Sandbags are the most challenging, awkward implement involved in strongman. There’s a reason why nobody’s overhead pressing any serious weight with it. If you want to get used to moving odd objects in various ways, sandbags are an awesome tool. I like the Atlas stone idea too, but the technique required to lift heavier stones is pretty stone-specific. Generally speaking, for your goal of picking humans up and moving with them, any kind of front carry would make sense. Sandbag, hussafel stone, and keg carries would be at the top of my list. zercher walks wouldn’t be terrible, except I hate them.
I’m not sure what your other goals are (not reading through everything here), but strongman training can cover a lot of bases. You can get in great condition, look good, and be very strong by orienting your training towards strongman. Not sure where you think it wouldn’t help you out in your goals, but you may have a very specific one I’m not aware of.
You mentioned your friend just moved to Houston. Are you in Texas also? I live in Dallas, and I know quite a few good places to train in the state, if you’re looking for a good place.
NOTES: Haven’t benched in weeks but having my OHP go up and my back get stronger I think helped me do almost my body weight with relative easy. I’ve never cared for benching but it feels good to do once in a while!
I also think getting out my “5 reps only” has helped me immensely. Going for doubles or triples or pushing it past and going for reps between 8-15 have helped. I think I prefer lower reps, but I know having that wide range of reps definitely helps, at least for my body.
Thanks man appreciate the feedback! I actually live in Denver and my friend who does strongman moved to Houston.
So in terms of sandbags, whats the easiest/cost effective way to make one? How many lbs should I start with for one of those bags?
So my personal goals are a bit more Olympic Weightlifting focused, but I’ll have to lower that on my priority list until after the wedding. I can Snatch and C&J just once a week to just maintain some technique and keep the strength I’ve built so I’m not too concerned about that. So based on my current programming, where should I place the sandbag/keg work? I’m doing a 3x a week full body.
Is there a specific 3 day lifting + 1 event day strongman program out there I can look into?
Koklaeyev is the perfect example of olympic weight lifting and strongman crossover. Strongman ABSOLUTELY supports weight lifting goals. Most of the best strongman LW and even MW competitors use a clean and split jerk method on axle, and plenty use it on log as well. I incorporate a clean and press movement of some sort every single strongman training day i have.
So the way I structure my programming… I squat and bench during the week (structure those lifts however), and sometimes I"ll do a deadlift session. Not every week. I’ll also do an overhead press day if I have time. So basically, standard barbell movements, whatever you prioritize is fine. Then on the weekend, I’ll have my dedicated strongman day, which is a longer session. I’ll incorporate an overhead movement with a strongman implement, I’ll often have some deadlift variation, and a carry or 2 to finish the session. Or I could have a sled pull, I throw those in sometimes. But it’s basically just running through several events for the day.
I don’t know anything about making a sandbag, but I imagine a tough, durable canvas bag of some sort would be the way to go… You could do 150 lbs I think and be fine for picks and carries. You couldn’t get that overhead. Most bags are heavily duct taped at the top or something like that to close them. Kinda depends on the design of the bag. If it’s too heavy, dump some sand out, if it’s too light, add it. Not hard to change it if it isn’t right the first time. But I think 150 is a good starting point. Maybe carry it for sets of 60 feet, something along those lines.
Thanks man! I figure I’m getting get stronger no matter what and I don’t have access to a log or anything, so I’ll only be able to do a few of the events. So would you say something like this fits what I’m looking to do? This way I’m just tweaking my training regime and not redoing the whole thing. Sets and reps and intensities vary each day, but this is the exercise order and selection I’d probably want to stick to.
SATURDAY (Strongman Events)
-Sandbag/Keg Clean & Press
-Sandbag/Keg DL variation
-Sandbag farmers carry
-Keg/Sandbag front carry
*Push my car if I have time?
