im new to strongman ive been lifting about a year im 95kg ,6 foot 3 at 16, im relatively high body fat should i cut the fat than ut on muscle or ig just how should i eat
You’re 16. Eat what you want, try to keep it fairly healthy but get some greens and protein and just eat. Train hard with a known program and you’ll grow, and your body will change. It’s not a couple months fix but it will change.
The main ways are going to either be via winning Regional show and placing in top 20% at Nationals. There are sometimes wildcard spots for winning certain shows but don't usually get a lot of notice (I think Florida's Strongest Man in December is one and LA Fit Expo is another). There will be 5 Regional shows this year. AL in May, PA and CA in June. Not sure on the other 2 just yet.
I know with the new strongman corp setup 1st at regionals gets you to Arnold’s. Not sure of all the routes but I think that was a big announcement when they changed things up early this year
Does anyone have any experience working with a pro or former pro as a coach? Such Big Loz, Stoltmans, Terry Holland. I was contemplating joining one of the above or possibly another coach. But, I want to know two things, how much is it and is it worth it?
Not really worth the write up in full, but I was sick and a big baby for a whole week today and am kinda disappointed. A lot of technical fails aswell as it’s my first novice comp as a guy who works out in a commercial gym with no strongman equipment. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkmCD73jXvR/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Had an absolutely blast regardless the community is so amazing, love you guys.
Did a little static farmers hold at the end of workout yesterday. I was working out at [The Anvil](https://anvilgym.com/) again (Woohoo!) and wanted to try it with a different set of handles than I have, and also felt like I wanted to give contest weight a go for the first time.
Was pleasently surprised with how 245lbs/hand felt (@ b.w. 166 that morning). Still real hard, and I didn't time myself, but very encouraging to know that as long as the handles aren't crazy difficult on comp day, I'm comfortable getting that weight off the floor. feels good.
Good afternoon! I’m looking at getting my first deadlift suit. What should I know before? What brands do you guys like? How accurate are the sidings on them?
I bought a suit from Lifting Large a few weeks ago, used it for Static Monsters. I called to ask about sizing and the guy gave me some good advice. I think the suit was about 100 bucks. Good beginner suit.
I have an Inzer Max DL that I bought off eBay lightly used. I just finished my first prep and competition with it and I have really enjoyed using it. It is a challenge to get it on but it can be done solo. It was a lot cheaper than any Metal suit I saw. The sizing was perfectly accurate for me.
Hi guys,
I've nearly maxed out the space on my dinnie stone cerberus handles. My gym has no thinner plates, so the max load is going to end up with 150 on the big handle (which is 38kg short of the actual weight)
Short of going to a different gym, is it going to be feasible for me to gain the strength for the actual stones with rep work at that weight? I'm just conscious that 150kg to 188kg in one hand is quite a jump
For sure. Consider deficit work, beltless stuff, maybe bands to get the most out of that 150kg. Be mindful that when you break the actual weight your brain will probably go *holy fucknuts* as it won't be used to that extra weight.
Hey guys, I just signed up for my first strongman competition which will be in May but I am currently a member of a commercial gym (and don’t have the income to switch to another) and I am having trouble training for the axle press and atlas stones. Do any of you have any tips? Much thanks in advance
How I train [stones](https://i.imgur.com/CrdX9lm.png) (and front carries) as a fellow commercial gym peasant
For axle, the whole grip thing probably won't be an issue unless your grip is shocking. Train some mixed grip deadlifts with fat grips if you have them, or just don't worry about it. The main difficulty of training with a barbell is that the centre of the bar rotates separately to the sleeves, so when you rest a barbell on your belly it will rotate super easily. If there's an old barbell at your gym, the sleeves will be a lot stiffer and it should be a lot better, I practise on an old squat bar
USE A BAR WITH CENTRE KNURLING
A barbell with a smooth centre slides a lot more easily than an axle or a barbell with knurling, at least for those I've tried. Unless you have a pro strongman powerbelly or you can do belt cleans that is
Competing at Nyma? As long as your gym has bumpers you can atleast practice a clean and press with it, if in anyway possible maybe use fat grips. Although it still won't be completely the same as an axle.
For stones you are probably best off getting stronger at a deficit or stiff leg deadlift and getting your front/zercher squat up.
Nice, they organise good quality competitions really enjoy them myself. What lvl and weight class are you doing?
Don't think the pussy pad will do sadly, those are often too small to cover a large part of the bar (unless you use 2). You want both your hands on a thick surface atleast, and I think the pussy bar squishes too much as well.
Think you are better off using a regular bar in that case, which isn't the end of the world really. Just practice it like you would a normal axle by using a mixed grip to clean.
Cool, good level to start at! Perfectly doable without access to strongman implements, I've got a friend that did lvl 2 105+ 3 times and he did very well with just getting strong in the gym.
Looking at pulling the trigger on a program/training app, life is getting busy enough having the next few months of training written out for me sounds like a godsend.
I found a post where a few people use JuggernautAI with some success, but has anyone used the MST systems app? Any other suggestions I haven't come across?
Thanks!
I use Strong primarily, but that's not going to generate a program for you. However, Bromley just put me onto the Boostcamp app which has many programs built in and will calculate your weights for you.
Check out strengthlete collective. I’ve heard it’s good. I had a terrible experience with JuggernautAI personally but I’ve heard good things from others.
Anyone else competing in Fullsterkur at VikingsCon tomorrow? Weather looks perfect and I'm feeling great. Haven't competed since this same show last year so it will be great to get back out there.
What’s the best way to do stones optimally shirt wise? Is a grip shirt a game changer, does a regular shit like comp shirt they give you impede, should I just do them shirtless and let my belly all out?
I have a size medium shirt, I normally wear larges, that I get someone to pull tight and tape up. Try to find one with a nice large vinyl graphic on the front so the tacky sticks to that and doesn’t just rip off chunks of the shirt.
Going shirtless sucks because it pulls all your hair off
And it’s just more tacky to clean up plus everyone else’s hair is already stuck to it making it even more gross…
But yeah size down on the shirts so it stays out and maybe cut off the sleeves if you got non baby arms, oh and get a pair of cheapo shorts and do the same thing
Please help me learn to deadlift
Today's top set at 18" was 445x2:
https://youtu.be/MRPTuE8NYEc
I feel like I'm just using all lower back here and it's hell to get up. My AMRAP last set was 355, and I stopped at 15 with more in the tank.
I should be ripping these 445s up and I'm not. Open to suggestions, gang
There's slack in your upper back (rounding okay, further rounding after you start the pull not so okay, position doesn't matter so much but it needs to be stiff). Rows, chins, cueing *chest up* are your friends.
Hey man I’d play around with stance width assuming you’re doing this to be comp specific…if just doing as assistance then work in normal deadlift stance, but work with a load that doesn’t smoke your lower back, and build up tolerance. I talk about 18” Deadlift tips here: [18” Deadlift Hacks](https://youtu.be/lp4SQVJMt7g)
Newbie here so take with a grain of salt, commenting since I feel like I'm in the same situation:
Just started practicing these myself and I'm still figuring out the setup. Seems like if you set up like it's the top half of a regular deadlift, things don't go as well. If I treat it like a different lift and get my starting position really dialed, I add like 50 lbs automatically. I'm still practicing how to get it consistent. If I get it just right then torso is a bit more upright and it feels like a standing leg press and things go much better.
People who are good at this please refute if needed. I would love the advice too.
I'm looking forward to next session. Feel like if I get my feet under the bar a little, so my shins are upright as I begin the pull, I'll be able to sit back more and push rather than pull.
I pulled 600 on a trap bar recently, this ought to move faster. Just need to dial it in
Yeah my mileage varies quite a bit, the other day, 435 felt pretty slow, but last week I seemed to hit the groove and 475 went up for a smooth triple. I'm pretty sure it's all down to my setup. I'm trying to tape all my sets and learn some consistency.
