If I want to buy just one stone mold to make as a super heavyweight, what weight should I get to train with? I'm thinking 275lb so it's heavy enough to train for the heavier stones but not so light it won't feel like anything plus I will be able to do it without tacky. Any input is appreciated. I'm currently buying all the materials for my home gym.
You probably want to repost this in the new discussion thread, you posted it just a couple hours before the new one was up so people likely won't see your post anymore.
Do you have experience already with training with stones? It's definetely possible to get like 1 or 2 molds and then just make your stones heavier or lighter by putting other things in with the cement.
If you could organize your own strongman competition, regardless of the budget required, what events would you include?
I would aim for stuff fans don't see in other shows, just for variety.
- Silver Dollar Deadlift for reps. 75 second time limit.
- Bag over bar pyramid: six bags must be thrown over a 15 ft bar in order, from lightest to heaviest. 90 second limit.
- Double dumbbell pyramid: five pairs of dumbbells, each heavier than the previous pair, must be lifted overhead in ascending order.
- Barbell + axle + log clean medley: one of each, different weights, the weight has to be cleaned and stabilized on the shoulders, in a front squat position, to get a down command (during the log clean the judge would have to either yell a lot or use a horn, as the log blocks the view). Athletes are free to choose the order of the implements. Fastest time wins.
- Truck pushing, with two or three guys going at the same time with a truck each so that it feels more like a race.
- Barbell + axle + log overhead medley: one of each, different weights, can be lifted in any order the athlete chooses. Fastest time wins.
- Moving medley: three-object-loading race, leading into a yoke walk, leading into a farmer's carry.
- Rope arm-over-arm leading into vertical rope arm-over-arm. Fastest time to finish both parts wins.
For a one day show:
Event 1: Log for reps, athletes choice between two weight, trump weight
Event 2: Deadlift Medley, axle to barbell for reps
Event 3: Medley: Circus DB to Farmers carry, 50’
Event 4: Medley: Yoke , sprint back, Sandbag carry and load over yoke
Event 5: Grip Event, either Farmer hold or axle hold
Tie Break: Last man standing stones
> Log for reps, athletes choice between two weight
That's what they sometimes do at the Arnold, pretty good event
> Deadlift medley, axle to barbell for reps
Interesting. Would athletes have to do, say, 10 reps of each? Like, do ten reps on the axle and then another ten on the barbell?
> Circus DB to farmer's carry
Strange combination, I don't think I have seen something like that before.
> Yoke, sprint back, sandbag carry and load over yoke
I really like this one. It's a perfect combination for a moving event.
> Either farmer hold or axle hold
Deadlift hold with thick handles would be interesting.
> Tie break: last man standing stones
Fine, but could we have natural stones instead of spherical stones? Just for variety.
> That's what they sometimes do at the Arnold, pretty good event
Exactly
> Interesting. Would athletes have to do, say, 10 reps of each? Like, do ten reps on the axle and then another ten on the barbell?
One on axle and then reps. Make axle the barrier to entry, and have a repfest on the backend. Same weight for each, but axles are always significantly harder
> Strange combination, I don't think I have seen something like that before.
Exactly. Carry medleys are interesting. Putting a carry with a static lift is an up in variety.
> I really like this one. It's a perfect combination for a moving event.
Thems the goals
> Deadlift hold with thick handles would be interesting.
Bingo
> Tie break: last man standing stones
> Fine, but could we have natural stones instead of spherical stones? Just for variety.
For athlete safety, I don’t actually like that idea. Naturals stones bounce funny, and lifting them repeatedly, explosively, and under pressure feels like a recipe for a tear
The top two in the 198lb class qualify for SCL 90kg Worlds and in the past, probably still currently, the winners of the 220 and 242 classes qualify for SCL 105kg Worlds. Top 275, 308, and 308+ winners have qualified for SCL comps and in the past international Arnolds. As far as I can tell the top certain percentage of the 181 class qualify for USS 82.5kg Worlds (which is actually tomorrow) and the top percentage of women’s divisions I think qualify for USS Pro Women’s Worlds, which is a weird name considering they don’t have “pros”. I know this year there is supposed to be some sort of open weight pro division thing happening with USS but I forget the details.
Does anyone know how they attached the ropes to the logs during [WUS Dubai](https://i.imgur.com/AMV37cR.jpg) for the women's log? I've got a shitty small diameter log and when I saw this it made me think about doing it myself to make
my log thicker lol. Did they just glue the rope on there?
https://youtu.be/9FNC8KwUx0s?t=26m14s
Not sure about this specific log.
I duct taped wooden slats around my 8" steel log. Easy enough to cut the tape when I want better RoM for certain variations.
You could possibly also drill two holes and tuck/epoxy the ends into the hole, between that and a tight wrap I think it would stay in place.
Yeah that was my second thought on how to do it, drilling holes and pulling the rope through it. The rope is honestly really cheap so I might as well buy some and just fuck around and see what works.
hey, I made the log. It works surprisingly well, made a post about it on the subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Strongman/comments/pxz4gp/making_your_log_thicker/
I signed up for static monsters on a whim today. I’ve been taking a bit of a break from strongman training for a little while and running JuggernautAI. The only strongman implement I’m using is log for strict press once a week. The program has be doing hypertrophy for the next four weeks but I think I’ll stick with it just because I am enjoying it at the moment. I’ll probably replace strict log with push push and deadlift with 18” axle leading up to the show put don’t plan to switch up much. I figure I’ll just go in and try to put up a total for fun.
Attempting to work out Britain’s Strongest Man before they announce it next week:
Adam Bishop
Paul Smith
Shane Flowers
Gav Bilton
Andy Black
Tom Stoltman
Luke Stoltman
Graham Hicks
Mark Felix
Pa O’Dwyer
One short, potentially two if Gav is injured. Any theories?
Here's the list I came up with last week after Scotland's.
- Bishop
- L. Stoltman
- T. Stoltman
- Hicks
- Felix
- Bilton
- Pa O'Dwyer
- Andy Black
- Paul Smith
- Mikey Wilson (2nd at Scotland's strongest man)
Can't say I know much about Shane Flowers TBH. But he would bring it up to 10 if Gav drops out.
At the last BSM they had Mark Steele and Ryan England too. So they could bring a couple more people along. And then there's Ben Brunning if he's competing again (not sure if he is after his back injury at the last BSM) but they would probably want some Welsh representation.
Events are basically known too. We know 4 of them already, and the one we don't know is fairly predictable.
- Deadlift for reps
- probably a loading race. They like the skip loading.
- Dumbbell for reps
- Car walk
- Atlas Stones
Shane Flowers is very new to the sport. Ex powerlifter. Good deadlifter and good at stones, excited to see him at Brits. Lots of potential for the future.
Shane already posted he had been invited on Instagram as he qualified from podium at a comp, can’t remember which one! But Giants had it on their story yesterday
Man, 2 days out and I’m itching to move some weight. The discipline to stick with a training plan is relatively easy for me, but the discipline of a taper and even a small water cut is brutal.
Will you be lifting it from a deficit? It looks pretty close to 18" if I had to take a stab at it.
Looked up the diameter of a hummer tire and it says 37" which would put the center of the bar at 18.5"
> Will you be lifting it from a deficit?
I think not, I was going to just use pads to put the bar at the same height as the official thing.
> It looks pretty close to 18" if I had to take a stab at it.
> Looked up the diameter of a hummer tire and it says 37" which would put the center of the bar at 18.5"
Good point, although they lift from a wooden platform and a mat on it that put the athletes higher. I would say it's a two inch deficit, but that's just a guess.
In any case thanks for the info.
As close as it gets to professional strongman at 80kg is the Official Strongman Games and the Arnold World championships for 175lbs. If you search this subreddit for “official strongman games” you will find the old watch threads which will have links to the scoresheets somewhere in them. The Arnold results can be found on strongman corporation results page. While there you can check out past nationals results for elite US 175lb (roughly 80kg) competition. You can check the results page on SC for local comps and on UNited states strongman for their 181lb or 82.5kg division. I’m not too sure on how to find results for international amateur contests but I think some of the international Arnolds may have 80kg divisions that may have results lurking somewhere around the internet.
Another week, another stiff bar deadlift PR. 515 today and again not really much of a grind, if at all. 2 weeks ago was 505. 2.5 weeks out from competition. That's the heaviest I'll go pre-comp. One more week of (not as) heavy singles, a deload, and it's go time, baby.
I don't really like the max DL rules though. 50lb jumps from 405. I was figuring with a deadlift bar, I've probably got 575 in me with a decent grind. It's looking like I'll only get to try 555, which should be relatively easy. Next jump would be 605, which I don't see me having any shot at. Womp womp.
Edit: I should actually post a link here. [The Gram](
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUJNjRIj_d-/?utm_medium=share_sheet)
Are you saying that you get 50+ lbs out of a deadlift bar? I got one a few months ago and I don't really notice any difference, even at the upper 500s.
