What Is The Optimal Body Fat % For Strength? (Body Fat Test Included)

[@daynelson9865]

7 months ago i weighed in at 510 pounds at by far the largest id ever been at im 6'1 and now down to about 403 pounds going to the gym 5 days a week and have almost tripled all the weights i can lift in the gym i would have loved to see what i was before and what i am now, we are getting there! hoping to get to 340-350 atleast

[@Jamison-]

Damn son, awesome work! keep it up

[@clarkyow1418]

That’s awesome progress!

[@martinhansen6802]

Mitch proves this by smoking the competition in this season. Not by mass but with tecnique, smart strength and near perfect form. Incredible feat from a comparably "small" strongman. Small in comparison to a Shaw, a Thor or a Stoltman. Mass moving is inertia. Inertia helps alot on some challenges.

[@BrandanTheBroker]

You can say Mitch's body of work is his thesis statement and the Grand Slam of awards would be his PhD. I like that he uses more of a scientific approach than the old archaic "eat everything in sight" approach, though that approach is wonderful to watch and for some still works if they put in the work.

[@martinhansen6802]

@@BrandanTheBroker And the dude takes his time, asks the right questions and studies other athletes and their techniques. The man is thorough!

[@raisinmancereal]

I’ve only seen you at two competitions so far and you’re a very strategic strongman. You don’t always get 1st place in events, but always aim to be around the top 3. Kind of the same strategy Brian had at the Shaw Classic. More than anything, I think your stamina is extraordinary, so consistency is your greatest strength.

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

Consistency is key 💪

[@ethnomuse]

I think this is the first time I have heard someone use LEAN body weight as the basis of calculating protein intake as opposed to TOTAL bodyweight. I love the science based information presented here. Will use some of these videos in my "Sports and Culture" course that I teach for my college.

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

That’s amazing mate 💪💪

[@nikolasmilks9867]

Matt Wenning always talked about it for years on YT

[@shaqitup]

Tbh I think it’s almost always based off lean body mass, just people bastardized it a lot

[@benkutz5209]

@@cp37373dude biolayne is the GOAT!!! I actually clicked this thread to plug that dude. He is the man; his app that uses lean body mass for its algorithm is AMAZING

[@sbdftw1702]

People use total bodyweight so they have an excuse to eat more protein, but there’s absolutely not reason to do so when lean muscle is an anabolic tissue vs a catabolic tissue such as fat. Fat isn’t the tissue you work while lifting.

[@steveftoth]

You’re the smartest strong guy on this platform. Awesome talks.

[@neilmurray8920]

Loving this content. Good to hear a guy who knows sport science operating in strongman and is giving out his first hand experienced advice to people without gate keeping it as some sort of military grade secret to success. Good for you Mitch and I hope it continues.

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

Glad you’re enjoying it 💪💪

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

I don’t plan on stopping 💪

[@devlin76]

Great video Mitch! I think Licis is a great case study in modern strongman. He won WSM at about 330 lbs. When he comes into a contest a little heavier his static strength might be better but his moving events suffer. At an elite level it is a tough balancing act to find the sweet spot. As a 40+ recreational lifter I try to stay around 20% BF as that seems to keep my blood work solid while still safely throwing around some good weight in the gym.

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

💪💪

[@michaelabercrombie7698]

Yeah he's actually said this one of his videos. He had the ability to move better than larger/ heavier men. At some point being too big gets to be a burden not a blessing.

[@A-A-RonDavis2470]

He was 360 lbs when he won it.

[@A-A-RonDavis2470]

​@@michaelabercrombie7698everybody has their highest effective bodyweight for strength and conditioning.

[@TheShelleybeans02]

I noticed the same thing with Oleksii .. he was much smaller in the beginning and when he won WSM

[@shaqitup]

It depends on where the sport is at in terms of how events are being selected. Several years ago it pushed really hard toward static strength, but today it appears to have gone back to more of a hybrid model where static strength is still super important but there are enough loading or movement events that still require a level of speed and cardio

[@BlueDarkness12y4]

As someone relatively new to sporting a lot during the week, the struggle of "what do you eat" and "how much do you eat" is one that is very constant. I've just been eating whatever feels good, and trying to watch my calories and protein intake. Killer video, as always! 👌

[@ghosthero0806]

if you listen to your cravings your body generally will tell you what it needs. during pregnancy many people crave dirt for example, despite this being a batshit thing to want to eat, but it turns out this is because they are building a skeleton inside and minerals are needed!

