–SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT–
Since, were on the topic of kegs. If anyone is need of kegs and is in my area – Milwaukee – I can get kegs for fairly cheap. ~$15/keg
I wish I did live near there
Yeah my kegs were $40 each. And a bitch to carry from the store home on my bike.
Hahaha. I can drive now, but I’m working on finding some kegs now. My gym is being cheap though and saying they aren’t willing to pay for any strongman stuff. I found a truck pulling harness that’s buy 1 get 2 free for $140. So i could get a small/medium/large and all types of people could use it
[quote]musicma1n1 wrote:
Yeah my kegs were $40 each. And a bitch to carry from the store home on my bike.[/quote]
That must have been quite a sight to see… a kid riding down the street on a bicycle carrying a keg. People probably thought that you were a determined drunk or something!
Good job on doing what it takes to get your training tools - that is dedication.
Also, ask your local football team where they keep their sled. My local team just leaves it outside and I plan to use it from now on. They won’t gimme pads for it, but this just means it’ll be a prowler.
Found this while reading about strenght and strongman…tought some of you guys might like to read this!
From NLPbodybuilding:
This is how to design a Strongman training split that will emphasize building your deadlift strength, overhead lifting and any other strongman event. A common question among athletes who are relatively new to strongman is, â??How should I train for a Strongman contest?â?? I will answer that and many more questions in this article.
In some ways, designing a strongman training split is very similar to designing a training split for bodybuilding or powerlifting. The first thing to do is to decide how many days per week you can train.
You need to consider what your schedule is like so that you decide on a routine that is realistic. Sure, it would be great to train everyday, but when you have a full-time job, a family, and a host of other responsibilities, you probably wonâ??t be able to maintain that schedule for long before you begin to miss workouts.
Another thing to consider when you are determining how often to do strongman training, is how much can your body handle without overtraining? There is no point in training beyond the point of recovery. I have heard Jesse Marunde say that he trains everyday, and people constantly marvel about Mariusz Pudzianowski and his ability to train constantly at a high level. Jouko Ahola was rumored to train events all the time, although I have also read that he prefers to split his strongman training up over 4 days a week. All of these guys train more than most people can, because they are full-time athletes and they have an amazing ability to recover quickly between workouts.
Most people should be able to train around 4 days per week. I usually train 3 or 4 days per week, depending upon what kind of competition I have coming up. My upper body recovers pretty quickly, but my lower back usually canâ??t handle being trained more than once a week for very long. One reason for this is that I tend to go all out in my strongman training, and that takes a little longer to recover from. You can train more frequently if your training is less intense, but I question whether you can do well in strongman without very intense training.
Letâ??s assume that you are going to train 4 days per week. We will set up a strongman training split that will allow you to train your body for Strongman competition. The event training and the emphasis can be altered for specific contests, and to work on weak areas, but this split will provide a good base before specialization.
Monday- Start your strongman training with some shoulder presses. You can choose between a variety of barbell and dumbbell presses, and even some machine presses from time to time. Do around 4 or 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps to build up your shoulders. After shoulders, move on to some movements for the lats. This is important so that you will be better able to lift heavy stones and do any arm over arm pull. You can rotate between a variety of rows and pulldowns or chins.
On these exercises you should do around 4 or 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps again. Next is some work for your triceps. Choose a basic, heavy movement like JM presses, skull crushers, or close grip benches and do 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps. Finish things off with some heavy biceps work. I know a lot of lifters think biceps work is just for bodybuilders, but if you want to be a Strongman, you need strong arms to pull on ropes, squeeze stones and flip tires. More than one powerlifter has tried to make the switch to Strongman training and torn their biceps because of the lack of biceps work in most powerlifting workouts. For biceps, you should do something basic like barbell or dumbbell curls. You can rotate hammer Curls or do curls with a strongman log as well. Do 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps on these. Magnus ver Magnusson has said that hammer curls will help your stone lifting events.