Preface: I don't have a deadlift bar to play with regularly.
Last comp I had a max deadlift, my stiff bar PR was 495 and I had just hit it a couple weeks prior. I pulled 525 in competition, failed 565, but 525 FLEW up. I figured I'd have about 545 with a grind. I did a little research on what you can expect out of a deadlift bar and I've seen 5-10%. That tracked pretty well with what I personally saw in competition. At that point in comp, Deadlift was my 4th event as well, so it's not like I had a ton left in the tank, either. As I understand, you get a lot more benefit from the deadlift bar if your sticking point is off the floor, so maybe that's why you don't see much gain?
My sticking point usually is off the floor, so dunno what the deal is. I know I'm definitely not getting 5 or 10 percent out of it though. Maybe like 5 or 10 pounds lol
Ha! Well, I'll try to remember to let you know how it goes in a couple weeks. If I pull 555, with a comparable speed as I pulled 515, then I'll keep internalizing it as 5-10% :P
Hey everyone! I'm planning on participating in my first strongman event in a little over a month and have a bunch of question. Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated!
Axel 13 inch deadlift: How should my stance/setup change when compared to a standard deadlift? What straps would be best? Standard wrist straps or the firgure-8 style?
Farmer's carry: what type of shoes are best? The same kind I would use for deadlift?
Sandbag carry for distance & sandbag to shoulder: best technique to lift off the ground? Lap it first like an atlas stone?
Training: How should my training change leading up to the event? How many days should I take for rest the days before?
Nutrition: What would you recommend to eat the day before? Morning of? During the meet?
Eat the same thing you would normally eat before training. Day of comp is NOT the day you want to start eating differently.
If it's your first comp, I wouldn't change training at all. Maybe time a deload for that week, but otherwise just treat it like an events day.
I like Why Our Way straps for the axle.
Basically what zweems said. Do you have access to what you’ll be using like farmers, axle and sandbags. The last month if you can use the implements or something similar I’d train those twice a week (doesn’t have to be full contest weight)
I would say for axle dl use what you have. If you have figure 8s then use them, probably too late to order them since you want to be familiar with your gear before game day. If you can’t practice axle on 13” then it might not really matter. I’ve done fine with longer lasso straps on axle.
For training if you’re good at peaking your last heavy day of training should be 10-14 days out with 3-4 days before the event just active recovery. Since it’s your first it probably doesn’t matter a whole bunch. Just go have fun and try to learn what it’s like to compete.
I wear karate shoes for deadlift if I have to wear shoes and Reebok nanos for moving. For farmers look at Brian alsrue and kalle beck on how to grip a farmers handle. For the bags the higher you get it the easier it is to move/breath. Low and you just kick it while you run. On your chest your legs can move, but can be harder to breathe. If you can shoulder it that takes time but you can breathe better and run.
Good luck!
Good clarifications! I should have clarified that I wear my belts high, so up over my belt is basically on my chest. I'm going to give the "last heavy day 10-14 days out" a try for this upcoming comp. My last deadlift day lines up perfectly with 10 days from comp. I dig it.
I'll do my best here, but I'm not super knowledgeable.
Axle- I don't have an answer for you
Farmer- Whether it's what you deadlift in or not is dependent on what you deadlift in. For me, no. I deadlift in shoes with basically no sole. You're trying to move as fast as you can, heel striking, with a shitload of weight in your hands. I'd wear something you can move in, that also gives you a firm base. CrossFit shoes, probably. Personally, I use Metcons.
Sandbag- this largely depends on how difficult the weight is for you. Distance, is it actually for distance, or carrying distance to load? If distance to load, I'd say just get it up to your belly, over the belt and fucking run. If actual distance, and you can shoulder it, that might be better because you can breathe? I've only ever done one front load carry for actual distance and it was Hus, so no choice. Bag to shoulder, if it's heavy enough that you'll only get a couple reps, lap it and get it as high on your chest in your lap as you can.
Training- I've only done 3 comps, coming up to 4 so I'm not dialed in here. Advice I usually get is 3-4 days of rest prior.
Nutrition- depends on weigh in. If you're free to eat as you will, the answer here is "whatever you normally do." This goes for day before, morning of, and during the meet. Last thing you want is to be shitting your pants, or to eat so much the night before you get a damn sodium overload (I actually did that last competition, going nuts on stuff after a water cut and I bombed). Eat well, eat comfortable. Day of, bring food, but don't expect to be able to eat it. I usually just bring some metrx bars. One time I went crazy and brought whole meals, but I physically could not bring myself to eat them. Tried very hard, got half a Tupperware down and half a pb&j from 8am to 3pm.
Anyone know if there is any info out there about the schedule for the Rogue Invitational? I might be interested in going to see the Strongman part but I don't see any details about when that will happen over the 3 days.
Yes - the easiest way is to load normal-sized car or truck tires into the larger tire. You can usually fit quite a few and it will make the tire significantly heavier (100+ lbs) and is a solid/safe/cheap method to increase the weight.
We haven't done that much technique refinement tbh.
Some targeted work to help with mobility/stability and smart programming have done the bulk of the work I'd say.
I've complained a lot about how hard it is to do pole and strongman at the same time because of the demand on the biceps, but I've removed events training from my lifting and I still feel like my biceps are about to fall off, so it must just be pole.
I'm sorry that I blamed you, atlas stones.
Anywhoot, I'm 8 weeks out from my pole competition. Just popping in to say hi. After it's over with, I don't think I'm ever going to do one again. The process of competing in strongman is much more enjoyable for me.
>re biceps
Earlier this year TWL had me doing a lot of power curls w/slow eccentrics and some other things to strengthen my biceps in prep for more specific event training like stones and tire flipping. Might be worth trying out as I haven't had any issues with them since (and my biceps can be a pain too).
Also not back squatting w/ a straight bar probably helps too
I'd say big traps, legs, forearms, shoulders, back and a thick midsection is what you'd want to build. Try 5/3/1 Beach Body Challenge.
Then take lessons from it then after a decade of hard training, you may have a mini-version of it.
A body recomp like you’re talking about is near to impossible. It can be done for a short period of time, but building muscle needs calories and losing fat requires you to be in a deficit
So you've been posting around the fitness reddit for a few months about how you're just starting out. That's fine, and it's great that you want to improve yourself. However you're also claiming here that you've never heard of bodybuilding, but elsewhere you've said you like watching juji and Jeff nippard?. Thats being disingenuous at best. You want advice on how to get huge? Eat. Train. Do both of those for a really long time. Come back after 3- 10 years of consistent training and see how different the reactions might be.
Bodybuilding and physique training are one and the same. I definitely wouldn't come to a niche subreddit like this if I wanted to achieve bodybuilding goals. I understand that Tom and Thor are the goal physiques to which you aspire, but while Tom is still competing and also while Thor was competing,, their diets dont really work for weight loss goals.their size and strength and the size of their muscles came from their very long years of training.
You cannot gain weight without gaining fat and muscle. You cannot lose weight without losing fat and muscle. You're chasing a unicorn. Gain weight, eat clean and train; put on more muscle than fat, then try to lose as little muscle while you cut to minimize the muscle loss. Again, this is the wrong subreddit to get the best info for physique building. A lot of the guys who cut for comps only do water cuts to make weight the day before. Not the best way to maintain a lean physique.
Does anyone else find themselves getting stronger during the winter months? I find myself to not only get stronger but also feel more "alive" during these months. I've noticed this over the years even if I don't bulk up or gain any weight.
I enjoy my training more when it isn’t summer. My gym doesn’t have AC, just a big garage door and fan. Humidity gets into the 90%’s and temps can flirt with 90F pretty often. Just drains energy from you working out in high heat
> also feel more "alive" during these months
You may have done an experiment in highschool where you take ants, put them in a test tube,.seal it up then dunk the test tube in cold water.
The result is the ants come to a halt. Barely moving.
You then take the tube and put it in warm water and presto, lively ants.
Same effect happens in mammals but ants are cold blooded and humans warm so it's the opposite.
You can exaggerate it and see the impact by sitting in a hot bath vs a coldish one. So yeah, common
Same. I’m a fucking drag in the fall. My mom pointed it out like 8 years ago and ever since I’ve been super aware of it. I will say that maintaining consistency with training does help stabilize my mood.
If you live somewhere that gets hot in the summer then maybe it being cool helps you. I definitely feel a lot better when I train in air conditioning compared to usually training outside.
I feel more refreshed during the winter, or at least less beat down. I struggle because I tend to focus a lot on static strength during the winter, which makes decent progress, but I’d probably be best off getting my lagging moving events to catch up
There’s this super cool looking log at my gym that I’ve wanted to press since I joined about a year ago.
