@@facebookreal If you aren't a professional, why would you be overeating? The implied distinction between professional and non-professional is that professionals are going to sacrifice their health through diet and drugs, and non-professionals won't.
I can absolutely say that strongman is the healthiest sport for me, because, simply put, it’s the one I’m willing to participate in. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, happier than I’ve ever been, the most comfortable in my own skin as I’ve ever been. To top it all off, I’ve had fun while doing it. I look forward to going to the gym, not “omg, I have to go on my run tonight, fuck me”. I 100% agree and it’s the reason I’m here! #LHBK
I don’t know if it’s “healthier” than strongman because it seems to be pretty subjective, but I think climbing is very healthy. You develop strength through extremely long ranges of motion, increase flexibility, develop grip strength, improve cardio, and it’s incredible for mental health. I’ve never met an out-of-shape older climber!
The old punch line is old climbers are dead. I choose the ground. (Yes I know when done properly you shouldn’t die etc but I choose other risks for myself.)…but you are right. It’s very healthy. Also the hiking around the climbing is great for almost anyone.
I disagree with this… I’m a pretty serious climber and noobie powerlifter. I’m currently recovering from a wrist cartilage tear and most, if not all people I know suffer a new injury limiting daily function (grip strength and/or ROM) on a yearly basis. Falling into a wall with rope or hitting a bouldering mat still presents high injury chance. I certainly think if injury risk reduction is a high-value target in training, that climbing can be incredibly healthy. But this simply isn’t the case with 98% of climbers - they’re some of the worst athletes I’ve seen with respect to sleep quality/length, lifting consistency, and priorities. My pick is swimming. Cardiovascular in nature but still builds muscle, works the body fairly evenly, and is very easy on the joints. Much more accessible for young, inexperienced, or otherwise less capable athletes.
Climbing as a fun recreational activity is extremely valuable; esp. if you do both the ropes and bouldering, gym and outdoor. Taken too seriously or as a sport, the injury risk is quite high (even deadly), not enough healthy muscle mass, and so on.
Until you remember 10% of Americans thought they could kill a gorilla in a fight. Dread to think what the average strongman American thinks they could take on 😂
Strengthening using the six fundamentals has literally stopped my slide into needing assistance for simple daily tasks. 7:46 I’m a senior, and I am amazed at how quickly I have improved my physical and mental well-being just by strength training. Thank you Mitchell for all that you do, and for making even old ladies like myself part of the community!
I personally have fallen in love with the strongman sport/community for exactly those reasons. Hopefully there are more strongman style gyms opening in the future to help this grow and make it more available
@@mitchellhooperstrongmanespecially with how much space is required for good strongman equipment it’s hard to have it in most home gyms, and unfortunately it gets left out in all the public gyms I know of. Could certainly see a market for it
@@mitchellhooperstrongmanI'd take one for Düsseldorf (Germany), please! I'm literally living in one of the most crowded areas in Germany and there are zero to non public strongman gyms 🥲
Ya, that design needed some serious RnD before showtime. It was racking so badly. A little bit of hdpe on the SIDES of the runners to keep it aligned while not effecting the friction of the sled (felt weight) would have made a huge difference
Anytime “your doctor told you to do X” please use your own brain. That and realize doctors are not educated in any form of exercise or nutrition my man. That doesn’t pay the bills in modern healthcare. In this case your doctor is correct, strength training is king for health.
I just did a research project for school on what sport increases your longevity the most, and I do believe that tennis is number one. It’s great for physical and mental health, and anyone can play, however strong man definitely shouldn’t be over looked. Loved the video!
Longevity of life isn't the same as the reference he is making for longevity in all aspects of life. If you were a blue collar manual labor worker like a farmer, you would benefit from strongman training not tennis
I think there’s obviously a lot of confounding factors here. There’s nothing in tennis that wouldn’t be in other sports necessarily. I think this is just correlation. Tennis is one of the sports that old and wealthy people play so there’s gonna be a bias there
I think there’s obviously a lot of confounding factors here. There’s nothing in tennis that wouldn’t be in other sports necessarily. I think this is just correlation. Tennis is one of the sports that old and wealthy people play so there’s gonna be a bias there
I started training strongman about half a year ago, and I don't think I'll stop for the next decade or more. Most rewarding form of training I've ever had, having my first competition in a month. 💪😁 Staying natural for life of course, as all amateurs should.
My list of everyday functional movements is : push, pull,hinge, squat, carry, lunge,get up from the ground, rotational lever throwing strength (club -mace swinging),btw overhead press is a push from my perspective
Learning strongman movements has fully corrected the chronic back pain I had for my entire adult life before starting strongman. This type of training should be mandatory for all human beings.
Yup, same. Chronic knee and back pain from being morbidly obese, lost over 100 lbs but it wasn't until I start strength training and learning how to do it correctly and safely that all the aches and pains went away.
A better way ro phrase it is that Strongman *can* be a very healthy pursuit. The bigger point is that you should find a sport/movement that gives *you* the most joy. If I had to propose something, it would be something that involves dance or play because I would wager that it has the greatest mental health benefits for most.
Hey Mitchell hooper you may not see this but your my inspiration as a Canadian teen trying to go pro strongman and I want you to know that I feel you paved a new path for us and I wanna thank you for that
I absolutely believe strongman (as an activity, and not a sport) is one of the best forms of fitness out there. It’s easily adaptable to either side. Want more strength? Go heavier. Want more cardio? Go lighter and longer. Most importantly- it’s a damned blast. I love working out with strongman implements. Or just random crap to pick up, throw, carry, etc.
I'm trying to convince my mum (she's 61) to integrate some form of resistance training to be coupled to the long walks she takes every day. She's been on a low-protein diet for years due to kidney issues and she's losing muscles and strength faster than normal -and she notices it because she's always been active. None of her doctors is suggesting anything in terms of improving her fitness. Keep up with the educational content Mitch, it's sorely needed.
Thats a rough position to be in, watching someone important make poor decisions when the answer is right there. Basing those poor decisions on 'experts' that are actually the most pathetic beginners in the world of strength training because they are too busy to even think about it. I wish you luck with it and I hope you dont give up and manage to convince her.
Keep trying 👍cant beat strength training ( also do cardio) ,been at it for 43 yrs and just broke a PB at 62 compared to when I was 40yrs old ,being older shouldn't mean weaker!
My mother (60 years old) started going to the gym shortly after I did. Her shoulder pain has gone away and she likes going there. I'm so happy for that. I hope your mother lives a long and good life
Mitchell it's cool to see an absolute beast like you turning over every stone and being so engaged in the science. Clearly it has provided you enormous competitive benefits and I imagine it's not an overstatement to say that you're going to change the entire paradigm of what it truly means to train hard. You look so much leaner and more explosive out there and I imagine the rest of the field is scrambling to catch up.
I am just a simple man, who works seating on an office chair the whole day on a very sedentary and intellectual activity, and when it's 20h00 I become a powerlifter that just competes against myself and try to beat all the demons in my mind and my "yesterday's version of me". That said, lifting weights do me really good, specially because I got many many many injuries practicing Jiu-Jitsu for several years, and the only way doctors and physiotherapists said I would definitely heal would be working out at the gym. Since I have a chance to listen to their advices, it took around 2 months forcing myself to go to the gym and after that I was completely IN LOVE... The decrease of the pain, the self confidence, the changes in my shape, etc... And even that I know there is a huuuuge distance between me and professional strongmen, I wish they could talk more openly about their steroids use, the amount, the type of drugs, etc... I am willing to maybe start on deca + test, under doctors damage control, but the only thing I know about strongman athletes is that they loooooove deca, other than that I think the average public don't know so much. And even that it is so clearly obvious that professional strongman (as in many other sports) takes massive amount of gears, yet none of them are super open about it. Becaude it would be bad for the sponsors? Because they don't want to give "bad example" to kids? Well I don't know, but I would genuinely like to know more about it, and not to use what they use, but just to know.