[@clarkyow1418]

Good point about the moving events and being bigger!

[@uppy666]

Awesome video man. Way healthier this way! Just wanted to give a shout out from Canada! Your my new favorite strongman.

[@Akirilus]

Wow dude, that was a 1000 Iq move there, where you explained systemic effects :)

[@sweetbizil]

Very slick hahahahaha

[@alcole1k178]

50 pounds is a lot!

[@michaelscott_aka_db_saf]

Mitchell you are the perfect example of this, I think everyone has an ideal weight for power, athleticism, etc......for me I am about 15 to 20 lbs to heavy to be at my strongest #lhbk #teammoose

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

💪💪💪

[@e.c.9468]

Novikov is the second best example to Mitch that you can be extremely strong (even in deadlift) while not being too fat, keeping the athletic ability needed for strongman

[@RogerJackaman]

Magnús Ver Magnússon was a great example of a strongman who combined a high level of static strength, but not the greatest, with his mobility and athleticism which brought him four world titles and why he is so highly regarded these days as a legend in the sport.

[@I.S.C.]

Papi moose spitting facts. Dude I love the animations it’s soo much easier to understand hard to understand concepts. Love you moose I’m being kinder ❤

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

💪💪💪

[@dayupr3]

I love these videos, I learn so much. Also, I just realized I watch these Moose walks almost exclusively while sitting on the toilet. You didn't need to know that last part, but now you do.

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

😂

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

Good thing I keep them short

[@455rocket8]

This one of the most accurate diet/metabolism/strength training video I've seen of KZbin, I don't agree with everything Mitchell Hooper says in this video (particularly on protein consumption), but its largely correct in my opinion.

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

What was is about the protein consumption that you don’t agree with?

[@455rocket8]

I have been making a similar argument with people for decades well since the late 1970S, that humans don't have or need a have a high protein dietary requirement. 1) We are primates, we are just about the wimpiest of the large primates (we should need less protein than the average chimp). 2) We have the worse teeth and claws/nails of any of the large primates (who are also not designed to be carnivores), In fact the chimpanzee is the most carnivorous of the primates, man excluded, and only gets ~1% of its calories from meat, in the wild. 3) We (average person) have the highest body fat percentage of all the primates by far (this is a relatively very recent acquisition), in fact we in the USA have now in some states surpassed the walrus as the Worlds fattest mammal (>30% fat). Look at the muscle mass of these hairless male chimps (hairlessness lets you see their muscles clearly) kzbin.info/www/bejne/eITNlH2sYsp_rq8 These are captive Chimps and are totally vegetarian. Humans eat vastly more protein than any other primate, despite the fact that this disagrees with our physiology and our biochemistry. We should need far less protein than vegetarian chimps. We are in fact very poor at gluconeogenisis (unlike cats/dogs which are designed to thrive on high protein diets) thus we can easily fall victim to protein poisoning. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_poisoning. 4) Primates and humans recycle amino acids very well indeed, we (humans) only need 25 grams of protein a day to remain in nitrogen balance. This is based on studies by one of the Oxford professors in the 1970s on plentiful college rowers (males 18-22 years old). However, the rowers needed to consume > 120 grams of carbs otherwise they go into a net negative nitrogen balance if they consumed only 25 grams of protein/day. 5) Half of the amino acids we eat are ketogenic, if you eat more than you need they just make you fat, and decrease artery elasticity and increase blood pressure. Plant/vegetable materials, are high in nitrates (nitrates themselves aren't carcinogenic despite what many 'medical experts' may say, in fact your body makes nitrate in your saliva as an oral antibacterial to prevent tooth decay). These nitrates in plants/vegetables (which are supposed to be the bulk of our diet) reduce your blood pressure and aid your athletic performance. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5295087/ ... but don't get your carbs primarily from sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, but that's another biochemical story. 6) A few back of the enveloped calculations. Muscle is approximately 20% protein therefore one pound of muscle contain (454 grams x 0.2) ~ 90 grams of protein. Thus consuming this quantity (90 grams) above your maintenance needs (25 grams) would allow you to build 1 pound of muscle. At the high protein recommendation of 2.5 grams protein/pound of body weight/day for athletes, this would allow your body (if it really desired to on a molecular level) to gain 4 pounds of muscle/day or 120 lbs of muscle/month, something no one has ever managed. 7) Omnivious animals (like rats, mice etc.) live the longest when they get the bulk of their calorie requirements from complex carbohydrates, the next longest lived group were those who got the bulk of their calories requirements from fat, and the shortest lived group got the bulk of their calories requirements from protein. I personally believe much of the protein hype is based on the Witch Doctor level of reasoning of early 19th century physicians, "eat heart of lion for courage of lion", and muscle is made of protein so eat more protein for more muscle. This has become a major money industry, and there is lots pressure to go with the status quo. @@mitchellhooperstrongman

