Strongman Template by Chatgpt

Training
1

I had chatgpt make me a 4 day per week strongman program based on the equipment I have at home currently . . as my shoulder heals up I’m setting a goal for myself to compete in a strongman comp in the next year or two . . do you see any glaring issues in this template? This is just a general strength and performance program and not specific to any event yet. I’ll fine tune a program once I commit to a comp and know exactly what events will be happening. I like it but have no experience designing balanced programs. 5’9" 201lbs currently. Appreciate any feedback

WEEKS 1–4 (Base Strength & Technique)

Percentage Guidelines

Olympic Lifts (Hang Clean / Hang Snatch): 65–75% (speed + consistency)

Squats (Zercher / SSB): 70–75%

Raised Deadlifts: 70–75%

Push Jerks: 70–75%

Secondary Presses: 65–70%

Weighted Pull-Ups: Load allowing all reps with 1–2 RIR

Day 1

  • Olympic Lift (rotating hang cleans & snatches each week): 5×3
  • Squat (rotating zercher and SSB each week): 4×5
  • Raised Deadlift: 3×6

Day 2

  • Push Jerk: 6×3
  • Secondary Press (alternating landmine press & close-grip floor press each week)): 4×8
  • Weighted Pull-Ups: 4×6
  • Carry (alternating farmer and suitcase carries each week): 4×80 ft
  • Cannonball Grip Holds: 3–4 max-time sets

Day 3

  • 2x Sandbag Over Bar EMOM: 8 min
  • Arm-over-Arm Sled Pull: 4×60–80 ft
  • Sled Drags: 4×100 ft

Day 4

  • Tire Flips: 6×2
  • Carry (alternating husafell sandbag and zercher yoke each week): 3×60 sec
  • Row Variation: 4×10–12
  • Lateral raises/crucifix holds

WEEKS 5–8 (Absolute Strength)

Percentage Guidelines

Olympic Lifts: 75–85%

Squats: 80–85%

Raised Deadlifts: 80–85%

Push Jerks: 75–80%

Secondary Presses: 70–80%

Weighted Pull-Ups: Load allowing 1 RIR on final set

Day 1

  • Olympic Lift (alternating hang cleans and hang snatches each week): 6×2
  • Squat (alternating zercher and SSB each week): 5×3
  • Raised Deadlift: 4×5

Day 2

  • Push Jerk: 7×3
  • Secondary Press (alternating landmine and floor press each week): 4×6
  • Weighted Pull-Ups: 5×5
  • Carry (alternating farmers and suitcase each week): 5×60 ft
  • Cannonball Grip Holds: 4–5 max-time sets

Day 3

  • 2x Sandbag Over Bar EMOM: 10 min
  • Arm-over-Arm Sled Pull: 5×60–80 ft
  • Sled Drags: 5×100 ft

Day 4

  • Tire Flips: 8×2
  • Carry (alternating husafell sandbag and zercher yoke): 4×45 sec
  • Row Variation: 4×8–10
  • Lateral raises/crucifix holds

WEEKS 9–12 (Power + Heavy Events)

Percentage Guidelines

Olympic Lifts: 85–90% (fast singles only)

Squats: 85–90%

Raised Deadlifts: 85–90%

Push Jerks: 80–85%

Secondary Presses: 80–85%

Weighted Pull-Ups: Heavy triples/quads, no grinders

Day 1

  • Olympic Lift (alternating hang cleans and hang snatches each week): 8×1
  • Squat (alternating zercher and SSB each week): 6×2
  • Raised Deadlift: 5×4

Day 2

  • Push Jerk: 8×3
  • Secondary Press (alternating landmine and floor press each week): 5×4
  • Weighted Pull-Ups: 6×4
  • Carry (alternating farmers and suitcase each week): 6×40 ft
  • Cannonball Grip Holds: 4–5 max-time sets

Day 3

  • 2x Sandbag Over Bar EMOM: 12 min
  • Arm-over-Arm Sled Pull: 5–6×60–80 ft
  • Sled Drags: 5×120 ft

Day 4

  • Tire Flips: 10×1
  • Carry (alternating husafell sandbag and zercher yoke each week): 5×30 sec
  • Row Variation: 5×6–8
  • Lateral raises/crucifix holds