**The only reason I don’t do bench is because 1 I usually work out from home and 2nd my 24 only has 2 and they are always taken. But if I go to the 24 I’ll have access to the tractor tire, trap bar for farmers, and sled for pulls.
only thing i’d definitey change is removing the farmers walk from wednesday, unless you’re doing them very light and they aren’t taxing your grip. Same general idea with the tire. If it’s a huge tire that you can only get for a couple reps, then only do it once in a week. If it’s light enough that it’s more conditioning work, meaning you can do 6+ reps per set with it, then twice is fine.
I’d also remove the keg DL completely. Nobody does that, and I don’t see how it would be useful. or a sandbag dl. and i don’t have any idea what a sandbag farmers carry is supposed to be.
Sounds good, I’ll make some adjustments. I appreciate all the feedback man! Can’t wait to get this started this saturday with the strongman events day!
TIRE FLIP (It was heavy as fuck, don’t know the weight tho)
3x
3x
3x
FARMERS WALK (Using trap bar)
225lbs x 50 ft
225lbs x 50 ft
225lbs x 50 ft
NOTES: Being FRESH for the Olympic lifts make such a different. Hit PR’s in both Snatch & Clean!!! It’s crazy because my squat is low. All the seminars I’ve been to I’ve always been told for someone who doesn’t practice with a coach my technique is not too bad. I think all the time focusing on making sure every rep is perfect is starting to come to fruition. Obviously I can’t do this forever, but glad it’s working. I think I’ve always been more athletic than I probably thought. I remember one time in 7th grade (I was a stick) and I straight up outran my whole group of friends lol. Probably always been there, but just never taken advantage of. Now I just gotta put in more work to look like I lift lol.
NOTES: Punch the clock type workout. Body super sore from yesterday so just used 5’s today. Auto-regulated a bit.
Does anyone else run into this, but I swear my first set of working sets squats always feel so heavy. Then every set after that my body feels way more primed to move the weight? Just curious if anyone experiences this?
The only time that happens is when I am purposefully reserving intensity for the heavy stuff and warm up set X will feel heavy but when I engage my working weights are “LIGHT WEIGHT BABY”!!!
Lol I don’t have TOO many warm up sets. If I feel like a warm up weight is moving slow, I’ll do it a few more times until it feels smooth. I figure if a light weight is moving slow, no way a heavier weight gonna move fast lol. Not always the case, but I feel like if my warm up sets are crisp then usually the working sets follow the same pattern. Like today I did:
45x10
135x6
155x3
185x3
Then working sets
But a day that I feel more stiff I might go:
45x10
135x5
155x3
155x3
185x2
185x2
185x1
Working Sets
If you were 170 and 12% you would be pretty damn muscular.
I am 5’9" and small bone frame. I have been 200 lbs at around 20% body fat but really didn’t look great in my opinion, had some boss traps though. I am presently 179 and 13% and look MUCH better (and feel better). Both compositions presented their own look for me I guess. I think if you’re strong, then you’ll look strong no matter what weight you’re at.
If your body fat is under 15% hell yea you would!!!
185 @ 12% is pretty much genetic limit. Depending on your age and recovery habits you could probably add 10-25 pounds of lean mass in a year while keeping your BF% similar.
My 2 cents would be to get your BF% down to the 13-15% range and then eat maintenance to slightly over and gain slowly.
Where you are at now even in a cut you will gain strength (and therefore muscle).
Later once your BF% is down (which is ideal for gaining strength, muscle and every day life/health) you can maintenance / slow slow bulk and let your body adapt to the changes.
I think staying at a BF% where I can see my abs well with no flexing/lighting would be perfect. I think I’m gonna aim for 180-185 with a low BF%. But if I’m strong I’m strong which is all I care about lol.
Yeah, depends on how you squat though. If you do a more low bar leaned over powerfliting squat you can get up to big weights with having less than stellar thighs. If your goal is to have jacked legs, stick to the olympic style back squat and front squat (in my experience at least).
No doubt man! I only high bar or front! I have no idea how to even low bar squat haha. That doesn’t even seem natural to me. It’s crazy bro because I’ve always had really skinny legs, and now that I can back squat (high bar) for 205 5x5, my legs have already gotten way more muscular then they’ve ever been. Can’t imagine what my thighs would look like at 315 or 405 lol.
