Strongman Versus Power Cleans for Football, Part 3: (How to Integrate
Strongman into Your Training)
By
Elliott Hulse
This is part three of a three-part series.At this point, we’ve discovered how Strongman training can be a
viable substitute for Olympic weightlifting to develop brutally strong football
players who not only display explosive physical capacities but have explosive
attitudes as well. If you’re anything like me, you’ve become excited at the
prospect of training your athletes with the fun and highly effective exercises
like tractor tire flipping or stone loading discussed in the Part Two of this
series.
But you also have questions. You’re wondering, “How exactly do I
integrate this stuff into my already established strength and conditioning
routine?” There are a few different ways that I like to integrate Strongman
training into my athletes programs. Below, I’ll outline each and give you a few
sample workouts to use.
1. Strongman conditioning: When coaching young
athletes (ages 9–13) or very weak and de-conditioned clients, I like to use
several Strongman exercises as “conditioners.” In other words, I use these as a
means for building functional capacity, strength, and fitness. Because Strongman
exercises are done using the whole body, they are great for muscular,
neurological, and cardiovascular conditioning—the exact physical capacities that
most young punks are lacking.
Sample “Strongman conditioning” circuits, repeat 3–6 times:
1. Light tire flips X 5–10 reps
2. Keg carries X 20–60 yards
3. Sledge hammer slams X 10 right/10 left
1. Light sand bag loading X 10 reps
2. Light farmer’s carries X 20–60 yards
3. Backward sled drags X 20–100 yards
1. Light keg clean and press X 5–10
2. Light sand bag carries X 20–100 yards
3. Small car or Prowler push X 20–100 yards
2. Strongman power development: With older, stronger,
and more experienced athletes, I will often substitute max effort lower body
lifts with “Strongman power” exercises to build a more explosive athlete with
attitude! These should be performed at the beginning of a workout followed by
bodybuilding.
Sample “Strongman power” workouts:
Heavy tire flips, 5 X 5
Walking lunges, 40 yards X 3
Reverse hyper, 3 X 10
Barbell Russian twist, 3 X 20
Timed hangs, 1 X as long as possible
Heavy sandbag loading (150–200 lbs), 5 X 3–5
Barbell step-ups, 3 X 12
Forward upright sled drags, 20–100 yards X 3
Hanging knee raise, 3 X 15
Plate pinch for time, 1 X as long as possible
3. Exercise substitutions: Some Strongman exercises
are great substitutions for bodybuilding exercises that train the same muscles.
For example, farmer’s carries are a great exercise substitute for shrugs and
grip work. In fact, I feel like farmer’s carries are one of the best exercises
for developing overall strength and conditioning.
Shrugs and
grip work
è
farmer’s carries
Deadlifts
è
tire flips
Front
squats
è
sandbag loading
Barbell
clean and press
è
keg clean and press
Abdominals
è
yoke walk
Seated rows
è
hand over hand rope pull
Straight
leg deadlifts
è
keg carries
Upper back
and biceps
è
keg carries
Hamstring
and glutes
è
forward sled drags
Quadsèbackward
sled drags
Elliott Hulse is a certified strength and conditioning specialist,
competitive Strongman, and owner of Strength Camp, a sports performance service
in St. Petersburg, Florida. He trains athletes to get incredibly strong and
lightening fast in a “warehouse gym” with about $1000 worth of equipment. Learn
more about his football training plus get his Top 10 “Smash Mouth” Exercises for
Explosive Football Speed at
http://www.FootballStrengthProgram.com.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength
training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products
and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the
industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit
us at www.EliteFTS.com.