WEEKS 13–16 (Peak Strength & Density)

Percentage Guidelines

Olympic Lifts: 90–95% (no misses, stop early if speed drops)

Squats: 90–95%

Raised Deadlifts: 90–95%

Push Jerks: 85–90%

Secondary Presses: 85–90%

Weighted Pull-Ups: Heavy triples, perfect reps

Day 1

  • Olympic Lift (alternating hang cleans and hang snatches each week): 6×1
  • Squat (alternating zercher and SSB each week): 5×2
  • Raised Deadlift: 5×3

Day 2

  • Push Jerk: 6×3
  • Secondary Press (alternating landmine and floor press each week): 5×3
  • Weighted Pull-Ups: 5×3
  • Carry (alternating farmers and suitcase each week): 6×30 ft
  • Cannonball Grip Holds: 5 max-time sets

Day 3

  • 2x Sandbag Over Bar EMOM: 14 min
  • Arm-over-Arm Sled Pull: 6×80 ft
  • Sled Drags: 6×120 ft

Day 4

  • Tire Flips: Timed sets (30–45 sec)
  • Carry (alternating husafell sandbag and zercher yoke each week): Max distance or heavy short runs
  • Row Variation: 5×5–6
  • Lateral raises/crucifix holds
2

I see no chance for your hips to ever recover if you are deadlifting, cleaning and squatting 1 day, carrying on another, doing sandbag over bar on another, and flipping tires and carrying on yet another.

Are you married to training 4x per week? I feel like a 3x per week approach with a push day, a posterior chain day, and an events day would work. If 4x per week, I’d consider making 1 of those days a light day and have it be a “light EVERYTHING day”, sorta like a primer/feeder.

2 Likes
3

Hhmm . . good insight there, thanks . . perhaps instead of squatting and DLing on Day 1 I could just alternate them every other week? and perhaps totally eliminate carries on Day 2?

not married to 4 days a week, perhaps I’ll have chatgpt tweek this to 3x per week and add a day or two for some plyo/sprinting work

4

I think this is a solid base to use for structure with 3 or 4 day strongman programs:

I like the idea of A/B squat/deadlift main lift with consistent accessories

You could also have a speed day where one week it’s clean and the next it’s sprints

2 Likes
5

Looking at this, I think would change up the carries to have a larger difference in stimulus. For example, have 12 minutes of as many rounds of 1 carry at a longer distance and then a more loading focused day with fixed sets and shorter distance for the other carry. I think it makes it a little more well rounded and has some conditioning.

Tire flips is something more of a skill work so I’d only bring that in for a comp. Also because of the horror stories of biceps on tire I’m sketchy on them, log work might be a good sub. It has triple extension in the aspect that strongman uses it (more separated extension than like oly lifts which is more at once). Sandbag throw would be fun here too

In general I think trying to timeline oly lifts is a little pointless. At the end of the day, they are super technical so a little more technique work and then moving onto like a “pull” variation where it’s the triple extension but not dip and turnover would work well so you’d still get the technique and some more “fuck you” power. For example, work up to a top set of 5 on power snatch and load up a 3x3 on a hang snatch grip high pull. (I have no idea if you already do the oly lifts with a high level of proficiency)

Just some random thoughts

1 Like
6

some great points here, I really appreciate it . . I’ll definitely incorporate the different carry parameters and really like the idea of working up to maybe like a 3RM on cleans and snatch and then doing some high pulls

you’re right on the tire flips too, I just have several bigger ones on the property here and want to use them haha . . I think a good substitute for that could be a combination of trap bar pulls and KB swings or I like how Phil Daru does single arm split stance KB swings

1 Like
7

This is bizarre. I am reading this and am wondering if you are me!?

So I had shoulder surgery 7 months ago and I am currently trying to rebuild myself (injury was a year ago so its been while). I came up with the idea that I too would make my goal to compete in a strongman comp within 1-2 years! I have such strong desires to train hard again that I am constantly thinking of the “future template” as well, so this was super cool the read. Im just now starting to press light KBs so I dont think im close to that kind of training yet but when get there I’mthinking either 531 or Tactical Barbell for my base strength work and add in some carries and assistance. I like the 531 strongman template above. I would tweak it to what I have available.

Good luck on this! Let me know what you come up with.