100%. After losing 100 lbs several years ago, I started Strongman at age 42. I'm a Lightweight Novice, soon to begin LW Masters. I plan to stay natty, and I plan to remain under the LW limit (220.) I'm in the best shape of my life, both aerobic and strength-wise. I agree completely that for MOST strongman athletes (below the top professionals), this is the healthiest sport you can participate in. I plan to stay in it for the long haul. And maybe most importantly, I hang out with a local strongman club, and it was a community that I REALLY needed after a very dark period in my mental health. It's been life-changing.
Doing strongman for 2 years at local events and after every event I always come back buzzing and this is due to the competitors. Always amazing experience that keeps me training week in week out. +40, late to the game but loving it.
I think it comes down to the usual thing: Are you doing it to improve yourself, or push it to competitive levels? Competition is an extreme sport with risks going along with rewards. I train in a more strongman style, and have never before seen natural gains like I see now. I have no interest in competition at this point in my life. I was a sports athlete when younger and suffered most of the normal injuries. I train now for personal wellness, both physical and mental. Define your goals and concept of being healthy. I commonly see gym goers see the improvements in their body and then get excited and want to compete. Some will never be competitive enough to win and end up risking serious injury and for what? Ego needs to be put aside sometimes, and self-improvement limited to self only. I mostly refer to those who enter cross-fit.
There's definitely a balance. I'm a LW Masters Strongman, I plan to stay natty and stay under 220 lbs for health and longevity reasons. Sure I want to win, but not at the cost of my health. The community and fun factor of it is more important to me anyway.
Strength is a fundamental for almost all things humans do in everyday life..as you age you lose muscle mass and strength and become more prone to injury. A strong neck can save your life in a car crash...the mental aspect is profound..to me lifting is meditation, stress relieve...a way of life
I think you're correct. If Strongman is done as a hobby and not for winning titles, I believe it gives you all the positives one could think of. You can push, pull & lift heavy weight. You're able to walk/run decent lengths with heavy weights. You're able to work with heavy objects which aren't symmetrical. As an example it's easy to lift a 30 kg dumbell, but try lifting a natural stone or a sandbag of the same weight and see the difference. So if you're able to do all this you're not only getting stronger but you're also getting functionally capable. So Yes!
The most important thing is to let your body heal when it needs healing, pushing yourself is fine, but pushing when your body tells you not to is a recipe for chronic pain
Having watched the video, I agree that strong man is one of the best styles of training for overall fitness and health. Even so, I believe that weighted calisthenics, such as weighted dips, pull-ups, and even squats, which would also count as weighted calisthenics are in my humble opinion the best training style for overall strength, functional strength, and health. Note: I train in weightlifting and calisthenics so I have a bias towards weighted calisthenics.
I think another factor at the amateur level is bodyweight and weight categories. Years ago, I competed at an unhealthy body fat level and justified overeating to remain strong. You see this at the heavier bodyweight categories. So, my opinion, yes, might be the healthiest sport, if bodyweight/fat is kept in check and also additional cardio/conditioning is done.
Surely the healthiest activity is watching the amazing Mitchell making thoughtful and erudite content by lying in bed and moving my thumbs occasionally. I might even go to the gym later.
Hooper, your channel has become one of my fav youtube channel. As a running ethusiast and a gym rat myself, most of your point are valid. Keep up the good work, brother and keep winnin' them titles. Much love and respect from your Malaysian fan 🦾🦾
I appreciate you and all you do but not sure what your saying isn't a little biased. To me just as you said in a previous video a balance of lifting and cardio work is the long term best. In my mind a 70% cardio/30 strength training seems the healthiest for the long term. Coming from a 61 year old hiker/mt biker/swimmer and of course a die hard lifter. And truthfully I could be biased also. Having done them all for many years I would say they all have great mental and physical benifits. I think for most people we struggle to balance them....ofthen over doing the ones we love and skipping the ones we don't like as much. For me i love lifting and is so good for me mentally but exercising out in nature does the most for my mental health. Both benifit me in different ways. Great topic for all ages!
I agree, the bias should be strongly in favor of cardiovascular/pulmonary fitness. A lot of people in strength sports/bodybuilding are imo way overstating the health benefits of being extremely strong. Yes you don’t want to be old and feeble, but you don’t need much strength training at all for they purpose
Im not a strongman, I'm a rock climber and its made me really really strong. I relate to this video. Its great being strong. It really improves the quality of life.
The only healthier sport I can think of might be snowboarding.. features resistance training, cardiovascular challenge, mental health by way of social engagement and travel...
The physical part of strongman is great mentally and physically it’s the drug part of strongman that is dangerous to one’s heath. But doing it naturally great for one’s health
I partially agree. Strongman at a recreational level as part of a broader fitness programme is extremely healthy. Acquiring functional strength, coordination and mobility is vital for long term health for a whole host of reasons, some of which you alluded to. But, and it's a big but, strongman does not train cardiovascular fitness in any meaningful way. Events are at most, 3 minutes long. You'll principally be working within your anaerobic zone, and aerobic cardiovascular endurance will remain largely untouched. I competed as an amateur in strongman in my early twenties, but have in the last few years returned to my earlier love of cycling. I have now combined 10-13hrs a week on the bike, 3-4hrs of strength training and 2-5hrs of other sports together and feel really very good (40 this year). I'm comically skinny compared to any strength athlete (203cm and 102kg) but built like a tank compared to almost all other cyclists. It's a good compromise. I would be really curious to know where your VO2 max sits Mitch. And just to add that it's been a genuine pleasure watching your meteoric rise in strongman, and all that you give back to the sport.
I would argue some of the better competitors, especially at the amateur level, combine great conditioning with strength. And many of the amateur competitions are leaning toward more events that require conditioning. The Go-Ruck Challenge at OSG being a good example. Yes some the events may only be 90 seconds, but that's 90 seconds all out and ALL conditioning work will lead to gains on those events. Pulling a max deadlift requires none of it, but having to pull only 315lbs for what ends up being 14-15 reps (amateur class), you better have great conditioning. Same goes for medleys, especially carrying and loading races. I include all sorts of cardio and conditioning in my training because of it. It's not Powerlifting.
@@jculbert2221 I certainly don't disagree that conditioning is a major factor in any successful strongman competitor, but I still don't think it's the same as high level cardiovascular fitness. If you wanted an example of a sport that truly combines strength and cardio, I'd suggest rowing. I got pretty obsessed with that for a few months during the covid lockdowns, and on my Concept 2 posted some very good times on the longer distances due to my background in weight training and cycling. I think that it's worth noting the amount of training (in terms of hours per week) that's required to achieve elite level in strength sports versus cardio sports (such as cycling) is vastly different. A pro strongman may train as little as 6-7hrs a week, and of that training time actually be lifting less than an hour. A pro cyclist is in the saddle 25-30hrs a week, building mitochondrial efficiency and developing their VO2 max. My 10-13hrs a week puts me at the level of enthusiast and builds decent fitness, but if I did that much strength training, I'd overtrain horribly. For longevity, strength training is vital. Strongman training is the king of strength training but it needs to be coupled with a decent cardio programme that is (in my opinion) at least twice as time consuming as the strength work.
@@jonathanrobinson2628I agree, a marathon runner is going to outrun me after the first 100m, and might have "better" cardio health than me. But it seems like the general scientific consensus on "cardio for long term health" consists of doing a "decent" amount of steady state on a regular basis. In addition to my 10-15min of conditioning after each lifting session, I also regularly hike, bike, trail run, kayak, and snowshoe in the winter, for pretty long periods. I sorta see that as "good enough". At some point you gotta pick your battles, if I did 30hrs a week of running or cycling I'd have no time for anything else.
@@jculbert2221 Yeah, absolutely. If you're regularly getting out for longer cardiovascular activities, happy days. I would just caution against thinking that strength sports alone are sufficient for longevity. I've been 130kg, quite strong but felt pretty terrible. 30kg lighter, I'm still way, way stronger than your average guy (especially in grip - it's nice that muscle size doesn't really affect grip strength so much) and 'elite' level for cardiovascular fitness now from just 10-12hrs of cycling a week. With good endurance fitness, it's remarkable how general work capacity goes up too, if you have some strength to go with it. So stuff like heavy yard work, wood chopping, furniture lugging and such like becomes really easy. These are just good life skills to have, and part of a healthy old age.
