Octogen Strength Coach – Don Stevenson

Strongman – No longer a sport just for fat bastards!

Right off the bat so that I don’t lose anyone I want to make it very clear that the sport of Strongman in Australia in 2010 is massively different to previous years.

Before you start thinking “I’m too small for Strongman” just hold on a second.

Certainly in previous years Strongman competitions were the exclusive domain of a bunch of 6’4”, 140kg + Vikings who spent all day lifting stones, dragging planes with their teeth and then retired to their long halls to eat entire cows and plan their next session of plane dragging, however these days it’s a bit different.

Essentially what has happened is that a new wave of competitors and promoters have teamed up with some of the old guns and created a rapidly growing sport with different levels to suit everyone from the first timer through to seasoned Pros who are competing against the worlds best overseas.

There are now lightweight divisions down to 75kg, women’s divisions, junior divisions and novice divisions for first timers!

So if you’ve ever watched “Worlds Strongest Man” on TV and though that it looked like fun now is the time to get out of the gym and enter a competition.

In order to help you I’ve put together this article which will give you a guide on how to transition from your regular gym training into your first comp.

Basic Training

While there are now divisions of strongman that involve much lighter weights than the pros the events are still fairly demanding and it would be foolish to jump into a strongman competition without some basic strength training.

If you are just starting out on a fitness program you’ll need to put in a few months of training before entering a comp but if you are already training regularly a few weeks of focusing on the following exercises will get you to the start line in reasonable shape.

Important strongman exercises

Deadlift – Strongman requires a strong back and legs and good grip strength.  The more work you can do on your deadlift the better you will be at strongman.

Squats – Not quite as critical as deadlifts but good leg strength and power are very important and having a big squat never hurt anyone!

Overhead press – probably the most important upper body exercise for Strongman and there tends to be lots of overhead lifting in comps.  Strongman press is a mix of military press and push press so practice both.

Bench Press – Secondary to overhead work but still important.

Pullups and bent over rows – Supplemental to the upper body pushing work and also critical for holding your posture during many events.

Heavy plank holds and back extensions – Strongman events are VERY demanding on the lower back and abdominals.  You need to have a strong core to avoid injuries and to get the best from your legs and upper body.

Conditioning – Short hard intervals are the name of the game here.  Hill sprinting, kettlebell snatches or rowing will get you started.

Sample novice program

Workout A

Deadlift 5×5

Bench Press 5×5

Pullups 5×10

Planks 4 x 60seconds + weight

Hill sprints – 6 x 100m with 2:00 rests

Workout B

Squat 5×5

Overhead press 5×5

Dumbell row 5 x 12

Back extension 4 x15

Kettlebell snatches – 4 x 2:00 intervals, max reps

Complete 3 workouts a week alternating between the two workouts (first week ABA, second week BAB)

For intermediates do the same program but on the last session of each week drop the reps from 5 to 3 for the major exercises and push the weight up.

Once you’ve done a couple of comps you’ll figure out what you need to work on and you can then tailor a program that addresses your weaknesses and builds on your strengths.

Events and Event Training

While you can do a lot of your training in the gym there really is only one way to get a true feel for Strongman and that is to hook up with your local Strongman crew and have a go at the events.  Here are some of the most common events contested at strongman shows.

Farmers walk – Two heavy suitcase like objects are picked up and carried over a measured course for time.  Farmers requires good grip endurance and good conditioning.

Yoke – A large metal frame is picked up across the shoulders and carried over a measured course for time.

Overhead lifting for max weight or reps – A large log, axle, dumbbell or keg is lifted from the ground to overhead for maximum reps or for increasingly heavy singles.  The awkward nature of the objects makes things far harder than the equivalent weight on a barbell.

Drags and pushes – Cars, trucks, sleds, planes etc – These require good leg strength, grip strength and a lot of aggression!

Stones – probably the defining strongman event.  Round stones of increasing weight are loaded onto barrels (or over a bar).  Stone loading requires a certain amount of skill, good lower body strength, good upper body strength and a bit of toughness as it’s an event that can tear your arms up a little.

Other events – There are a stack of different events that can be thrown into a comp and in each competition the exact nature of the implements tends to vary depending on who has put together the competition.  Basically you have to be prepared for anything and expect that the implements that you are going to use are going to be less friendly than whatever you practice on.

Training for events is often a weekend activity and there are groups in most major cities that meet up to train together for comps.  A quick search on facebook will reveal a few places and there is a list of training groups over at the www.aussiestrength.com forum.

Your First Competition

Ok so you’ve done a bit of basic training and maybe had a go at the events at a training session and now you want to compete.

To get started you’ll obviously need to enter a novice comp.  Once again the forum at Aussie Strength lists upcoming comps along with the categories that are being contested.

Once you’ve entered a competition all that’s left is to prepare your equipment, show up and give it your best shot.

Here is a list of stuff that you should take to your first comp.

Clothing – Loose fitting shorts with bike pants or compression shorts underneath.  A T-Shirt plus a singlet (for stones) Don’t take anything you aren’t willing to have destroyed!

Shoes – A pair of sturdy boots is a good all round choice however depending on the events you may also want specific shoes such as footy cleats (grass push/pull events) weightlifting boots (overhead or squat events) thins soled shoes (deadlift events) andeven rock climbing shoes (tarmac drag events

Belt- Useful for carrying events and overhead work as well as max weight events.  I carry a very stiff lever belt for heavy stuff and a thinner belt for rep events.

Knee sleeves/ elbow sleeves – keeps joints warm during the long breaks.

Straps – Some deadlift events allow straps so have a pair.

Tacky – A gooey sticky combo of pine resin and solvents, tacky is a pain in the ass cause it sticks to everything but it’s a huge advantage for stone lifting

Kerosene or turps + rags – for removing tacky

Chalk – For all other events

Food and drink – lots of water and sports drinks, I also take chocolate to snack on.  Strongman events can last all day so come well prepared

Chair and shade – for you and your support team

Basic first aid kit including scissors, tape, antiseptic, deep heat rub etc

Towel, soap and spare clothes.  You’ll be hot and dirty at the end of the day!

Make sure you arrive early at the comp to sign in and weigh in if necessary. Stakeout a spot in the shade and make sure you know where all your gear is.

Once the comp starts all you can do is make sure you are ready to go when the events start and put a maximum effort in. If possible warm up before each event but be aware that at many comps you can’t do lots of warm up runs and you may need to improvise (I sometimes take a kettlebell with me and use it for a general warm up if it looks like the implements are going to be tied up)

Once your novice event is over the chances are that there will be higher level divisions running, make sure to stick around and watch how the more experienced competitors attack each event.  Strongman is a pretty social sport and you’ll find that everyone is happy to talk about training and give novices tips so take advantage of it.

Finally

If you are thinking about competing at all just get off your butt and have a go!  Grab a few guys from your gym and commit to entering a comp together, challenge your mates and get stuck into it.

Strongman is awesome fun and will challenge your fitness in ways that you will never experience stuck in a gym and now is a great time to get started as there are heaps of comps coming up.

For more info on training groups, competitions or training programs contact me at fitness@octogen.com.au

See you at a comp soon!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 19:22 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.