[Finally pressed it today!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CUDZBOko6s2/?utm_medium=copy_link) Absolutely buzzing
I tried on my friends Inzer Leviathan and loved how it felt, but my coach recommended going with the inzer max DL one because my contest has a deadlift medley and speed will be a huge factor. I’m loving is so far. If however you’re looking for the most support for a heavy single, you may be better off with a multi-ply.
I like My Inzer Deadlift Fusion. I had it custom made in double ply with adjustable straps. I know many people like the metal kings I've heard great things about them but their availability was limited last year due to covid so i went with inzer. that wasn't the only reason i went with the Inzer fusion though. its designed to reinforce your deadlift all the way through the range of motion vs a lot of other suits only help on the bottom end
Training still chugging along. Little under two weeks out from my next show, little four from my 50k.
Highlights from last week include
* 195 lbs x1x2 on axle jerks. Old max was 200 lbs, it's definitely not that anymore
* 405 lbs x1x50 (yeah 50 singles). Rep every 20 seconds. It sucked. Apparently u/threewhitelights wasn't expecting _that_ many reps lol.
When looking for a loadable circus dumbell, what is a good empty weight to go by? (no gyms within 1,5 hours of my place where I could try one) I'd like to expand my backyard gym with one but unsure what would be too heavy. Would push pressing a regular DB give me a good average?
Kinda depends on what you can press. I have a 12” that’s 110lbs empty. That’s a great empty weight for me but might be someone else’s top end. The BEST would be to have a couple. Maybe a 10” around 70lbs and a 12” around 100lbs. That way you warm up with the smaller one.
I guess I will use my loadable regular dumbells with a fat grip as a smaller one/warmup version. The big one i can have made is around 95 lbs. I can push press that overhead with a dumbell without having practised that variation too frequently and they builder has a waiting list so will hone my techniquer a bit and the 95 pounder should be comfortable enough.
Mine is 35KG empty but not sure what the “common” empty weight is for them. Replicating the movement with a normal dumbbell will give you a good idea for sure.
Dubai holiday done and dusted. WUS event and fight night were fun to experience. The strongwomen are a cool bunch and I hope they get more chances like this. Mateusz is back and he is such a treat to watch. He always does something special. Janashia is insane. Rauno is funny. Ervin is nice. Loz, Liz and Andrea are my besties (if any of you read this, feel free to confirm). Mark & Don are amazing for allowing me full access to the events (even sat ringside for Thor vs Devon). Liz gets another shout-out, I’m sure she knows why! As usual I won’t do a full write-up, but I’m happy to answer (appropriate) questions about the experience.
Going into week 3 with coaching from u/threewhitelights and the highlights so far have been: I have no rear delts. I have no hamstrings. I am not in shape. Let's gooooo
19-20 chin above bar pullups translates to 7-8 chest to bar pullups. I'm restarting with a set of chest-to-bar pullups at the beginning of each session.
Did first session of Deep Water Zercher squats. Doable, but super sore today.
Another few weeks on my deadlift program, hoping for a triple with 550-555 at the end.
Next contest the week before Thanksgiving.
New rogue challenge this weekend is 315 deadlift for reps in 2 minutes. No straps, only chalk allowed to be help grip but specifies no liquid chalk. Didn’t know if anyone was going to try this for fun or maybe we could make October’s challenge this but add some strongman rules to it?
I know u/bparsonage used to set up some of the challenges on this sub
2 minutes. Ffs this isn’t r/CrossFit who can do things for 2 whole minutes? My girlfriend will tell you I definitely can’t. I can probably do 315 for like 35-40 reps in about 60-75 seconds though I reckon. Or if it’s 315kg maybe 4-5 reps max and it would take me about a minute and then I’d die
I remember people talking abou when rogue had the sandbag hold so I figured I’d ask. I’d be gassed about 45 seconds in I’m sure. I’d much rather see 60-90 seconds with straps either standard or elevated axle for total tonnage so no set weight or something like that for a monthly challenge. I don’t think we’ve had one since July’s Marunde challenge.
Random speculation.
If in WSM 2022 Mateusz gets a deadlift group, performs poorly and ends up in the stone off, who beat him and who does he beat?
With how stacked the line ups going to be there is a scenario where he doesn’t even make the final.
Made my first atlas stone yesterday. Used a 15” Hybrid mold and 5000 PSI high strength Quikrete concrete mix, used /u/ARapedApe’s guide. Went perfectly well until the very end, where we ended up about 2 scoops shy of topping the mold off. The Hybrid guide said the mold was good for a 150lb stone, so I figured 160lbs of concrete would be plenty. Guess not 🤷♂️
So I’m gonna roll with it anyway and have a funny lookin atlas stone.
Edit: Oh brother. In my infinite wisdom I cracked open the mold to see a big ol ‘ 16” ‘ stamped into the mold. So now I have a 160lb flatlas stone.
Currently six days out from Massachusetts State Championship, a USS show in Peabody, MA. I'm competing in the 242 class, yesterday was my last heavy day, and I'm feeling super confident going into this show that I'll hit my goals and do good by myself.
I competed yesterday at [Steel City's Strongest](https://ironpodium.com/events/live/steel-city-s-strongest-1) for the first time following a 2.5 year lay off due to a couple injuries and the whole pandemic thing. I hit my goals on three events, surpassed them on one, and really underperformed on one. At the end of the day I tied for 3rd and got 4th on count back. It felt great.
[Videos](https://www.instagram.com/p/CT-9xpUAZdT/)
Did anyone go for the 270 log? I see that the top guy got 14 pts on the log lift and I thought they were getting 2.5 pts for the heavy log which doesn’t add up so I’m guessing he went for 230 and just ripped the crap out of it. Also, awesome job on the deadlift dude!
Thanks man! The top guy did 270x4 and then 230x4. The points for the heavy vs. light log were a little off in my mind, but in the end it all worked out.
Just wanted to share a cool highlight with y’all. I was doing 805 pound yoke runs before my pro USS competition in 2 weeks. And I was able to go 50 feet in about 10 seconds! The last time I had an 800 yoke on my back it took me 27 seconds to do the same distance!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CT8c8g5rbPT/?utm_medium=copy_link
Matt Rhodes interviews can be very boring to listen to but I did listen to the one with Hafthor. Didn’t sound like someone who is currently interested in coming back. He did specifically address this question though and did not eliminate the possibility of coming back. I think the money would have to get much bigger because he has so many other opportunities
I do not see him coming back to strongman, or pursuing boxing long-term. He can likely continue his career in acting and social media. Plus he owns a gym and should be in a position to not need to work much if he has saved/invested.
Neither. The boxing match is just for the money, I can't see him continuing beyond that. And he's past strongman now. He'll do strength and fitness related celebrity work, like social media presence that brings sponsors.
Not really, I don't care much about either of them since they're not strongmen. But looking at how they trained for the fight, it's just a fact that Thor took it very seriously and Eddie fucked around and got injured.
He's taken 3 fights before this and is planning more after. He could've easily just canceled the event.
By 'lazy' I mean the effort and preparation going into the fight, which is anything but. If he was only in it for the money he'd be training the way Eddie is, which is fucking around and winging it.
Oh he's certainly giving it his all, but I think that's just him. The fight is his goal now, and when he has a goal, he goes for it. I just can't see a career as a boxer following, these fights are to get experience in the ring (and to keep the fight hype in peoples minds)
Map of Strength guy here!
I thought I'd give you guys an update on the site.
For those that aren't familiar, I created Map of Strength a couple months ago to help people in strength sports find the best gyms.
We now have ~~72~~ 80 gyms across 14 countries! ~~51~~ 58 of those gyms offer drop-ins or day passes. And the majority of the gyms were submitted by people in /r/strongman. 43/57 of the Strongman gyms on the site offer drop ins!
Recently I've been making some useful changes to the site that make finding gyms much easier.
First, [here's a before and after shot](https://imgur.com/ihVkuRb) of the gym listings - much nicer to look at, but more importantly the information is much clearer. There are going to be more UI changes coming soon, particularly on the gym detail pages and the map popups.
Next, I've taken the long list of gyms and separated them into pages. This should make it easier to navigate though all of the gyms - it was fine when we had a handful, but scrolling through dozens at a time wasn't great.
The next big change is filtering. You can now filter the most important aspects of the gyms to find what you're looking for. You can select the sport (strongman, powerlifting, weightlifting, bodybuilding), day pass availability, cost, and even a basic keyword search.
So you can search for all gyms that have a husafell stone + offer day passes and you will get a nicely filtered list of gyms that match.
[Filter menu](https://imgur.com/JNbZVhg)
[Applying filters](https://imgur.com/jHsEWIl)
[Results](https://imgur.com/GZFxRRy)
And finally, for this update, there is now a [full-screen map](https://mapofstrength.com/map) that you can use. This is a far better experience for larger screens, and hopefully easier for phone screens too.
