DEXA – Body composition is one area that I personally haven’t had much of an interest in until lately, being more concerned with performance in strongman and powerlifting however in the interests of not being a fat bastard I’ve been on a quest to drop some lard this year and decided to go and get a DEXA scan. For anyone who is wondering DEXA stands for Dual Energy X-Ray Absorption and it’s a 5 minute procedure where you lie down on a bed and a low powered X-ray scans your body in 3D and reports back right down to the gram the amount of bone, muscle and fat in your body. DEXA is the most accurate way to measure this short of cutting up your cadaver and weighing each bit separately (obviously not a repeatable method!).

Critically because of it’s accuracy DEXA allows you to see if your program is adding muscle and losing fat even if your weight is staying relatively constant. The only downside is that due to the X-ray you can only have them every 13 weeks so in between you have to use more common methods to track progress.

My first scan showed that I was definitely carrying a few kilos of non functional mass (ie fat) and that I could probably recomposition my body for better performance by dropping 5kg of fat and adding 5kg of muscle. I’m due for my follow up scan in a couple of weeks and it will be interesting to see what the results are. For DEXA scans in your capital city google “DEXA scan” If you are in Sydney I recommend http://www.bodycomposition.com.au/

Nike Romaleos weightlifting shoes.

In 2005 when I started training and competing in Olympic weightlifting I bought a pair of Adidas Adistar weightlifting shoes. They cost a ridiculous amount of money and turned out to be one of the worst designed shoes I’ve ever owned. 5 of the 6 straps broke in the first year, most of them at the metal buckle. The uppers came away from the soles and needed sticking down 3 times. The current adistars are uglier than my old shoes and once again the straps break at the buckles. This brings me to my new weightlifting shoes.
I first saw the Nike Romaleos when they were released for the 2008 Olympics and instantly knew I had to have a pair. The problem was that Nike in their infinite wisdom never offered them in Australia and their stupid online store won’t ship to overseas addresses. By the time I had organised someone in the US to ship me a pair they had sold out and it wasn’t until 2010 that Nike relented and made a new batch.

So approximately 3 years after I first saw them I finally got my hands on a pair. I’ve been using them for about 6 weeks and these are my impressions so far.

1. They are rock solid and seem very well made. They are a big solid shoe and you feel like you are glued to the ground when you squat in them. On the downside EACH shoe weighs as much as a pair of normal running shoes! Rumour has it that the new Romaleos for 2012 will be lighter.
2. They look pimpin. Until now lifting shoes have had boring wedges of wood in the heel. They have tended to look like bowling shoes for short people. The Romaleos have a cool moulded plastic heel wedge and look more like a Running shoe.
3. They are very comfy. They come with two inner soles, a harder one for comps and a softer one for training. So far i’ve left the comp liner in and haven’t had any discomfort. The upper is well padded without being squishy and the tongue is padded too. The straps hold your foot in well. My only complaint would be that they are a fairly warm shoe. If you train in a shed in the middle of the Aussie summer your feet are going to get their own sauna.
4. Grip is very good, not too sticky, not too slick.
5. Walking around in them is a bit awkward due to the wide heel but this adds to the stability so it’s a compromise for performance and really not a big hassle because the furthest I walk in them is from one side of the gym to the other.

Books

Very quickly a couple of books that I’ve read recently that I was impressed with.
The first is “Anatomy Without a Scalpel” by Lon Kilgore.
This is a great book for anyone interested in strength training anatomy. Unlike a medical anatomy textbook there is no unnecessary material included and the author relates all the explanations of the joints and muscles back to the performance of sports and the basic barbell lifts.

There is also a good primer on describing anatomical features and locating various structures in the body which will make it an invaluable guide for trainers and coaches.

I could blather on about this book for ages but the short version is just go buy it!

The second book I found very useful is Pavel Tsatsoulines “Power to the People Professional”. This book is not as the title suggests an upgrade or sequel to his original PTTP but is instead a very detailed set of training plans from (mostly) Russian powerlifting coaches. Definitely not a book for beginners it is instead a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to squat, bench and deadlift more and who has outgrown basic linear progression.

I bought both books together a few months ago and was as happy as a pig in mud for weeks reading and rereading them!

Ok so lets just say that 2010 was a complete write off in terms of training for me.  After a couple of months of productive training and one Deadlift PR I got nailed with a a killer virus, work issues, moving house and then the arrival of junior.

This is not to say that I didn’t train but basically I didn’t make much progress!

2011 has started off a lot better and even though I’m still mega busy I’ve at least chiseled out time to train 3-4 days a week and am determined to use this year to build my highest levels of strength ever.

