest. One other important consideration however is what events WSM choose in any given year as that alone can sometimes, not always, decide the overall winner .
1993 Worlds Strongest Man Gary Taylor had been an elite level Olympic weight lifter before going into strongman. Would love to see what Lasha could do.
Beat me to it.
Mikhail Koklyaev was an even better Olympic lifter than Gary Taylor with a 250kg clean and jerk. He did very well at WSM for several years. Lasha would need to lose 50lbs which may affect his strength
@@jameschantler4292Let's not forget Gary put up 267.5kg behind the neck too. Mikhael was unbelievable, loved him on the log in WSM 2010.
Love seeing strength unknown mentioned. It's an amazing series and I'm glad martins is doing it
So switched on such a guy. No bullshit, just genuine
Your work and technique on the apolon wheel was a prime example of weightlifting technique with strongman strength. Even licis missing his push press on his first attempt the following it immediately with a split jerk and getting it was symbolic of the techniques superiority in getting heavy ass weight over head.
That being said, it’s my opinion that Olympic lifting is the truest test of power, powerlifting is the truest test of strength, and strongman depends on the event. Winning a strongman meet is symbolic of being the best at the sport, but a meet could be comprised of varying degrees of strength or endurance qualities in each Individual event.
Mark Henry needs a mention. A world class raw powerlifter and competed in the olympics in weightlifting. And with his powerlifting and weightlifting total combined has the world record total between those five lifts.
Best of luck from Iceland 🇮🇸 brudda
This is such a cool video to make. Many people do need to understand that World’s Strongest Man is just the name of a strongman competition and tv show. There is no way definitively accepted way to quantify who the strongest person on the planet is!
It's obviously not absolute, but as a whole, I do agree that strongman is the sport that best tests overall strength.
It doesn't strongman is based on height a lot.
@@Hermanubis1 it does, but that's more like it really just gives those taller guys an even bigger advantage at those specific events, but it doesn't mean that they're not still the strongest. A taller person has the potential to be a larger person, which gives them the potential to be a stronger person. A powerlifter who out totals Brian Shaw or Thor still isn't stronger than them in my opinion.
@@ezradanger at least 50% of the events have a huge height advantage. I don't rate powerlifters. They sumo, they have good mornings as squats. They are useless for any functional movement. Weightlifters squat and press more than them and deadlift similar while being athletes and powerful. Strongman and weightlifting are much more respectable as sports. But strongman should make the events not have a height advantage or at least equalise them.
@@Hermanubis1 so as I said, It's obviously not absolute, but as a whole, I do think that strongman is the sport that best tests overall strength.
@@ezradanger In the strict sense of the word, no. It is strength endurance with a height advantage. You could argue gymnasts are the strongest in the world functionally. The assumption with strongman is: all humans are farmers. It's basically farmer strength endurance with a height advantage. The height of the stones are arbitrary. Short men must shoulder press 200kg stone to get it up and Brian Shaw has to lift it to knee height.
There's a Kenyan strongman called tiger power who could do some pretty crazy ass things, he could get smashed by a truck and take it, he could pull nails in wood with his teeth, and so much more. Underrated!
For me I think no one can do what Lasha does and no one is even close. Where as I think lasha could do very well in other sports
Someone like a Mark Henry would be good to look at. Top ten at the olympics in weightlifting, drug tested world records in powerlifting and won the first Arnold strongman event. If he had stuck to strength events rather than pro wrestling, could have maybe been the strongest ever considering most of this was done before turning 28…
Hi Mitchell. This was a good original topic, and video. You brought a lot of categories into perspective for me, but in the end, I agree, "Strong Man" competitions, to me, determine the strongest man in the world.