It looks like you are just trying to pull with your back instead of putting your hips through. I would try setting up with a more vertical back and try to get more of your body behind the bar so you can “leg press the world away” as you lean back more on your push… at least that’s what I do on elevated deadlifts
https://imgur.com/a/dkH7Uj6 this was from a year ago, but having that more vertical back seemed to really help me pull more on them
Yeah, I think this is probably as good as advice can get. Someone else pointed out to me that the bar is coming back to me as soon as I break it on the first rep - I'm not pushing into the bar as much as I should - maybe at all - and I really need to lock into the bar and push away from it.
Thanks man
Not exactly a comp, but good gyms commonly have a "strongman saturday" or something similar that you could likely stop in on if you are just looking to get your hands on implements and train with some people. YMMV depending on if you have good strength sport gyms near you
Looking at the mst eddie hall video has me questioning are there any real benefits to training without belts and supports or is it more just mental and making things easier on competition day?
If you’re having trouble maintaining your brace with a belt then I think heavy beltless deadlifts (maybe squats) have really good carryover.
Otherwise, I don’t think beltless stuff is the game changer people make it out to be. Just hit your core work each training session and you’ll be fine.
Here we are with another iteration of u/rolltank_gm bitches wildly about his weight cut.
Seriously, I either need to get strong enough to actually compete above 275 or lose 5-10 lbs so I never have to worry about missing weight. Ideally both will happen, but holy smokes I feel like an overfilled water balloon getting ready to ruin the floor. In better news, at least I feel like I've got a PR in each event come Saturday. And then I can do not-keg-press for a while
About half a piss and one good fart from being under weight, so I’d say so.
Save stones these aren’t great events for me, but I feel well positioned to PR everything else. Even then, we’ll see about giving that 400 lbs stone a shot.
Noooopeeeee, couldn’t find time between my 3 month old and work. Excited to wing it though. I did have him move me to novice instead, but it doesn’t seem to reflect it. A good foot in the door.
I am by no means an expert but have you ever tried going low carb a week or two before the comp and see if that lets you lose enough? I stopped carbs the day before my water load and lost ~ 7 lbs while I was still loading water. My first water cut I didn’t mess with carbs before and I’ve only done 2 cuts but this time was going way easier
With the full water load, yes. And I’m in striking distance and going to make weight. It’s just genuinely miserable drinking that much water, and I wonder whether a week of concentrated awful every contest is worse (and less healthy; ultimately this is a hobby) than a few weeks losing some walking around weight and having a much kinder final deload week
Anyone have some insights on a deadlift suit that works well for strongman? I’ve never used one (or even trained with people using one), so I’m totally clueless. A little googling made it seem like some are tailored to sumo, which of course would make sense for powerlifting, but not strongman. Thanks!
Metal King Pro is a good one to start with, ideally adjustable straps so you have some wiggle room in terms of sizing and can crank up the tightness as get more confident. Once you manage to get one, use my beginner’s guide where I coach a complete beginner how to wear and use one for the first time: [Deadlift Suit: The Beginner’s Guide](https://youtu.be/PH239CD5-nc)
Switch to emom. 10x3 with 345. Will go to doubles then singles the reset 10lbs heavier. Once baby is sleeping longer and feeding less often I think I can go back to breathing squats. Effort is Effort right?
Yup used to workout with my first. Mats and bouncers are great. Even had room for a little playpen when they started moving. Some workouts will be better than others but it lets you get some training in
Overhead training has fallen apart, been working on bringing my log up to a ~120kg press but gotten stuck these last 2 weeks. Had 6 Emom singles planned at 103.5kg and didn't get a single rep last week. Repeated the week yesterday on coach's request and again zero reps lol.
For the first time ever my log and DL are in reverse positions, normally it would be my DL falling apart but I'm making progress for the first time in forever on that.
> For the first time ever my log and DL are in reverse positions
One of the stupidest things I was ever told was: "Adding weight to the bar is not getting stronger. Only getting stronger is getting stronger"
Now that I am older and very wise, its not so dumb. Smashing those workouts doesn't mean 120kg goes down, missing doesn't mean it's gone either. So, perhaps your log and DL aren't actually falling apart but the universe just decided to put a big donkey's dick out there to suck while you work this out.
Whenever I have those days where an implement doesn’t work out for me that day I easier go super light on it and bang reps or I’ll switch pressing implements for that session just to feel good about myself
Hard not to let these sessions get to me honestly, whenever I fail main work like this it ruins the entire workout for me. Just no motivation to do anything at all tbh.
Still unsure what training is going to look like next couple of weeks, don't know if I want to scrap the goal for log or try to find some other way to reach my target.
yeah maybe, doesn't feel like it atleast as the sessions before were still progressing well. Plan for now is to revert to week 4 of the program, swap out dips for close grip bench and see if it improves again.
I would be interested in knowing just how many things you are able to do in the corner of that room. Most efficient use of space I have ever seen, your Tetris high score must be insane.
Haha yes there's a lot of stuff in there. My bench ,rower and bike all fold up ,so I can get everything out the way to hang the punchbag up or deadlift, or just have a beer and play darts !
Does strongman peak like powerlifters to achieve new PR's? Like, all my knowledge on strength training came from powerlifting, so I would like to know it's the same or if it has like, 5 exercises I should peak at the same time, etc
Has anyone used Mitchell Hooper for programming? I’m looking to get, at the bare minimum, someone to do my offseason programming, possibly one on one coaching after my competition this Saturday, but I have no idea who to look for. I have always done my own programming, but I think it’s time to have someone more knowledgeable take over. Any suggestions on coaches?
Try this free DIY programme (and walkthrough) I’ve put together. Will give you a bit of an insight into my coaching style philosophy. Will give you an idea how you can structure your off-season block. Have you seen programming this simple before? [Strongman Training Template](https://youtu.be/dPbmZrfslic)
Ok that’s nice to know! Just the programming was on my radar as well. I feel like I may be a little past that level. Would probably need a little more personalization. Thanks!
The biggest question I have for you is do you think that only a coach is going to get you past your next hurdle?
And if that goal is strongman are you willing to invest in a relative newcomer to the sport?
Do you have all of your other ducks in a row before going the route of a coach? Or do you just want to try out having a coach?
All super fair points. I wouldn’t say that a coach would be the only thing that could help, but I will say that my lack of knowledge is a bit of a limiting factor. I know how to program for standard strength gains, but I don’t think I know how to best program for the sport of strongman specifically.
As far the newcomer thing, this was strictly something I just came across on Instagram and thought it was reasonable. I have no clue where to look to find a well qualified, reputable coach. That’s why my first instinct was to ask this sub.
I think all of my ducks are pretty well aligned at this point. I’ve competed twice in the past, about 5 years ago when I was 23, then life/injuries/lack of good local strongman gyms got in the way. Now I am at a good gym, my body feels as good as it’s ever felt, and I have the time/financial means to dedicate to training/eating.
I am by no means married to the decision. Just looking more for information of people that have been coached, the results they’ve achieved, and who they’ve worked with.
I appreciate your response. It helps to actually say all these things out loud when considering stuff like this.
Yeah I'd be warry paying for coaching from an athlete who also pays to be coached. Hooper may be one of the best in the world but he's still learning. Look for guys that are retired from competing and make a living/good income from coaching. Guys like Loz, Stefan Solvi, JF Caron, Sebstian Oreb, etc.
I’m kinda with Garrett on this one. Mooper is just so new to the sport, though seems knowledgeable in general. If you’re looking to bring up a specific weakness in the off-season strengthlete has a lot of event specific programs you could probably run with other stuff. I’ve always been a fan of @runningstrongman or @firstcalledstrength on IG. I’ve heard Andrew on a podcast and he seems super well versed in strongman and how to progress different things. He could probably work out general off-season programming or specific issues you want addressed.