[@calebgodard4554]

Great video. Thank you for talking about health and fitness quite a lot

[@Blue-cq2hl]

This is really cool stuff. I like learning different angles of these things and am certainly a bigger guy. This kind of info is just really helpful to get a more complete picture of goals. I have bad knees so I'm trying to counteract that by building strength around them as well as not push too far and just improve my overall health and strength.

[@AhmedSayed-sx9do]

Love your videos bro! Keep it up.

[@Radders1433]

Loved the video. Thanks. You have a great positive vibe and energy.

[@jfro5867]

Enjoyed that literal walk through. WSM seems to have shifted from purely static strength towards more dynamic events these last few years, I’ve been watching since the the 80’s btw. I’m in my mid 50’s now and have swapped over to cardio workouts for general health reasons. I want to feel lighter and lose bulk.

[@martinhansen2006]

Hey, Cheers from DK. Been following u since before this High. Great videos, exciting shows, and best learning vids. Great maaainn. Bk.

[@martinhansen2006]

Starstunderstruck❤

[@garylacoursiere4413]

Great video Mitch. I stay on the leaner side (13-15%) to stay in my IPF weight class while carrying as much muscle as possible, but gaining even a few pounds of fat between contests makes me measurably stronger. I have never been fluffy enough for my mobility or recovery to suffer, but I am sure you are correct that there is a point of diminishing returns when it come to adding mass.

[@jtm6186]

The floor to overheads at 3:00 are so impressive!

[@ronthompson2366]

Spot on... and it is good to hear you teaching this. If you look at two of the all time greats in the World Strongman sport.. Big Kaz and Mauri.. the Polish Dominator [5x WSM]. When those two were competing hard.. They were extremely strong and they were not small but they were lean compared to their competitors. Allowing them as you stated to move very quickly and recover faster. Looking at recent big competitions. The amount of the weight has not gone up in comparison to the type of events. That requires speed and movement combined with the strength. Which has plagued some of the "old school " guys who are "bigger " and get beat because they don't have the speed and endurance. Spot on in your class and training information.

[@outlimboed]

Jon Pall and Juko Ahola were also very lean. That being said, Brian, Big Z and Thor were all carrying a decent amount of fat in their prime. The truth is, I think it just depends on the athlete. For all of us mortals, trying to keep BF% in the 20s is probably just generally good advice.

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

Eras have come and gone, I was focusing mainly on general health - I want to be the advocate for people to stay healthy 💪💪

[@michaeloxlong5697]

Hey Mitch, I wanted to add a caviat to your moving weight argument. Something you DIDN'T mention is that heavier guys are going to have a huge advantage on "lifts" that rely on traction of some sort. For example, sled pulls, tug-of-war, etc, there is a absolute non-negotiable limit on how much any person can pull that depends ONLY on body mass and how sticky your shoes are. F(static)=µgm. (m=body mass, g=gravitational constant, µ=static coefficient of friction between your shoes and the ground). Good event planners will not include these or will alter it so that friction limits do not come into play, but I think this is something that very often slips through the cracks.

[@WilliamPayneNZ]

I have been thinking about this exact thing lately. There is a flaw in the mass to move mass argument and it is exactly what you mention which is rolling and frictional resistance. For example most people can push a car. Cars are pretty heavy. The big question is really how much effort is required in a measured number to break the resistance to get something to move.

[@andredaoust6438]

On day 2 of the new program! LfG

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

Let’s goo 💪💪💪

[@trenthorton9532]

Maxed out natural I would guess I would be 220-230 at 25% bodyfat at 6'0". Right now I'm 180 at about 15%. I think my frame could hold another 15-20 lbs of muscle, but I'll likely never get close to that. I also like running (2:55 marathon best when training seriously at 155 lbs) and keeping muscle on while running is too hard of a challenge for me to focus on it.

