Mitchell Hooper Takes On Sam Sulek’s Chest Workout

Hooper says the Smith machine trumps the free-weight barbell bench press when training for hypertrophy.

Last updated on May sixteenth, 2024

Mitchell Hooper is experiencing an exceptional yr in 2024 despite not defending his World’s Strongest Man (WSM) title against three-time champion Tom Stoltman. Hooper ranked because the runner-up to Stoltman on the 2024 WSM and triumphed on the Arnold Strongman Classic and the Arnold Strongman Classic UK in Birmingham.

Beyond his achievements in strongman contests, the Canadian strongman and kinesiologist is broadening his fitness horizons by exploring different workout regimes, including bodybuilding routines.

On May 14, 2024, Hooper tried out fitness influencer Sulek himself’s intensive chest workout, committing to training to failure across all exercisesan indicator of Sulek’s training method.

Sam Sulek’s Chest Workout

Watch Hooper delve into Sulek’s chest training techniques below:

Incline Smith Machine Bench Press

Hooper began with the Smith machine bench press, executing five sets starting from seven to 14 reps. He pushed to muscle failure each set. He accomplished 14 reps on the primary set before increasing the burden to tug him back into the six to eight-rep range. He used wrist wraps for added support as he engaged his upper pecs.

Hooper tackled his second set with 365 kilos for seven reps. After a temporary two-to-three-minute rest, he delved into the nuances of bench pressing on a Smith machine versus using free weights.

”If you’re training for size, [the] Smith machine is great, so is bench press, but [the] Smith machine probably takes the sting,” says Hooper. “If you’re training for strength, [the] bench press will take the sting since it helps control all of those small muscles that stabilize and create that solid foundation to push from a stable platform.”

Chest Cable Flye

Next, Hooper adopts a strongman approach for the chest cable flye, performing five sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. He recommends concentrating on contracting the chest at each repetition’s apex and choosing a weight that facilitates as much.

Hooper takes a one-to-two-minute rest between sets for recovery. Isolation exercises like this don’t require as much recovery time between sets as compound movements just like the incline Smith machine bench press.

”I’m making this more specific to strongman. I don’t think it matters all that much for those who’re coming straight in front of your chest at different angles, so I’m going to hinge and are available down like I’m picking up an Atlas Stone,” says Hooper.

Before reaching his performance peak at 95 kilos, he emphasized understanding specific gym machines‘ weight settings and orientations. For example, the burden of 1 machine, 95 kilos, may vary across different gyms. Crucially, he underscored that “working near failure or to failure to elicit that gain” is a must to stimulate muscle growth effectively.

After completing the workout, Hooper noticed a major sensation in his biceps and chest. Hooper elaborates that adopting the proper form is unfamiliar territory for him as a strongman athlete. However, he’s committed to mastering it with guidance from Sulek.

Pec Deck

Hooper finished with a burnout set of the pec dec, executing a single set to failure. “Rounding out the workout, one set [to] absolute failure with the pec dec, aiming between 12-15 reps for failure. I’ll stack the burden to [the] maximum and hit as many as possible,” said Hooper.

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