The man they call “The Moose,” Mitchell Hooper won his fourth straight Arnold Classic Strongman title over the weekend, earning the most points in the 2026 event, while proving that he is still one of the strongest men on the circuit.
Hooper was understandably beaming at the conclusion of the prestigious strongman event, especially since he was presented with the winner’s trophy by Arnold Schwarzenegger, with his family proudly looking on. The big man, who won 2023 World’s Strongest Man, had to take some time out in 2025, to deal with nagging injuries, but has undoubtedly bounced back with a series of wins. In the end, the man from Midhurst, Ontario, crushed his objective in Columbus, albeit in a close-run contest, after amassing 36 points, just enough to beat his closest rival, Austin Andrade, who scored 35.
Mitchell Hooper’s Most Impressive Lifts at the 2026 Arnold Classic Strongman
The two-day competition kicked off on Friday, March 6, and saw some herculean performances by Hooper, who deadlifted the elephant bar for 981 pounds (445kg) and also tied with Lucas Hatton in the Cyr Bell overhead press challenge, lifting a massive 300 pounds (136kg) to do so. Hooper, who eats 7,0000 calories a day to train for events such as this, explained via YouTube that “This weekend pushed me to the limit across some brutal events against an incredible field of athletes, but the work paid off.”
Notable by their absences, however, were Hafþór “Thor” Björnsson and Tom Stoltman, who had withdrawn from the competition ahead of time. There will no doubt be unfinished business to settle when these competitors are reunited in the same tournament, perhaps at 2026 World’s Strongest Man event. Still, it would be Mitchell Hooper’s night once again at the Arnold, and with four consecutive Classic Strongman titles under his belt, “The Moose” has proven that he is the man to beat.
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