Last week I went on a rant on why you need to practice a lot.
This week I’ll give you some ideas on how to go about it.
When we begin our quest towards being a Strongman you must have the desire and drive to be great at it.
You also must be strong and constantly trying to get stronger.
You need familiarity with the events and how to do them.
You also need something I did not mention last week, an obnoxiously high level of conditioning.
A good friend of mine, Harvard Professor and highly ranked USAPL lifter who has done and won a few Strongman events,
Professor Lauren Cohen said to me years ago that Strongman should be called Fastman.
He meant that you needed to be strong, but you also needed to be able to move FAST with heavy weights in order to beat the competition.
This is in contrast to Powerlifting where you only need to be the strongest. Your conditioning level is not as important as your limit strength.
He was right.
You need to be able to go BALLS OUT with heavy weights for 60-90 seconds. That requires a high level of conditioning.
So, let’s look at a sample training template for a beginner.
We’ll need basic barbell lifts, accessory work to bring up YOUR weaknesses, practice with the events (remember the quote last week), conditioning and flexibility/mobility/recovery work.
That’s a tall order.
Here we go with ideas on how to build your own template:
Day 1:
1. Squat-wave in work at sets of 1-3 heavy, sets of 5 and high rep work.
Figure out where you need work?
Are you strong and able to squat double body weight for doubles? Good, maybe you need to do some high rep work to build what it takes to make it through a 90 second event.
Are you barley able to squat bodyweight for a single?
Perhaps you need to build your limit strength.
2. Assistance lift- I like to do a deadlift variant next. This goes back to practice. Hitting a deadlift variant will build different strength and will give you more practice than deadlifting only once a week.
You could also swap in an Olympic Weightlifting lift here or a variant to build speed and technique on the events that require you to pick a weight off the ground and explode up to the chest or overhead with it.
All forms of Cleans and Snatches work great here.
Clean Pulls
Power Cleans
Pulls from Blocks
Power Cleans
Same goes for Snatch variants.
3. Events: pick an event and do it focusing on technique.
The MAN, Rich Angelo
I suggest doing lower body dominant events like Farmers Walks, Super Yoke, Atlas Stones and others.
4. Accessory work:
All forms of lower body work are fine here to build your squat/deadlift.
Think of stuff like GHR’s, RDL’s, Kettlebell swings, all forms of lunges and step ups, you get the idea.
5. Abs Abs Abs
Work them hard
6. Finisher:
Add in something to build your conditioning. Maybe some Prowler work, some Sled Dragging, a body weight circuit, who knows. Get creative.
7. Recovery:
Get some recovery tools like Acumobility products, trigger point stuff, foam rollers and use them.
Day 2:
1. Press a Palooza:
Pick something and press it. Use the same guidelines as the squat. If you are struggling with overhead exercises,
figure out where you need work, is it limit strength or strength endurance?
Work the one you suck at more, but still work both over the training cycle.
I suggest that your first press is either a strict press with a barbell or a push press/push jerk.
2. More pressing!
This is where you’ll add in the event.
Toss in a log or an axle and Clean and Press, Clean and Jerk or Clean and Push Press.
Use weight you can work technique with and get better at the event.
3. Upper Accessory work:
Think back!
Pullups
Rows
Shrugs
Get your back strong and do tons of volume.
4. Another Event:
I like Tire Flips on Overhead day. It always worked well for me and it combined my conditioning and some event work.
Work on technique and speed!
5. Assistance:
Think arms, delts and bodybuilding.
Do it circuit style to get a little more conditioning in. Don’t skimp on the biceps.
They tear off a lot in Strongman, get them strong.
6. Recovery
Day 3:
1. Deadlift
Pick a deadlift variant and kill it. Again, use the same thought process as the squat.
Can you pull double bodyweight?
No?
Better get STRONG(er).
Can you pull double bodyweight but gas out after 3 reps?
Better get STRONG(er) with heavy weights. Strongman isn’t just about 1 rep maxes.
You frequently see very heavy deadlift events for max time or max reps.
2. Olympic Stuff:
Here is another chance to build speed!
Yeah, I know a lot of coaches say to do this first, but a lot of people do well performing them second.
You’re not training for an Olympic Weightlifting event so this does not have to be your primary focus.
Use this as a chance to build explosive power.
It will carry over to your events.
3. Events:
There are about 15 billion event variations.
Max time, max reps, one rep maxes, medleys and more.
I think this is a great time to add in a medley.
Pick a few events you didn’t do during the week and pair them up.
Here are a few ideas:
Tire Flip to Sandbag Carry to Sled Drag
Atlas Stone Carry to Heavy Prowler Sprint to Super Yoke
Farmers Walk to Super Yoke to Sled Drag
I can go on all day.
You get the idea.
Day 4:
Bodybuilding
Do a bunch of accessory exercises and get a pump.
You can do them super setted, circuit style or PHA style to really burn fat and improve conditioning.
PHA is a great way to get your heart rate up and get a lot of work done in a small amount of time.
Here’s an example:
Do as a circuit 4 times 10 reps each, rest 90 seconds between circuits
Pullups
Walking Lunges
Ab Wheel
Dumbell Bench
Then do the same with these:
GHR
Dips
Kettlebell Swings
GHR Situps
There you have it.
Use these ideas to build your own training program.
We see many Strongman athletes doing 3 days of gym work and one long day of events.
That is fine too.
If you don’t have access to Strongman implements that may be your only option.
If you do have access to implements every day, I think more practice with them is better.
The ideas I have given you are not gospel.
They are ideas on how to get better, faster and be your best.
I have to go and practice my bass now.
AND DON’T FORGET:
The TPS/Titan Barbell ASC Mass State Strongman Championships is this Saturday August 6th at 9:00 am at TPS.
Please join us to help raise money for the Chelsea Soldiers Home.
Ask me a question-Be sure and Type to Murph in the header
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Vincere vel mori
This is great!