As the name implies, Strongman is a sport involving powerful athletes and intense events. Its popularity is growing at an exponential pace as competitors and non-competitors alike have started to recognize the benefits of Strongman training. This training isn’t only for big guys; everyone can benefit from hoisting giant stone balls onto platforms or throwing beer kegs over their heads.
The novelty of the sport and its array of…interesting exercises has relegated it to being more of a “curiosity” to most people than an actual strength and conditioning regimen. Today, we’re gonna discuss this growing sport and do our part to help strongman training go mainstream.
Let’s get started!
What is Strongman Training?
Strongman athletes are not simply big men and women who perform traditional bodybuilding and exercises with heavier weights than the average lifter. Strongman athletes do perform a number of familiar exercises such as squats and deadlifts. However, they also focus on a number of more niche exercises and their overall training program structure is very different.
Unlike sports like powerlifting, Strongman competitions usually involve less common events or movements. It is rare to see a max bench press attempt in a Strongman competition and events involving a mix of pure strength and cardiovascular elements are the norm.
Unlike other functional fitness sports like CrossFit, Strongman training sessions frequently include the use of odd objects that aren't common in most gyms or workout programs. Barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells are accompanied by giant logs, huge circular rocks, and even beer kegs.
It is important for Strongmen athletes to be proficient at performing both traditional strength training exercises as well as Strongman speciality movements during training.
What are the Best Strongman Exercises to Prepare for Competition?
All that talk about kegs has you interested in Strongman training, eh? Well, it’s not all about crushing tins and shotgunning beer. Here are the Strongman exercises you need to master before your first competition:
1. Barbell Strongman Exercises
Do the exercises below look familiar to you? It may surprise you that many of the strength training exercises for a Strongman event are the same, core movements performed by lifters everywhere.
Despite Strongman’s niche nature, traditional barbell work makes up the core of its training programming. Every Strongman competition involves some form of squatting and deadlifting.
- Squats
"The King of Exercise", barbell squats are staple lifts in every Strongman athlete's training routine.
- Front Squats
Athletes can usually load more and ultimately lift more weight back squatting, but front squats are often performed in order to work the quads more directly and better prepare athletes for the log clean (Bautista et al., 2020)
- Deadlifts
Building the upper back, lower back, and overall core strength, the standard barbell deadlift prepares Strongmen athletes for odd-object deadlifts and similar movements (Fuentes et al., 2020).
- Push Presses
Combining the best elements of upper body pushing strength and power development, push presses prepare athletes for the rigors of moving heavy objects overhead.
2. Odd Object Strongman Training Exercises
As "normal" as the previous Strongman training exercises look, there are certainly a number of more obscure movements athletes need to prepare for.
These movements aren’t as common in competition as many other events, but they are training staples that help prepare athletes for the more specialized movements to follow.
- Tire Flips
By no means a traditional powerlifting movement, tire flips help to develop full body strength and, depending on how many flips are performed, a degree of cardiovascular capacity (Wong et al., 2020).
- Sandbag Movements
A heavy sandbag is a versatile piece of equipment. Strongmen athletes use sandbags to perform such movements as sandbag cleans to shoulders, sandbag bearhug carries, and sandbag squats.
- Sled Pulls
A versatile, full-body strength and conditioning movement that especially strengthens the quads, glutes, and hamstrings while also improving cardiovascular endurance (Cahill et al., 2019).
- Kettlebell Swings
Strongman competitors usually perform lower-rep sets of these and with a very heavy kettlebell. Besides building both core and grip strength, they provide athletes the opportunity to work on their hip hinge (Gelder et al., 2015).
3. Strongman Competition Exercises
These are movements that people think of when they think of Strongman. Since almost all of these movements are very likely to show up in every Strongman competition, it is imperative that athletes regularly practice these during training sessions.
- Atlas Stone Carry
One of the most iconic Strongman movements, the Atlas Stone carry involves lifting up extremely heavy (usually circular) objects and moving them over a set distance. In some cases, they must be placed on elevated platforms in order to complete each repetition.