[@salownsu123]

Back when I competed (amateur level), I was 320lbs at 18% (I'm 6'6" for reference). I did martial arts to stay as fit as possible. It felt quite comfortable, I was still jumpy, had a pep in my step, could go up 3 stairs at a time, etc. In comparison, I see giants of strength like Brian who just CONSTANTLY look slow. My question to you Mitch is this; Do you think you can get away being fatter in modern strongman events if you add training like martial arts that keep you explosive and keep your cardio up? Jump rope, cardio endurance, flexibility, etc. They were amazing assets for me.

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

I think keeping your cardio up is a good call although things like jumping rope don’t translate to strongman events. I prefer to focus on running or loading type events because they’ll translate to becoming a better strongman.

[@devlin76]

You can not ignore age when thinking about explosiveness and endurance. Brian Shaw won his first WSM at 29 years old. 29 year old Brian was faster and more explosive than 40 year old Brian.

[@peteholman1252]

That was incredibly inspiring and informative. I just found out I need knee replacement surgery so I may have had a bit much to drink which dulls the pain. Will watch again tmrw

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

Chin up mate 💪

[@peteholman1252]

@@mitchellhooperstrongman thanks brother, I’m trying

[@what4845]

you touch on interesting points and actually teach stuff thank you🎉

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

💪💪

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

What did you find most interesting??

[@what4845]

@@mitchellhooperstrongman i didnt know about using bioimpedance analysis to measure body fat, now i know :)

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

💪💪💪

[@ToeTheFoe]

Thanks for the advice 🎉

[@cosmic_9]

Great video and great science, I do think there is an ideal lvl just as you stated. I also believe it Varys individual to individual as genetics differ. Keep up the great content 💪🏼

[@paweljankiewicz1383]

Mitch has this old school strongmen vibe for me.

[@smitty66]

While you were spot on, the way you explained scale weight change equating to calories was a little reductionist and could definitely confuse some people. Short-term changes in body weight can be transient for many reasons. The trend of your body weight changes over a longer period of time will better indicate whether you are in a surplus, deficit or caloric maintenance.

[@FighterMageCleric]

What is the ideal BF? Easy. As high as you can manage to sustain. For a natural athlete, this will be somewhere ~20% bf. For an enhanced athlete, this will be somewhere around being pre-diabetic, and needing a machine to sleep.

[@TheSLK66]

Diminishing returns, there's probably a point where more mass gives you a very small advantage in static strength but your athleticism takes a bigger hit.

[@MellonVegan]

And also the fact that even on static lifts, you need to move that body, too.

[@imccrae1]

Ultimately, most people use it as an excuse for poor nutrition and fitness. I've stayed around 15-20% BF throughout competing in Strongman and it's done me well. So totally agree.... As per usual 😀

[@LukePrichard]

Mariusz pudzianowksi proved that overall mass wasn’t required to be great. He could of been mistaken as a bodybuilder

[@Aaronsolnelson]

Interesting question at the end. I'm 6'5", 275 and probably 25% body fat right now. I bet I could push 300 with a few more years of training naturally.

[@kahlaaja]

I don´t ever want to be over 105kg/230lb again for the ease of life and moving, although bigger weight benefitted big lifts tremendously. Deadlifting at 118kg/260lb was awesome - got so much packed pressure to torso at the starting point and holding the core together throughout the lift was so much easier! :D

[@Davies4Fifa]

Always an interesting watch, Mitch

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

What part did you find most interesting? 💪

[@Davies4Fifa]

@@mitchellhooperstrongman The point that a calorie surplus has diminishing returns. For a while strongman seemed to be just get as big as possible even at the detriment of health. People forget you need to be somewhat healthy to perform at your best.

[@davereeves1967]

I'm 41 year old, 170lb @18% according to bioimpedance, right now. I'm also a hardgainer. I doubt I'll ever see 180lb unless I get back up into the 30% range.

[@Putteblaze]

Love this! Good educated video! In the future i’ll try bulk🤮but at least i have a healthy weight(75kg), but perhaps a bit too lean(sub 15%)

[@leighharper5764]

Great content - thanks so much

[@ExpectDragons]

From crude estimates using measuring tape, calculators and pictures i'm about 25% down from closer to 35% year ago. Spent the last six months on recomp but now going to go through deep cutting phases until I reach 20% and build from there.

