Training for Novice Strongman Event

[aussieluke]

Just found out my old gym is hosting a strongman event as part of a family fun day (its a college gym) on 31st May

FYI I'm 27, about 220, 6'

Current PRs: Squat 140Kg 3x5, Press 57.5kg 3x5, Deadlift 150kg 1x5, Power Clean 75kg 5x3

Current training: (following linear progression, with reps as per SS)

Mon: Squat, Press
Tue: Power Cleans

Thur: Squat, Press
Fri: Deadlift

How / when should I start training for this?

Biggest problem is my deadlift - 150kg is my 5RM with a regular bar! I think I may have managed 120kg for 1 with an axel but may have been only 100kg

How should I go about this?


Novice Men's Events

150kg Yoke 25m
80kg (each hand) Farmers Walk 25m
Medley: Tyre 6 flips, 120kg Duck walk, 20kg kettle Bell rack carry
150kg Axel Deadlift max lifts in 60 seconds
25kg Dumbbell Overhead Press from floor max lifts in 60 seconds
Loading event: 40 kg 45 kg 60 kg 70 kg stone

[George Noble]

Since you only have a month to train it I would add events to the end of your workout every time you can instead of having a single events day. You need to practice moving with weight. Yoke is essential to train, farmers is preferable to train but you can get away with just doing lots of yoke and a bit of grip work. If your biggest problem is deadlift then concentrate all your gym work on that. You don't really need to be back squatting much, if at all. I would add assistance for your back and hamstrings that is easier to recover from so you can work your deadlift while still being fresh for your events. Also do whichever kind of curl is comfortable for something like 5x10 at the end of most of your sessions.

Keeping the same four days I'd do something like

Mon: press, event(s), reverse hypers, biceps
Tue: power cleans, glute ham raise, an event if you have the energy

Thur: deadlift, barbell rows, events, biceps
Fri: squat (intesity and volume naturally limited since you're doing it after thur), press

[hatmanii]

Not that I'm trying to discount George's advice, but if this is just something that you want to do for fun I wouldn't go and dramatically change your training regimine.

If you have access to the implements to train with I'd recommend you do this:

Continue working off the WFAC conditioning program andcut your squat and pressing sets back to 1x5, and work with the implements on your "conditioning" days. Then once the Strongman Meet is over and you think you might want to continue that style of training, look for a basic strongman primer to work off of.

Tom Mutaffis has written a very basic/manageable program that is easily manipulated.

-Hat

[aussieluke]

Thanks guys, good advice so far, despite the different thoughts.

One thing I am considering is something I read in a Joe Defranco article about getting into strongman, and the first piece of advice is: do everything with a fat bar/axel.

I'm thinking that may be a good idea since grip is such an issue?

I like the idea of mixing a lot of events into the week

Though I am concerned about things such as reverse hypers, GHRs and rows, as I've never trained these.

Would cutting sets back to 1x5 on squats & presses etc be enough to carry on with linear progression?

[gzt]

Since you have a pressing event, I don't know if it's a great idea to cut down on presses.

[aussieluke]

Since you have a pressing event, I don't know if it's a great idea to cut down on presses.

I wondered that too.

Though I am also assuming the event will allow push presses/jerks (otherwise judging would be impossible!?)

...in which case I'll have no trouble - though I thought I could train this by working my way through the dumbell rack with 1 single each hand up to a max, then drop back 10% and do a few more singles each side.

...then later in the week just train the event as it will be on the day?

[gzt]

I'd think you could just consider progressing on your presses just as you are and, a few times before the contest, replacing with AMRAP with the competition weight. But I'm not an expert in this stuff.

[aussieluke]

I'd think you could just consider progressing on your presses just as you are and, a few times before the contest, replacing with AMRAP with the competition weight. But I'm not an expert in this stuff.

Yeah I suppose. I guess I'm just getting quite excited at the thought of mixing it up and doing some different training for a while.

[hatmanii]

I'd think you could just consider progressing on your presses just as you are and, a few times before the contest, replacing with AMRAP with the competition weight. But I'm not an expert in this stuff.

This is a pretty good suggestion. My thoughts were that he would do his normal press work at 1x5 and then on the next day work on the event style presses (axel/single DB/ etc..).

You could probably continue your linear progression as long as you are doing the work necessary on the deadlift/PClean days. You will have to experiment with this, but if it's just a month I don't see it being an issue.

-Hat

[beast]

I would do something like this

Mon
Squat 3*5
Press 3*5
Deadlift 1*5 then possibly a back off set with 80% for 10 witha towel wrapped round the bar double overhand.

Wed

Squat 3*5
Bench 3*5
Chins 3 sets failure

Friday

25 kg dumbell lift in 60 secs
80kg carry event
barbell cheat curls 3*5

Sat Heavy power clean to 3 rep max then Deadlift 150 rep out