Tuesday- As a former powerlifter and a top professional strongman now, Karl Gillingham knows the importance of the squat and deadlift in strongman training. On this day you will do some form of Deadlift and Squat each week. For example, on one week you might squat heavy for several sets of 5 repetitions or less followed by stiff-legged deadlifts for 4 sets of 10. The next week you might deadlift heavy for several sets of 3 repetitions or less followed by 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps in the squat. Obviously, there are many other variations to these exercises, but the idea is to do one heavy and one for reps, and then rotate the order each week. Core strength is vital to your ability to squat and deadlift heavy weights, so you will need to train your abs on this day. Make sure to do some heavy ab work like side bends, weighted sit-ups or crunches, etc. You also need an iron grip in strongman, so today is the day to work your grip hard. Wrist rollers, grippers, thick bars and so on should be the staples for your grip training.
Thursday- Start with an overhead event such as the log lift or axle press. Make sure to clean each rep until it is too heavy, and then use your favorite alternate method for getting the weight to your shoulders. Most of the time you should do this exercise for heavy singles, unless you are preparing for a contest in which the most reps wins. Even in that case, it still helps to build up your maximum strength by doing singles at least some of the time. Do about 5 near max singles. Follow that up by doing some work for your traps. Heavy barbell shrugs are great, or you can substitute high pulls. Do about 4 sets of 10 reps for these. Today is another great time to get some arm work in, so follow the same protocol as you did on Monday, but use different exercises than you did earlier in the week.
Saturday- Today is your event day. Since you already did your overhead event for the week on Thursday, you can focus on other events on Saturday. You should not try to do every event each Saturday, but try to make sure you do something that works each aspect of strength.
For example, you will need to perform a farmers walk or super yoke at some time, and nothing can prepare you for walking with weight other than just doing it. Whether it is a farmers walk, super yoke, or just carrying a keg or stone, make sure that you practice walking with weight. Do an event that taxes your back, like the tire flip or the stones, but donâ??t do too many. No more than two, and just one might be better. You will need to practice dragging and pulling sleds or vehicles also. Make sure you limit your total events to 4 or 5 at the most on Saturday. Of course, you need to work on your event skills, but if you overdo your event day, you will quickly become over trained and start losing the strength you already have. Like I mentioned before, rotate your exercises and events so that you donâ??t become stale, and so that you donâ??t try to do all of them each week.
If you follow this simple guide for designing your strongman training split, you will be ready to compete successfully in no time. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get good quality sleep so that your body can recover and grow. Good luck with your training, and I will see you out there!
I want to incorporate 5/3/1 into my training as well, as I have really grown to like it. However, I have not done strongman training before, and am just now making the transition to it.
Using the article posted in this forum, I have modified it to be this:
Monday:
OHP* 4-5x8-12r
Latwork (rows/pullups) 4-5x8-12
Tricep (JM, CGBP) 4x6-10
Biceps 4x8-12
Tue:
5/3/1 Squat or Dead
Squat/DL (opposite of main movement) 3-4x8-12
Ab work
Grip work
Thu:
Log/Axle Clean Press 5x1-2r or 5/3/1
Trap (shrug/hi-pull) 4x10
Triceps 4x6-10
Biceps 4x8-12
Sat:
Carrying (farmers, yoke, keg/stone/sandbag carry)
Backtaxer (tire flips, stone, zercher)
Dragging/pulling (sleds, vehicle, tire drags)
all as medley?
On Monday, I think I am going to switch out the OHP for 5/3/1 incline bench, as I am already hitting heavy OH w/ the log, and the regular bench isnt really necessary.
What do you all think?
That’s move volume then I could handle, but if it works go for it. I just want to finish this meet I have coming up, take two full weeks off and then I’m going to do 5/3/1 with a fourth day of event training and a fifth day of hitting up college campuses.