Answering questions: I know a marathon runner who’s a retired officer that’s moved plenty of time, still has the strength, and would bring his 14 and 16 year old sons to help me move. So I’d take that marathon runner over the strongman to help me move. Especially if the strongman guy is an anti-social “gymcel” type, who’d be more frustrating to work with and isn’t bringing two extra guys. You’ve also done a lot of work arguing CrossFit as the healthiest sport, not strongman. We’re assuming a good instructor keeping people safe, inspire of the brand’s reputation. But they do all the same movement. It’s bigger with more classes, so it’s a SIGNIFICANTLY more social sport. Even on the amateur level, strongman emphasizes a level of body mass that causes snoring and other breathing issues stopping good sleep. Sleep is the single best performance enhancing drug out there, having no negative side effects. The body composition by keeping events balanced between moving yourself and other stuff ensures the composition of CrossFit athletes are much healthier. And instead of your cardio cope, CrossFit just does a reasonable amount of cardio. So yeah. CrossFit is the healthiest sport. Trains the same movements, not scared of building endurance to do things for long (which you want to do some long mountain hiking or a backpacking trip), and its social circles outperform for social health.
Combining weight lifting and Karate works for me. Karate sollicits skills such as coordination, balance, memorization and reacting to the moves of the opponent. I do not get this from running or weight lifting. Karate is not excessive in terms of cardio, "fights" are controlled and I'm part of a community. This combined with strength training seems to be compatible with long term health. #LHBK
Would like to do this myself but outside of weight training I surf, kayak and cycle so just don't have the time for martial arts. Have always wanted to do it though.
I trust Mitchell to give an honest and nuanced breakdown about why strongman can be very healthy even if at the pro level (of any sport) it’s not necessarily. But I also trust many people to disregard that and just jump on the “no it’s not healthy cuz fat” train 😂
You speak great hooper. You should do an interview about this topic with another strongman or sport health professional. One thing that people forget about strongman is that recovery is a huge huge part of the sport. Unlike bodybuilding they not telling u to stretch after a workout
I really like that you are trying to get people up and doing something for their well being and I agree that strongman is probably the healthiest sport out there at the lower levels for a person to do
@@marcus4907 I still think the risks of injury mean it’s not a safe sport. And eating crazy calories and tons of sugar and processed food which strongmen do, isn’t good for you either
NO ONE should be on steroids for sports performance if they are not on the top of the top, where he said that it has increased risks. you don't need steroids and to weigh 300lbs to train strongman, just reduce the weights to what is manageable for you and increase them slowly as you get stronger
In my opinion, resistance training is great. Lots of benefits. Unfortunately, the professional lifters, bodybuilders and other professional sports people have created an image of ped users that is detracting from the achievements. Social media has made it a lot worse with so-called 'influencers' out there, claiming to be natty yet looking unnatural.
The problem with some people is that the mental health sometimes gets stronger than the physical. This are the champions that are able to go the extra mile. But that is also that point where you can get injured.
@@mitchellhooperstrongmanI'd take my chance to propose a relatively obscure sport (at least outside the post-USSR countries) as being high on the charts, namely the kettlebell sport, since it essentially has similar components, including movement patterns, functional training, strength & endurance components, etc.
I 100% agree with this however the strongman community has a limiting factor at the moment, and I may get the “suck it up and get stronger” responses to this. I started into strongman after a lifetime of athletics 1 year ago. In that year I did two comps where the first I got second due to a double countback and won my second comp. According to the regulations and out of community respect I am to move up to the open class. No problem initially with that until I signed up for the comps and realized the massive weight jump in the lifts. I found the weights challenging in novice and enjoyed that challenge however the open class it is true I will have to become stronger. But I have little desire to get any bigger physically or pursue a massive jump in weight where I am increasing my risk of injury. I want to stay at my current buddy type, fitness level and all but take it to its limits with to my strength. Problem is the open class (at least the comps I have found) the “for rep” weight is my current max or beyond it. I will continue to push my limits but like I said I wish there was a way I could sign up for a comp in the novice area but not count the points but just be there to have fun and do it. Just my thoughts of how the sport could grow and have a non ranked class where you cannot win but you want to challenge yourself still. Thoughts? Ps. I have chatted about this before with strongman friends which their suggestion is just find a local non official comp; problem is those are rare if exist at all even remotely close to me.
Youre the man, Mitch! Friendly rebuttal. You take into account acute injuries but postural imbalances, restricted range of motion and chronic pain could also be taken into account. I like low head contact martial arts training because of the mobility, explosiveness, and athletic functionality. Community is pretty dope too. Just my opinion. Keep the work up Mitch youre amazing!
I would love strongman become more mainstream. The movements are practical yet show strength. And definitely have more of a "cool factor" than powerlifting or olympics
Strongman as a sport seems healthy because competition gives the individual a broad set of training goals with no ceiling. The targets or markers you’re trying to reach are incremental, progressive, and only limited by yourself. That coupled with the variations in exercises keep it interesting. Powerlifting is a good base, but its more narrowed focus seems to create burnout after some time. Just my humble opinion
Rugby has given me a bunch of injuries. Doing various strongman movements, particularly with the axle and sandbags, has really helped strengthen and condition the various muscle groups to reduce those injuries. Edit: forgot a comma😅
The pro strongman injuries are mostly due to chemical enhancement which causes muscles to grow bigger and carry heavier loads than the associated ligaments can handle. That’s what he meant by “pushing yourself to the extreme.”
I think a combo of Moose's Six Core Movements, select Crossfit activities, coupled with KOTG type prehab stuff would be the ideal platform for "health". As no such sport exists, I guess you could say that Strongman has as good a claim as any other, and better than most.
I enjoyed this video a lot. It was a fascinating argument. My initial reaction is that quite a bit depends on the WHO definition of health as a 'resource that you need to live your life', as that opens the door to anything that promotes a lot of functionality. I would be inclined to define health level as something like "the presence and intensity of disease/dysfunction/other adverse conditions, or presence of physiological risk factors for disease/dysfunction/other adverse conditions". TL;DR is healthy = 'no diseases, no risk factors for diseases'. Framed like that, Strongman looks a bit more concerning because of the bodyweight of top level athletes and use of anabolic substance. But, then I realized- you need to look at the sport as a whole. Yes, at the elite level and for some/many heavyweights it's unhealthy. But in lower weight classes there is never going to be anyone overweight, and below the elite level the use of anabolic substances would substantially reduce. (I also strongly suspect that with careful management and some restraint in quantity, the use of such substances probably isn't that much more harmful than, say, drinking alcohol or eating junk food.) And there is also a comparative element- Mitchell is comparing sports and as he rightly says, all sports are kind of unhealthy at the elite level. It's probably fairer to compare people who are highly competitive amateurs, probably lightweights (who can still be upto 220lbs). So a lot of the concerns go away, at last partly. And overall I buy the argument that a very diverse strength training program, including movement, quite a lot of strength endurance, a lot of functional movements, could be really healthy.
Strongman is great as long as you stay natty. Unfortunately that is borderline impossible for anyone who gets into it and starts taking it seriously. Grams of gear people take weekly on top of insane fat amounts you get one of the unhealthiest sports
Mountain biking! It doesn't seem like it, but the stats on injury in Utah Highschool sports came back saying that Mountain Bike was the safest sport in Highschool. I honestly was quite surprised as it is full of inherent risk. despite being the number one participant sport it had the lowest rate of injury.
This is why Mitch is a next level strongman. People go into strongman as an extension of a hobby. This meticulous analytical thinking and methodology I haven't seen in any other strong person. We see disciplined eating and training but none of this existential analysis of ones self. Strongman for Mitch appears to be a performance based job, there is no limit to achieving, 200kg log, yes, but how far can I take that. Human nature of a repetitive job is just 'doing enough'. Strongmen - 1) Lifting weight to compete with the average numbers, Strongman 2) Lifting heavy numbers beyond the average but only 'doing enough' for their end goal, Strongman 3) Constantly pushes those number boundaries in pursuit to find their limitation. Its Mitch's thinking, treating himself like a science experiment which makes him this good at strongman. Its all a next level approach. And like always - COME ON TOM you big tubby tubbster.