It’s a very hard to say…
I may be biased but I feel as though the snatch is the ultimate expression of strength, power, mobility and athleticism. It’s the ultimate measure of your athletic capability
Anatoly Pisarenko did 265kg clean and jerk (2kg less but 61kg lighter then Lasha), 280kg clean and 270kg jerk. Deserves a mention if Lasha does for sure
Thanx for Comments about Lasha ❤️❤️❤️ we are waiting u when u come in Georgia , with our Georgian Bull and Lasha
Tom Haviland is the strongest human
He squats less
Not even close.
thank you for being humble
Hell of an ambassador of strength and eternal movement. Thank you hoss.
This makes for an interesting conversation. If you were to ask someone who doesn't pay attention to strength sports who can benchpress more, the current worlds strongest man or Julius Maddox? Assuming they don't jump to the conclusion that its a trick question, the most logical answer would surely be the world's strongest man, when infact it isn't correct. Winning the world strongest man competition definitely makes you worthy of the title nonetheless, even if its not as literal as it sounds. The fact that you would post this video highlights the kind of champion you, humble and real, and it's honestly refreshing. Nice one my man
Really excellent video Mitch. I love the comparisons. Also, I agree that Strongman is the best gauge for strongest person. The other clubs are too specialized. Good luck at Arnolds!
Glad you enjoyed it! 💪💪
you made an excellent case for unknown events for each comp.
You sound exhausted. Good on ya
You're very modest. Watched the finals on TV today, impressive. Always been impressed with strongman in many disciplines, who could walk past you on the street, as a normal looking guy. Was big fan of jouko ahola back in the 90s.
This is a brilliant presentation, honest and candid. Strongman as "the fundamental movement patterns of life." Thanks, even as a strongman fan, I learned a lot.
Strongman peeps are the strongest, especially with the right mix of events. Like, Axle, farmers/yoke/frame carry, deadlift, and stones
I believe strongman combines all aspects of strength. Static, explosive, speed, and technique. You need all of these to be successful.
A great video topic and great humble attitude to be factual despite winning WSM! The end argument depends on how you define strength. Scientific style definitions state it as ‘the amount of force the muscles can exert’. Taking that as the starting point to me, makes the powerlifting records the best measure of strength as being completely static is required to produce the most force. Training the same events as the competition also allows the lifters to figure out how to produce the most force with their body in each lift, so we get a true representation of how strong a massive human being can become. However, your comments Mitchell about Strongman events and their movement patterns most closely representing ‘real life’ make total sense as we all know strength in the real world is not often completely static with ideal shaped barbells and isolated situations. So it makes sense to me that Strongman is the greatest measure of ‘functional’ strength. So that leaves the question of ‘absolute vs functional’ strength and I don’t think there is an answer to which is ‘best’, more of an opinion/viewpoint for that one! Thanks for the video Mitchell and congrats on the win 👏💪
I absolutely respect the humility, brother. This is my first video of yours. Won't be the last.
And congratulations on your victory!!
man mitch you look massive! hope your still in top shape
In my humble opinion, when it comes to the strongest person, you have to look at static weight lifted. So I believe the strongest people are those who compete in the world of raw dead lifting. At any given time whoever holds the 3 lift total record in their weight class are the strongest people in the world. What you folks do in strongman is more fun to watch because of the combined strength and athleticism you have to display in various events. It's great and I subscribe to Shaw and Official Strongman. Olympic lifting is a whole different world, full of technique... face it a huge person pulling almost 500 lbs so hard, while leaving his feet and crouching down in mid air to catch that bar at the right instant to complete a snatch lift is an incredible thing to see. You've had a great year Moose, and thanks for your effort, I've enjoyed it a lot, but the way Mateus moved that Iron Bull last month... if he were totally healthy... he would be the one to beat in your sport.
Probably worth to do an overview of some shotputters and hammer throwers as well, there is a comparison there with the strongman throwing events.
Agree 100%. Strongman is filled with dozens of different events, some completely....different, and some pretty straightforward, but, with the amount of different, always heavy implements that are lifted and moved, coupled with the athleticism strongman need and many have, among their brute strength, def. makes you guys truly the strongest in the world. You may not press 590 over your head, but you still can press nearly 500, which is nuts, and a 550 bench for someone who is more inclined with actual strongman events (especially) is absolutely insane. But overall still, you guys are stronger and well versed in so many different events that there really shouldn't be a debate over which sport proves the strongest. It's obviously strongman. It's too diverse.
