Starting Strongman

Strongman is a good strength sport. To some degree, it is a combination of both weightlifting and powerlifting, but adds on an aspect of brute/dummy strength (as Alec Enkiri puts it) into competition. Here is a quick and easy guide on how to get started training strongman.

Before you start

I would gain at least 1 year of solid general strength training experience before I start specializing in any strength sport. This applies for powerlifting, weightlifting and strongman equally. In order to really gain the benefits of strongman movements and optimise technique, you need 1-2 years of just learning how to lift weights, dialing in your diet and prioritising sleep. Visit this page for a list of my free programs. 

Structuring the training week

You will need access to strongman equipment for strongman training. If you train in a strongman gym, this is no problem. However, if you train at a home gym or a commercial gym, you may not have access to this equipment. So for you, I would recommend one day a week where you go into a strongman gym and use the equipment for event work. The rest of the days you train at a commercial gym.

Train 4-5 times a day. If you are only doing events on a single day, then train 5 days a week with 4 days at a regular gym and one day of events. If you have access to strongman equipment everyday, you can train 4 days a week. An upper-lower type split can never go wrong. 

Example schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Friday	Saturday
Event day	Presses and upper body	Squats, deadlifts and lower body	Presses and upper body	Squats, deadlifts and lower body

Adding movements

The core movements for strongman are as follows:

• Squats (both front squats and high bar back squats), 2x a week
• Deadlifts (conventional), 1x a week with a variation 1x a week
• Overhead Press, 2x a week
• Push Press, 1x a week
• Log Press/Viper Press, 1x a week
• High Pulls, 2x a week
• Farmer's Walks/Yoke Walk, alternate between these every other week
• Stone Load, 1-2x a week
• Sandbag Load, 1-2x a week

These movements should ALWAYS be in a strongman program, year round. Some other secondary strongman movements that may need to be trained based on competition events include:

• Power Throws
• Heavy holds of various grips
• Tire Flips
• Sled Drags/Pushes

Periodization

For periodising strongman training, I like having 3 phases:

Phase 0: This is your base strength program. It involves the basic movements like squats, deadlifts, some bench press and overhead presses, as well as strongman movements that you really suck at. This is what you will run when you are not preparing for a strongman competition.

Phase 1: You start this phase when you begin training for a strongman competition. You start workouts with regular strength work, and you do your specific events for strongman at the end. The goal here with the strongman events is to work with light weights but build good technique and mechanical efficiency. This phase should last about 4 weeks. Keep in mind that the events you train should be the events that you compete in at your upcoming competition!

Phase 2: As you get closer to your competition, swap the strongman events to be at the front of your workouts. That way you can now build strength on those movements. Scale down the volume on accessories as you get closer to the competition. 

So that's a quick introduction to strongman training! I may upload a strongman program in the future.

~ Prem