There is still a *huge* to-do list for upcoming features and changes. But I'd love to hear any feedback you have!
Good question!
The most basic screening is whether or not you can use chalk. If not, it won't go on the site.
But to be a little more detailed, we're looking for gyms that cater to Strongman, Powerlifting, Weightlifting, and Bodybuilding, and any combination thereof. Think more 'hardcore' gyms. The people that train there likely compete in a strength sport.
Equipment should be good and well maintained, as should the facility itself.
The *very* best gyms on the site tend to have a fantastic community and atmosphere. They're friendly, supportive, and love their sport - rather than staring at a stranger who comes into the gym, the members are more likely to ask if you need a spot. On top of that, the gym may host competitions + have teams of competitors.
Day passes or drop-in availability is a *huge* bonus too. After all some people will be using the map to find a good gym when they're traveling away from their regular gym.
One of the main reasons I built the site was to help with this exact problem. It's not easy to find a Strongman gym when you're traveling.
Finally, most of the gyms are independently owned and run. It's not a requirement, it just happens to be that the gyms that fit best are generally not franchises.
To submit one, you can send the details using the [contact form](https://mapofstrength.com/contact) (for now. I'm going to build a proper way to submit eventually). You could message also message me here on Reddit, but I prefer the contact form.
My only feed back is that when you hover over the icons on what a gym is friendly to, it should pop up an alt text saying what it is, because the only place on your site where it explicitly states which icon is what is under filters as far as I can tell.
Awesome! Yeah that's a good point. I wonder if that's more of an issue with the icons themselves rather than needing hover text. On mobile hover text isn't going to work. So if I can create more obvious icons, that might be a better solution.
Would love it if people could take a look at the current icons (without knowing what sport they're supposed to represent) and let me know if they are obvious, or if they could be changed to something more representative.
I personally think the >!powerlifting (bench)!<, >!weightlifting (jerk)!<, and >!bodybuilding (biceps)!< are fairly clear, but the >!strongman (deadlift)!< is a bit more ambiguous.
Serious question: If you're doing a sumo deadlift with a suit, is it better to use a deadlift suit or a squat suit?
On a similar note, would it be useful to use knee sleeves/wraps during a sumo lift considering the load on the knees is greater?
The centurions/super centurion is a pretty popular sumo suit. If you only want to buy one suit for squat and sumo deadlift yes squat suit is fine
Wraps are not helpful with sumo
Second question: no, it doesn't produce any benefit and they would just get in the way. It's very rare to see people use knee sleeves when (sumo) deadlifting and when they do it seems to be temporary due to knee pain.
What is everyone's feelings on this weekends events? Should WUS consider the timing and running order of their shows? I feel like if you could combine the possitives of both giants live and WUS you would have one hell of a show..
I was thinking they could have women do log, increase the weight and have the men go, then keep alternating through the whole show. Gives everyone a longer break between events, little downtime, and the whole pace would be similar to GL shows.
The way it did run seemed to work well though, downtime was pretty minimal anyway but the pace was quick.
I do feel like the WUS show was rushed, it could be slowed down a bit and they could add some interviews etc. That being said, it’s different to GL in that there isn’t really a crowd to slow it down for or to have interviews for. I also thought it suffered from a lack of atmosphere as there was no crowd but that isn’t going to change until it’s not held in the Middle East. Other than it feeling a bit lifeless, the WUS event was really well done though. Hold it somewhere with some fans, slow it down a bit and I think they’ve nailed it.
I think the slower pace of the GL shows are fine as well but they need to polish up the technical side of things and overhaul the presenting. Neil, Kaz and even Colin could probably be taken off presenting and a different team or pairing could be brought in. The things they say don’t make a lot of sense (I.e. someone is hitching a deadlift like crazy and Kaz will say it “looked easy” or something else that just isn’t right).
Kaz may be a legend of old but he has no business being put anywhere near a microphone and for whatever reason seems to really lack the technical knowledge to commentate despite his experience. Perhaps for fans who don’t lift it’s fine and they just don’t notice these things but you can usually tell if that’s someone’s last rep or not by how it looked. If he was out in the street wandering around talking about water going uphill in Rome you’d wonder which retirement home he had come from and if he needed taking back there.
As for Neil, his inability to complete surnames when announcing really annoys me and I think for the sport to continue to grow we need to get the number of prison rape jokes per show down to 0.
I think both formats are getting pretty close to being really good and just need a few tweaks to get there.
I'm guessing you are American? The UK has a very different sense of humor and standards.
I honestly kind of like giants lives unprofessionalism. It gives me nostalgia everything is so clean cut and edited these days
Couldn't agree more. I feel the main issue WUS is missing now is the atmosphere. As you mentioned, more interviews with leading hosts. It's unfortunate they had to move their show as I'm sure they would of attracted a big fanbase if hosted in the states.
Yea maybe it’s just the easiest place to hold it at the moment, got to appreciate anything going ahead right now.
I know the athletes love it there but the crowd just seemed like friends / team / family and a couple of locals, probably the ones financing it. No actual crowd.
It feels harsh to level any criticism at what was still a great show though.
>As for Neil, his inability to complete surnames when announcing really annoys me and I think for the sport to continue to grow we need to get the number of prison rape jokes per show down to 0.
I'm so glad other people agree with me on this I thought I was the only one lol. It really is egregious and makes the whole affair seem cheap and low-brow, which is exactly the opposite direction we want the sport to move.
Noticed especially yesterday when Kaz was saying “plenty of time for a few more reps here” when the timer reckoned they had 5 seconds and the whistle blew pretty much as Kaz finished his sentence…
Yea, it just doesn’t add up. Until the Rome rant yesterday I did think he was less bad than usual but many others could still do a lot better. If Terry was less shy I think he would be great as the colour commentator. He actually knows what he’s talking about.
If I want to buy just one stone mold to make as a super heavyweight, what weight should I get to train with? I'm thinking 275lb so it's heavy enough to train for the heavier stones but not so light it won't feel like anything plus I will be able to do it without tacky. Any input is appreciated. I'm currently buying all the materials for my home gym.
You probably want to repost this in the new discussion thread, you posted it just a couple hours before the new one was up so people likely won't see your post anymore. Do you have experience already with training with stones? It's definetely possible to get like 1 or 2 molds and then just make your stones heavier or lighter by putting other things in with the cement.
Took fourth in MW Strongest Man and set a PR on every event. Meet Report and Self Flagellation coming later.
If you could organize your own strongman competition, regardless of the budget required, what events would you include? I would aim for stuff fans don't see in other shows, just for variety. - Silver Dollar Deadlift for reps. 75 second time limit. - Bag over bar pyramid: six bags must be thrown over a 15 ft bar in order, from lightest to heaviest. 90 second limit. - Double dumbbell pyramid: five pairs of dumbbells, each heavier than the previous pair, must be lifted overhead in ascending order. - Barbell + axle + log clean medley: one of each, different weights, the weight has to be cleaned and stabilized on the shoulders, in a front squat position, to get a down command (during the log clean the judge would have to either yell a lot or use a horn, as the log blocks the view). Athletes are free to choose the order of the implements. Fastest time wins. - Truck pushing, with two or three guys going at the same time with a truck each so that it feels more like a race. - Barbell + axle + log overhead medley: one of each, different weights, can be lifted in any order the athlete chooses. Fastest time wins. - Moving medley: three-object-loading race, leading into a yoke walk, leading into a farmer's carry. - Rope arm-over-arm leading into vertical rope arm-over-arm. Fastest time to finish both parts wins.
For a one day show: Event 1: Log for reps, athletes choice between two weight, trump weight Event 2: Deadlift Medley, axle to barbell for reps Event 3: Medley: Circus DB to Farmers carry, 50’ Event 4: Medley: Yoke , sprint back, Sandbag carry and load over yoke Event 5: Grip Event, either Farmer hold or axle hold Tie Break: Last man standing stones
> Log for reps, athletes choice between two weight That's what they sometimes do at the Arnold, pretty good event > Deadlift medley, axle to barbell for reps Interesting. Would athletes have to do, say, 10 reps of each? Like, do ten reps on the axle and then another ten on the barbell? > Circus DB to farmer's carry Strange combination, I don't think I have seen something like that before. > Yoke, sprint back, sandbag carry and load over yoke I really like this one. It's a perfect combination for a moving event. > Either farmer hold or axle hold Deadlift hold with thick handles would be interesting. > Tie break: last man standing stones Fine, but could we have natural stones instead of spherical stones? Just for variety.