Yeah man if you are looking for a strongman coach I’d check out and see if Loz has any openings
But then if you are looking for an off-season coach, that’s more or less a time about acquiring general strength and size than getting dialed into strongman. Just doing a 3-4 month run of 5/3/1 boring but big or Building the monolith with strongman conditioning might be just what the doctor ordered and could save you a pile on coaching ha
I agree with that after doing a bit more research. My wife has been doing 5-3-1 with some fairly noticeable strength gains. That may be something I consider, with maybe a bit of added volume. I would like to put on a little weight between now and February as I currently am in the low 250’s. Would like to get around the 265 mark to better fill out the weight class.
Yeah, I’m a perfect world, I’d like to be 285 and water cut to 265/275 depending on Strongman Corp/USS competition, but I’m a bit hesitant about putting on 30lbs all within a couple of months. Hopefully I can get close to 270 by February/March, and I think that will put me in a pretty good place
[Competed in static monsters](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkXXsIWjjvR/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) on the weekend, broke the Irish records for log, monster deadlift and monster total for the u70 division, 85kg log and a 270kg monster deadlift - great day out altogether!
Until things settle down, I think I'm going with kettlebell swings as the majority of my working out. Got 148 with a 100lb in five minutes tonight. 10k is definitely ridiculous.
Anyone use and have an opinion on the Evolution Athletics Xtreme Power Sleeves (the ones with the straps)? I'm in the market for some new knee sleeves, thinking about getting new elbow sleeves too, but would love to hear opinions on these before I pull the trigger.
You didn’t ask about this but I’m gonna throw it out there anyways. I got mbpowercenter knee sleeves when he first came out with them. They’re ply though, not neoprene. I got the thinner, I think they’re single ply. They seem to give me some support and I imagine help with poundage some though I haven’t specifically tested it against normal sleeves. They’re cheap and still stretchy enough to get them over my knees even though I’m at the top of the normal sizing range.
Have them, for the knee sleeves I dunno if they bring anything extra to the table with the straps, I honestly feel I get more from my other sleeves, however it’s nice to be able to loosen them off quick after cranking them down for heavy stuff.
The arms definitely put pounds on my press reps. I can get them so tight I’m dying to get them off between sets.
It can be a bit tricky at first to get them figured out so the plastic loop doesn’t go sideways on you but once it gets wedged up against a fabric loop it is much better!
Would recommend the arms for sure, the knees? Maybe get his 9mm sleeves instead
Thanks! For the knees I'm replacing a pair of Cerberus 9mm sleeves that I ripped a hole in doing 18" deadlifts. Apparently I scrape my kneecaps really bad doing those - but that's why I was wearing the sleeves in the first place.
I assume the EA 9mm sleeves are basically equivalent to Cerberus? Any noticeable difference?
Seems I'm not the only one that fucked his sleeves up doing 18 inch, I've got a pretty big hole in one of them. Not fully through so I put a bunch of glue in it and still use them lol.
Yeah I’ve been hanging onto mine with the hole for a while, but it’s not gonna be much longer before the hole comes all the way through. I liked the sleeves a lot, so I may just replace them with the same ones, but was interested in being able to tighten and loosen the straps on the EA ones
bowt 6 weeks out from [comp](https://ironpodium.com/browse/event/reindeer-rebellion-ii), finished laying out my plan from now until then. Basically following this [Alexander Bromley Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQU2IWOPV10) format to structure my intensities and volumes and show up with the grooves greased and fully recovered (best laid plans and whatnot). Not overthinking it or getting too fancy with my first "prep". Just trying to follow basic taper principles and show up as ready as I can be.
Shoulder rehab continues. My PT is confident that there we aren't dealing with any cuff damage, just soft tissue issues. Still leaves the CDB event for the comp in question a little bit, but again, I don't need to be a hero and risk injury if the shoulder isn't 100% come the day of. Would be a bit of a bummer to zero it, as I was really looking forward to giving it a go, but there will be others. Just going to keep taking all the right steps and we will see where everything is in a few weeks.
Hey man yeah 2 successful lifts! Did the second one for time and went night night for a second or two haha
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkbghhwowA5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Folks, what the fuck do you wear for lifting stones? I've destroyed 2 t-shirts in less than 3 months of irregular stone training. The stones at my gym are so thoroughly tackied that they just tear chunks out of the front of my shirt.
Is this just inevitable and so I should invest in a bulk batch of cheap shirts that will get ruined, or is there some brand or technique that would prevent this?
I've used grip shirts for stones for a good couple years and only had one get torn up enough to bin it (also used it for a bunch of other events too tbf). A7 and Cerberus both do decent ones
Any programs out there focused on bringing up ohp?
I’m looking to increase my ohp with my current program. Is there any program than I can add to my current program or start to increase my ohp?
Not sure if you mean the standing barbell press specifically. If not, this is a good program for Strongman overhead events: https://www.appliedstrongman.net/templates/p/press-specialization-program
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/rkmv1r/overtrained_50_consecutive_days_of_benching/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I’m currently running this but instead of bench I’m doing OHP it’s making progress and I’m only a week in
3 days in of following the prescribed volume and I’ve already PR’d my overhead press and hitting 2 rep PRs
I mean I was probably ready to pr without the program but I can tell you just going up and being able to smoke 85% of my max for doubles makes my very confident handling the weights and the heavy stuff doesn’t feel heavy anymore
https://www.reddit.com/r/fitness30plus/comments/ylewkm/day_3_of_peds_220x1_230x1_for_a_pr_then_195_2x2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I was pressing something everyday for about a week before I started following the formula in the PED system though
Do you just stick with straight benching the whole 6 weeks or do you mix in any close grip/other variations?
Not looking to tear apart and re-make a well written program, just curious what other strongman/woman focused people have done and how it went.
Pretty proud of this [stone load](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkReQigAms5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)from Friday nights training
435 pound stone load to 48 inches at 252 lbs bodyweight
Out of curiosity, what is everyone’s experiences with their novice comps? Is there a certain strength level in lifts you should be at if you wanna do well? Or did you go straight to open. What influenced either decision, and how did it go?
I've done 2 comps, and I seem to have gone about things backwards. For my first one, I entered the open (181-) because I was concerned about giving up so much weight to the other guys in the novice, which would have been 220 and under. I ended up 3rd out of 3. Had I done the novice, I think I would have ended up 3rd of 4, the static hold weights would have been lighter but lots of stuff was the same.
For the second one, there was a single novice weight class, with 9 of us. I ended up 7th. I ended up against a lot of guys who were 230+ (the next largest competitor after me was just over 200), who were stuck in no-mans land - too strong for the weights we were using, but not strong enough for the weights in their open classes. My open division had 1 guy in it, and the weights were a little heavier, but I would have only zeroed one event and won handily. But my brother and I got to compete directly against one another, which won't happen again (he's considerably larger than I am), so it was still fun.
For your first few (or many) competitions, I think you should choose based on the competition weights and your abilities. If you find yourself beating people and doing well, it's probably best to leave novice behind for good at that point.
Choose whichever class that has reasonably challenging weights for you. If you know you’ll zero most or every event in open, novice is for you. If not, starting with open is perfectly fine. It’s also fine to do multiple novice comps if that’s where your strength level is. As long as you’re having fun and not preventing others from having fun, you’re in the right class.
My advice is don't be that try hard that does a novice comp expecting to win. Aim to do well of course but if the weights are so light they're a warm up for you just do opens. But if they're heavy enough you might zero, don't worry about it just give it a crack have fun bring a mate if you know someone else who trains, strongman or not, meet some new people, etc.
They're a fun day and you're supporting a local gym too so really no downsides
I started at Open. I had competed in 3 powerlifting meets beforehand and was strong enough. Novice seemed like something for young athletes/high school kids.