Personally I want to try to go for a hybrid approach between endurance and strength training. I wish to be able to lift something heavy, but also not be out of breath when the elevator is broken. For example maybe being able to complete IRONMAN while also being in the 1000lb club, that'd be hella awesome, even if maybe really really far away, if reachable for me at all.
It took me way too long to get in to strength training, but it gas been fabtastic for my fitness. I am a runner, though, and it is an incredibly healthy sport. I've found a combination of cardio related and strength has been the healthiest for me. I am interested if you are including all weight lifting sports under strongman, as a comparative analysis of the various strength sports to see what the differences are.
I think any sport that allows you to meets the physical activity guidelines (both resistance training and aerobic training) can be considered healthy. Beyond that, it is splitting hairs to say one is healthier than another. Also, most sports will give you all the potential benefits listed for mental health. It is true that strength sports (Strongman, PL, WL, CrossFit etc.,) have lower incidence of injury but I don't think that means other sports are unhealthier. An argument against Strongman being the' healthiest' is it might have a bit of a culture that encourages obesity. People can certainly practise it at an amateur level and not be overweight but I think the pro scene of strongman will cause more people to want to also be overweight to be more successful in the sport compared with many other sports.
and now for a more serious answer.... absolutely EVERY SINGLE SPORT in not healthy as soon as you go sportive success and competition. absolutely none. absolutely EVERY SINGLE SPORT is healthy if done for recreational purposes..... some more, some less. e.g. doing a daily jogg for 1 or 2 km is good, running and training regularly for ultra marathons is not healthy what so ever. that said.... Strongman training as recreational activity is for sure more on the wholesome side of sportive actions. I would say quite comparable to climbing, CONTROLLED cross fit, gymnastics, wrestling and every other whole body work out systems. Danger of injury IF NOT done too heavy, almost zero.... let the ego lifting at home, follow a good training system and you will stay healthy and uninjured
I don't really believe that strongman is healthy, but the odd object lifting within moderation is. I think being able to lift about a 100+ pound object above your head, front carrying a 200+ pound object, being able to carry 100+ pounds in each hand, and having really strong grip is beneficial for many purposes. However 1000 lbs deadlifts, 500-600lbs atlas stone loads, or anything that puts way too much stress on your joints, or requires alot of excess bodyfat, peds, or holding your breath to stabilize your spine is extremely dangerous, and obviously not healthy. Then you have circus strongman or old time strongman, which to some degree was good, but when there were certain tricks that made people look stronger, like using a fat grip to make a dumbbell seem too heavy for the average person to lift, or putting a slight bend in a spoon before twisting it to make people think you did the impossible, as entertaining as it was, is just deception and honestly can make strong people second guess themselves if they can't do it. Believe me, I've seen many strong guys lose confidence in their strength just because they watched an average guy twist a spoon, and they couldn't.
It seems like lifting weights for a full body workout once a week possibly split up over a few days allows for recovery from heavy lifting, however I think that dieting is mandatory but cardio is not possible because it will pull in the opposite direction, although I want to work with the heavy skipping rope on one or two recovery days. No need for a treadmill now.
Look at Eddie when he was at the top, he was so fat. Getting weight is a strategy used by many of them. Not everyone can be Pudzianowsky, but Mitch is showing everyone that you don't need to weight 400 pounds to be at the top. I hope the new generation take a good look at Mitch and how to maximize every details. I think he's one of the healthiest strongman ever.
True his lung capacity will be better than most strongmen’s due to background ,Tom like Brian shaw are great at static but walking/running down to lung capacity not strength though I do hope Tom wins this year
I think any sport pursued to the extent where you can do it professionally is the antithesis of health. Health is all about balancing between physical, social and mental wellbeing and thus pursuing any sport to the extreme lengths required to go pro will inevitably require sacrifices to your social life, your mental health and your physical health in certain areas. For instance professional runners do so many miles weekly that many of them develop ankle and knee problems in later life from the sheer repetitive strain, strongman eating tonnes of food and are often overweight in order to maximise their capacity to lift as much weight as possible let's not even mention the drugs and pervasive eating disorders that result from high level sport.
I feel like trail running has to be up there. Not only do trail runners tend to be more well rounded physically than road/track athletes, the culture in that area of the sport is super inclusive and chill from what I have seen.
Hey I agree that Strongman is healthy for the reasons you stated. But I would not go as far as recommending it to everyone. I think it's more important to find a sport that you enjoy doing. And different sports can have different benefits. From judo i learned how to fall safely. From martial arts in general I learned defend myself. From dancing I learned a lot about diet. From climbing I learned to protect myself against the cold. So for health I would argue that it's best to combine a few sports. You won't get peak results then though...
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Bruh pls make a Vids on how have strongman strength gains and methods to gains the strongman strengths
Can you do the bring sally up challenge with 225 squat. If you can do that then you are healthy lol.
roids
I feel like a lot of these comments didn't understand the video, he stated quite clearly he doesn't mean at the professional level
Even not at the professional level, you're destroying all your joints and overeating
@@facebookreal There's lots of different levels of strongman and even weight classes. You're generalizing way too much.
There are no popular sports at the professional level today that are healthy. PEDs are a requirement to reach professional levels today.
@@facebookreal If you aren't a professional, why would you be overeating? The implied distinction between professional and non-professional is that professionals are going to sacrifice their health through diet and drugs, and non-professionals won't.
@@joeyhoser Idk, why can't I eat all I want and do this at a nonprofessional level? What if I get professional dreams the more I eat?
I can absolutely say that strongman is the healthiest sport for me, because, simply put, it’s the one I’m willing to participate in. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, happier than I’ve ever been, the most comfortable in my own skin as I’ve ever been. To top it all off, I’ve had fun while doing it. I look forward to going to the gym, not “omg, I have to go on my run tonight, fuck me”. I 100% agree and it’s the reason I’m here! #LHBK
Exactly!
I don’t know if it’s “healthier” than strongman because it seems to be pretty subjective, but I think climbing is very healthy. You develop strength through extremely long ranges of motion, increase flexibility, develop grip strength, improve cardio, and it’s incredible for mental health. I’ve never met an out-of-shape older climber!
The old punch line is old climbers are dead. I choose the ground. (Yes I know when done properly you shouldn’t die etc but I choose other risks for myself.)…but you are right. It’s very healthy. Also the hiking around the climbing is great for almost anyone.
I disagree with this… I’m a pretty serious climber and noobie powerlifter. I’m currently recovering from a wrist cartilage tear and most, if not all people I know suffer a new injury limiting daily function (grip strength and/or ROM) on a yearly basis. Falling into a wall with rope or hitting a bouldering mat still presents high injury chance. I certainly think if injury risk reduction is a high-value target in training, that climbing can be incredibly healthy. But this simply isn’t the case with 98% of climbers - they’re some of the worst athletes I’ve seen with respect to sleep quality/length, lifting consistency, and priorities.
My pick is swimming. Cardiovascular in nature but still builds muscle, works the body fairly evenly, and is very easy on the joints. Much more accessible for young, inexperienced, or otherwise less capable athletes.
@@ter4su swimming is mind-numbingly boring.
@@ter4su only issue with swimming is it not as effective for building bone density.
Climbing as a fun recreational activity is extremely valuable; esp. if you do both the ropes and bouldering, gym and outdoor. Taken too seriously or as a sport, the injury risk is quite high (even deadly), not enough healthy muscle mass, and so on.
A strong person is harder to kill, therefore it must be the healthiest sport
Reasoning checks out 💪
Until you remember 10% of Americans thought they could kill a gorilla in a fight. Dread to think what the average strongman American thinks they could take on 😂
@mitchellhooperstrongman a strong man becomes a liability in winter, with ice, holding a shovel.
I personally avoid my front steps now.
A strongman is the slowest person and easiest for the wild animals to chase and eat lol.
@@Thanosdidtherighthing nah, he's like mystikal. If you see mitch in a forest fightin with a bear, HELP THE BEAR. Cuz that bytch gon need it.
Strengthening using the six fundamentals has literally stopped my slide into needing assistance for simple daily tasks. 7:46 I’m a senior, and I am amazed at how quickly I have improved my physical and mental well-being just by strength training. Thank you Mitchell for all that you do, and for making even old ladies like myself part of the community!
