Mitchell Hooper has never been one to skirt around uncomfortable truths – but this time, he’s taken things to an entirely different level.
In a sport where whispers often travel faster than facts, the former World’s Strongest Man has decided to pull back the curtain completely, laying out exactly what he takes, why he takes it, and what it means ahead of his looming Enhanced Games clash with Thor.
And from the very first moment, his stance is clear.
“You guys want to know and it’s time for me to tell you. I join the enhanced games because I’m sick of half transparency and pretending that things like this don’t exist,” he said.
It’s not just a reveal – it’s a statement.
Hooper frames his decision as part frustration, part responsibility. Walking through major bodybuilding events, he describes a culture where performance-enhancing drugs are everywhere, yet rarely discussed openly.
He said: “When I walk through the Olympia, I walk through the Arnold, we see every teenager in the building doing some sort of illicit substance. Who are we hiding it from?”
For Hooper, the answer is simple – and slightly cutting.
“At this point, I feel like we’re just hiding it from their moms,” he said.
That blunt honesty runs throughout. But so does caution.
Before diving into specifics, Hooper makes it clear he isn’t offering advice or encouragement.
“I do want to highlight I’m not a doctor. I’m not telling you what to do. I just want to be transparent about what I do,” he said.
That transparency sits at the heart of why he’s stepping into the Enhanced Games – a controversial new concept aiming to study performance enhancement in a controlled, medically supervised environment.
Hooper doesn’t pretend the landscape is simple. In fact, he leans into the uncertainty.
“It’s the wild west,” he said.
He explains that while many of the substances used in sport were originally developed for legitimate medical purposes – ranging from hormone deficiencies to serious illnesses – the line between health and performance remains blurred.
That grey area is exactly what he believes needs addressing.
“There’s going to be a line on the other side where this performance optimisation becomes at the expense of your health,” he said.
But until that line is properly defined, Hooper argues, athletes are navigating it blindly.
When it comes to rules within the Enhanced Games, he’s quick to clarify that it isn’t a free-for-all. Only substances approved for human use are permitted – no experimental compounds, no unregulated shortcuts.
Still, within those boundaries, Hooper is willing to push further than before.
And that’s where things take a sharp turn.
For the first time, he lays out exactly what powered his World’s Strongest Man victory.
“Simple as this. 500 milligrams of testosterone a week, 300 milligrams of NP a week, 100 milligrams of Master a week. That’s it,” he said.
It’s a surprisingly restrained stack by elite strength standards – and one he believes underscores a key point.
“I think it’s going to surprise you how little it actually takes when you respond well and when you’re going to be one of the strongest in the world anyway,” Hooper noted.
But heading into the Enhanced Games, Hooper is making calculated adjustments.
He said: “I’m going to up my dose of testosterone from 500 milligs a week to 750 millig a week. I’m going to stick it 300 millig of NPP.”
He also confirms the removal of one compound due to regulations: “I’m not going to take Master cuz that’s not on the approved list.”
In its place, he introduces additional elements – some with very real side effects.
“I’m taking 60 milligrams of Adderall only on heavy competition days,” he said.
And he doesn’t sugar-coat the experience.
Hooper said: “I’ve spent days at my kitchen counter crying for reasons that I cannot explain because it made me so anxious and nervous.”
Further additions include strength-focused compounds.
“I’m going to add in Halo. Halo can be really good for strength. 50 milligrams a day. I’m going to add 100 milligrams a day,” he explained.
Even as he lists them, the message remains consistent: this is not a recommendation.
“This is not my advice to you. This is just transparency for me that I think is lacking,” Hooper expressed.
Beyond performance, Hooper spends significant time addressing the health implications – arguably the most important part of the conversation.
“I have a family, and I do not want to die, and I’m not willing to die for anything around this sport.”
He openly acknowledges the risks tied to both drug use and his own body weight, offering a rare comparison between them.
“I’m 2 and 1/2 times more likely to die than the guy holding the camera just because of my body weight,” he said.
And while he admits that steroids increase risk, he challenges the broader perception around their danger relative to other substances.
He said: “If we compare 80,000 deaths per year on drugs, 140,000 deaths per year with alcohol abuse, and hundreds of deaths per year from steroids, you would tend to think that maybe they’re not as dangerous as they’re purported to be.”
Still, he repeatedly reinforces a key point.
“It’s a bad idea. I think perfect optimal health right now, don’t do it.”
For Hooper, the Enhanced Games represent something bigger than competition. It’s about data, research, and finally answering questions that have lingered in the shadows of sport for decades.
“The answer is we don’t know. And that’s why Enhanced is here.” And perhaps most tellingly, this isn’t about exposing others. “I’m not here to out anyone for doing anything.”
It’s about owning his own journey – fully, openly, and without filters.
“I just want to shoot you straight and give it to you.”
Featured image credit: Mitchell Hooper / YouTube