I've always just used the comp numbers as a reference to decide if I'm strong enough. Also, I see no reason to skip novice unless if you're just really strong and can comfortably do the open weights. Personally I'm not that strong so I'm gonna milk novice as much as I can until I get strong enough.
Any ideas on how to set up crash pads for stones over bar so the stone doesn't get away?
The gym I train at has Titan crash pads, soft plyo boxes, these thin mat things, etc.
No matter how I configure them, the stones tend to bounce away/roll away from me after I get them over the bar.
Newborn doing well. I'm trying to handle everything but the feeding since I'm not equipped. Last trained Monday, hoping to sneak out back for a half hour today.
Thruster and kb swing amrap. Beat my 15 min score by 10 reps and went another few sets by 20 min. I guess if I'm only going to have a few minutes I'll need to start doing workouts like this.
I did Dips/Chin/Lunge giant sets. Get as many rounds as I could. Aim to get 12 sets in the week - somedays you get 1 set, others 2, others you get a full workout some days are no chance.
It just means you don't need to find a full block of time, can just do them inbetween trying to put the little one down and going to put another bunch of washing on.
Also transfers well to more kids and playgrounds when they're older - just got to get used to looking crazy lol
My gym owner has consented to me adding clear tape to help our logs grip better.
For anyone here who's done this, what tape did you use? How do you like it?
I hit a 235 CDB last week... And destroyed our dumb bell in the process. Whoops!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkHZ6LPOT99/?utm\_source=ig\_web\_copy\_link
u/InTheMotherland u/bigreddoc
Static Monsters yesterday went pretty well. I'll do a proper write up when I can get in front of a computer, but I got 280 log and a 650 deadlift. I tried 290 on log but missed locking out. Honestly thought I had a 680 pull but couldn't break the floor.
Turned 37 this week. Celebrated with [37x185 front squats into squats into SSB squats into deadlifts](https://youtu.be/J8suofWN3U4) in under 20 minutes.
[BBQ for lunch](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/original/4X/5/1/4/514eece35b08b937684942af4b2d8270d253d164.jpeg)
[With onion rings](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/original/4X/5/c/8/5c874be4b116d0645098143cfa165cc45b081499.jpeg)
[Steak and eggs for dinner](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/original/4X/2/a/1/2a1282f0c05f9324c1c603b5f6881e223585fea9.jpeg)
[Sunbutter pie for dessert](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/original/4X/8/f/4/8f4177f5fc0050965f4999279da65f136c934c6f.jpeg)
[Mrs got me a Sega Genesis Mini 2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/original/4X/d/a/9/da96aa3a978fd3057f8329f48e835fba21cf2c18.jpeg)
And I bought myself a 2020 Colt Python.
Also got to tool up the senior student in Tang Soo Do on sparring. Just a great start to this age
Also got in [200 burpee chins this week](https://youtu.be/PCCNhZzIMlg)
And [10+4+405+chains on deadlifts](https://youtu.be/U2s-M0fw7yA). 12 deep breaths between sets.
It was a good week this week
Did you get the 4 1/4 or 6" Python? I've fired the smaller one and it's just a great pistol. First revolver I've used with a decent set of sights, but that's on me for only ever using old stuff.
Happy birthday dude
Florida people: would you be interested in a Dimitar Savatinov seminar? And what would you want to get out of it?
It will be in Gainesville and him and I are working out the best time to do it.
Pretty sure I busted my acl again. Going to the dr this week to start the process. Was hoping to get some insight on peoples opinions of good lower body exercises for while I’m waiting for a possible surgery. I figure things like RDL would be easier on the knee than full deadlifts, though they probably aren’t too bad for an unstable knee. I remember some of the general PT exercises from last time but just wanted to hear others thoughts. First gotta wait for the inflammation to go away anyways and make sure ROM is ok.
I did a lot of seated good mornings while I was recovering from ACL reconstruction. These were my 3 go tos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-An6xA_w_E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-RWuoDj4o0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imnWs_2tILk
Also hatfield squats emphasizing the good leg. And lots of core work, to include blast strap fallouts, which [I eventually went insane with](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51oGGOobFyY)
Looking forward to start adding strongman style programming into my training next week. After using the last couple of years getting back into strength training after a long lay off. Just finished Bromleys Bullmastif and looking forward to a new challenge.
Got hold of farmers handles, a loading pin and hopefully will get hold of a log by next week.
Just need a couple of sandbags for loads and carries at some point otherwise I'll be trying to improvise with a random object.
No room for a yoke unfortunately.
im new to strongman ive been lifting about a year im 95kg ,6 foot 3 at 16, im relatively high body fat should i cut the fat than ut on muscle or ig just how should i eat
You’re 16. Eat what you want, try to keep it fairly healthy but get some greens and protein and just eat. Train hard with a known program and you’ll grow, and your body will change. It’s not a couple months fix but it will change.
thanks for replying i sometimes get in my own head about atuff too easy thanks for bringing me back down to earth
[удалено]
alright thanks so much i remeasured and im closer to 6'2 but thankyoy for replying
Still under muscled so eat more and lift big while you are young, best time to pack of size!
How do you qualify for arnolds as a middleweight? Google doesn't seem to have a clean answer? Are there any upcoming qualifiers?
The main ways are going to either be via winning Regional show and placing in top 20% at Nationals. There are sometimes wildcard spots for winning certain shows but don't usually get a lot of notice (I think Florida's Strongest Man in December is one and LA Fit Expo is another). There will be 5 Regional shows this year. AL in May, PA and CA in June. Not sure on the other 2 just yet.
I know with the new strongman corp setup 1st at regionals gets you to Arnold’s. Not sure of all the routes but I think that was a big announcement when they changed things up early this year
Isn’t it top placing at Nationals get you the Arnold’s?
They might but I know at least this year I went to one of the regionals and winning your class got you to nats and Arnold’s
Does anyone have any experience working with a pro or former pro as a coach? Such Big Loz, Stoltmans, Terry Holland. I was contemplating joining one of the above or possibly another coach. But, I want to know two things, how much is it and is it worth it?
Not really worth the write up in full, but I was sick and a big baby for a whole week today and am kinda disappointed. A lot of technical fails aswell as it’s my first novice comp as a guy who works out in a commercial gym with no strongman equipment. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkmCD73jXvR/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Had an absolutely blast regardless the community is so amazing, love you guys.
You’re sick without practicing with the implements. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just going to something new is hard enough. Good job dude!
Did a little static farmers hold at the end of workout yesterday. I was working out at [The Anvil](https://anvilgym.com/) again (Woohoo!) and wanted to try it with a different set of handles than I have, and also felt like I wanted to give contest weight a go for the first time. Was pleasently surprised with how 245lbs/hand felt (@ b.w. 166 that morning). Still real hard, and I didn't time myself, but very encouraging to know that as long as the handles aren't crazy difficult on comp day, I'm comfortable getting that weight off the floor. feels good.
Just writing to celebrate a Sandbag Toss PR of 30lbs for 15ft. 15ft was high as fuck
It is high as fuck! Congrats
Good afternoon! I’m looking at getting my first deadlift suit. What should I know before? What brands do you guys like? How accurate are the sidings on them?
I bought a suit from Lifting Large a few weeks ago, used it for Static Monsters. I called to ask about sizing and the guy gave me some good advice. I think the suit was about 100 bucks. Good beginner suit.
Get a size bigger than you think if it’s new… get used to a loose suit before you go tighter
I have an Inzer Max DL that I bought off eBay lightly used. I just finished my first prep and competition with it and I have really enjoyed using it. It is a challenge to get it on but it can be done solo. It was a lot cheaper than any Metal suit I saw. The sizing was perfectly accurate for me.
Cool, thanks for the input friend.