[quote]musicma1n1 wrote:
That’s move volume then I could handle, but if it works go for it. I just want to finish this meet I have coming up, take two full weeks off and then I’m going to do 5/3/1 with a fourth day of event training and a fifth day of hitting up college campuses. [/quote]
At first I thought the same thing. But in reality it is not much worse than 5/3/1 with a BBB template.
What would you advise to alter? I am concerned w/ the relative lack of heavy squat/dl work.
What does this 5th day consist of? A 5th day of training for you is hunting down co-ed chicks? HAHA- I like it. Or are you looking at schools to attend?
My fifth day (conditioning but not a liquid carb load) is working on my barbell hip thrusts using a bodyweight partner for high reps while super-setting it with plank forward hip thrusts.
Before you read this, make a note. I am a n00b and do not claim to be otherwise. I can deadlift 405 x 5 for a max with belt and nothing else.
Any log work I ever do always ends up being a lower body thing. Maybe it’s just the way I jerk the weight up, but that’s just me. More or less the same goes for Clean and Press. With an axle it includes a bit of grip work, but it’s even more so lower body work IMO.
That said if I did that, it would be like doing Lower body work three days in a row. I find it really hard to tax my upper body with events even if they’re stone loads or keg runs. I have little experience with farmers and it’s my weakest event right now (excluding the fact that all my events are weak lol).
Right now I look like this:
ME Upper
Break
ME Lower
DE Upper
Break
Event Day (keg running and stone loading and maybe sled work, it’s all I’ve got for now)
Break
The medley thing is definitely a good call though. People always complain of getting out of breath and not out of strength.
I’m also doing 5 sets of 30 second bursts of crucifix holds 6 days a week and I feel a HUGE improvement.
Today I learned a very important lesson. If you want to get better at log, do more log.
I had a couple questions I was hoping you guys can help me out with! 
As a female wanting to compete, how should I go about training when there isn’t a competition in sight? Just get stronger on the basic compound movements(presses, squats, deadlifts)?
Also, would I contact the chair person of the state to find out who we can get to promote a show?
Thanks for any info you may have!!
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
I had a couple questions I was hoping you guys can help me out with!
As a female wanting to compete, how should I go about training when there isn’t a competition in sight? Just get stronger on the basic compound movements(presses, squats, deadlifts)?
Also, would I contact the chair person of the state to find out who we can get to promote a show?
Thanks for any info you may have!! :)[/quote]
I think the best bet is to get stronger at staple events: yokex50’, farmersx50’, log c&p every rep and stones. I do believe that that goes hand-in-hand with the more traditional gym lifts you mentioned so keep up with those too, just remain focused on the events in which you will compete. It can be confusing and frustrating if one set of lifts goes up but not the other, but keep plugging away. This is based on you having regular access to the events since you didnt say otherwise.
“who we can get to promote a show” is a loaded question. I am betting you right now that the answer is going to be “you.” Seriously, they’ll likely come back to you that if you’re so interested in having a comp in the area, would you like to give promoting one a shot. NAS is always trying to grow the sport, and the job is difficult enough without having to cajole people not expressing interest, so if local comps are nonexistent and state comps (since your chair is supposed to put on at least one every year) are too infrequent, then you’ll prob either have to travel or put in a little work yourself
[quote]KBCThird wrote:
mom-in-MD wrote:
I had a couple questions I was hoping you guys can help me out with!
As a female wanting to compete, how should I go about training when there isn’t a competition in sight? Just get stronger on the basic compound movements(presses, squats, deadlifts)?
Also, would I contact the chair person of the state to find out who we can get to promote a show?
Thanks for any info you may have!!
I think the best bet is to get stronger at staple events: yokex50’, farmersx50’, log c&p every rep and stones. I do believe that that goes hand-in-hand with the more traditional gym lifts you mentioned so keep up with those too, just remain focused on the events in which you will compete. It can be confusing and frustrating if one set of lifts goes up but not the other, but keep plugging away. This is based on you having regular access to the events since you didnt say otherwise.