[@ghosthero0806]

currently six and a half months into retraining after some pretty serious injuries. 260lbs and 25% body fat. when i was 17 (more than a decade ago) i hit 240 at 15%, with only about a year of gym training, but before that i spent summers working on my grandfathers farm and much of the rest of the year hauling lumber for my dad, splitting firewood, swimming and sailing, and doing construction work (yes i know that i should not have been doing that shit at age 12-15 but i did not choose to do it lol) so i wasn't starting from nothing, just more unconventional training. i think with five years of consistent work, i could hit around 300 at 20% body fat. i don't think it's likely for me to ever weigh more than that, nor is it physically possible for me to weigh less than 200 unless i am starving (i know this because when i was homeless and starving i weighed 185 as just skin and bones) i am not really interested in being the strongest person in the world, but it would be fun to have at least one crazy high lift. i've got short arms so deadlift might not be it, but i could probably develop an impressive squat with dedication. but i'm a martial artist, so being that strong isn't really the goal, it would just be fun.

[@MsUUUUUUUUUU]

Tell us about happiness and strength. Tell us about the stages of counsciousness and strength

[@brianpolston9713]

I still think about the strongest man in history show where hall and best dominated a lot. That one episode still cracks me up when eddie is swimming like a fish and shaw is just sinking to the bottom. They even panned the camera away. I love being strong but cant imagine not being able to climb a tree, swim etc.

[@TheEpicMMO]

Good question. I currently weigh around 110kg's with between 20-23% bodyfat at 195cm tall. haven't been able to train lower body all that much due to lower back injuries. Now that I'm over that I think I can gain atleast 5-10kg's in that , if not more. So I think possibly 120-130kg would be maxed out. But yeah, no one can know for sure

[@TheTechNiShan]

Lift heavy be kind :) Mitch is such a wholesome WSM ;-)

[@skylernewcomb2507]

My tolerance for being over fat is usually when it becomes difficult to tie my own shoes. If I get out of breath doing that, it's time to cut

[@DaveAppleton]

I've definitely noticed my body fat going up as I've aged(54) even though my diet hasn't changed much.

[@djrmonix]

I have one of those scales with the pads and while they may not be that accurate, but judging by how people look (friends and family) they are a half decent ballparl figure? Also do you think evem if the absolute value of % BF isnt accurate, the values can still show trends in muscle mass or body fat ie if either is going up or down? I still try to rely on the gut test too if belly getting too big then defo eating too many calories. Im about 6'1 230lbs up from about 185lbs when started some strongman style training 2020 but I dont take it too seriously I have too many other interests to pursue and am of the opinion doing some resistance trsining is better than nome. I dont sweat if i miss sessions and 3 yesrs in im not even that motivsted to try snd get stronger and happy to maintain strength gained. Age 47 defo the strongest ive been. Love watching the strongman comps and your attitude, performances and insights are refreshing.

[@bigmaguire9714]

I'm 6"3" 325lbs. This is my peak weight, I have never been much heavier, if at all. It's definitely a huge benefit for strength to be heavier for myself. I have a massive frame coupled with being 6"3" so I can pack on alot of muscle, and then when I'm at a higher bf, I can hold onto even more muscle as I'm eating so many calories just to maintain my weight. Leverages are also hugely favored (I'm a powerlifter) on Bench and Squat. I think my bf is definitely in the 25%+ range, not sure exactly how much but I can do almost any activity without hindrance (besides running lol as it batters my joints etc) and my cardio for being this size is pretty good (and I can still get clothes to fit 😂) I think if I was maxed out at a true 20% bf at my lifetime peak of muscle mass id be 300lbs ish.

[@thoughttranscending]

Not trying to take anything away from you man, your lifts are incredible! Realistically though, you're closer to 35% bf than 25% bf.

[@BRUTUSz]

My PR in deadlift is 320 KG at 115 KG body weight, 20% body fat, all time natural lifter. The first time i hit 300 KG i was at 107 KG. Im at 175 CM, not very high either. AT 107 KG i hit also 300KG squat, 200KG bench, 140KG press.

[@wouterburgmeijer4906]

What is your age

[@BRUTUSz]

@@wouterburgmeijer4906 36 now. Archived at age 30. Started training at 23. Took me 7 years off work.