I personally have fallen in love with the strongman sport/community for exactly those reasons. Hopefully there are more strongman style gyms opening in the future to help this grow and make it more available
Should I start opening strongman gyms? 🤔
@@mitchellhooperstrongmanespecially with how much space is required for good strongman equipment it’s hard to have it in most home gyms, and unfortunately it gets left out in all the public gyms I know of. Could certainly see a market for it
@@mitchellhooperstrongmanI'd take one for Düsseldorf (Germany), please! I'm literally living in one of the most crowded areas in Germany and there are zero to non public strongman gyms 🥲
@mitchellhooperstrongman it'd be cool if you collab with Alan thrall.
@@mitchellhooperstrongman use that whatever% you give back to the community from LHBK purchases to fund gym equipment purchases 😎
Strong man is healthy as long as they never use that Rogue Iron Bull Sled Pull again.
Agreed that event was an absolute joke tbh I feel last 2 Rogues were pathetic
It was just too heavy. At 900 lbs it would have been a good event.
Ya, that design needed some serious RnD before showtime. It was racking so badly. A little bit of hdpe on the SIDES of the runners to keep it aligned while not effecting the friction of the sled (felt weight) would have made a huge difference
Amen!!
I lift weights. For my heart disease and mental health conditions. My doctor's told me to. Hooper just solidified why it's a good idea to lift.
Anytime “your doctor told you to do X” please use your own brain. That and realize doctors are not educated in any form of exercise or nutrition my man. That doesn’t pay the bills in modern healthcare.
In this case your doctor is correct, strength training is king for health.
You don't. Have to. Put a period. After every few words.
@@jarlwhiterun7478actually their period use made sense.
This guy is so chill. I seem to get a liking for this guy.😊
I just did a research project for school on what sport increases your longevity the most, and I do believe that tennis is number one. It’s great for physical and mental health, and anyone can play, however strong man definitely shouldn’t be over looked. Loved the video!
Longevity of life isn't the same as the reference he is making for longevity in all aspects of life. If you were a blue collar manual labor worker like a farmer, you would benefit from strongman training not tennis
You've never watched me attempt to play tennis then 🥴
I think there’s obviously a lot of confounding factors here. There’s nothing in tennis that wouldn’t be in other sports necessarily. I think this is just correlation. Tennis is one of the sports that old and wealthy people play so there’s gonna be a bias there
I think there’s obviously a lot of confounding factors here. There’s nothing in tennis that wouldn’t be in other sports necessarily. I think this is just correlation. Tennis is one of the sports that old and wealthy people play so there’s gonna be a bias there
I started training strongman about half a year ago, and I don't think I'll stop for the next decade or more. Most rewarding form of training I've ever had, having my first competition in a month. 💪😁 Staying natural for life of course, as all amateurs should.
My list of everyday functional movements is : push, pull,hinge, squat, carry, lunge,get up from the ground, rotational lever throwing strength (club -mace swinging),btw overhead press is a push from my perspective
Learning strongman movements has fully corrected the chronic back pain I had for my entire adult life before starting strongman.
This type of training should be mandatory for all human beings.
Yup, same. Chronic knee and back pain from being morbidly obese, lost over 100 lbs but it wasn't until I start strength training and learning how to do it correctly and safely that all the aches and pains went away.
A better way ro phrase it is that Strongman *can* be a very healthy pursuit. The bigger point is that you should find a sport/movement that gives *you* the most joy.
If I had to propose something, it would be something that involves dance or play because I would wager that it has the greatest mental health benefits for most.
Great insight on the mental health side of things - totally agree that running for me = mental spinning but lifting my mind is fully engaged
I'm so sick of this mental health nonsense. It's a meaningless buzzword for lazy people who want to gain power and control they didn't earn.
Olympic Weightlifting has 2.4-3.3 injuries per 1000 hours so take that! Twice as safe as Strongman!
Hey Mitchell hooper you may not see this but your my inspiration as a Canadian teen trying to go pro strongman and I want you to know that I feel you paved a new path for us and I wanna thank you for that
The production quality has really gone up recently. Nice talk, could relate. Keep up the good work!
I absolutely believe strongman (as an activity, and not a sport) is one of the best forms of fitness out there. It’s easily adaptable to either side. Want more strength? Go heavier. Want more cardio? Go lighter and longer. Most importantly- it’s a damned blast. I love working out with strongman implements. Or just random crap to pick up, throw, carry, etc.
I'm trying to convince my mum (she's 61) to integrate some form of resistance training to be coupled to the long walks she takes every day. She's been on a low-protein diet for years due to kidney issues and she's losing muscles and strength faster than normal -and she notices it because she's always been active. None of her doctors is suggesting anything in terms of improving her fitness. Keep up with the educational content Mitch, it's sorely needed.
Thats a rough position to be in, watching someone important make poor decisions when the answer is right there. Basing those poor decisions on 'experts' that are actually the most pathetic beginners in the world of strength training because they are too busy to even think about it. I wish you luck with it and I hope you dont give up and manage to convince her.
Walking is enough resistance purely for health and longevity. Added bonus, she isn’t trashing her joints
Keep trying 👍cant beat strength training ( also do cardio) ,been at it for 43 yrs and just broke a PB at 62 compared to when I was 40yrs old ,being older shouldn't mean weaker!
@@HkFinn83 its good but, BUT resistance training is still needed as we age .
My mother (60 years old) started going to the gym shortly after I did. Her shoulder pain has gone away and she likes going there. I'm so happy for that. I hope your mother lives a long and good life
Mitchell it's cool to see an absolute beast like you turning over every stone and being so engaged in the science. Clearly it has provided you enormous competitive benefits and I imagine it's not an overstatement to say that you're going to change the entire paradigm of what it truly means to train hard.
You look so much leaner and more explosive out there and I imagine the rest of the field is scrambling to catch up.
I am just a simple man, who works seating on an office chair the whole day on a very sedentary and intellectual activity, and when it's 20h00 I become a powerlifter that just competes against myself and try to beat all the demons in my mind and my "yesterday's version of me". That said, lifting weights do me really good, specially because I got many many many injuries practicing Jiu-Jitsu for several years, and the only way doctors and physiotherapists said I would definitely heal would be working out at the gym. Since I have a chance to listen to their advices, it took around 2 months forcing myself to go to the gym and after that I was completely IN LOVE... The decrease of the pain, the self confidence, the changes in my shape, etc... And even that I know there is a huuuuge distance between me and professional strongmen, I wish they could talk more openly about their steroids use, the amount, the type of drugs, etc... I am willing to maybe start on deca + test, under doctors damage control, but the only thing I know about strongman athletes is that they loooooove deca, other than that I think the average public don't know so much. And even that it is so clearly obvious that professional strongman (as in many other sports) takes massive amount of gears, yet none of them are super open about it. Becaude it would be bad for the sponsors? Because they don't want to give "bad example" to kids? Well I don't know, but I would genuinely like to know more about it, and not to use what they use, but just to know.
You should do Deca bro it's sick
100%. After losing 100 lbs several years ago, I started Strongman at age 42. I'm a Lightweight Novice, soon to begin LW Masters. I plan to stay natty, and I plan to remain under the LW limit (220.) I'm in the best shape of my life, both aerobic and strength-wise. I agree completely that for MOST strongman athletes (below the top professionals), this is the healthiest sport you can participate in. I plan to stay in it for the long haul. And maybe most importantly, I hang out with a local strongman club, and it was a community that I REALLY needed after a very dark period in my mental health. It's been life-changing.
Doing strongman for 2 years at local events and after every event I always come back buzzing and this is due to the competitors. Always amazing experience that keeps me training week in week out. +40, late to the game but loving it.
It’s never too late brother
I think it comes down to the usual thing: Are you doing it to improve yourself, or push it to competitive levels? Competition is an extreme sport with risks going along with rewards. I train in a more strongman style, and have never before seen natural gains like I see now. I have no interest in competition at this point in my life. I was a sports athlete when younger and suffered most of the normal injuries. I train now for personal wellness, both physical and mental. Define your goals and concept of being healthy. I commonly see gym goers see the improvements in their body and then get excited and want to compete. Some will never be competitive enough to win and end up risking serious injury and for what? Ego needs to be put aside sometimes, and self-improvement limited to self only. I mostly refer to those who enter cross-fit.