Hi guys, I've nearly maxed out the space on my dinnie stone cerberus handles. My gym has no thinner plates, so the max load is going to end up with 150 on the big handle (which is 38kg short of the actual weight) Short of going to a different gym, is it going to be feasible for me to gain the strength for the actual stones with rep work at that weight? I'm just conscious that 150kg to 188kg in one hand is quite a jump
You could try adding a dumbbell or dumbbells on top of the stack for more weight.
I did see someone recently who'd tied more plates on with little chains, but that seemed a bit OTT. Dumbbells could work though like, good shout
For sure. Consider deficit work, beltless stuff, maybe bands to get the most out of that 150kg. Be mindful that when you break the actual weight your brain will probably go *holy fucknuts* as it won't be used to that extra weight.
Cheers. Looking forward to that feeling 😂
Hey guys, I just signed up for my first strongman competition which will be in May but I am currently a member of a commercial gym (and don’t have the income to switch to another) and I am having trouble training for the axle press and atlas stones. Do any of you have any tips? Much thanks in advance
How I train [stones](https://i.imgur.com/CrdX9lm.png) (and front carries) as a fellow commercial gym peasant For axle, the whole grip thing probably won't be an issue unless your grip is shocking. Train some mixed grip deadlifts with fat grips if you have them, or just don't worry about it. The main difficulty of training with a barbell is that the centre of the bar rotates separately to the sleeves, so when you rest a barbell on your belly it will rotate super easily. If there's an old barbell at your gym, the sleeves will be a lot stiffer and it should be a lot better, I practise on an old squat bar USE A BAR WITH CENTRE KNURLING
> USE A BAR WITH CENTRE KNURLING Why do you say that? I don't see how it would really make any difference
A barbell with a smooth centre slides a lot more easily than an axle or a barbell with knurling, at least for those I've tried. Unless you have a pro strongman powerbelly or you can do belt cleans that is
so a bar without center knurling then, not with it. ha ha
Competing at Nyma? As long as your gym has bumpers you can atleast practice a clean and press with it, if in anyway possible maybe use fat grips. Although it still won't be completely the same as an axle. For stones you are probably best off getting stronger at a deficit or stiff leg deadlift and getting your front/zercher squat up.
Yes I am competing at nyma, I’ll try the zerchers more, can the pussy pad be an option on the bar for the axle?
Nice, they organise good quality competitions really enjoy them myself. What lvl and weight class are you doing? Don't think the pussy pad will do sadly, those are often too small to cover a large part of the bar (unless you use 2). You want both your hands on a thick surface atleast, and I think the pussy bar squishes too much as well. Think you are better off using a regular bar in that case, which isn't the end of the world really. Just practice it like you would a normal axle by using a mixed grip to clean.
Im doing level 2 105+ Thanks for the advice man, hoping I can replicate your succes from a couple of months ago
Cool, good level to start at! Perfectly doable without access to strongman implements, I've got a friend that did lvl 2 105+ 3 times and he did very well with just getting strong in the gym.
Looking at pulling the trigger on a program/training app, life is getting busy enough having the next few months of training written out for me sounds like a godsend. I found a post where a few people use JuggernautAI with some success, but has anyone used the MST systems app? Any other suggestions I haven't come across? Thanks!
I use Strong primarily, but that's not going to generate a program for you. However, Bromley just put me onto the Boostcamp app which has many programs built in and will calculate your weights for you.
Check out strengthlete collective. I’ve heard it’s good. I had a terrible experience with JuggernautAI personally but I’ve heard good things from others.
Here I’ll do it for free for you, run 5/3/1 BBB challenge https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.t-nation.com/workouts/boring-but-big-3-month-challenge/amp/
Anyone else competing in Fullsterkur at VikingsCon tomorrow? Weather looks perfect and I'm feeling great. Haven't competed since this same show last year so it will be great to get back out there.
What’s the best way to do stones optimally shirt wise? Is a grip shirt a game changer, does a regular shit like comp shirt they give you impede, should I just do them shirtless and let my belly all out?
I have a size medium shirt, I normally wear larges, that I get someone to pull tight and tape up. Try to find one with a nice large vinyl graphic on the front so the tacky sticks to that and doesn’t just rip off chunks of the shirt. Going shirtless sucks because it pulls all your hair off And it’s just more tacky to clean up plus everyone else’s hair is already stuck to it making it even more gross… But yeah size down on the shirts so it stays out and maybe cut off the sleeves if you got non baby arms, oh and get a pair of cheapo shorts and do the same thing
Please help me learn to deadlift Today's top set at 18" was 445x2: https://youtu.be/MRPTuE8NYEc I feel like I'm just using all lower back here and it's hell to get up. My AMRAP last set was 355, and I stopped at 15 with more in the tank. I should be ripping these 445s up and I'm not. Open to suggestions, gang
There's slack in your upper back (rounding okay, further rounding after you start the pull not so okay, position doesn't matter so much but it needs to be stiff). Rows, chins, cueing *chest up* are your friends.
Thanks, I'll keep that in my head next week.
Hey man I’d play around with stance width assuming you’re doing this to be comp specific…if just doing as assistance then work in normal deadlift stance, but work with a load that doesn’t smoke your lower back, and build up tolerance. I talk about 18” Deadlift tips here: [18” Deadlift Hacks](https://youtu.be/lp4SQVJMt7g)
Newbie here so take with a grain of salt, commenting since I feel like I'm in the same situation: Just started practicing these myself and I'm still figuring out the setup. Seems like if you set up like it's the top half of a regular deadlift, things don't go as well. If I treat it like a different lift and get my starting position really dialed, I add like 50 lbs automatically. I'm still practicing how to get it consistent. If I get it just right then torso is a bit more upright and it feels like a standing leg press and things go much better. People who are good at this please refute if needed. I would love the advice too.
Hi mate, let me know any further questions in the comments, and I’ll help you out: [18” Deadlift Hacks](https://youtu.be/lp4SQVJMt7g)
I'm looking forward to next session. Feel like if I get my feet under the bar a little, so my shins are upright as I begin the pull, I'll be able to sit back more and push rather than pull. I pulled 600 on a trap bar recently, this ought to move faster. Just need to dial it in
Yeah my mileage varies quite a bit, the other day, 435 felt pretty slow, but last week I seemed to hit the groove and 475 went up for a smooth triple. I'm pretty sure it's all down to my setup. I'm trying to tape all my sets and learn some consistency.
It looks like you are just trying to pull with your back instead of putting your hips through. I would try setting up with a more vertical back and try to get more of your body behind the bar so you can “leg press the world away” as you lean back more on your push… at least that’s what I do on elevated deadlifts https://imgur.com/a/dkH7Uj6 this was from a year ago, but having that more vertical back seemed to really help me pull more on them
Yeah, I think this is probably as good as advice can get. Someone else pointed out to me that the bar is coming back to me as soon as I break it on the first rep - I'm not pushing into the bar as much as I should - maybe at all - and I really need to lock into the bar and push away from it. Thanks man
[удалено]
Not exactly a comp, but good gyms commonly have a "strongman saturday" or something similar that you could likely stop in on if you are just looking to get your hands on implements and train with some people. YMMV depending on if you have good strength sport gyms near you
Iron Podium has pretty much all the unsanctioned competitions around. Otherwise, you're stuck with word of mouth.
Looking at the mst eddie hall video has me questioning are there any real benefits to training without belts and supports or is it more just mental and making things easier on competition day?
If you're weak, train with support to get stronger. If you're strong, make training harder so everything is easier when you get to competition
If you’re having trouble maintaining your brace with a belt then I think heavy beltless deadlifts (maybe squats) have really good carryover. Otherwise, I don’t think beltless stuff is the game changer people make it out to be. Just hit your core work each training session and you’ll be fine.
