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How to strongman train for nonathletes

This is an excerpt from Strongman Training for Strength and Performance by Christopher Slater,Heidi Campo.

Guidelines for General Population

Strongman movements are a great way to add variety to your training or help get you out of a training rut. If you are a general gym goer looking to add strongman movements to your existing program, there are a few important factors to ­consider. First, you must have a solid strength foundation and be familiar with basic movements such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and overhead presses before adding strongman movements. If you do not have a basic strength foundation, some of the strongman movements may be too challenging or complicated to perform. Once you feel you have a solid strength foundation, you can begin to look at which movements you would like to add to your program.

Choose the Correct Movement

Second, you must choose the appropriate movements to start with. Understanding the muscle groups used in a particular movement will help you better incorporate them into your current program. You can use chapters 7 through 9 to see how to implement strongman movements in a basic 4-day split. Beginner strongman exercises include farmer’s carry, sandbag or keg carry, and yoke walk. These movements help build strength and skill without needing a lot of extra equipment. For example, farmer’s carries can be done with dumbbells, kettlebells, or even barbells. Sandbags are relatively inexpensive and can be filled to different weights, making them a very versatile training tool. Kegs can also be found most places relatively cheaply, and they can be filled with water, sand, or concrete to various weights as well. The yolk walk can be done with just a barbell or a barbell and affordable attachments. There are plenty of very easy ways to add strongman-type movements to your training with very little extra equipment.

Hone in on Technique

The third factor you need to focus on is learning the proper exercise techniques. When you’re starting out, prioritizing proper technique over how much weight you’re lifting will allow you to improve quickly so you can lift heavier, and safer. Use the information in chapters 4 through 6 to help. Take time to work on the proper technique before adding in a bunch of weight. This will help you to get more proficient at the actual movement, which will lead to progressing to heavier weights as movement proficiency increases. It’s very similar to any other style of progressive overload. If you’ve never benched before, you’re not going to go in and throw 3:15 on the bar and start repping it out. Paying attention to exercise technique first will help reduce injuries down the road.

Take a Gradual Approach

The fourth factor to consider is the speed at which you will incorporate or implement strongman movements into your training. If you have never used strongman movements, slowly add these to your program. That way, you can focus on the technique and understand the movement before adding a bunch of different movements that you need to learn how to do correctly, all at once. It can be as simple as removing the bench press one week and adding a log press, or removing a traditional deadlift for an axle or 18-inch deadlift. As you become more proficient at strongman movements, you can slowly add more, depending on your training goals and how comfortable you feel adding something new to your training skill set.

Cover All the Muscles

A fifth factor to consider is ensuring your program still targets all major muscle groups. Adding strongman movements is beneficial, but training only select major muscle groups to support these movements can lead to overuse injuries or other types of injuries. Many strongman movements focus on total body training, but they still require supplemental or accessory work from smaller muscle groups to be more efficient. Some of these movements do require stabilization with an odd or awkward implement. So adding in strongman movements as well as your regular total body training program can help protect joints and connective tissues.

Safety Is Key

A sixth factor to consider is lift safety. To ensure a safe training environment, make sure you warm up properly, having spotters if necessary, and check equipment before using it. It’s the same idea as your regular training, and you’re probably already doing all these things without giving it too much extra thought. For example, making sure that cables are attached correctly or that you have clips on a barbell when you squat, bench, or press also apply to strongman movements. Along with that, you also need to listen to your body. Strongman movements can be a different stimulus, so make sure you are recovering adequately between workouts to avoid injury.

Enjoy the Process

The last factor is to make it fun. Stay calm if you do not get the movement right the first time. Keep practicing and gradually increase the weight as you get more comfortable with it. Strongman training is a great way to add variety and change up your workout routine. It’s also an excellent way to add new challenges to your workout program, plus it looks cooler than traditional training. It’s also a great way to break through a training plateau if you are stuck; it can be a different approach to cardio, moving beyond traditional formats. It’s also a way to mimic everyday life activities, such as bringing in groceries, moving furniture, and working in the yard. Strongman training can be very physically and mentally challenging, but it can also be a huge self-confidence booster when you do something you never thought you’d be able to!

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