- Yoke Walk
A yoke is a large, heavy piece of equipment carried on the shoulders and suspended by the arms. Moving it for any period of time or distance builds both strength and stamina (Hindle et al., 2021).
- Log Press
Another one of the most iconic movements in the sport of Strongman, a large, slightly hollowed out tree log (to provide an area for the athlete to grip the log) is pushed overhead. Almost always preceded by a log clean ("log clean and press").
- Keg Toss
One of the most beloved Strongman movements, the keg toss involves athletes gripping a weighted beer keg and throwing it up and behind them as high and as far as possible. For those who keep kegs at home, this is probably the most accessible of the Strongman competition exercises for those new to the sport.
- Axle Clean and Press
The "axle" is a specialty bar that is generally thicker and more difficult to hold and grasp than traditional barbells. Each rep with this thick bar requires extreme core strength and athletes need strong grips to handle the axle (Winwood et al., 2011).
Big Gains from A Basic Strongman Workout
Hopefully, after our discussion today, Strongman doesn’t look as odd or intimidating. After all, it possesses a number of familiar lifts which can help beginners quickly become acclimated with the sport as well as interesting niche movements to keep intrigue and motivation high.
Consider that you can get a great workout by just walking around with a heavy sandbag or throwing a keg over your shoulder…all while your neighbors look on with awe and envy!
Whether you’re just looking for a few new exercises to add to your program or you want to compete in next year's "World's Strongest Man" competition, it's time to give Strongman training a try. Why not become a "strong man" (or "strong woman")?
Frequently Asked Questions
Strongman training can appear a bit…different at first glance. Let’s cover a few questions to help demystify this training for you.
Can I implement a Strongman program in a home gym?
While it is imperative to practice certain movements (such as the log press) with dedicated Strongman equipment, it is possible to get a good Strongman session in with traditional fitness equipment (ex. barbells, dumbbells) as well as easy-to-acquire equipment like sandbags, tires, and kegs. Because of this, Strongman training can be performed at home.
What are the best Strongman exercises to perform with only dumbbells?
All of the classic barbell movements can be modified for use with dumbbells (ex. instead of barbell push presses, dumbbell push presses). If you have access to very heavy dumbbells, even exercises like dumbbell deadlifts can be worked into a Strongman training routine.
Is it possible to maximize the benefits of Strongman training without the services of a Strongman coach?
Many common Strongman training exercises are the same or similar to common strength and conditioning movements. In most cases, the services of a Strongman coach will not be necessary to perfect these. However, the more niche Strongman movements like the log clean and press and keg toss might require some coaching to perfect, especially when first beginning the training.
References:
Bautista, D., Durke, D., Cotter, J., Escobar, K., Schick, E. (2020). A comparison of muscle activation among the front squat, overhead squat, back extension and plank. International Journal of Exercise Science, 13(1), 714-722. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7241624/
Cahill, M., Cronin, J., Oliver, J. Clark, K. (2019). Sled pushing and pulling to enhance speed capability. Strength & Conditioning Journal 41(1), 1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331054535_Sled_Pushing_and_ Pulling_to_Enhance_Speed_Capability
Hindle, B., Lorimer, A., Winwood, P., Brimm, D., Keogh, J. (2021). The biomechanical characteristics of the Strongman yoke walk. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 3, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8107362/
Martin-Fuentes, I., Olivia-Lozano, J., Muyor, J. (2020). Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review. PLos One, 15(2), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7046193/
Van Gelder, L., Hoogenboom, B., Alonzo, B., Briggs, D., Hatzel, B. (2015). EMG analysis and sagittal plane kinematics of the two‐handed and single‐handed kettlebell swing: A descriptive study. International Journal of Sports and Physical Therapy, 10(6), 811-826. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4637916/
Winwood, P., Keogh, J., Harris, N. (2011). The strength and conditioning practices of Strongman competitors. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25(11), 3118-3128. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51713479 _The_Strength_and_Conditioning_Practices_of_Strongman_Competitors
Wong, D., Weldon, A., Ngo, J. (2020). Physical fitness improvements of 8-week light vs. heavy tyre flip training in young adults. Biol Sport 37(3), 203-210. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7433327/
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