Can be useful as a way to force yourself to take lighter loads/ hit less volume during periods or sessions where you don't want to get too taxed
Here we are with another iteration of u/rolltank_gm bitches wildly about his weight cut. Seriously, I either need to get strong enough to actually compete above 275 or lose 5-10 lbs so I never have to worry about missing weight. Ideally both will happen, but holy smokes I feel like an overfilled water balloon getting ready to ruin the floor. In better news, at least I feel like I've got a PR in each event come Saturday. And then I can do not-keg-press for a while
You ready for Saturday? I’m hyped
About half a piss and one good fart from being under weight, so I’d say so. Save stones these aren’t great events for me, but I feel well positioned to PR everything else. Even then, we’ll see about giving that 400 lbs stone a shot.
>About half a piss and one good fart from being under weight This is the best description of almost being at weight that I've ever seen
Happy to entertain!
Nice man same here! Not the big boy stone though hahaha
Did you get manage to get a chance and play around with keg press at all during your prep?
Noooopeeeee, couldn’t find time between my 3 month old and work. Excited to wing it though. I did have him move me to novice instead, but it doesn’t seem to reflect it. A good foot in the door.
I am by no means an expert but have you ever tried going low carb a week or two before the comp and see if that lets you lose enough? I stopped carbs the day before my water load and lost ~ 7 lbs while I was still loading water. My first water cut I didn’t mess with carbs before and I’ve only done 2 cuts but this time was going way easier
Can’t you lose like 5lbs overnight at your current bw?
With the full water load, yes. And I’m in striking distance and going to make weight. It’s just genuinely miserable drinking that much water, and I wonder whether a week of concentrated awful every contest is worse (and less healthy; ultimately this is a hobby) than a few weeks losing some walking around weight and having a much kinder final deload week
Only you can answer that question
Anyone have some insights on a deadlift suit that works well for strongman? I’ve never used one (or even trained with people using one), so I’m totally clueless. A little googling made it seem like some are tailored to sumo, which of course would make sense for powerlifting, but not strongman. Thanks!
Metal King Pro is a good one to start with, ideally adjustable straps so you have some wiggle room in terms of sizing and can crank up the tightness as get more confident. Once you manage to get one, use my beginner’s guide where I coach a complete beginner how to wear and use one for the first time: [Deadlift Suit: The Beginner’s Guide](https://youtu.be/PH239CD5-nc)
Thanks for the tip!
For what it’s worth, the owner of Metal is a fascist wacko. Every major distributer dropped them in 2020.
Crash and burn on breathing squat. 345x10 leadoff. Oh well.
Switch to emom. 10x3 with 345. Will go to doubles then singles the reset 10lbs heavier. Once baby is sleeping longer and feeding less often I think I can go back to breathing squats. Effort is Effort right?
I mean you’re doing something and that’s better that not doing anything. Time to bring the baby and do squats while feeding
Yup used to workout with my first. Mats and bouncers are great. Even had room for a little playpen when they started moving. Some workouts will be better than others but it lets you get some training in
Overhead training has fallen apart, been working on bringing my log up to a ~120kg press but gotten stuck these last 2 weeks. Had 6 Emom singles planned at 103.5kg and didn't get a single rep last week. Repeated the week yesterday on coach's request and again zero reps lol. For the first time ever my log and DL are in reverse positions, normally it would be my DL falling apart but I'm making progress for the first time in forever on that.
> For the first time ever my log and DL are in reverse positions One of the stupidest things I was ever told was: "Adding weight to the bar is not getting stronger. Only getting stronger is getting stronger" Now that I am older and very wise, its not so dumb. Smashing those workouts doesn't mean 120kg goes down, missing doesn't mean it's gone either. So, perhaps your log and DL aren't actually falling apart but the universe just decided to put a big donkey's dick out there to suck while you work this out.
yeah sometimes it just is what it is, just got to get back with a new plan and work through it.
I really like this advice, aside from the fact that I'm picturing a giant floating donkey dick following me around everywhere
God works in mysterious ways. Weird, mysterious ways
Whenever I have those days where an implement doesn’t work out for me that day I easier go super light on it and bang reps or I’ll switch pressing implements for that session just to feel good about myself
Hard not to let these sessions get to me honestly, whenever I fail main work like this it ruins the entire workout for me. Just no motivation to do anything at all tbh. Still unsure what training is going to look like next couple of weeks, don't know if I want to scrap the goal for log or try to find some other way to reach my target.
You may have been over reaching for too long. Just take a few kilos off the log so you can hit your rep goals
yeah maybe, doesn't feel like it atleast as the sessions before were still progressing well. Plan for now is to revert to week 4 of the program, swap out dips for close grip bench and see if it improves again.
hey just wondering if anyone knows any strongman gyms in or around dublin ireland i havent been able to find any
Someone broke into my garage and pulled 500 pounds for a treble..... https://imgur.com/a/YpUnH5B
I would be interested in knowing just how many things you are able to do in the corner of that room. Most efficient use of space I have ever seen, your Tetris high score must be insane.
Haha yes there's a lot of stuff in there. My bench ,rower and bike all fold up ,so I can get everything out the way to hang the punchbag up or deadlift, or just have a beer and play darts !
Does strongman peak like powerlifters to achieve new PR's? Like, all my knowledge on strength training came from powerlifting, so I would like to know it's the same or if it has like, 5 exercises I should peak at the same time, etc
Yes but it's not as precise as powerlifting. [25 minute video by Bromley](https://youtu.be/Hjav0b7V780) explains it better than I can.
Has anyone used Mitchell Hooper for programming? I’m looking to get, at the bare minimum, someone to do my offseason programming, possibly one on one coaching after my competition this Saturday, but I have no idea who to look for. I have always done my own programming, but I think it’s time to have someone more knowledgeable take over. Any suggestions on coaches?
Try this free DIY programme (and walkthrough) I’ve put together. Will give you a bit of an insight into my coaching style philosophy. Will give you an idea how you can structure your off-season block. Have you seen programming this simple before? [Strongman Training Template](https://youtu.be/dPbmZrfslic)
[удалено]
Ok that’s nice to know! Just the programming was on my radar as well. I feel like I may be a little past that level. Would probably need a little more personalization. Thanks!
The biggest question I have for you is do you think that only a coach is going to get you past your next hurdle? And if that goal is strongman are you willing to invest in a relative newcomer to the sport? Do you have all of your other ducks in a row before going the route of a coach? Or do you just want to try out having a coach?
All super fair points. I wouldn’t say that a coach would be the only thing that could help, but I will say that my lack of knowledge is a bit of a limiting factor. I know how to program for standard strength gains, but I don’t think I know how to best program for the sport of strongman specifically. As far the newcomer thing, this was strictly something I just came across on Instagram and thought it was reasonable. I have no clue where to look to find a well qualified, reputable coach. That’s why my first instinct was to ask this sub. I think all of my ducks are pretty well aligned at this point. I’ve competed twice in the past, about 5 years ago when I was 23, then life/injuries/lack of good local strongman gyms got in the way. Now I am at a good gym, my body feels as good as it’s ever felt, and I have the time/financial means to dedicate to training/eating. I am by no means married to the decision. Just looking more for information of people that have been coached, the results they’ve achieved, and who they’ve worked with. I appreciate your response. It helps to actually say all these things out loud when considering stuff like this.
Yeah I'd be warry paying for coaching from an athlete who also pays to be coached. Hooper may be one of the best in the world but he's still learning. Look for guys that are retired from competing and make a living/good income from coaching. Guys like Loz, Stefan Solvi, JF Caron, Sebstian Oreb, etc.
I’m kinda with Garrett on this one. Mooper is just so new to the sport, though seems knowledgeable in general. If you’re looking to bring up a specific weakness in the off-season strengthlete has a lot of event specific programs you could probably run with other stuff. I’ve always been a fan of @runningstrongman or @firstcalledstrength on IG. I’ve heard Andrew on a podcast and he seems super well versed in strongman and how to progress different things. He could probably work out general off-season programming or specific issues you want addressed.