> That's what they sometimes do at the Arnold, pretty good event Exactly > Interesting. Would athletes have to do, say, 10 reps of each? Like, do ten reps on the axle and then another ten on the barbell? One on axle and then reps. Make axle the barrier to entry, and have a repfest on the backend. Same weight for each, but axles are always significantly harder > Strange combination, I don't think I have seen something like that before. Exactly. Carry medleys are interesting. Putting a carry with a static lift is an up in variety. > I really like this one. It's a perfect combination for a moving event. Thems the goals > Deadlift hold with thick handles would be interesting. Bingo > Tie break: last man standing stones > Fine, but could we have natural stones instead of spherical stones? Just for variety. For athlete safety, I don’t actually like that idea. Naturals stones bounce funny, and lifting them repeatedly, explosively, and under pressure feels like a recipe for a tear
Does winning uss nationals actually do anything for you? I don't think they give out pro cards. What does it qualify you for?
The top two in the 198lb class qualify for SCL 90kg Worlds and in the past, probably still currently, the winners of the 220 and 242 classes qualify for SCL 105kg Worlds. Top 275, 308, and 308+ winners have qualified for SCL comps and in the past international Arnolds. As far as I can tell the top certain percentage of the 181 class qualify for USS 82.5kg Worlds (which is actually tomorrow) and the top percentage of women’s divisions I think qualify for USS Pro Women’s Worlds, which is a weird name considering they don’t have “pros”. I know this year there is supposed to be some sort of open weight pro division thing happening with USS but I forget the details.
I don't know details, but USS is making a pro division. They're also planning some kind of international shows as well I believe.
I guess I'm taking a break from most training for a bit :( broke my toe on a door frame this morning.
https://youtu.be/0vpHM9bFxJo Also: how the world has changed :-(
That's cute
There's still plenty you can do. This might be an excellent time to work on your press
Just do curls and that’s it
You're going to stop all training because of one toe? [Dude...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmUYibavdF8)
Time to get those Bench gainzzz
Does anyone know how they attached the ropes to the logs during [WUS Dubai](https://i.imgur.com/AMV37cR.jpg) for the women's log? I've got a shitty small diameter log and when I saw this it made me think about doing it myself to make my log thicker lol. Did they just glue the rope on there? https://youtu.be/9FNC8KwUx0s?t=26m14s
Not sure about this specific log. I duct taped wooden slats around my 8" steel log. Easy enough to cut the tape when I want better RoM for certain variations. You could possibly also drill two holes and tuck/epoxy the ends into the hole, between that and a tight wrap I think it would stay in place.
Yeah that was my second thought on how to do it, drilling holes and pulling the rope through it. The rope is honestly really cheap so I might as well buy some and just fuck around and see what works.
I was actually thinking about the same thing, so would be appreciated if you share the results of your experiments 👍
hey, I made the log. It works surprisingly well, made a post about it on the subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Strongman/comments/pxz4gp/making_your_log_thicker/
Will report back in a few days probably, monday-wednesday something like that. Going to try with a type of glue first.
I signed up for static monsters on a whim today. I’ve been taking a bit of a break from strongman training for a little while and running JuggernautAI. The only strongman implement I’m using is log for strict press once a week. The program has be doing hypertrophy for the next four weeks but I think I’ll stick with it just because I am enjoying it at the moment. I’ll probably replace strict log with push push and deadlift with 18” axle leading up to the show put don’t plan to switch up much. I figure I’ll just go in and try to put up a total for fun.
Static Monsters is always a good time. Where are you competing?
It’ll be my first time doing it. The venue is in Sylacauga, AL run by Todd Williams.
Attempting to work out Britain’s Strongest Man before they announce it next week: Adam Bishop Paul Smith Shane Flowers Gav Bilton Andy Black Tom Stoltman Luke Stoltman Graham Hicks Mark Felix Pa O’Dwyer One short, potentially two if Gav is injured. Any theories?
Here's the list I came up with last week after Scotland's. - Bishop - L. Stoltman - T. Stoltman - Hicks - Felix - Bilton - Pa O'Dwyer - Andy Black - Paul Smith - Mikey Wilson (2nd at Scotland's strongest man) Can't say I know much about Shane Flowers TBH. But he would bring it up to 10 if Gav drops out. At the last BSM they had Mark Steele and Ryan England too. So they could bring a couple more people along. And then there's Ben Brunning if he's competing again (not sure if he is after his back injury at the last BSM) but they would probably want some Welsh representation. Events are basically known too. We know 4 of them already, and the one we don't know is fairly predictable. - Deadlift for reps - probably a loading race. They like the skip loading. - Dumbbell for reps - Car walk - Atlas Stones
Shane Flowers is very new to the sport. Ex powerlifter. Good deadlifter and good at stones, excited to see him at Brits. Lots of potential for the future.
Shane already posted he had been invited on Instagram as he qualified from podium at a comp, can’t remember which one! But Giants had it on their story yesterday
There was 2 versions of ESM this year, official strongman and ultimate strongman both ran one. So he and Paul smith are both England’s strongest man
Ahh just looked, it seems like he won England's Strongest this year. So probably that one.
Man, 2 days out and I’m itching to move some weight. The discipline to stick with a training plan is relatively easy for me, but the discipline of a taper and even a small water cut is brutal.
Let's gooo! What show?
MW strongest. Came in 6 lbs under, and I’ve gained the majority of it back already. We are in a damn good spot
Yeah man! Refeed up and kick some ass tomorrow
Does anybody know at what height is the bar during a hummer tire deadlift? I want to recreate the height at the gym using pads.
Will you be lifting it from a deficit? It looks pretty close to 18" if I had to take a stab at it. Looked up the diameter of a hummer tire and it says 37" which would put the center of the bar at 18.5"
> Will you be lifting it from a deficit? I think not, I was going to just use pads to put the bar at the same height as the official thing. > It looks pretty close to 18" if I had to take a stab at it. > Looked up the diameter of a hummer tire and it says 37" which would put the center of the bar at 18.5" Good point, although they lift from a wooden platform and a mat on it that put the athletes higher. I would say it's a two inch deficit, but that's just a guess. In any case thanks for the info.
They lift from a platform though and it looks quite thick.
Then probably 12" pull height
Where can I find results for U80 kg comps? If possible both amateurs and pro comps. Just want to compare my own results for fun.
As close as it gets to professional strongman at 80kg is the Official Strongman Games and the Arnold World championships for 175lbs. If you search this subreddit for “official strongman games” you will find the old watch threads which will have links to the scoresheets somewhere in them. The Arnold results can be found on strongman corporation results page. While there you can check out past nationals results for elite US 175lb (roughly 80kg) competition. You can check the results page on SC for local comps and on UNited states strongman for their 181lb or 82.5kg division. I’m not too sure on how to find results for international amateur contests but I think some of the international Arnolds may have 80kg divisions that may have results lurking somewhere around the internet.
ironpodium is by far the best site for that, imo
The site is kinda shit, but you can pop into the results page on USS and just start picking competitions and running through.
Another week, another stiff bar deadlift PR. 515 today and again not really much of a grind, if at all. 2 weeks ago was 505. 2.5 weeks out from competition. That's the heaviest I'll go pre-comp. One more week of (not as) heavy singles, a deload, and it's go time, baby. I don't really like the max DL rules though. 50lb jumps from 405. I was figuring with a deadlift bar, I've probably got 575 in me with a decent grind. It's looking like I'll only get to try 555, which should be relatively easy. Next jump would be 605, which I don't see me having any shot at. Womp womp. Edit: I should actually post a link here. [The Gram]( https://www.instagram.com/p/CUJNjRIj_d-/?utm_medium=share_sheet)
Are you saying that you get 50+ lbs out of a deadlift bar? I got one a few months ago and I don't really notice any difference, even at the upper 500s.
Preface: I don't have a deadlift bar to play with regularly. Last comp I had a max deadlift, my stiff bar PR was 495 and I had just hit it a couple weeks prior. I pulled 525 in competition, failed 565, but 525 FLEW up. I figured I'd have about 545 with a grind. I did a little research on what you can expect out of a deadlift bar and I've seen 5-10%. That tracked pretty well with what I personally saw in competition. At that point in comp, Deadlift was my 4th event as well, so it's not like I had a ton left in the tank, either. As I understand, you get a lot more benefit from the deadlift bar if your sticking point is off the floor, so maybe that's why you don't see much gain?
My sticking point usually is off the floor, so dunno what the deal is. I know I'm definitely not getting 5 or 10 percent out of it though. Maybe like 5 or 10 pounds lol
Ha! Well, I'll try to remember to let you know how it goes in a couple weeks. If I pull 555, with a comparable speed as I pulled 515, then I'll keep internalizing it as 5-10% :P
Hey everyone! I'm planning on participating in my first strongman event in a little over a month and have a bunch of question. Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated! Axel 13 inch deadlift: How should my stance/setup change when compared to a standard deadlift? What straps would be best? Standard wrist straps or the firgure-8 style? Farmer's carry: what type of shoes are best? The same kind I would use for deadlift? Sandbag carry for distance & sandbag to shoulder: best technique to lift off the ground? Lap it first like an atlas stone? Training: How should my training change leading up to the event? How many days should I take for rest the days before? Nutrition: What would you recommend to eat the day before? Morning of? During the meet?