So far I’ve hit one all time PR of 137kg in the bench press (definitely my worst lift!) and have come within 8kg of my Squat PR by squatting 200kg and managed it without spotters, meaning that I reckon I’ve got even more in the tank.

I have learned that trying to mix high volume squat programs like Smolov with being a new parent is a no go as you tend to end up burnt out very quickly so my training is getting rejigged at the moment for maximum efficiency and this may lead to some new articles on how to achieve better results with less time in the gym.

Anyway Check out the video of my Bench PR and Squat (and before anyone moans I realise that it wouldn’t pass in a powerlifting meet and I need to learn to keep my butt on the bench).

Hope your training is off to killer start for 2011 too!

Bench Press 137kg Squat 200kg

Octogen Insider Programs

Remember that you can get the other 19 programs simply by purchasing any product in our “Queensland Flood Sale”

Pulling 240kg in April 2009

Video of a recent PR attempt after a few weeks of deadlift specific training

In my opinion there are very few feats of strength more impressive than a big deadlift.  The deadlift uses virtually every muscle in the body and will make you a better athlete, no matter which sport you train for.  Training for an impressive pull is also hard work and signifies that the person lifting has got dedication to their training, a tolerance to discomfort and is therefore worthy of some respect!

Unfortunately when you walk into most commercial gyms all you will see is guys doing curls and bench.  On the odd occasion that someone attempts to deadlift it’s more often than not a set of horrid partial range stiff leg deadlifts while the trainee cranes his neck around to check out his own hammies in the mirror!

In this article I want to outline a few key points about deadlifting and offer up a couple of short deadlift training cycles that will push your deadlift numbers up, hopefully to the point that people in your gym stop and stare when you set up to pull.

What is Heavy?

At what point can you call yourself strong?  At what point does your deadlift progress from puny to powerful?  These are difficult questions to answer because you can’t just whack out a table of standards that applies to everyone.  A big weight for one person is another person’s warm up and comparisons across bodyweight suffer because as you get heavier you are physics bound to become a proportionally worse deadlifter even though to an outsider the weights lifted by bigger guys are way more impressive than those lifted by smaller guys.

So what should you be aiming for in your deadlift training?  The following are some very rough quick start guidelines, in reality the only one you ever need to follow is the last one.

First milestone

Women – Bodyweight deadlift for a triple

Men – 1.5 x Bodyweight for a triple

Second milestone

Women – 1.5 x Bodyweight for a single

Men – 2 x Bodyweight for a single

Third milestone

10kg more than you can currently lift.

Repeat until you die with a 500kg deadlift

As you can see the final point is the most important.  I don’t think I’ve ever met a strength athlete who was completely satisfied with their deadlift.  I know for certain that every time I’ve reached a goal that I’ve set for myself I’ve been satisfied with it for about 15 minutes before plotting my assault on the next milestone!  This strategy has seen me add 53kg to my deadlift in 15 months and I don’t have any plans to stop now.

Deadlifting Basics

Ok I don’t want to flog this subject to death because to be honest there has been a bunch of great stuff written on the execution of the deadlift but a few key points bear repeating.

Before embarking on a deadlift training cycle make sure your form is good.  Get someone who knows what they are doing (most likely NOT the 6 foot tall, 60kg trainer from your gym) to check your form on a series of progressively heavier deadlifts.  If all else fails video your deadlifts and get someone knowledgeable to check them out.  Inevitably when you are really maxing out on your deadlifts your form will start to deteriorate slightly but for your training you want to base your lifts on the heaviest weight you can handle with good form, otherwise you are asking for injuries.

Tips for good deadlift form

• Feet should be hip width apart under the bar
• Bar should be close to the shins and should remain close to the body throughout the lift.
• Use chalk to improve your grip, I try to do as much deadlifting as possible with a double overhand hook grip, saving mixed grip for my heaviest attempts.
• Keep the chest up and the abs and lower back tight when you lift, if your arse shoots up and you round your back you are going to get into big trouble.
• Treat each rep as a single.  This means even if you are doing a set of 3 or 5 each rep should be reset at the bottom and not bounced off the floor.

Belts and straps

There is a lot of argument in the fitness industry about whether or not you should use a belt and straps for deadlift training.  Without going into all the arguments for and against here is my opinion (open to change if someone can present me good enough eveidence!)

Belts – A lifting belt allows heavier weights to be lifted and the heavier the weight you lift the stronger you get.  This applies even after you take the belt off.  In the time I improved my belted deadlift from 215 to 263 training WITH a belt for anything over about 80% I improved my beltless deadlift from 190 to 245 even though until I tested it I never maxed out beltless.

Anyone who tells you not to wear a belt is probably a skinny loser, ignore them and then go outlift them.

I normally warm up beltless and then use a belt from about 80% of the days max onward.