There's definitely a balance. I'm a LW Masters Strongman, I plan to stay natty and stay under 220 lbs for health and longevity reasons. Sure I want to win, but not at the cost of my health. The community and fun factor of it is more important to me anyway.
Strength is a fundamental for almost all things humans do in everyday life..as you age you lose muscle mass and strength and become more prone to injury. A strong neck can save your life in a car crash...the mental aspect is profound..to me lifting is meditation, stress relieve...a way of life
I think you're correct. If Strongman is done as a hobby and not for winning titles, I believe it gives you all the positives one could think of.
You can push, pull & lift heavy weight. You're able to walk/run decent lengths with heavy weights. You're able to work with heavy objects which aren't symmetrical. As an example it's easy to lift a 30 kg dumbell, but try lifting a natural stone or a sandbag of the same weight and see the difference.
So if you're able to do all this you're not only getting stronger but you're also getting functionally capable. So Yes!
The most important thing is to let your body heal when it needs healing, pushing yourself is fine, but pushing when your body tells you not to is a recipe for chronic pain
Pain is weakness leaving the body. If you have chronic pain, you are chronically weak.
@@a_fuckin_spacemarine7514 bud are you 12 years old?
Congratulations on your back to back wins! Truly great
Having watched the video, I agree that strong man is one of the best styles of training for overall fitness and health. Even so, I believe that weighted calisthenics, such as weighted dips, pull-ups, and even squats, which would also count as weighted calisthenics are in my humble opinion the best training style for overall strength, functional strength, and health.
Note: I train in weightlifting and calisthenics so I have a bias towards weighted calisthenics.
I see Mitch post a video with a laptop, I'm happy
Well done on Liking the Thing
I think another factor at the amateur level is bodyweight and weight categories. Years ago, I competed at an unhealthy body fat level and justified overeating to remain strong. You see this at the heavier bodyweight categories. So, my opinion, yes, might be the healthiest sport, if bodyweight/fat is kept in check and also additional cardio/conditioning is done.
Have you considered getting fitted to get stronger?
Surely the healthiest activity is watching the amazing Mitchell making thoughtful and erudite content by lying in bed and moving my thumbs occasionally.
I might even go to the gym later.
Hooper, your channel has become one of my fav youtube channel. As a running ethusiast and a gym rat myself, most of your point are valid. Keep up the good work, brother and keep winnin' them titles. Much love and respect from your Malaysian fan 🦾🦾
I appreciate you and all you do but not sure what your saying isn't a little biased. To me just as you said in a previous video a balance of lifting and cardio work is the long term best. In my mind a 70% cardio/30 strength training seems the healthiest for the long term. Coming from a 61 year old hiker/mt biker/swimmer and of course a die hard lifter. And truthfully I could be biased also. Having done them all for many years I would say they all have great mental and physical benifits. I think for most people we struggle to balance them....ofthen over doing the ones we love and skipping the ones we don't like as much. For me i love lifting and is so good for me mentally but exercising out in nature does the most for my mental health. Both benifit me in different ways. Great topic for all ages!
I agree, the bias should be strongly in favor of cardiovascular/pulmonary fitness. A lot of people in strength sports/bodybuilding are imo way overstating the health benefits of being extremely strong. Yes you don’t want to be old and feeble, but you don’t need much strength training at all for they purpose
Im not a strongman, I'm a rock climber and its made me really really strong. I relate to this video. Its great being strong. It really improves the quality of life.
The only healthier sport I can think of might be snowboarding.. features resistance training, cardiovascular challenge, mental health by way of social engagement and travel...
The physical part of strongman is great mentally and physically it’s the drug part of strongman that is dangerous to one’s heath. But doing it naturally great for one’s health
I partially agree.
Strongman at a recreational level as part of a broader fitness programme is extremely healthy. Acquiring functional strength, coordination and mobility is vital for long term health for a whole host of reasons, some of which you alluded to.
But, and it's a big but, strongman does not train cardiovascular fitness in any meaningful way. Events are at most, 3 minutes long. You'll principally be working within your anaerobic zone, and aerobic cardiovascular endurance will remain largely untouched.
I competed as an amateur in strongman in my early twenties, but have in the last few years returned to my earlier love of cycling. I have now combined 10-13hrs a week on the bike, 3-4hrs of strength training and 2-5hrs of other sports together and feel really very good (40 this year). I'm comically skinny compared to any strength athlete (203cm and 102kg) but built like a tank compared to almost all other cyclists. It's a good compromise.
I would be really curious to know where your VO2 max sits Mitch. And just to add that it's been a genuine pleasure watching your meteoric rise in strongman, and all that you give back to the sport.
I would argue some of the better competitors, especially at the amateur level, combine great conditioning with strength. And many of the amateur competitions are leaning toward more events that require conditioning. The Go-Ruck Challenge at OSG being a good example. Yes some the events may only be 90 seconds, but that's 90 seconds all out and ALL conditioning work will lead to gains on those events. Pulling a max deadlift requires none of it, but having to pull only 315lbs for what ends up being 14-15 reps (amateur class), you better have great conditioning. Same goes for medleys, especially carrying and loading races. I include all sorts of cardio and conditioning in my training because of it. It's not Powerlifting.
@@jculbert2221 I certainly don't disagree that conditioning is a major factor in any successful strongman competitor, but I still don't think it's the same as high level cardiovascular fitness. If you wanted an example of a sport that truly combines strength and cardio, I'd suggest rowing. I got pretty obsessed with that for a few months during the covid lockdowns, and on my Concept 2 posted some very good times on the longer distances due to my background in weight training and cycling.
I think that it's worth noting the amount of training (in terms of hours per week) that's required to achieve elite level in strength sports versus cardio sports (such as cycling) is vastly different. A pro strongman may train as little as 6-7hrs a week, and of that training time actually be lifting less than an hour. A pro cyclist is in the saddle 25-30hrs a week, building mitochondrial efficiency and developing their VO2 max. My 10-13hrs a week puts me at the level of enthusiast and builds decent fitness, but if I did that much strength training, I'd overtrain horribly.
For longevity, strength training is vital. Strongman training is the king of strength training but it needs to be coupled with a decent cardio programme that is (in my opinion) at least twice as time consuming as the strength work.
@@jonathanrobinson2628I agree, a marathon runner is going to outrun me after the first 100m, and might have "better" cardio health than me. But it seems like the general scientific consensus on "cardio for long term health" consists of doing a "decent" amount of steady state on a regular basis. In addition to my 10-15min of conditioning after each lifting session, I also regularly hike, bike, trail run, kayak, and snowshoe in the winter, for pretty long periods. I sorta see that as "good enough". At some point you gotta pick your battles, if I did 30hrs a week of running or cycling I'd have no time for anything else.
@@jculbert2221 Yeah, absolutely. If you're regularly getting out for longer cardiovascular activities, happy days.
I would just caution against thinking that strength sports alone are sufficient for longevity. I've been 130kg, quite strong but felt pretty terrible. 30kg lighter, I'm still way, way stronger than your average guy (especially in grip - it's nice that muscle size doesn't really affect grip strength so much) and 'elite' level for cardiovascular fitness now from just 10-12hrs of cycling a week.
With good endurance fitness, it's remarkable how general work capacity goes up too, if you have some strength to go with it. So stuff like heavy yard work, wood chopping, furniture lugging and such like becomes really easy. These are just good life skills to have, and part of a healthy old age.
Cycling is obviously different but doing carries or back to back lifts or intense movements with no rest is also cardio dependent
Answering questions:
I know a marathon runner who’s a retired officer that’s moved plenty of time, still has the strength, and would bring his 14 and 16 year old sons to help me move. So I’d take that marathon runner over the strongman to help me move. Especially if the strongman guy is an anti-social “gymcel” type, who’d be more frustrating to work with and isn’t bringing two extra guys.