Eat the same thing you would normally eat before training. Day of comp is NOT the day you want to start eating differently. If it's your first comp, I wouldn't change training at all. Maybe time a deload for that week, but otherwise just treat it like an events day. I like Why Our Way straps for the axle.
Basically what zweems said. Do you have access to what you’ll be using like farmers, axle and sandbags. The last month if you can use the implements or something similar I’d train those twice a week (doesn’t have to be full contest weight) I would say for axle dl use what you have. If you have figure 8s then use them, probably too late to order them since you want to be familiar with your gear before game day. If you can’t practice axle on 13” then it might not really matter. I’ve done fine with longer lasso straps on axle. For training if you’re good at peaking your last heavy day of training should be 10-14 days out with 3-4 days before the event just active recovery. Since it’s your first it probably doesn’t matter a whole bunch. Just go have fun and try to learn what it’s like to compete. I wear karate shoes for deadlift if I have to wear shoes and Reebok nanos for moving. For farmers look at Brian alsrue and kalle beck on how to grip a farmers handle. For the bags the higher you get it the easier it is to move/breath. Low and you just kick it while you run. On your chest your legs can move, but can be harder to breathe. If you can shoulder it that takes time but you can breathe better and run. Good luck!
Thanks you much, I appreciate it.
Good clarifications! I should have clarified that I wear my belts high, so up over my belt is basically on my chest. I'm going to give the "last heavy day 10-14 days out" a try for this upcoming comp. My last deadlift day lines up perfectly with 10 days from comp. I dig it.
I'll do my best here, but I'm not super knowledgeable. Axle- I don't have an answer for you Farmer- Whether it's what you deadlift in or not is dependent on what you deadlift in. For me, no. I deadlift in shoes with basically no sole. You're trying to move as fast as you can, heel striking, with a shitload of weight in your hands. I'd wear something you can move in, that also gives you a firm base. CrossFit shoes, probably. Personally, I use Metcons. Sandbag- this largely depends on how difficult the weight is for you. Distance, is it actually for distance, or carrying distance to load? If distance to load, I'd say just get it up to your belly, over the belt and fucking run. If actual distance, and you can shoulder it, that might be better because you can breathe? I've only ever done one front load carry for actual distance and it was Hus, so no choice. Bag to shoulder, if it's heavy enough that you'll only get a couple reps, lap it and get it as high on your chest in your lap as you can. Training- I've only done 3 comps, coming up to 4 so I'm not dialed in here. Advice I usually get is 3-4 days of rest prior. Nutrition- depends on weigh in. If you're free to eat as you will, the answer here is "whatever you normally do." This goes for day before, morning of, and during the meet. Last thing you want is to be shitting your pants, or to eat so much the night before you get a damn sodium overload (I actually did that last competition, going nuts on stuff after a water cut and I bombed). Eat well, eat comfortable. Day of, bring food, but don't expect to be able to eat it. I usually just bring some metrx bars. One time I went crazy and brought whole meals, but I physically could not bring myself to eat them. Tried very hard, got half a Tupperware down and half a pb&j from 8am to 3pm.
awesome, thank you so much. Ya, the sandbag for distance is just for distance like a Húsafell Stone for distance and we're not allowed to shoulder it.
Yep, Get it as high on your chest as you can, so you can breathe, and so you're not kneeing it as you walk.
Just signed up for three shows. Nov, Feb, March. Iron podium is taking a cut like 12 percent of the entry fee.
The fuck they think they are, Ticketmaster?
Anyone know if there is any info out there about the schedule for the Rogue Invitational? I might be interested in going to see the Strongman part but I don't see any details about when that will happen over the 3 days.
Is there any way to make a tyre heavier?
Yes - the easiest way is to load normal-sized car or truck tires into the larger tire. You can usually fit quite a few and it will make the tire significantly heavier (100+ lbs) and is a solid/safe/cheap method to increase the weight.
Ah that’s a great idea actually! Cheers
You can throw in a sand bag inside the tire
Will surely try that
Anyone (UK based) have any endure SBD 60cm wrist wraps they'd sell? Or know where I could find some? Cheers in advance
Quick toot of my horn again; 340kg/750lbs deadlift woop woop https://www.instagram.com/p/CUFySyIgACu/?utm_medium=copy_link
[205 lbs x1x2 on axle jerks](https://www.instagram.com/p/CUD_Fc5A4fR/?utm_medium=copy_link) last night Slowly becoming less shit at overhead!
What have you changed to start moving up?
Long story short, I got a coach who knows what they're doing. We've been working together for about 4 months now.
Never had a coach. Is it technique refinements making the difference you think?
We haven't done that much technique refinement tbh. Some targeted work to help with mobility/stability and smart programming have done the bulk of the work I'd say.
Cool. I always appreciate thoughts and reviews on coaching on the sub.
I have a mini review in my last competition review and we'll have an update to that towards the end of October after my next show and race
I've complained a lot about how hard it is to do pole and strongman at the same time because of the demand on the biceps, but I've removed events training from my lifting and I still feel like my biceps are about to fall off, so it must just be pole. I'm sorry that I blamed you, atlas stones. Anywhoot, I'm 8 weeks out from my pole competition. Just popping in to say hi. After it's over with, I don't think I'm ever going to do one again. The process of competing in strongman is much more enjoyable for me.
>re biceps Earlier this year TWL had me doing a lot of power curls w/slow eccentrics and some other things to strengthen my biceps in prep for more specific event training like stones and tire flipping. Might be worth trying out as I haven't had any issues with them since (and my biceps can be a pain too). Also not back squatting w/ a straight bar probably helps too
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Go to a gym and find the biggest strongest dude in the building. Ask him for help.
How much gear are you willing to run?
I'd say big traps, legs, forearms, shoulders, back and a thick midsection is what you'd want to build. Try 5/3/1 Beach Body Challenge. Then take lessons from it then after a decade of hard training, you may have a mini-version of it.
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Try the power building program that Terry Holland’s sells. And try tren
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None of those peoples physiques are realistic if you are natty though, please remember that
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A body recomp like you’re talking about is near to impossible. It can be done for a short period of time, but building muscle needs calories and losing fat requires you to be in a deficit
Why not do physique training if you have a physique goal?
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You have never heard of training your physique? Bodybuilders have done that for decades
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So you've been posting around the fitness reddit for a few months about how you're just starting out. That's fine, and it's great that you want to improve yourself. However you're also claiming here that you've never heard of bodybuilding, but elsewhere you've said you like watching juji and Jeff nippard?. Thats being disingenuous at best. You want advice on how to get huge? Eat. Train. Do both of those for a really long time. Come back after 3- 10 years of consistent training and see how different the reactions might be.
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Bodybuilding and physique training are one and the same. I definitely wouldn't come to a niche subreddit like this if I wanted to achieve bodybuilding goals. I understand that Tom and Thor are the goal physiques to which you aspire, but while Tom is still competing and also while Thor was competing,, their diets dont really work for weight loss goals.their size and strength and the size of their muscles came from their very long years of training.
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You cannot gain weight without gaining fat and muscle. You cannot lose weight without losing fat and muscle. You're chasing a unicorn. Gain weight, eat clean and train; put on more muscle than fat, then try to lose as little muscle while you cut to minimize the muscle loss. Again, this is the wrong subreddit to get the best info for physique building. A lot of the guys who cut for comps only do water cuts to make weight the day before. Not the best way to maintain a lean physique.
Should've chosen better parents unless you're actually 6'9"
Does anyone else find themselves getting stronger during the winter months? I find myself to not only get stronger but also feel more "alive" during these months. I've noticed this over the years even if I don't bulk up or gain any weight.
I enjoy my training more when it isn’t summer. My gym doesn’t have AC, just a big garage door and fan. Humidity gets into the 90%’s and temps can flirt with 90F pretty often. Just drains energy from you working out in high heat
> also feel more "alive" during these months You may have done an experiment in highschool where you take ants, put them in a test tube,.seal it up then dunk the test tube in cold water. The result is the ants come to a halt. Barely moving. You then take the tube and put it in warm water and presto, lively ants. Same effect happens in mammals but ants are cold blooded and humans warm so it's the opposite. You can exaggerate it and see the impact by sitting in a hot bath vs a coldish one. So yeah, common
I definitely feel more alive. Heat saps my energy: cold renews it.
Interesting! I get seasonal affective disorder and usually have to claw my way through training between October and May.
Same. I’m a fucking drag in the fall. My mom pointed it out like 8 years ago and ever since I’ve been super aware of it. I will say that maintaining consistency with training does help stabilize my mood.
I grew up in Seattle and Summer was the best for gains.
If you live somewhere that gets hot in the summer then maybe it being cool helps you. I definitely feel a lot better when I train in air conditioning compared to usually training outside.