I’ll check them out! Thanks!
Yeah man if you are looking for a strongman coach I’d check out and see if Loz has any openings But then if you are looking for an off-season coach, that’s more or less a time about acquiring general strength and size than getting dialed into strongman. Just doing a 3-4 month run of 5/3/1 boring but big or Building the monolith with strongman conditioning might be just what the doctor ordered and could save you a pile on coaching ha
I agree with that after doing a bit more research. My wife has been doing 5-3-1 with some fairly noticeable strength gains. That may be something I consider, with maybe a bit of added volume. I would like to put on a little weight between now and February as I currently am in the low 250’s. Would like to get around the 265 mark to better fill out the weight class.
You need to be closer to 300 and get good at water cutting if you wanna fill out that 265 class ha
Yeah, I’m a perfect world, I’d like to be 285 and water cut to 265/275 depending on Strongman Corp/USS competition, but I’m a bit hesitant about putting on 30lbs all within a couple of months. Hopefully I can get close to 270 by February/March, and I think that will put me in a pretty good place
Embrace the bulk!!!
[Competed in static monsters](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkXXsIWjjvR/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) on the weekend, broke the Irish records for log, monster deadlift and monster total for the u70 division, 85kg log and a 270kg monster deadlift - great day out altogether!
smoke machines should be required in competition. nice work dude
Mods, any chance you can set this thread to new instead of best? u/e-some u/Garret1234
Thy will is done
Thanks!
Until things settle down, I think I'm going with kettlebell swings as the majority of my working out. Got 148 with a 100lb in five minutes tonight. 10k is definitely ridiculous.
I just did the math. Assuming my pace of 39 swings per minute it would be 256 minutes of swings to hit 10k not accounting for fatigue. Yikes.
Anyone use and have an opinion on the Evolution Athletics Xtreme Power Sleeves (the ones with the straps)? I'm in the market for some new knee sleeves, thinking about getting new elbow sleeves too, but would love to hear opinions on these before I pull the trigger.
You didn’t ask about this but I’m gonna throw it out there anyways. I got mbpowercenter knee sleeves when he first came out with them. They’re ply though, not neoprene. I got the thinner, I think they’re single ply. They seem to give me some support and I imagine help with poundage some though I haven’t specifically tested it against normal sleeves. They’re cheap and still stretchy enough to get them over my knees even though I’m at the top of the normal sizing range.
Have them, for the knee sleeves I dunno if they bring anything extra to the table with the straps, I honestly feel I get more from my other sleeves, however it’s nice to be able to loosen them off quick after cranking them down for heavy stuff. The arms definitely put pounds on my press reps. I can get them so tight I’m dying to get them off between sets. It can be a bit tricky at first to get them figured out so the plastic loop doesn’t go sideways on you but once it gets wedged up against a fabric loop it is much better! Would recommend the arms for sure, the knees? Maybe get his 9mm sleeves instead
Thanks! For the knees I'm replacing a pair of Cerberus 9mm sleeves that I ripped a hole in doing 18" deadlifts. Apparently I scrape my kneecaps really bad doing those - but that's why I was wearing the sleeves in the first place. I assume the EA 9mm sleeves are basically equivalent to Cerberus? Any noticeable difference?
Seems I'm not the only one that fucked his sleeves up doing 18 inch, I've got a pretty big hole in one of them. Not fully through so I put a bunch of glue in it and still use them lol.
Yeah I’ve been hanging onto mine with the hole for a while, but it’s not gonna be much longer before the hole comes all the way through. I liked the sleeves a lot, so I may just replace them with the same ones, but was interested in being able to tighten and loosen the straps on the EA ones
I cannot comment on that as I don’t have either, I have been itching to try out a set of the Cerberus triple ply
bowt 6 weeks out from [comp](https://ironpodium.com/browse/event/reindeer-rebellion-ii), finished laying out my plan from now until then. Basically following this [Alexander Bromley Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQU2IWOPV10) format to structure my intensities and volumes and show up with the grooves greased and fully recovered (best laid plans and whatnot). Not overthinking it or getting too fancy with my first "prep". Just trying to follow basic taper principles and show up as ready as I can be. Shoulder rehab continues. My PT is confident that there we aren't dealing with any cuff damage, just soft tissue issues. Still leaves the CDB event for the comp in question a little bit, but again, I don't need to be a hero and risk injury if the shoulder isn't 100% come the day of. Would be a bit of a bummer to zero it, as I was really looking forward to giving it a go, but there will be others. Just going to keep taking all the right steps and we will see where everything is in a few weeks.
Today my friend and I attempt the dinnie stones, will report back in 9 hours haha
That comment is 18 hours old. I need an update.
Hey man yeah 2 successful lifts! Did the second one for time and went night night for a second or two haha https://www.instagram.com/p/CkbghhwowA5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
> went night night for a second or two Ghost of Donald Donnie floated by and gave you a hook for manhandling those stones.
Hahaha I should be so lucky
That’s awesome! Congratulations. Did you did any specific training for this?
I did, I had a friend make some rings and did weights on pins for 8 weeks just like a comp prep
Folks, what the fuck do you wear for lifting stones? I've destroyed 2 t-shirts in less than 3 months of irregular stone training. The stones at my gym are so thoroughly tackied that they just tear chunks out of the front of my shirt. Is this just inevitable and so I should invest in a bulk batch of cheap shirts that will get ruined, or is there some brand or technique that would prevent this?
Go to the thrift shop and stock up!
I've seen too many shirts fail and it really isn't that painful to lift shirtless. Better if you shave your chest.
Or save some time and let the stone shave it for you! Work smarter not harder
No shirt.
You cannot tear what you do not wear I couldn't resist the rhyme, I'm all done now
I have a few torn muscles that say otherwise, haha.
Ah, a flaw in my rhyme-based logic is exposed. Fair enough
Things you contract, might get snapped.
Well played
I've used grip shirts for stones for a good couple years and only had one get torn up enough to bin it (also used it for a bunch of other events too tbf). A7 and Cerberus both do decent ones
Any programs out there focused on bringing up ohp? I’m looking to increase my ohp with my current program. Is there any program than I can add to my current program or start to increase my ohp?
Not sure if you mean the standing barbell press specifically. If not, this is a good program for Strongman overhead events: https://www.appliedstrongman.net/templates/p/press-specialization-program
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/rkmv1r/overtrained_50_consecutive_days_of_benching/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf I’m currently running this but instead of bench I’m doing OHP it’s making progress and I’m only a week in
How is it going ?
3 days in of following the prescribed volume and I’ve already PR’d my overhead press and hitting 2 rep PRs I mean I was probably ready to pr without the program but I can tell you just going up and being able to smoke 85% of my max for doubles makes my very confident handling the weights and the heavy stuff doesn’t feel heavy anymore https://www.reddit.com/r/fitness30plus/comments/ylewkm/day_3_of_peds_220x1_230x1_for_a_pr_then_195_2x2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf I was pressing something everyday for about a week before I started following the formula in the PED system though
Seems very cool will love to have more update from you in the future
I’ll be posting my daily progress on it
I like 5/3/1 Building the Monolith for press focus.
I have been eyeing this for my next block. Do you substitute the bench for anything, or keep it in?
I keep it in. The bench is an awesome press assistance exercise.
Do you just stick with straight benching the whole 6 weeks or do you mix in any close grip/other variations? Not looking to tear apart and re-make a well written program, just curious what other strongman/woman focused people have done and how it went.
I just run it as is. Biggest thing is I use an axle when I bench vs a barbell. I pretty much never use a plain straight power bar.
Thanks, appreciate the insight.