I love the respect you show to others, whilst still having absolute confidence in yourself.
The only major Olympic lifter who turned strongman was Mark Henry, he was good enough to compete for America in the Olympics and then turned to strong man and then WWE star. By what I’ve read he was reasonably successful at strongman.
Great video!! I 100% agree with you. Strongman is the best test of pure strength across a range of human motion.
Weightlifting is the best test of explosive power and powerlifting is the best indicator of harnessing maximum muscular force.
Trying to find "the strongest" is cloud chasing, the reality is you cannot separate the measure from the measurement. It's an interesting question but it's more a philosophical one. I think that's why they are so many hot debates, trying to find the "purest" from, but I think in that chase you can lost the real goal, having fun and not to worry about how and why. Specificity is king and queen and the measure affects that we like that or not.
Great video. The only thing it is missing is the Bloat Lord. He has some crazy number in a bit stranger movements.
Misha Koklyaev did came from high level Weightlifting to Strongman, he end up being the most accomplished hybrid strength athlete in all 4 major strength sports - weightlifting, powerlifting, strongman and highland games. His clean and jerk was 250 kg and he did 200 kg on the Appollon axel press and 202 on the log press, at the time was a world record (i think). He also held multiple powerlifting records and was a pro athlete in highland games. And then Is Mark Henry who won Arnold and was a member of the American Olympic team for weightlifting, he did hold powerlifting records as well.
Louis Cyr is a very cool historical Canadian titled "The Strongest Man In History". I would highly recommend checking him out and some of the bizarre but also very impressive feats of strength he performed.
Being Canadian, I’m sure he know who Cyr is. 😊
There was an Olympic lifter who transitioned to strongman really well, Mark Henry.
6:58 I think as an overall event strongman is a fantastic indicator for total body strength, large variety of lifts and the overall demand on the body means if you have significant weaknesses you're going to expose them. However if you want one singular lift to judge someone's strength, olympic weightlifting is great barring the technique demands, so maybe a power clean and press which is easier would be better. Still great to see people at high levels throw insane weight around or over their head as a warmup, actual superhero territory
That’s what I love about strong man is it’s like cardio powerlifting 👍🏻🇨🇦
The throwers in the Olympics especially shotput guys deserve recognition
I think Eddie would have hit 230 long ago if he used just a tiny bit of leg drive when he presses.
Honestly Eddies strict pressing held him back. Yet he's in the top 3 strongman pressers
@@wanderer_oti I think so too. He was strict pressing when everyone else was using a drive, I think his effort to prove how strong he was stopped him from breaking more records.
Pretty much saying what you did in more words, haha
Love you Mitch ❤ a great example for Canadians lhbk
I think powerlifting is the purest competition, because in weightlifting politics gets involved and in strongman money/promotion gets involved.
As far as exhibitions of real-practical-traditional-old-school-warrior-farmer strength goes, I think Strongman takes the cake. Sure there's no bench press, but I think the log or axle press is the more impressive feat of strength even if the weight is lower.
To answer your question, Mitchell Hooper: much like there are different strength competitions, there are different types of strength. (As you already know, of course.)
I would classify each as follows:
Powerlifting=Best Static Strength
Olympic Lifting=Best Dynamic/Explosive Strength
Strongman=Best Functional/Variety Strength.
Overall, I think the strongest person would be the strongman simply because of the variety of strength required to do it. You must be strong all over to be the best strongman and it uses much less muscle memory than either Olympic or powerlifting due to the tremendous variance in implements and events. An Olympic or powerlifter would likely beat a strongman in their particular event(s,) but a strongman would win out in any competition which tests multiple types of functional strength. Strongman translates to everyday, practical, functional strength in a manner which no other strength sport does. Besides, I have never heard anyone question the validity of "The World's Strongest Man" as literally being the world's strongest man and there is a reason for this. I hope this answers your question because you are "The World's Strongest Man" and the world's strongest man!
