Hooper was in nice place to make a comparability.
Within the present strongman pantheon, a star most likely doesn’t shine any brighter than Mitchell Hooper. The Canadian athlete is the reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion and has firmly established his general dominance atop the game of strongman. As a flexible athlete, Hooper is clearly additionally keen to flex his health information. He posted this someday after the conclusion of the 2023 CrossFit Games.
On August 7, 2023, Hooper posted a video to his YouTube channel the place he carried out a mixture of strongman and CrossFit workouts. It seems to be a round-up of clips from earlier movies which have appeared on Hooper’s channel. Within the course of, the athlete mentioned the distinction between the 2 completely different athletic disciplines. The video is overlayed with Hooper strolling in an undisclosed neighborhood, narrating his included exercises whereas sharing his ideas. The narrated dialog takes place all through the clip.
Over the course of his numerous exercise clips, Hooper seemingly leaves no stone unturned. Highlights included him performing variations of high-rep log presses, clean & jerks, muscle-ups on a pull-up bar, soar rope, running on a treadmill, and traditional back squats.
In the long run, Hooper used a well-recognized argument towards strongman’s results on one’s well being because it pertains to CrossFit. Hooper notably highlighted the distinctive exams of elite competitors.
“The massive problem with CrossFit is that you simply take what the professionals do, and it’s type of the identical argument as, ‘Strongman’s not good to your well being,’ which, in fact it’s not … since you’re pushing your physique previous what it’s able to and, in the long run, typically that causes you to interrupt down. And CrossFit’s the identical manner.
Whenever you take a look at how CrossFit Video games are deliberate, typically occasions once you’re coping with the very best on the planet, you’re going to program issues in a manner that make it notably difficult on the physique. Let’s say you do a squat right into a deadlift right into a clear. That’s massively difficult on the posterior chain and your again goes to explode. However that’s the aim. Whenever you’re at a contest and also you’re on the skilled stage, that’s what you need to be doing.”
On the native, non-professional stage, Hooper condensed his argument in a fashion extra accessible for much less skilled athletes and leisure lifters who don’t plan to shine on the Games. How athletes use CrossFit to get match can range vastly from individual to individual, with everybody having completely different targets and wishes.
“The largest issue [at the local level] is that each CrossFit field is type of as much as the one who runs it. Do you wish to comply with that fashion of programming? Do you wish to comply with it extra holistic? And in the long run, CrossFit has a complete bunch of elementary motion patterns that they consider are elementary abilities, that they consider embody health.
I feel the one time you get right into a problem, and why folks typically hate on CrossFit and name it ‘silly,’ is once you do one thing like a high-rep clear & jerk with somebody who’s not proficient at doing the clear & jerk within the first place … that turns into actually harmful as a result of your power stage and ability stage have such a discrepancy.”
It’s that discrepancy that Hooper says creates a battle for CrossFitters of all expertise ranges. Per Hooper, it’s right here {that a} coach ought to develop into a major precedence.
“So, that’s what occurs with CrossFit. Even if you happen to’re not notably robust, that zero ability goes to should be balanced out with some type of power. So that you’re mechanically stronger than your ability means that you can be. And that’s the place a extremely sensible and actually good coach goes that will help you get there.”
Maybe few different folks may clarify the challenges and downsides of CrossFit as eloquently as Hooper. His rationale as an elite power sports activities athlete is sensible and is one any potential CrossFitter ought to heed.
Featured picture: Mitchell Hooper on YouTube
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