You’ve also done a lot of work arguing CrossFit as the healthiest sport, not strongman. We’re assuming a good instructor keeping people safe, inspire of the brand’s reputation. But they do all the same movement. It’s bigger with more classes, so it’s a SIGNIFICANTLY more social sport. Even on the amateur level, strongman emphasizes a level of body mass that causes snoring and other breathing issues stopping good sleep. Sleep is the single best performance enhancing drug out there, having no negative side effects. The body composition by keeping events balanced between moving yourself and other stuff ensures the composition of CrossFit athletes are much healthier. And instead of your cardio cope, CrossFit just does a reasonable amount of cardio.
So yeah. CrossFit is the healthiest sport. Trains the same movements, not scared of building endurance to do things for long (which you want to do some long mountain hiking or a backpacking trip), and its social circles outperform for social health.
Combining weight lifting and Karate works for me. Karate sollicits skills such as coordination, balance, memorization and reacting to the moves of the opponent. I do not get this from running or weight lifting. Karate is not excessive in terms of cardio, "fights" are controlled and I'm part of a community. This combined with strength training seems to be compatible with long term health. #LHBK
Would like to do this myself but outside of weight training I surf, kayak and cycle so just don't have the time for martial arts. Have always wanted to do it though.
I trust Mitchell to give an honest and nuanced breakdown about why strongman can be very healthy even if at the pro level (of any sport) it’s not necessarily.
But I also trust many people to disregard that and just jump on the “no it’s not healthy cuz fat” train 😂
Absolutely AWESOME- love some concepts explored here, got me inspired to write some cool shit, yet again, thank you, bruh!
You're making great points. I've always been a bodybuilder type, but you're making strongman sound really appealing.
You speak great hooper. You should do an interview about this topic with another strongman or sport health professional. One thing that people forget about strongman is that recovery is a huge huge part of the sport. Unlike bodybuilding they not telling u to stretch after a workout
I really like that you are trying to get people up and doing something for their well being and I agree that strongman is probably the healthiest sport out there at the lower levels for a person to do
Strange you dont mention performance enhancing drugs. I feel like that will really affect the lens in which strongman is viewed
He doesn't say it outright, but does imply it @6:50
Eating crazy amounts of calories, steroids, immense strain on the body. NO but i love it anyway!
100%, although I don't see the physical tails of the juice in hooper's body, but than again he is not body building
watch till the end, he said it only applies if you go within natural bounds. i.e. not on steroids.
@@marcus4907 I still think the risks of injury mean it’s not a safe sport. And eating crazy calories and tons of sugar and processed food which strongmen do, isn’t good for you either
Over weight having to use a cpap so you don’t die in your sleep
NO ONE should be on steroids for sports performance if they are not on the top of the top, where he said that it has increased risks. you don't need steroids and to weigh 300lbs to train strongman, just reduce the weights to what is manageable for you and increase them slowly as you get stronger
I would ask why is pressing overhead important for everyday life? (Serious question.) I can see a case (or cases) for all of the other ones.
Putting stuff on shelves plus anything else above your head
Have you never put anything above your head? 🤔
@@mitchellhooperstrongman Very light things. Like in the kitchen. So I suppose the movement in itself is important. But never anything at all heavy.
Two words: shoulder health!
@@TL13579 Very good point.
This video was basically an ad for Mitch's workout programs... And I respect that!
In my opinion, resistance training is great. Lots of benefits. Unfortunately, the professional lifters, bodybuilders and other professional sports people have created an image of ped users that is detracting from the achievements. Social media has made it a lot worse with so-called 'influencers' out there, claiming to be natty yet looking unnatural.
The problem with some people is that the mental health sometimes gets stronger than the physical. This are the champions that are able to go the extra mile. But that is also that point where you can get injured.
Usually mentally healthy people aren’t doing that tho, actually quite the opposite
New motion graphics guy is really hitting his stride! Last video was a little busy, but these look sick
Is it possible you do the joe rogan podcast ?? Would love to hear more in open discussion about strong man life and fitness.. that would be a blast
If strongman is the healthiest sport, what are the runner-ups in your opinion?
Ouu good question, let’s get a comment thread going and ill answer after a couple guesses 👀
Swimming for sure.
@@mitchellhooperstrongmanI'd take my chance to propose a relatively obscure sport (at least outside the post-USSR countries) as being high on the charts, namely the kettlebell sport, since it essentially has similar components, including movement patterns, functional training, strength & endurance components, etc.
Other competition strength sports that are no-contact. Kettlebell Sport, Highland Games, I suppose Crossfit though they tend to take it the extreme.
I 100% agree with this however the strongman community has a limiting factor at the moment, and I may get the “suck it up and get stronger” responses to this. I started into strongman after a lifetime of athletics 1 year ago. In that year I did two comps where the first I got second due to a double countback and won my second comp. According to the regulations and out of community respect I am to move up to the open class. No problem initially with that until I signed up for the comps and realized the massive weight jump in the lifts. I found the weights challenging in novice and enjoyed that challenge however the open class it is true I will have to become stronger. But I have little desire to get any bigger physically or pursue a massive jump in weight where I am increasing my risk of injury. I want to stay at my current buddy type, fitness level and all but take it to its limits with to my strength. Problem is the open class (at least the comps I have found) the “for rep” weight is my current max or beyond it. I will continue to push my limits but like I said I wish there was a way I could sign up for a comp in the novice area but not count the points but just be there to have fun and do it. Just my thoughts of how the sport could grow and have a non ranked class where you cannot win but you want to challenge yourself still.
Thoughts?
Ps. I have chatted about this before with strongman friends which their suggestion is just find a local non official comp; problem is those are rare if exist at all even remotely close to me.
Youre the man, Mitch! Friendly rebuttal. You take into account acute injuries but postural imbalances, restricted range of motion and chronic pain could also be taken into account. I like low head contact martial arts training because of the mobility, explosiveness, and athletic functionality. Community is pretty dope too. Just my opinion. Keep the work up Mitch youre amazing!
I would love strongman become more mainstream. The movements are practical yet show strength. And definitely have more of a "cool factor" than powerlifting or olympics
Strongman as a sport seems healthy because competition gives the individual a broad set of training goals with no ceiling. The targets or markers you’re trying to reach are incremental, progressive, and only limited by yourself. That coupled with the variations in exercises keep it interesting. Powerlifting is a good base, but its more narrowed focus seems to create burnout after some time. Just my humble opinion
Rugby has given me a bunch of injuries. Doing various strongman movements, particularly with the axle and sandbags, has really helped strengthen and condition the various muscle groups to reduce those injuries.
Edit: forgot a comma😅
The pro strongman injuries are mostly due to chemical enhancement which causes muscles to grow bigger and carry heavier loads than the associated ligaments can handle. That’s what he meant by “pushing yourself to the extreme.”
I think a combo of Moose's Six Core Movements, select Crossfit activities, coupled with KOTG type prehab stuff would be the ideal platform for "health". As no such sport exists, I guess you could say that Strongman has as good a claim as any other, and better than most.
Absolutely agree with meditation part. I do bodyweight and it help me a lot to aim focus inside and definately increase my mood.
Love how with the NFL clip you show my home team that is the colts. 😊
Setting aside the gear use no contact and no brain injury risk makes it one of the healthier competitive sports.
Really enjoyed this video. Very well explained.
I enjoyed this video a lot. It was a fascinating argument. My initial reaction is that quite a bit depends on the WHO definition of health as a 'resource that you need to live your life', as that opens the door to anything that promotes a lot of functionality. I would be inclined to define health level as something like "the presence and intensity of disease/dysfunction/other adverse conditions, or presence of physiological risk factors for disease/dysfunction/other adverse conditions". TL;DR is healthy = 'no diseases, no risk factors for diseases'. Framed like that, Strongman looks a bit more concerning because of the bodyweight of top level athletes and use of anabolic substance. But, then I realized- you need to look at the sport as a whole. Yes, at the elite level and for some/many heavyweights it's unhealthy. But in lower weight classes there is never going to be anyone overweight, and below the elite level the use of anabolic substances would substantially reduce. (I also strongly suspect that with careful management and some restraint in quantity, the use of such substances probably isn't that much more harmful than, say, drinking alcohol or eating junk food.) And there is also a comparative element- Mitchell is comparing sports and as he rightly says, all sports are kind of unhealthy at the elite level. It's probably fairer to compare people who are highly competitive amateurs, probably lightweights (who can still be upto 220lbs). So a lot of the concerns go away, at last partly. And overall I buy the argument that a very diverse strength training program, including movement, quite a lot of strength endurance, a lot of functional movements, could be really healthy.