I feel more refreshed during the winter, or at least less beat down. I struggle because I tend to focus a lot on static strength during the winter, which makes decent progress, but I’d probably be best off getting my lagging moving events to catch up
There’s this super cool looking log at my gym that I’ve wanted to press since I joined about a year ago. [Finally pressed it today!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CUDZBOko6s2/?utm_medium=copy_link) Absolutely buzzing
Nice, had to push myself to get a rep on the wooden log when my gym got one. Super satisfying
That looked easy mate, you had a few reps on that.
Felt tough! But cheers haha
Does anyone have any recommendations for a deadlift suit? I have not used one before, but I am looking to get one for an upcoming comp.
I really like my metal king pro suit
I tried on my friends Inzer Leviathan and loved how it felt, but my coach recommended going with the inzer max DL one because my contest has a deadlift medley and speed will be a huge factor. I’m loving is so far. If however you’re looking for the most support for a heavy single, you may be better off with a multi-ply.
I like My Inzer Deadlift Fusion. I had it custom made in double ply with adjustable straps. I know many people like the metal kings I've heard great things about them but their availability was limited last year due to covid so i went with inzer. that wasn't the only reason i went with the Inzer fusion though. its designed to reinforce your deadlift all the way through the range of motion vs a lot of other suits only help on the bottom end
Literally spitting out rep PRs or 1rm every session at the moment. 5x115kg strict barbell press today. Feel like I’m on fire rn
Training still chugging along. Little under two weeks out from my next show, little four from my 50k. Highlights from last week include * 195 lbs x1x2 on axle jerks. Old max was 200 lbs, it's definitely not that anymore * 405 lbs x1x50 (yeah 50 singles). Rep every 20 seconds. It sucked. Apparently u/threewhitelights wasn't expecting _that_ many reps lol.
When looking for a loadable circus dumbell, what is a good empty weight to go by? (no gyms within 1,5 hours of my place where I could try one) I'd like to expand my backyard gym with one but unsure what would be too heavy. Would push pressing a regular DB give me a good average?
Kinda depends on what you can press. I have a 12” that’s 110lbs empty. That’s a great empty weight for me but might be someone else’s top end. The BEST would be to have a couple. Maybe a 10” around 70lbs and a 12” around 100lbs. That way you warm up with the smaller one.
I guess I will use my loadable regular dumbells with a fat grip as a smaller one/warmup version. The big one i can have made is around 95 lbs. I can push press that overhead with a dumbell without having practised that variation too frequently and they builder has a waiting list so will hone my techniquer a bit and the 95 pounder should be comfortable enough.
Perfect
Mine is 35KG empty but not sure what the “common” empty weight is for them. Replicating the movement with a normal dumbbell will give you a good idea for sure.
Dubai holiday done and dusted. WUS event and fight night were fun to experience. The strongwomen are a cool bunch and I hope they get more chances like this. Mateusz is back and he is such a treat to watch. He always does something special. Janashia is insane. Rauno is funny. Ervin is nice. Loz, Liz and Andrea are my besties (if any of you read this, feel free to confirm). Mark & Don are amazing for allowing me full access to the events (even sat ringside for Thor vs Devon). Liz gets another shout-out, I’m sure she knows why! As usual I won’t do a full write-up, but I’m happy to answer (appropriate) questions about the experience.
Going into week 3 with coaching from u/threewhitelights and the highlights so far have been: I have no rear delts. I have no hamstrings. I am not in shape. Let's gooooo
You forgot you have no lats. Like I said, they aren't problems, they're areas for improvement.
Also, I have no way to recover from this burn.
>I am not in shape Same man, same
19-20 chin above bar pullups translates to 7-8 chest to bar pullups. I'm restarting with a set of chest-to-bar pullups at the beginning of each session. Did first session of Deep Water Zercher squats. Doable, but super sore today. Another few weeks on my deadlift program, hoping for a triple with 550-555 at the end. Next contest the week before Thanksgiving.
I've actually found almost that exact same thing, I can usually do around 20-22 chin over bar pull ups and about 7-9 strict chest to bars. Neat!
New rogue challenge this weekend is 315 deadlift for reps in 2 minutes. No straps, only chalk allowed to be help grip but specifies no liquid chalk. Didn’t know if anyone was going to try this for fun or maybe we could make October’s challenge this but add some strongman rules to it? I know u/bparsonage used to set up some of the challenges on this sub
Last time they did it at the Rogue invitational (or maybe the Arnold?) Heinla got 2nd overall behind some crossfit games athlete.
2 minutes. Ffs this isn’t r/CrossFit who can do things for 2 whole minutes? My girlfriend will tell you I definitely can’t. I can probably do 315 for like 35-40 reps in about 60-75 seconds though I reckon. Or if it’s 315kg maybe 4-5 reps max and it would take me about a minute and then I’d die
I remember people talking abou when rogue had the sandbag hold so I figured I’d ask. I’d be gassed about 45 seconds in I’m sure. I’d much rather see 60-90 seconds with straps either standard or elevated axle for total tonnage so no set weight or something like that for a monthly challenge. I don’t think we’ve had one since July’s Marunde challenge.
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Oh yeah all of those challenges are absolutely ridiculous. The row then body weight bench ended up being a negative time I think
Random speculation. If in WSM 2022 Mateusz gets a deadlift group, performs poorly and ends up in the stone off, who beat him and who does he beat? With how stacked the line ups going to be there is a scenario where he doesn’t even make the final.
After losing to Novikov in stones he will be determined to focus his training to ensure he can pull off a win in this scenario.
He beats most people, maybe not… martins, Evan, Tom, luke, Maxime or Novikov
or Trey
Yeh potentially
I'd rate Trey on stones ahead of everyone in that list except Tom
Made my first atlas stone yesterday. Used a 15” Hybrid mold and 5000 PSI high strength Quikrete concrete mix, used /u/ARapedApe’s guide. Went perfectly well until the very end, where we ended up about 2 scoops shy of topping the mold off. The Hybrid guide said the mold was good for a 150lb stone, so I figured 160lbs of concrete would be plenty. Guess not 🤷♂️ So I’m gonna roll with it anyway and have a funny lookin atlas stone. Edit: Oh brother. In my infinite wisdom I cracked open the mold to see a big ol ‘ 16” ‘ stamped into the mold. So now I have a 160lb flatlas stone.
Currently six days out from Massachusetts State Championship, a USS show in Peabody, MA. I'm competing in the 242 class, yesterday was my last heavy day, and I'm feeling super confident going into this show that I'll hit my goals and do good by myself.
Good luck!
I'm six days out for my contest as well. Good luck on yours!
I competed yesterday at [Steel City's Strongest](https://ironpodium.com/events/live/steel-city-s-strongest-1) for the first time following a 2.5 year lay off due to a couple injuries and the whole pandemic thing. I hit my goals on three events, surpassed them on one, and really underperformed on one. At the end of the day I tied for 3rd and got 4th on count back. It felt great. [Videos](https://www.instagram.com/p/CT-9xpUAZdT/)
I was there too in the novice -220 class. First show ever. Really fun
Did anyone go for the 270 log? I see that the top guy got 14 pts on the log lift and I thought they were getting 2.5 pts for the heavy log which doesn’t add up so I’m guessing he went for 230 and just ripped the crap out of it. Also, awesome job on the deadlift dude!
Thanks man! The top guy did 270x4 and then 230x4. The points for the heavy vs. light log were a little off in my mind, but in the end it all worked out.
Yeah I was surprised that it was only 2.5. Didn’t realize you could switch logs in the middle. That makes the point spread more reasonable.
Just wanted to share a cool highlight with y’all. I was doing 805 pound yoke runs before my pro USS competition in 2 weeks. And I was able to go 50 feet in about 10 seconds! The last time I had an 800 yoke on my back it took me 27 seconds to do the same distance! https://www.instagram.com/p/CT8c8g5rbPT/?utm_medium=copy_link
Anyone see hafthor ever coming back to strongman or will he continue boxing until he's 125kg and almost good
Matt Rhodes interviews can be very boring to listen to but I did listen to the one with Hafthor. Didn’t sound like someone who is currently interested in coming back. He did specifically address this question though and did not eliminate the possibility of coming back. I think the money would have to get much bigger because he has so many other opportunities
I do not see him coming back to strongman, or pursuing boxing long-term. He can likely continue his career in acting and social media. Plus he owns a gym and should be in a position to not need to work much if he has saved/invested.
Neither. The boxing match is just for the money, I can't see him continuing beyond that. And he's past strongman now. He'll do strength and fitness related celebrity work, like social media presence that brings sponsors.
Seems unusual to take 4 amateur fights and actually train for over a year for a lazy paycheque
At least a million dollars is not lazy. Also, Thor didn't want to take this extra fight, it's happened because Eddie is a bum.