For me it’s WSM. Because of the variety of athletic strength disciplines. It’s been good to see the more functional strength guys come through. Although of course nothing beats the big lifts in the 4 disciplines. Except perhaps the stones??
Being humble and bad ass
To me the "world strongest man" has become a type all by itself. In the beginning, when I watch the old "world strongest men", there are competitors from all different backgrounds. However, now it is specialized. You "train" for it, rather than just being a strongman. So, to me, you are just a title, like a power lifter or Olympic Lifter, because you train for it specifically rather than be taken from your specialty and see how one does in the strongmen type of events. Truthfully, that is what I liked about Bill Kazmaier, he was a current powerlifting champion that simply came over and dominated the world strongest men contest. How about a contest which included some of the other disciplines, such as a bench press, clean and jerrk and the snatch combined with world strongest men. One more: They had something like this sometime ago: "The Superstars", where they invited people top of their sport to compete and an array of events; however, the athlete could not compete in their specialty. Like a sprinter could not compete in the 100 m dash.
You're intelligent and humble. This is real power
It can never be a truly definitive competition, but the winner is the best of the bunch in a particular competition at a particular time.
Probably what you do is a true test of versatility as the worlds strongest man. I set a national record BP but only that one lift.
Congrats brother.
The most impressive strenght feature i have seen is the infamous Klokov 440 pounds pause snatch
Very humble and respectfull move to make this kind of video, questioning the WSM title. I couldnt see Eddie doing this type of video, when he had the title. Not hating, just stating.
For me the strongest is the man who can move the most weight. So then, Powerlifting is the best way to find out who really the strongest is.
You are not the strongest man because of a specific test, you are the strongest man because your are good at everything, actually you are the most compete strong athlete
For me strongman determines the strongest man, simply because that one feels like you could ask them to do any task that requires raw strength that is not something they specifically train for, and they'd be the best.
I think you should have mentioned the completely raw 1015 lbs Benedikt Magnusson's deadlift. Used no straps. Insane.
Imagine what Mark Henry could've accomplished in strength sports had there been money in it. He was the top in Powerlifting, Olympic Weightlifting, and when he did The Arnold's, he dominated his first Strongman competition.
Mark was unbelievably strong.
Of course strongman determine the world strongest man, you're the world strongest man and you deserve it.
As a non lifter/strongman (but a fan) It's impossible to really say a particular event proves whos the strongest in the world. Even the stones which are beyond belief to "normal" people, technique and speed rule the show. Theres so many competitions now that whoever wins a certain event deserves it , end of. Im a car /motorsport guy and in history people will say this was the best driver or best team etc but in reality world championships are won by great teams with unlimited budgets and occasionally the "lesser" teams win. Same effort from all involved but when it works it works. I've been a fan of WSM since Geoff Capes and more since Eddie Hall won it (I'm British of course) but events suit others more then others. Look at the size of these guys now , it cant compare too much when the shorter guy may have advantage with certain lifts and the taller guy can have an advantage in other lifts. All in all I admire the dedication any athlete puts into their sport and getting results is icing on the cake. PS as a Brit I love the attitude and success of Brian Shaw, what a dude! , so glad him and Eddie are mates 👍. Great vid Mitchell hope you have a great Christmas mate.
Loved the video. You’re not only strong but a gentleman
2016 to 2017 there was zero doubt Eddie was the strongest man in the world. His raw gym lifts were insane - max and rep ranges. Then he pulled 500kg in competition after other huge lifts. Then he beat Z, Thor and Shaw to the WSM title, when they were near their best. I've never seen a Year of strength like that.
I think you're right Mitch - when it comes to all round functional strength and resilience Strongman is the truest test. And your performances in the last two years...the number of podiums in the elite events...I think you have the legit claim to say, right now, you ARE the guy. You are the strongest man in the world.