[@freekout1]

5 11 and a half and 260-265 depending on the day i might be 25-30% bf. i can still see my abs. id love to get to 285ish natural, but consistency is what kills me in the gym. always been able to coast by on being "a big guy". was 180 by grade 10 (age 15), same height and easily sub 10% bf. i was the only guy in my class who could bench 225 that year. ive put on a considerable amount of muscle since then and the bf% didnt start to rise until i was around 27 and 220ish. my weight gain was always slow and incremental until that point, and i put it on much quicker now, although it has been pretty stable the last year or so. (im 32 now)

[@johanbarnard3435]

Marius P was built like a body builder but was still able to keep up with the guys with much hevier bodyweight and much higher body fat. But I also think allot of this is up the the individuals genetics as well. Some might need more bodyfat to reach their best strengths where as others might not. And saying that worlds strongest man contests in Marius's day definitely favoured the more athletic guys but whenever they did heavy static lifting he would often get beat by other athletes. The sport has definitely evolved since those days and the weights have gotten heavier over time. So now a balance is needed between static streangth and explosive mobility

[@scottwalls7560]

Wow that's a big difference, I honestly don't think you will beat his stats as he had been in strength sports for a lot longer than you. However you are a much better athlete

[@pkenllure4375]

i am aiming for 100%

[@nichfran]

90kg. Currently 76kg lifting casually 2-3 times a week ~ 17% body fat (former distance runner). In 3-4 years I think I could add 10kg of bodyweight.

[@victorfp23]

Being 6 foot, if I maxed out at 20% body fat, I'd say I could hit 300, not sure about much more. 240 right now, and close to 20% bodyfat, but I don't necessarily try to hard gain either. Also, you are a beast at 320, but I wanna see a 350 Moose. Could be scary. Thanks for the great vids, keep killing it.

[@victorfp23]

Maybe 280. Who knows.

[@nonsolorasatura9093]

I'm agree with what you say but the optimal performance for any activity depend also from the distribution of muscle mass, the distribution of the fat and how much the nutrient from the food are accessible during the activity. Make the body adapt to burning fat, instead of carbohydrates, might be a better approach, plus specific exercises for the development of the muscle where are more necessary. But few people can guide in this direction. Maybe after some decades things will change...

[@techpiller2558]

I like myself a little soft. 15-20% is good. I did super lean once, looked cool with all the veins and stuff, but right now there is something more aesthetically pleasing to my eye in having a bit of softness on myself, it is hard to explain. Maybe it is because of watching too much strongman and arm wrestling content, lol. The rounder face also appears younger imo. There is something "sleezy" about being super ripped with the defined jawline, and this feeling of mine is hard to explain also. Kind of like you're trying to sell something, being so "perfect". A "barbie doll" of men. The women I like and want to attract don't fall for that. I dunno. Maybe in few years I change my mind again, lol. Variety in looks is also fun.

[@martinshoosterman]

The heaviest ive ever been is about 265lbs but i was definitely above 25% body fat. I do think though that theoretically i could get to around that same weight while staying around 20%, but it would be very difficult. Right now I'm 200lbs, around 20-25%.

[@jayeugene333]

It just depends on the person really. I got up to 323 lb when I played college football and track and field and I was still really athletic and fast at 6 ft 2 in. All my lifts were stronger as well. Now I'm sitting at around 235lbs, just staying healthy. But I have a big frame for 6'2 so some other person may not. Although my best shot put throw was when I was around 290 lbs. Just depends.

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

Every person is built differently 💪

[@BlackHatAndy]

I am not that tall and got up to about 200lbs (I was fat), and did nothing but powerlifting. My best gym total was 295 bench, 375 squat, and 525 deadlift. All at around 190lbs at the time. I maybe could have hit 405 squat with more effort, but my bench was stagnant for a while. Deadlift maybe could have gone higher towards 550 if not for little injuries that discouraged me. Now, at 170lbs, I can't lift shit. Definitely need some extra mass to lift big weight.

[@MasterCloudKicker]

This is a master class in physics

[@Michael_eagle99]

true, and I mean you being around 330 lbs was about brian shaw’s weight when he won his first World’s he also had an athletic background in college basketball that’s one thing that gave him the edge a lot of times early on he was breaking records in time on relays he’s also 6’ 8” weight is distributed differently he was like 300 + lbs running around strongman and looked pretty slim he’s gotten down in recent few yrs, to like 370+ 17-20% body fat

[@DadStrengthIW]

Will you ever touch on Anabolics in the sport? Nobody does but it would be very enlightening.