Straps – I prefer to do as much lifting as possible without straps however when you start doing higher volume deadlifts you may find that you need to use straps as your grip becomes the limiting factor in doing reps.  If this is the case use straps but make sure you are also doing strapless work and some extra work to improve your grip.

Deadlift Programming

Another contentious issue in the world of fitness is the frequency and type of deadlift workouts you should do to improve your deadlift.  Some guys deadlift once a week, some twice and some only deadlift every 2-3 weeks but do a lot of squats and other assistance work.

I’ve had success with deadlifting between 1-3 times a week and I normally program beginner and intermediates with 2 sessions a week of deadlifts.  Deadlifts can be quite stressful on the body so it is important that if you are deadlifting more frequently than once a week that you vary your intensity to avoid overtraining.

Here is a simple program that you can use to improve your deadlift.

Program  – Simple progression program

This program is best for beginner to intermediate athletes who know their 1 Rep Max for deadlift and who are training 3 – 4 days a week.

The program is pretty simple, you are going to do two deadlift sessions a week and 1 – 2 other sessions a week.  Your focus should be on the deadlift sessions so don’t bust your ass on the other days.  It’s ok to make a bit of progress on your upper body lifts but don’t flog yourself so that you are fatigued for the next deadlift session.

The assistance exercises have been chosen to work on your core stability and also the strength required to lockout the top portion of a heavy deadlift.

If you want to do some conditioning work do it on alternate days and again avoid flogging yourself too hard!

Monday

Deadlift                                  3 sets of 5 @ 75-80% of 1RM

Kettlebell Swings                 3 sets of 10 – 15 as heavy as you can handle

Prone Plank                          3 sets of 45- 60 seconds with max weight

Wednesday

Squat                                     Sets and reps for these exercises are up to you

Bench Press

Military Press

Pullups

Friday

Deadlift                                  3 sets of 3 @ 80-85% of 1RM

Kroc Rows                             3 x 15 – 20 as heavy as possible

Back extension / GHR        3 x 8-12 with added weight if possible

Each week aim to increase the weight used on the deadlifts by 5kg (2.5kg if your deadlift is under 140kg)  and continue with the program for 3-5 weeks or until you stall out and can no longer complete all the sets and reps of deadlift at a given weight. After you finish the program take a few days off all training and retest your max.

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To claim your bonus send me an email at fitness@octogen.com.au

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While a lot of your improvements in deadlift strength are going to come from deadlifting (well DUH!) there are a number of accessory exercises that can help attack weaknesses in the deadlift and as part of my current program I’ve been using few different things and thought I’d share them with you.

Kroc rows are a great exercise for strengthening your upper back to improve the deadlift lockout, they are also good for balancing out heavy bench pressing and for adding mass and explosive power to your back.  They are named after top powerlifter Matt Kroczaleski and are basically a one arm dumbell row performed with a heavy weight for as many reps as you can with fairly loose form.

For a complete demo here is Matt doing a set of 25 each side with just over 100kg.

Now I’m nowhere near Matt’s size or strength but I’ve worked up to sets of 25 with the heaviest Dumbells at the gym (50kg) and so to progress this movement I decided to get some custom dumbell handles made up.

I called up Mark Roskell from Toronto Barbell and in a couple of weeks he had made me these bad boys which I have christened “Kroc Bells”

With a loading capacity of over 100kg each hand they should keep me busy until I have reached Kroc like levels of strength!

Stay tuned for video in part 2!

For most people training is something they do to keep in shape and stay healthy.

While many people WISH they could perform at the level of the elite athletes they see on TV the reality is that only a handful will transition from “working out” to training seriously for a competitive sport.

In my mind if you want to work out for health or whatever that’s fine, just don’t come complaining to me if you don’t look or perform like an Olympic medallist or pro footballer.  These guys and girls are (mostly) as good as they are for one big reason.

The reason is pretty straight forward.  Whether or not employed full time to train these athletes are professionals and their training is structured in a professional manner.

Before I go any further one quick caveat.  The main thrust of this article is on developing the attitude of a professional athlete toward your training.  Now there are certainly examples of paid professional athletes that act far from professional, drinking, taking drugs and partying etc but mostly they are in the minority and only get away with that crap because they have put the hard work in years before and are genetic freaks.

So, let’s assume that you are currently a pretty hard core fitness enthusiast who trains at least 3-4 times a week and who pushes most of your workouts pretty hard. You may already compete in a sport or martial art or you may be thinking about competing in the near future.

To get the best results in a competitive sport you are going to need to adjust your current training program and attitude.  I suggest you take a page out of the training diaries of the true professionals and adopt some of the following strategies.

