Of Clint Darden's many skills, coaching is one of his most impressive. He has the rare and coveted ability to teach lifters to train smarter while at the same motivating them to train harder — and he manages to do all of this from a distance. As a remote coach, much of the help that Clint offers is in the form of video: his clients send videos of their training, and Clint reviews them, formulating a plan for the future. These videos, as it turns out, are beneficial to all lifters, not only the particular clients being critiqued.
In the past, we have shared Clint's review of a client bench press. Now we're sharing his review of a client's strongman training. In this video, Clint works with Mike Sidwell, a 175-pound strongman competitor preparing ready for nationals.
He critiques each of the following movements, offering specific advice for each:
- Weighted Car Deadlifts — Hold long enough at lockout to receive down signal and credit for the lift.
- Axle Press — Weight should be further back on feet and less shoulder-centric. More focus should be given to dropping with the weight and using leg drive, not simply pressing overhead.
- Stone Over Bar — Do not readjust your hands once you reach the bar. This wastes time and isn't necessary if you carry the stone properly.
- Yoke Carry/Sleg Drag — Wear rock climbing shoes for this event.
- Triceptecon Press — Treat this simply as an accessory triceps builder that won't kill your chest.
- SS Yoke Bar Box Squats — Pause on the box. Don't touch and go.
- Car Deadlift Simulator — Probably not worth the time.
- Press Medley for Speed — The first movement should always be head-up. Make sure you finish pressing the first implement before moving on to the second.
- Press Medley for Heavy — In the future, work on only the implement that really challenges you.
- Keg Carry — Eliminate the hesitation directly before the load.
WATCH: Clint Darden Reviews Client Bench Press