[@aidanhughes3458]

I’d be around 220-225 at my peak pounds. I sit around 16-20% body fat as a whole rugby player/thrower in college, been training strength seriously for about 9 years now. Just hit 205, been going up about 5-7 per year of lifting.

[@frederickknapp5340]

gaining or losing weight is not an issue. gaining or losing strength is not an issue. I have no problem with my body but have an issue with the loose skin. I would like to look better but losing weight/gaining strength still leaves loose skin. Short of surgery, what can I do?

[@vanessaruiz4705]

very interesting video

[@brunet181]

I'm around 25-30% at 285, natty. Almost all the fat at the waist. Power lift to keep in shape, turning 39.

[@Deceiver935]

For you sir .

[@דןברוך-ס6ק]

Because worlds strongest man must be changed!!!!! The competition involves a lot of moving weight, and moving events are not the real thing that checks real strength. Static strength is the main indicator for real strength, but yes moving events have their place, but it has to be changed. I think that the most events of worlds strongest man have to involves static strength, and a little bit of moving events, and also in the moving events the weights that is moved has to much more heavy that only super heavy people can move. No matter what, we wanna check strength in this competition we have to minimize other factors like aerobic. We want the competitors to be the biggest they can get , because when they try to get the biggest the can get , they will put the most muscle mass, and thats the most important thing for strength. It is outrageus that worlds strongest man competitors have to think about not getting too fat and big because it will be hard for them in the moving events. I think that you are a supergreat strong man and i really wanna see you start a bulk and get to a 200 kg body weight and become a real monster.

[@MellonVegan]

This also depends on weight class. No world class 60 kilo lifter will walk around at 20% bf (lightweight weightlifters, for example, are shredded to the bone) but the heavier you get, the more seems to be ideal. With bf percentages having an effect on how much muscle you can actually hold. Lighter classes aren't that difficult to fill out, so you can do so without maximising muscle mass by getting fatter. But a natty 125 kilo powerlifter won't be diced bc they're never get that much muscle anyways. So I wouldn't necessarily give one number for all weight classes.

[@rodovanra6783]

90-95kg 20% body fat, 75-80 kg 12-15% and 60-70kg below 10% body fat. I am now 82-83 kg @ about 16-18% body fat.

[@qewr4231]

I am going to say that he went from marathon running to strongman by 1) stopping all of the marathon running, 2) doing more weight/strongman training, and 3) using more steroids/PEDs. Injecting more hormones into your body is a way to raise your hormone levels. "Acute spikes in certain hormones" can be caused by injecting more hormones into the human body. Training heavy compound lifts will help a person put on size to a point but combine that with extra PEDs and size and strength come easier. People can't train at WSM levels without PEDs in my opinion. People just can't squat/deadlift/bench press 800-1200 lbs. without PEDs. More PEDs = higher/greater protein synthesis. Look at studies where people weight trained without PEDs vs. people who took PEDs and did no weight training at all. The people who did no exercise and used PEDs always gained more muscle mass/lean body mass than the people who weight trained and did not use PEDs.

[@taolinnegar9961]

Epic advice

[@johanbarnard3435]

Man I wish a top form Martins Lucis, top form Thor wpuld return and then Novikof to rediscover his best form and then throw you and Tom in the mix and it would be the greatest modern strongman contest I believe.

[@WilliamPayneNZ]

I have no idea. I only started training in January at age 35 but I was 270 pounds then at 5 foot 6. Currently siting at 244 after dropping some body fat.

[@Devou1s]

I think my frame will peak out at around 73KG around 15% (5'9" - 176cm - narrow build/medium bones)

[@espenstoro]

In a world where everyone on social media seems to be the skinny kid who got big and buff, I come from the other end of the scale, going back and forth between phases of fat loss and muscle building. I'm getting smaller and stronger, so I guess we'll see where that starts to turn into diminishing returns. Coming down from 40% BW certainly helps with everything in life. High teens to 20-ish % would probably be decent enough for a good balance of health and performance.