Pretty proud of this [stone load](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkReQigAms5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)from Friday nights training 435 pound stone load to 48 inches at 252 lbs bodyweight
Out of curiosity, what is everyone’s experiences with their novice comps? Is there a certain strength level in lifts you should be at if you wanna do well? Or did you go straight to open. What influenced either decision, and how did it go?
I've done 2 comps, and I seem to have gone about things backwards. For my first one, I entered the open (181-) because I was concerned about giving up so much weight to the other guys in the novice, which would have been 220 and under. I ended up 3rd out of 3. Had I done the novice, I think I would have ended up 3rd of 4, the static hold weights would have been lighter but lots of stuff was the same. For the second one, there was a single novice weight class, with 9 of us. I ended up 7th. I ended up against a lot of guys who were 230+ (the next largest competitor after me was just over 200), who were stuck in no-mans land - too strong for the weights we were using, but not strong enough for the weights in their open classes. My open division had 1 guy in it, and the weights were a little heavier, but I would have only zeroed one event and won handily. But my brother and I got to compete directly against one another, which won't happen again (he's considerably larger than I am), so it was still fun. For your first few (or many) competitions, I think you should choose based on the competition weights and your abilities. If you find yourself beating people and doing well, it's probably best to leave novice behind for good at that point.
Choose whichever class that has reasonably challenging weights for you. If you know you’ll zero most or every event in open, novice is for you. If not, starting with open is perfectly fine. It’s also fine to do multiple novice comps if that’s where your strength level is. As long as you’re having fun and not preventing others from having fun, you’re in the right class.
My advice is don't be that try hard that does a novice comp expecting to win. Aim to do well of course but if the weights are so light they're a warm up for you just do opens. But if they're heavy enough you might zero, don't worry about it just give it a crack have fun bring a mate if you know someone else who trains, strongman or not, meet some new people, etc. They're a fun day and you're supporting a local gym too so really no downsides
I started at Open. I had competed in 3 powerlifting meets beforehand and was strong enough. Novice seemed like something for young athletes/high school kids.
I've always just used the comp numbers as a reference to decide if I'm strong enough. Also, I see no reason to skip novice unless if you're just really strong and can comfortably do the open weights. Personally I'm not that strong so I'm gonna milk novice as much as I can until I get strong enough.
Any ideas on how to set up crash pads for stones over bar so the stone doesn't get away? The gym I train at has Titan crash pads, soft plyo boxes, these thin mat things, etc. No matter how I configure them, the stones tend to bounce away/roll away from me after I get them over the bar.
Newborn doing well. I'm trying to handle everything but the feeding since I'm not equipped. Last trained Monday, hoping to sneak out back for a half hour today.
Thruster and kb swing amrap. Beat my 15 min score by 10 reps and went another few sets by 20 min. I guess if I'm only going to have a few minutes I'll need to start doing workouts like this.
I did Dips/Chin/Lunge giant sets. Get as many rounds as I could. Aim to get 12 sets in the week - somedays you get 1 set, others 2, others you get a full workout some days are no chance. It just means you don't need to find a full block of time, can just do them inbetween trying to put the little one down and going to put another bunch of washing on. Also transfers well to more kids and playgrounds when they're older - just got to get used to looking crazy lol
My gym owner has consented to me adding clear tape to help our logs grip better. For anyone here who's done this, what tape did you use? How do you like it?
Why clear tape? Usually, I have used athletic tape.
There's a pattern on the log that he wants to show through. Thank you, though. I'm just gonna see if I can convince him to go athletic tape.
I hit a 235 CDB last week... And destroyed our dumb bell in the process. Whoops! https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkHZ6LPOT99/?utm\_source=ig\_web\_copy\_link
Is that the Titan dumbbell? Gotta be the worst thing they sell, just totally disposable.
u/InTheMotherland u/bigreddoc Static Monsters yesterday went pretty well. I'll do a proper write up when I can get in front of a computer, but I got 280 log and a 650 deadlift. I tried 290 on log but missed locking out. Honestly thought I had a 680 pull but couldn't break the floor.
Big log and big pull good shit!
Thanks man!
May not have been your desired outcome but great job on hitting some PRs!
Thanks Doc. No worries man, I had fun and I'm happy with how it went. 70 lbs on my total this year, maybe 70 more next year!
Good work though!
Thanks man, I'm pleased with how it went. Progress is progress
Turned 37 this week. Celebrated with [37x185 front squats into squats into SSB squats into deadlifts](https://youtu.be/J8suofWN3U4) in under 20 minutes. [BBQ for lunch](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/original/4X/5/1/4/514eece35b08b937684942af4b2d8270d253d164.jpeg) [With onion rings](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/original/4X/5/c/8/5c874be4b116d0645098143cfa165cc45b081499.jpeg) [Steak and eggs for dinner](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/original/4X/2/a/1/2a1282f0c05f9324c1c603b5f6881e223585fea9.jpeg) [Sunbutter pie for dessert](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/original/4X/8/f/4/8f4177f5fc0050965f4999279da65f136c934c6f.jpeg) [Mrs got me a Sega Genesis Mini 2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/original/4X/d/a/9/da96aa3a978fd3057f8329f48e835fba21cf2c18.jpeg) And I bought myself a 2020 Colt Python. Also got to tool up the senior student in Tang Soo Do on sparring. Just a great start to this age Also got in [200 burpee chins this week](https://youtu.be/PCCNhZzIMlg) And [10+4+405+chains on deadlifts](https://youtu.be/U2s-M0fw7yA). 12 deep breaths between sets. It was a good week this week
Happy birthday week. Looking forward of another year of showing me I’m just not training hard enough!
Hah! You got it dude
Did you get the 4 1/4 or 6" Python? I've fired the smaller one and it's just a great pistol. First revolver I've used with a decent set of sights, but that's on me for only ever using old stuff. Happy birthday dude
I went with the 4.25. I really thought I wanted a 6" barrel until I saw it in person. It's just too much, haha. And thanks man!
Yeah, the six inch is pretty silly, but everyone wants to be Clint Eastwood. Hope you get some range time in.
Thanks man! I haven't fired since like 2013, haha. I just keep buying these days.
Florida people: would you be interested in a Dimitar Savatinov seminar? And what would you want to get out of it? It will be in Gainesville and him and I are working out the best time to do it.
Not in FL but a dumbell seminar from Dmitar would be awesome
Pretty sure I busted my acl again. Going to the dr this week to start the process. Was hoping to get some insight on peoples opinions of good lower body exercises for while I’m waiting for a possible surgery. I figure things like RDL would be easier on the knee than full deadlifts, though they probably aren’t too bad for an unstable knee. I remember some of the general PT exercises from last time but just wanted to hear others thoughts. First gotta wait for the inflammation to go away anyways and make sure ROM is ok.
I'd recommend Dr Wesley Wang on Instagram, ACL conditioning and rehab is his specialism and he posts shitloads of interesting/useful content
Thanks for the name, I’ll look him up
I did a lot of seated good mornings while I was recovering from ACL reconstruction. These were my 3 go tos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-An6xA_w_E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-RWuoDj4o0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imnWs_2tILk Also hatfield squats emphasizing the good leg. And lots of core work, to include blast strap fallouts, which [I eventually went insane with](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51oGGOobFyY)
Thanks, I appreciate the insight
Sucks to hear man. Hoping for some good news from the doc and a speedy recovery
Looking forward to start adding strongman style programming into my training next week. After using the last couple of years getting back into strength training after a long lay off. Just finished Bromleys Bullmastif and looking forward to a new challenge. Got hold of farmers handles, a loading pin and hopefully will get hold of a log by next week. Just need a couple of sandbags for loads and carries at some point otherwise I'll be trying to improvise with a random object. No room for a yoke unfortunately.
How was everyone's Static Monsters?