Strategy #1 – Decide what you want to be good at

A lot of gym goers want it all.  They want power lifter strength, marathon runner endurance and underwear model abs.  Bad news for anyone like this, you are deluding yourself.  To develop the attitude and training of a true professional athlete you need to decide upon a very narrow set of goals and then pursue them to the exclusion of all others.  As a simple example if you are going to focus on maximal strength training you can’t worry too much about how you look, on the other hand if you are training for a bodybuilding comp you can’t expect to have the strength of a powerlifter.  Pusuing too many fitness goals at the same time is a recipe for becoming averagely good at all of them and competitive at none.

Strategy #2 – Prioritise training, nutrition and recovery

If training is something you fit in around everything else you do and recovery is something that you get around to sometimes then you’ll never achieve your major goals.

Naturally you are going to have to balance training with family, work and other commitments but if you assign a high priority to these things and make it clear to everyone around you why it’s important you are already well ahead of the game.

Notice that I didn’t just say to prioritise training.  A lot of people get their workouts in but then don’t follow up with good nutrition and recovery practices.  Professional sports programs place a huge emphasis on nutrition and recovery because they understand that training is only half the battle.

Some simple steps you can take to improve your nutrition and recovery include.

• Setting up and following a program of sports supplements
• Taking your post workout nutrition with you to the gym so that you can take it as soon as you finish training
• Get a sports massage every 2-3 weeks (more often if you can afford it)
• Do a couple of stand-alone stretching and active recovery sessions a week
• Get enough sleep – try something like ZMA or GABA to improve sleep quality.

Strategy #3 – Join a team

Even if you want to compete in an individual sport, training with a team of like minded people will vastly increase your motivation and improve your results.  Find a training squad in your area and become a member, then aim to become a leader.

Strategy #4 – Get a coach

The best athletes in the world have the best coaches they can find, so why does every weekend warrior think they can achieve world class results on their own?  Even experienced trainers should find a coach because often it’s hard to step back and approach your training objectively.

Once you find a coach make sure you follow their coach and don’t run around trying to modify their programs thinking you know best.  This is a very unprofessional thing to do and a fast way to piss your coach off.

Strategy #5 – Practice visualisation and concentration techniques

It might seem a bit strange at first but if you can read a book or two on NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) or self hypnosis for sport you can achieve some significant improvements in your focus and performance.

When I’m lining myself for a max deadlift or squat I often visualise the whole gym turning dark so that the bar is the only thing there and then I imagine a little demon taunting me about how weak I am. This makes me angry and consequently much more aggressive toward the weight.  I probably look like I’m possessed when I step up to the bar and let out a huge snarl or grunt but it’s a very effective technique to help me block out the annoying little twats doing concentration curls in front of the mirror!

Strategy #6 – Compete hard but fair

Turn up to your competitions with the aim to go out and achieve personal bests.  If you compete in a sport with relatively few competitors don’t run away from the competition by hiding in a different weight class or division, seek out your competition even if it means stepping up a category.  Winning by default is not really winning.

When you compete don’t argue with the judges (unless they really fuck things up, in which case your coach should argue for you) and treat your competitors with respect.  Accept that sometimes you will win and sometimes you’ll come off second best.

Strategy #7 – Develop a substance abuse problem, sleep with a bunch of waitresses and adult film stars and then make a heartfelt apology to everyone you’ve hurt in a scripted TV press conference.  Claim your secret personality or screwed up childhood “made” you do it.

Just kidding of course, but honestly who do these idiots think they are fooling? Tiger might be the greatest golfer of all time but he also appears to be an A grade dickhead!

That’s all til next time.  I can’t help you with all of these strategies but I can certainly help out with your training, recovery and supplementation programs so if you are looking to step up, make sure you shoot me an email and find out how I can help.

fitness@octogen.com.au

Originally I intended to create a 2 day Olympic lifting seminar but after talking to several trainers I’ve come up with a new seminar that covers not only Olympic lifting but also a heap of other advanced strength training methods drawn from powerlifting and strongman.

To see the full course contents check out the info pack here

To launch this new seminar I’ve got a special offer which I absolutely guarantee will NEVER be repeated. You see while I’m confident that this seminar is full of great info I want to do a “beta” test before I take the show on the road.

Therefore, I’m looking for 12 trainers to attend the first course at a massive 50% discount

The course is going to retail at $695.00 but if you get in on this offer you’ll only pay $345.00

During and after the course I’ll collect feedback and make the final touches to the course. As well as the discount on the course you’ll also get credit in the course material for helping us out and an opportunity to promote your business through the courses.

This beta course will be held at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre on
the 10th and 11th of April

So far 8  of the 12 spots are already filled and the rest will fill within a few days so if you want in then you will want to be quick.

Email fitness@octogen.com.au to book.

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!