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

I definitely was not the skinny kid who got buff, I think I would be 300 pound by accident if I didn’t weight train! Keep going 💪

[@tundra_hunter278]

I'm 6'4'', 212 lbs (1m93, 96kg), 16% bodyfat according to my scale (but that is very inaccurate). I plan to get to 225 lbs / 100kg to start with, see what my bodyfat% is at that weight. Then I might go to 110kg. I don't want to exceed 20% too much. I might go somewhere to measure my bodyfat % more accurately sometime soon. I currently bench press 242 lbs / 110kg 1RM, but I want to first get to 315 lbs / 142 kg, then maybe to 405 lbs / 184 kg.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

I was 236 at 20% as measured by fluid displacement, but that was training for boxing rather than strength training. I've wondered how I'd respond if I focused on lifting only, but I love boxing more than the barbell, and I don't have the ability to recover from doing both.

[@MellonVegan]

Interesting question. I think I may have gotten to 86 kg @ 20-ish percent (172 cm) as a junior (couple weeks after that pfp). That was after 4 years of fucking around and 3 years of training very intensely. Made better progress then than the years before, so I don't think they counted for much and progress only slowed down very little but I took some wrong advice and then spent 5 years repeating the same injury. But in a perfect world, I think 95 kg or thereabouts could be possible. 100 if I was born in 2100 bc that's just how global athletic progress works.

[@richardandersson4045]

A question, could BIA be good enough for the everyday man/woman that starting their journey just to see the progress? Is 1% down on BIA from time to time the same as 1% down in more accurate meassurements? Or is the BIA not just good enough so it depends on how much water etc you have in your body at that time when you meassure?

[@YahushaRU]

I'm a bodybuilder just fyi, so without any form of training I walk around at on average of 12 percent body fat intaking an average of 2500 calories a day at most just living as a normal human being, when in training on a bulk I go up to 15 percent and on a cut I got down to 8-10, the lowest I ever got was 6 percent, I felt horrible and weak and the same in the highest I've been was 22 percent and I actually was hitting higher 1 rep max but my overall health was shit, I feel good between 8-15, I'm also 5'6, currently 36 years old, and stay between 168-195 in body weight depending on the type of training I'm doing, right now I'm on month 3 of my meso cycle trying to get competition ready giving myself 6-8 months to prepare, I started at 168 lbs doing functional training to warm my body up and am now doing a high volume hypertrophy training and am sitting at 185

[@gabornagy9898]

20% seems like a good sweet spot for strongman ; 25-28 for women💪

[@fredmann5019]

Thanks for the great insights! God bless!

[@smuir6104]

Alexi is another good example of not needing to be super fat to compete with the best.

[@Gopher31]

Eddie hall felt the pressure to match Brian Shaw for weight to compete and win. I wonder how much strength he would have gained with that extra 30kg or how much stamina he would have lost.

[@Thisnameisnottakenjk]

I am 6'2" and weigh approximately 280lbs. I haven't had my body fat officially tested, but I would guess I am close to the 30% mark right now. I often hear from people that I do not look like I weigh nearly as much as I do, but I think that my body fat is just distributed well all throughout my body and not just centralized in my belly. I think I could get to about 15% body fat and weigh around 250-260lbs naturally if I were to put on some more muscle mass while cutting fat.

[@andrewkerr5797]

At 6,2 you at minimum should weigh 110_120 lean.

[@mainr7142]

I think despite me being 6ft tall, I am quite gracile naturally. I already weigh 80kg at about 20% bodyfat and I already feel heavy and slow, but that may just be due to the styles of training I do and my back injurty. I think the absolute max I could weigh overall, at a bodyfat of 20%, is realistically 85kg, if I'm lucky. Maybe 90kg if I hopped on something. I'm not really naturally built for putting on muscle

[@ole2522]

15-25%

[@unconscious2057]

Please give us more advice on various topics

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic 🧐

[@unconscious2057]

@@mitchellhooperstrongman nope you are wsm man. I want to learn from THE SOURCE

[@mitchellhooperstrongman]

What topics would you be interested in?

[@unconscious2057]

@@mitchellhooperstrongman how to increase any major lifts, diet advice, longevity advice are some of the topics that come off the top of my head

[@smecklesmuck706]

I’ve only competed at novice level strongman but right now I am about 30kg lighter and alot leaner than I was at the comp and I’m just as strong if not stronger sitting at around 15-20% bf and never felt as good as I do now. So being “bigger/fatter” is not the case for me