Intermediate strongman programming

[Rob Waskis]

Rip,
Do you think the volume day of the TM could be effectively replaced with a strongman implements day (and still drive progress on the intensity day)?

I'm thinking of one pressing event, one mobility event (sled pull/push, farmer's walk, etc.), and one loading event (stones, keg, etc.).

Or are those not specific enough to the exercises performed on intensity day?

Thanks,
Rob

[Mark Rippetoe]

No. The full ROM is not worked, and the movements are obviously not specific enough to drive progress on the lifts.

[Rob Waskis]

Thanks.

Will give more thought to Starr or Split routines with a dedicated event day.

[Alexandros Brod]

are you trying to set up a strong man program or general strength program?

[strong_over_matter]

Rob, I've got about six months of Strongman training under my belt and completed my first two competitions. I did a three day routine (Tue./Thur./Sat.) : day 1, deadlift, pressing variant, chins, carrying type event; day 2, squat, fat grip row or other grip work, GHR, some event, day 3, trained events for my competitions.

I'm also at the intermediate level and have come to the conclusion that to continue I need to just get stronger on the main lifts, squat, DL, Press, Bench, and cleans. I've switched back to a very basic program again. The biggest problem I found in training too many events etc is I lost track of progress. For example, how do you judge progress on flipping a 700lb tire - it can't be gradually increased. Aslo, I trained events so hard that I lost progress on the squat because my recovery suffered badly and it was not trained frequently enough.

[Rob Waskis]

are you trying to set up a strong man program or general strength program?

I'm not sure I see how the two are mutually exclusive. Could you please clarify what you believe to be the difference? PPST explains how the intermediate lifter should start to shape his training more towards the sport in which he competes - I will be intermediate eventually, and I'd like to give strongman a try.

strong_over_matter, looks like your lessons learned are: don't train events too much, and continue to make incremental progress on the basic barbell lifts with adequate frequency. How much do you think is too much event training?

[strong_over_matter]

strong_over_matter, looks like your lessons learned are: don't train events too much, and continue to make incremental progress on the basic barbell lifts with adequate frequency. How much do you think is too much event training?

Rob, the best thing you can do is pick a contest (one with a novice category if you can find it) and spend a small amount of time learning the events for it. It sounds like you are a late novice and the best thing you can do is to work on getting stronger. The actual lesson I've learned is being stronger is better. Knowing the best technique may matter down the road but in the beginning you just need to be able to at least pick up the 200lb log or car dead lift for example. Stones are another great example. I met a military guy at the gym I train at 4 days before my last contest. He came up to do the contest our gym was going - his first and never has trained strongman at all. On Tuesday night we showed him how to lift stones and he cleaned and pressed a 230lb axle. On that Sunday, he competed in the under 175lb group which was very competitive and won (and there was no question). I think he said he did a 25 mile mtn bike ride on Friday too. But the point is he did all that so easily because he's just damn strong from normal barbell training.

The only technique issue you might want to work in to your routine is push presses or push jerks. Getting under the bar at heavy weights you cannot press is critical.

I know of one contest in new London, CT that will have very reasonable weights on Sunday September 25th (Whaling City’s 2011 Strongest Man Competition). Maybe not too far for you from NJ. You should be able to find an entry on line. May be I'll see you there. Good luck.

[Alexandros Brod]

I'm not sure I see how the two are mutually exclusive. Could you please clarify what you believe to be the difference? PPST explains how the intermediate lifter should start to shape his training more towards the sport in which he competes - I will be intermediate eventually, and I'd like to give strongman a try.

They are definitely not mutually exclusive, though there is obviously a tradeoff in training for either. Really I just wanted to make sure you didn't have some crazy idea to use strongman "exercises" as part of a strength program because they were more functional or some such nonsense. Good luck with your strongman competitions.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Raw32,

I am not a strongman competitor but I do occasionaly train alongside some of the top pros and amateurs in the country.

Couple of recommendations based on your questions:

1) You really need to compete and compete fairly often. There are too many possible events to organize a very focused program. Find a competition and start training for it based on that competitions specific events. Strongman isn't like powerlifting or weightlifting in that regard.

2) You need to be conditioned to handle a day of event training. Most of the guys I know try and replicate a contest by having an events day on Saturday or Sunday.

3) Split routines tend to be what you see most often. The guys that I know really like a routine based upon ME and DE work. ME and DE upperbody work tends to focus on overhead pressing exercises using a mix of barbells and event specific implements. Lowerbody ME work tends to focus on deadlifting variants and DE work is alot of box squatting, cleans, and snatches.

One of the stronger guys in the gym that I have discussed alot of training with uses this schedule, if you are looking for a "full body" type routine:

Monday - Dynamic Effort Upper/Max Effort Lower + Assistance work (based on individual weaknesses)

Thursday - Max Effort Upper/Dynamic Effort Lower + Assistance work

Saturday - Event Training

[Rob Waskis]

Find a competition and start training for it based on that competitions specific events.

This seems to be the consensus. I've read Matt Reynolds' log here, plus all the ones over at elitefts, and they all organize their event training around whatever they're competing for next. Some do an event day, some do an event each training session. All rotate ME exercises focusing on deadlift and press variants. Some do DE, some do OL, all seem to do RE/assistance work. Most do an upper/lower split.

I think my answer based on research and feedback here is to pick an intermediate program when I've exhausted the novice effect (TM, 5/3/1 or split routine), and go with it as written. Once I sign up for a competition, put together a small peaking cycle where I up the conditioning and practice technique based on the specific events at the competition.

Thanks everyone for the input.