“who we can get to promote a show” is a loaded question. I am betting you right now that the answer is going to be “you.” Seriously, they’ll likely come back to you that if you’re so interested in having a comp in the area, would you like to give promoting one a shot. NAS is always trying to grow the sport, and the job is difficult enough without having to cajole people not expressing interest, so if local comps are nonexistent and state comps (since your chair is supposed to put on at least one every year) are too infrequent, then you’ll prob either have to travel or put in a little work yourself
[/quote]
x2
As a national strongman said to me recently:
“Getting good at events is important, but most important is to just get stronger”
If you get your deadlift up to 315, I’m sure you’ll be a much better strongwoman. Don’t forget to train grip and you’ll do fine.
eek, 315 huh?
And I didn’t mean ‘show,’ I meant comp, lol…I’ve always had an interest, and its not off my list of things to do, YET!
I believe there is some transitional stuff going on with the current chairperson…it’s a toss up right now between training for a bodybuilding show or for strongman, lol…two COMPLETELY different aspects to training…
[quote]musicma1n1 wrote:
KBCThird wrote:
mom-in-MD wrote:
I had a couple questions I was hoping you guys can help me out with!
As a female wanting to compete, how should I go about training when there isn’t a competition in sight? Just get stronger on the basic compound movements(presses, squats, deadlifts)?
Also, would I contact the chair person of the state to find out who we can get to promote a show?
Thanks for any info you may have!!
I think the best bet is to get stronger at staple events: yokex50’, farmersx50’, log c&p every rep and stones. I do believe that that goes hand-in-hand with the more traditional gym lifts you mentioned so keep up with those too, just remain focused on the events in which you will compete. It can be confusing and frustrating if one set of lifts goes up but not the other, but keep plugging away. This is based on you having regular access to the events since you didnt say otherwise.
“who we can get to promote a show” is a loaded question. I am betting you right now that the answer is going to be “you.” Seriously, they’ll likely come back to you that if you’re so interested in having a comp in the area, would you like to give promoting one a shot. NAS is always trying to grow the sport, and the job is difficult enough without having to cajole people not expressing interest, so if local comps are nonexistent and state comps (since your chair is supposed to put on at least one every year) are too infrequent, then you’ll prob either have to travel or put in a little work yourself
x2
As a national strongman said to me recently:
“Getting good at events is important, but most important is to just get stronger”
If you get your deadlift up to 315, I’m sure you’ll be a much better strongwoman. Don’t forget to train grip and you’ll do fine.[/quote]
I’m not saying that I disagree with this, but that’s not exactly what I said. I actually recommend that she get stronger in the events while not ignoring the gym lifts, but to me, gym lifts are usually second to events, at least in terms of indicating how I’ll do at a show. Personal goals are something else entirely. There have been enough guys who aren’t statically strong who ahve done well that I tend not to think of them as exceptions - not the rule, but not exceptions, either.
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
eek, 315 huh?
And I didn’t mean ‘show,’ I meant comp, lol…I’ve always had an interest, and its not off my list of things to do, YET!
[/quote]
‘Show’ and ‘comp’ are used interchangeably
[quote]
I’m 16 and I just went to the liquor store and picked them up. If you pay the bottle deposit ($40) then they’ll just let you walk off with them.[/quote]
I’m 19 and have been lookin for kegs for close to a year now and never tried this. Excuse my retardedness, but this actually works?
[quote]scottoman wrote:
I’m 16 and I just went to the liquor store and picked them up. If you pay the bottle deposit ($40) then they’ll just let you walk off with them.
I’m 19 and have been lookin for kegs for close to a year now and never tried this. Excuse my retardedness, but this actually works? [/quote]
Yeah. If the keg is empty, it’s not illegal for them to sell it to you. Call a bunch of places in your area first because some places won’t do it though. I had to call about 3 places to find one that would sell me an empty keg, but it was worth it. Gradually fill it with water and when you can completely fill it with water, empty it and start to fill it with sand. Once it’s full of sand start to add water. This will get you almost to 300lbs.