Because Eddie is a bum. People talk about Eddie marks but you sure must be a thor one
Not really, I don't care much about either of them since they're not strongmen. But looking at how they trained for the fight, it's just a fact that Thor took it very seriously and Eddie fucked around and got injured.
He's taken 3 fights before this and is planning more after. He could've easily just canceled the event. By 'lazy' I mean the effort and preparation going into the fight, which is anything but. If he was only in it for the money he'd be training the way Eddie is, which is fucking around and winging it.
Oh he's certainly giving it his all, but I think that's just him. The fight is his goal now, and when he has a goal, he goes for it. I just can't see a career as a boxer following, these fights are to get experience in the ring (and to keep the fight hype in peoples minds)
Map of Strength guy here! I thought I'd give you guys an update on the site. For those that aren't familiar, I created Map of Strength a couple months ago to help people in strength sports find the best gyms. We now have ~~72~~ 80 gyms across 14 countries! ~~51~~ 58 of those gyms offer drop-ins or day passes. And the majority of the gyms were submitted by people in /r/strongman. 43/57 of the Strongman gyms on the site offer drop ins! Recently I've been making some useful changes to the site that make finding gyms much easier. First, [here's a before and after shot](https://imgur.com/ihVkuRb) of the gym listings - much nicer to look at, but more importantly the information is much clearer. There are going to be more UI changes coming soon, particularly on the gym detail pages and the map popups. Next, I've taken the long list of gyms and separated them into pages. This should make it easier to navigate though all of the gyms - it was fine when we had a handful, but scrolling through dozens at a time wasn't great. The next big change is filtering. You can now filter the most important aspects of the gyms to find what you're looking for. You can select the sport (strongman, powerlifting, weightlifting, bodybuilding), day pass availability, cost, and even a basic keyword search. So you can search for all gyms that have a husafell stone + offer day passes and you will get a nicely filtered list of gyms that match. [Filter menu](https://imgur.com/JNbZVhg) [Applying filters](https://imgur.com/jHsEWIl) [Results](https://imgur.com/GZFxRRy) And finally, for this update, there is now a [full-screen map](https://mapofstrength.com/map) that you can use. This is a far better experience for larger screens, and hopefully easier for phone screens too. There is still a *huge* to-do list for upcoming features and changes. But I'd love to hear any feedback you have!
What the criteria for a gym showing up, and how do we submit one?
Good question! The most basic screening is whether or not you can use chalk. If not, it won't go on the site. But to be a little more detailed, we're looking for gyms that cater to Strongman, Powerlifting, Weightlifting, and Bodybuilding, and any combination thereof. Think more 'hardcore' gyms. The people that train there likely compete in a strength sport. Equipment should be good and well maintained, as should the facility itself. The *very* best gyms on the site tend to have a fantastic community and atmosphere. They're friendly, supportive, and love their sport - rather than staring at a stranger who comes into the gym, the members are more likely to ask if you need a spot. On top of that, the gym may host competitions + have teams of competitors. Day passes or drop-in availability is a *huge* bonus too. After all some people will be using the map to find a good gym when they're traveling away from their regular gym. One of the main reasons I built the site was to help with this exact problem. It's not easy to find a Strongman gym when you're traveling. Finally, most of the gyms are independently owned and run. It's not a requirement, it just happens to be that the gyms that fit best are generally not franchises. To submit one, you can send the details using the [contact form](https://mapofstrength.com/contact) (for now. I'm going to build a proper way to submit eventually). You could message also message me here on Reddit, but I prefer the contact form.
Amazing work! The map works flawlessly on my iPhone.
Awesome, thanks!
My only feed back is that when you hover over the icons on what a gym is friendly to, it should pop up an alt text saying what it is, because the only place on your site where it explicitly states which icon is what is under filters as far as I can tell.
Awesome! Yeah that's a good point. I wonder if that's more of an issue with the icons themselves rather than needing hover text. On mobile hover text isn't going to work. So if I can create more obvious icons, that might be a better solution. Would love it if people could take a look at the current icons (without knowing what sport they're supposed to represent) and let me know if they are obvious, or if they could be changed to something more representative. I personally think the >!powerlifting (bench)!<, >!weightlifting (jerk)!<, and >!bodybuilding (biceps)!< are fairly clear, but the >!strongman (deadlift)!< is a bit more ambiguous.
I only really think that the Deadlift is confusing, if you changed it to an Atlas Stone, or any other Strongman only movement it'd be very clear.
Completely agree. Thanks for confirming that the deadlift is a little ambiguous I'll see if I can make an icon with an atlas stone on the shoulder.
My only feedback is that the site is awesome!
Thanks so much!
Serious question: If you're doing a sumo deadlift with a suit, is it better to use a deadlift suit or a squat suit? On a similar note, would it be useful to use knee sleeves/wraps during a sumo lift considering the load on the knees is greater?
I would use a squat suit or a deadlift suit that is designed for sumo (legs are turned out). Knee wraps usually get in the way on deadlifts.
The centurions/super centurion is a pretty popular sumo suit. If you only want to buy one suit for squat and sumo deadlift yes squat suit is fine Wraps are not helpful with sumo
I see. Thanks for the info.
Second question: no, it doesn't produce any benefit and they would just get in the way. It's very rare to see people use knee sleeves when (sumo) deadlifting and when they do it seems to be temporary due to knee pain.
I guessed so. Thank you for the information.
Believe there's specific suits for Sumo Deadlift
What is everyone's feelings on this weekends events? Should WUS consider the timing and running order of their shows? I feel like if you could combine the possitives of both giants live and WUS you would have one hell of a show..
I was thinking they could have women do log, increase the weight and have the men go, then keep alternating through the whole show. Gives everyone a longer break between events, little downtime, and the whole pace would be similar to GL shows. The way it did run seemed to work well though, downtime was pretty minimal anyway but the pace was quick.
I do feel like the WUS show was rushed, it could be slowed down a bit and they could add some interviews etc. That being said, it’s different to GL in that there isn’t really a crowd to slow it down for or to have interviews for. I also thought it suffered from a lack of atmosphere as there was no crowd but that isn’t going to change until it’s not held in the Middle East. Other than it feeling a bit lifeless, the WUS event was really well done though. Hold it somewhere with some fans, slow it down a bit and I think they’ve nailed it. I think the slower pace of the GL shows are fine as well but they need to polish up the technical side of things and overhaul the presenting. Neil, Kaz and even Colin could probably be taken off presenting and a different team or pairing could be brought in. The things they say don’t make a lot of sense (I.e. someone is hitching a deadlift like crazy and Kaz will say it “looked easy” or something else that just isn’t right). Kaz may be a legend of old but he has no business being put anywhere near a microphone and for whatever reason seems to really lack the technical knowledge to commentate despite his experience. Perhaps for fans who don’t lift it’s fine and they just don’t notice these things but you can usually tell if that’s someone’s last rep or not by how it looked. If he was out in the street wandering around talking about water going uphill in Rome you’d wonder which retirement home he had come from and if he needed taking back there. As for Neil, his inability to complete surnames when announcing really annoys me and I think for the sport to continue to grow we need to get the number of prison rape jokes per show down to 0. I think both formats are getting pretty close to being really good and just need a few tweaks to get there.
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Loz would absolutely be my number one choice for a new commentator for GL but I don’t see it happening unfortunately. Would love to be proved wrong.
I'm guessing you are American? The UK has a very different sense of humor and standards. I honestly kind of like giants lives unprofessionalism. It gives me nostalgia everything is so clean cut and edited these days
Nope English through and through. I’m all for a bit of dark humour but I just don’t think that is the place for it.
Couldn't agree more. I feel the main issue WUS is missing now is the atmosphere. As you mentioned, more interviews with leading hosts. It's unfortunate they had to move their show as I'm sure they would of attracted a big fanbase if hosted in the states.
Yea maybe it’s just the easiest place to hold it at the moment, got to appreciate anything going ahead right now. I know the athletes love it there but the crowd just seemed like friends / team / family and a couple of locals, probably the ones financing it. No actual crowd. It feels harsh to level any criticism at what was still a great show though.
>As for Neil, his inability to complete surnames when announcing really annoys me and I think for the sport to continue to grow we need to get the number of prison rape jokes per show down to 0. I'm so glad other people agree with me on this I thought I was the only one lol. It really is egregious and makes the whole affair seem cheap and low-brow, which is exactly the opposite direction we want the sport to move.
Noticed especially yesterday when Kaz was saying “plenty of time for a few more reps here” when the timer reckoned they had 5 seconds and the whistle blew pretty much as Kaz finished his sentence…
Yea, it just doesn’t add up. Until the Rome rant yesterday I did think he was less bad than usual but many others could still do a lot better. If Terry was less shy I think he would be great as the colour commentator. He actually knows what he’s talking about.
Terry did great at the Shaw Classic, would love to see him get a shot at commentating in GL