Strongman is great as long as you stay natty. Unfortunately that is borderline impossible for anyone who gets into it and starts taking it seriously. Grams of gear people take weekly on top of insane fat amounts you get one of the unhealthiest sports
Mountain biking! It doesn't seem like it, but the stats on injury in Utah Highschool sports came back saying that Mountain Bike was the safest sport in Highschool. I honestly was quite surprised as it is full of inherent risk. despite being the number one participant sport it had the lowest rate of injury.
As always, logical and unbiased presentation of information.
Strongman and smart! Humble dude😊
This is why Mitch is a next level strongman. People go into strongman as an extension of a hobby. This meticulous analytical thinking and methodology I haven't seen in any other strong person. We see disciplined eating and training but none of this existential analysis of ones self. Strongman for Mitch appears to be a performance based job, there is no limit to achieving, 200kg log, yes, but how far can I take that. Human nature of a repetitive job is just 'doing enough'. Strongmen - 1) Lifting weight to compete with the average numbers, Strongman 2) Lifting heavy numbers beyond the average but only 'doing enough' for their end goal, Strongman 3) Constantly pushes those number boundaries in pursuit to find their limitation. Its Mitch's thinking, treating himself like a science experiment which makes him this good at strongman. Its all a next level approach.
And like always - COME ON TOM you big tubby tubbster.
Mitchell, get a CAC test or a CTA if doc will write one. Would make for an interesting video.
I would suggest that MMA training (not competing) as well as American NInja training (not competing) are both good candidates for healthiest sports.
All combat sports are healthy - not competing.
Personally I want to try to go for a hybrid approach between endurance and strength training. I wish to be able to lift something heavy, but also not be out of breath when the elevator is broken. For example maybe being able to complete IRONMAN while also being in the 1000lb club, that'd be hella awesome, even if maybe really really far away, if reachable for me at all.
Your performance this year at the Arnold classic Strong man was phenomenal
Swimming or cycling probably best it in terms of health. Highest V02 maxes, good muscular endurance
It took me way too long to get in to strength training, but it gas been fabtastic for my fitness. I am a runner, though, and it is an incredibly healthy sport. I've found a combination of cardio related and strength has been the healthiest for me. I am interested if you are including all weight lifting sports under strongman, as a comparative analysis of the various strength sports to see what the differences are.
Love these educational videos!
I think any sport that allows you to meets the physical activity guidelines (both resistance training and aerobic training) can be considered healthy. Beyond that, it is splitting hairs to say one is healthier than another. Also, most sports will give you all the potential benefits listed for mental health. It is true that strength sports (Strongman, PL, WL, CrossFit etc.,) have lower incidence of injury but I don't think that means other sports are unhealthier.
An argument against Strongman being the' healthiest' is it might have a bit of a culture that encourages obesity. People can certainly practise it at an amateur level and not be overweight but I think the pro scene of strongman will cause more people to want to also be overweight to be more successful in the sport compared with many other sports.
What about an older beginner with some weight training background? can strong man be started at 50???? (not at the professional level;)
Thank you for existing as always Mitchell. I should make a fanart of you
I feel like Robert Rodriguez beat you to this with the henchmen from Spy Kids
and now for a more serious answer.... absolutely EVERY SINGLE SPORT in not healthy as soon as you go sportive success and competition. absolutely none.
absolutely EVERY SINGLE SPORT is healthy if done for recreational purposes..... some more, some less. e.g. doing a daily jogg for 1 or 2 km is good, running and training regularly for ultra marathons is not healthy what so ever.
that said.... Strongman training as recreational activity is for sure more on the wholesome side of sportive actions. I would say quite comparable to climbing, CONTROLLED cross fit, gymnastics, wrestling and every other whole body work out systems.
Danger of injury IF NOT done too heavy, almost zero.... let the ego lifting at home, follow a good training system and you will stay healthy and uninjured
This! so many people missed the point 😒
Bias is strong here. Some aspects of strongman are great for health but calling it the healthiest seems a stretch.
I don't really believe that strongman is healthy, but the odd object lifting within moderation is. I think being able to lift about a 100+ pound object above your head, front carrying a 200+ pound object, being able to carry 100+ pounds in each hand, and having really strong grip is beneficial for many purposes. However 1000 lbs deadlifts, 500-600lbs atlas stone loads, or anything that puts way too much stress on your joints, or requires alot of excess bodyfat, peds, or holding your breath to stabilize your spine is extremely dangerous, and obviously not healthy. Then you have circus strongman or old time strongman, which to some degree was good, but when there were certain tricks that made people look stronger, like using a fat grip to make a dumbbell seem too heavy for the average person to lift, or putting a slight bend in a spoon before twisting it to make people think you did the impossible, as entertaining as it was, is just deception and honestly can make strong people second guess themselves if they can't do it. Believe me, I've seen many strong guys lose confidence in their strength just because they watched an average guy twist a spoon, and they couldn't.
Many sports are just as healthy if you don't compete professionally. The boxing training is excellent as long as you don't fight in matches.
"Strongman is healthy" // Me losing my mind after six months without hitting a new PR
Just kidding. Nice video!
It seems like lifting weights for a full body workout once a week possibly split up over a few days allows for recovery from heavy lifting, however I think that dieting is mandatory but cardio is not possible because it will pull in the opposite direction, although I want to work with the heavy skipping rope on one or two recovery days. No need for a treadmill now.
Any training that doesn't involve overeating or PEDs is healthy imo. Of your 300pounds doesn't matter if it's muscle the heart and organs will suffer.
Two things can limit your health in the future of a strongman. Carrying extra weight, muscle or fat, taxes your body. Then steriods.
Strongman got me doing way more cardio than powerlifting ever did.
I really worry for Tom stoltman…so heavy and his diet is appalling….his breathing makes me feel tired…his heart must be at the limits even at rest…
Yea and in my opinion he’s not as good as he used to be when he weighed less !
@@Florida239his 2 WSM wins would disagree I'm pretty sure
Look at Eddie when he was at the top, he was so fat. Getting weight is a strategy used by many of them. Not everyone can be Pudzianowsky, but Mitch is showing everyone that you don't need to weight 400 pounds to be at the top. I hope the new generation take a good look at Mitch and how to maximize every details. I think he's one of the healthiest strongman ever.
@@0725038 I think he's more technical too which helps one perform better in the events.
True his lung capacity will be better than most strongmen’s due to background ,Tom like Brian shaw are great at static but walking/running down to lung capacity not strength though I do hope Tom wins this year
In this sense it should be CrossFit, because of the cardio aspect (if done without the abonation Like the flopping fish Style pullups and stuff)
Fully agree that weightlifting works like meditation.
can you make a video on how to start? there are not really many strongman-teachers where i Live. Would like to start in my garage.
I feel cross fit, checks all the same boxes but with the added benefit of being more aerobic focused.
I think any sport pursued to the extent where you can do it professionally is the antithesis of health. Health is all about balancing between physical, social and mental wellbeing and thus pursuing any sport to the extreme lengths required to go pro will inevitably require sacrifices to your social life, your mental health and your physical health in certain areas. For instance professional runners do so many miles weekly that many of them develop ankle and knee problems in later life from the sheer repetitive strain, strongman eating tonnes of food and are often overweight in order to maximise their capacity to lift as much weight as possible let's not even mention the drugs and pervasive eating disorders that result from high level sport.
I feel like trail running has to be up there. Not only do trail runners tend to be more well rounded physically than road/track athletes, the culture in that area of the sport is super inclusive and chill from what I have seen.
Hey I agree that Strongman is healthy for the reasons you stated. But I would not go as far as recommending it to everyone. I think it's more important to find a sport that you enjoy doing. And different sports can have different benefits. From judo i learned how to fall safely. From martial arts in general I learned defend myself. From dancing I learned a lot about diet. From climbing I learned to protect myself against the cold.
So for health I would argue that it's best to combine a few sports. You won't get peak results then though...