Training for Strongman Competition

MxS/SE/HIC/E
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porks
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 5:43 pm

Training for Strongman Competition

Post by porks »

Happy new year everyone!

I finally want to get involved in strongman this year. I'm planning to do a competition on April 27th with the following events:
Axle Clean & Press (75 kg)
Axle Deadlift (160 or 200 kg)
Farmers Walk (90 kg/ Hand)
Medley (70kg keg, 100kg keg, 100kg Stone)

I've been training for around 2 years now mostly with Crossfit workouts mixed with strength training like TB and 531. I'll test my lifts this week before starting the new cycle, but my stats are roughly:
19yo male, around 95kg BW and 2,03m (looking to gain weight and compete in the 105kg weight class)
110 kg Squat, 140kg Deadlift, 80kg Bench, 50kg Strict Press

I've tried some Strongman events before and could manage an 80kg Farmers Walk and a 100kg Stone with Tacky. But I know that the C&P and the Deadlift will be pretty heavy for me and I won't get that many reps.

I plan to do a 6 week cycle of the new mass template with standard BP, SQ, WPU and DL cluster followed by an Operator cycle with Strict Press instead of Bench Press to get more specific for the events. After that I have 3 weeks left + a 4th deload week before the competition.

What do you think about this approach and my clusters? Since the events will be pretty heavy for me I thought running Mass first and then operator would be better than the standard OMS Protocol.
Also, do you have any suggestions what I should do after operator in the final weeks before the competition? I have a strongman gym around an hour away from home, so this would be an option for the weekends maybe.
Would you recommend any assistance exercises during operator (I thought about some ab work or something)?
And what HICs would you suggest? Would it be possible to turn practicing the events at the Strongman gym into a HIC somehow?

Green2Blue
Posts: 651
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 9:17 pm

Re: Training for Strongman Competition

Post by Green2Blue »

Hi. I used to post here quite a bit until I took up training for strongman full time a year ago. I’ve competed three times since then, relatively successfully.

Need a few more details on your events before I can give input.

1. Is the press max, press away, or clean every rep?
2. Is the deadlift for max or reps? With or without straps? From the floor or from wagon wheels/tires/blocks?
3. What’s the distance in farmers? Is there a turn?
4. What kind of medley is it? Carry, load, or load and carry? How far and/or how high?
5. What kind of equipment do you have access to?

porks
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 5:43 pm

Re: Training for Strongman Competition

Post by porks »

Hey, thanks for the help man!

1. It's with clean every rep.
2. The deadlift is for reps, with straps and from like two rubber mats, but I don't know the exact height. You can see it in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW45U6kH2IU&t=770s around 9:20, the other events are in there as well.
3. Farmers are 40m, 20m back and forth, but without a turn - you drop them at the end - you can see it around 11:00 in the video.
4. You first carry the 70kg keg for 7,5 meters and load it to 120cm, then you do the same with the 100kg keg and load the Atlas Stone at the end, but the stone is directly under the platform. Again, you can see it in the video if my explaination is confusing.
5. I went to the commercial gym today and it is surprisingly well equiped. You have the usual barbells and dumbbells, farmers handelns, a yoke and even a log, SS Bar, Swiss Bar, GHD, Hyperextensionmachine, a sled; but unfortunately no axle.
At the Strongman Gym I can go to on the weekends I have an axle, Atlas Stones (45, 65, 90 and 120 kg), a log and a tire, but no kegs or farmers.

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