my unofficial strongman training plan

[jeremys]

first, i'm going to have to get my lower back fixed to about 105%. i'm going to have to hammer my abs too. as soon as i feel good to go, i'll start with event training. my squat rack's coming in a couple days, so i can set up a reverse hyper in there.
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week A will look like this:

monday - squat day (5x5), hams, lower back, abs, deadlift holds (other grip work?)

tuesday - off, AR if needed

wednesday - either log clean/press for reps or regular
clean/press(5x5??), shoulders/cuff work, hammer curls

thursday - off, AR if needed

friday - dead day (5x5), rows (palms facing in to help with some carryover for stones, kegs, logs, etc, also regular grip), deadlift holds (other grip work?) lower back, abs
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i will just do week A for a couple weeks until i get all my toys and get my back strong again. i'm doing 5x5 instead of a westside-type split because i can start real light and just go progressively heavier, also to get used to proper form instead of doing partials and variations all the time. i've never squatted with proper form. iff/when i plateau on my lifts, then i might try a westside variation.

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week B will look like this:

monday - events
tuesday - off, AR (will probably need it)
wednesday - off, AR if needed
thursday - events
friday - off, AR
saturday - off, AR if needed
sunday - off

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my first contest (if my parents let me go and give me some transportation) will/would be May 17th. the events will/would be:

max log clean and press
18" deadlift
keg toss
atlas stones or someother loading event
deadlift hold

i might do a personal contest for myself at least 10 weeks before this one on the 17th. same events probaby, to test myself and see where i've gotten.

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think i've covered everything? need more info? ideas? opinions?

oh, i have to give big thanks to b fold for helping me understand some things and also answering questions. i have so much to learn yet, and it will be plenty of fun.

 

[michaelcoutts]

how old are u jeremys?

 

[WarriorPL]

Lookin real good jeremys, but youre cramping everything IMO.
Jeremys is 15.

 

[b fold the truth]

OK...I have LOTS of ideas.

First off you need to keep one thing in mind with EVERY contest....you need to become stronger from head to toe. You are never strong enough.

Second...look at your events and find gym lifts that will help you get stronger in the events. Your events are as follows:

max log clean and press
18" deadlift
keg toss
atlas stones or someother loading event
deadlift hold

Ok...Here is what I see, event by event.

1) Max log clean and press: You need a log if at all possible. It is MUCH different than a regular bar. A "tricep bomber" bar is a light substitute...maybe. To be good at the log press you must have strong triceps and shoulders. Triceps play a large role in the max log press. When going for a max set, balance is key also...as well as experience. You MUST have strong abs and core as well.

You can spend a lot of time working on a 5x5 routine of overhead presses and I find that lying dbell tricep extensions can really help too. Work those rotator cuffs and your rear delts...and of course your upper back (supporting muscles). Other exercises that help are:
bench press with a narrower than normal grip
incline bench press
dbell tric extensions
tate presses (help with the lockout A LOT)
face pulls
hammer curls
palms facing overhead dbell presses...and many more I am sure.

2) 18" deadlift: The partial deadlift is a lot of lower back. You can not get good speed with the bar so you had better practice. Many people prefer to use straps and a double overhand grip...I use a mixed grip and straps if they are allowed. Wear a belt. Strengthen your abs and hit the reverse hypers hard and heavy. Make sure that you are barefoot or in Chucks/Wrestling shoes.

You can increase these with:
box squats
rack pulls
GM's (short ROM)
Glute Ham Raises
hyper extensions

3) keg toss: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!! The main thing to get better at this is practice. Are you tossing it for distance or height? This requires a lot of leg, erector, upper back, and delt strength. Your other exercises done to increase everything else should help with this event a lot.

4) Atlas Stones: If you can get a hold of an atlas stone, any round stone, or train with someone who has some...do it!!! You are going to need to focus on your lower back, upper back, hamstrings, quads, hips, and biceps. A lot of this will be covered by other exercises above.

To increase this you can:
Box Squats
Deadlifts
SLDL
Zercher Squats
Rev Hypers
GHR's
Hyper Extensions
Barbell Rows
Hammer Curls (cross body if you wish)

You can also take some sort of loading pin and put 45's on it. You should be able to find a pic of me doing something like this here: http://www.clintdarden.com/pics/Lifting Pics/Various Pics/Atlas Stones/
Look at all the pics. I will make you some more as well as some videos of both myself and pros.

5) Deadlift Hold: I assume that this is for time. It is a mental game and how much pain that you can put your body through. I suggest doing some trap bar holds, rack pull holds, or farmers walk holds for time. Find out if you can wear straps and if you can...practice with them. Load A LOT of weight on the bar and stand up with it (shouldn't have to move it much) and hold it for as long as you can. Do a set where you can only hold on for about 10-15 seconds then drop the weight a lot to where you are using a weight that you can hold for 60-120 seconds. It is brutal.

Of course you need to train the event but you can also do:
Rev Hypers
Hyperextensions
Barbell Rows
Deadlifts...and many more exercises.

I'll go ahead and post this and try to talk about your gym training from here.

.........

 

[b fold the truth]

Ok...so we look at the gym work that can help you get stronger:

overhead press
lying dbell tric extensions
rotator cuff work
bench press with a narrower than normal grip
incline bench press
dbell tric extensions
tate presses (help with the lockout A LOT)
face pulls
hammer curls
palms facing overhead dbell presses
reverse hypers
box squats
rack pulls
GM's (short ROM)
Glute Ham Raises
hyper extensions
Deadlifts
SLDL
Zercher Squats

There are many more that can help also. You have a lot to choose from but these should be your target group. Of course, you can't do them all...and you don't have to. Pick and choose.

Never waste your time with an exercise that is going to do NOTHING for you. Never choose an exercise that MIGHT help over something that you know that does. Remember, if you can find ONE exercise that hits MANY of your events...then do that one. Don't try to isolate everything...do as much good with as little work as possible, if that makes sense.

I think that you need to be gym lifting EVERY week no matter what. I do not know anyone that is competitive in their Strongman career that lift one week and do events the next. I think that this was big back when no one had any info on how to train and the pros were not giving out ANY secrets.

Willie Wessels, as well as one of my best competitors that is his trainee, train with a 5x5 program. They do simple things in the gym. 5x5 on incline supersetted with barbell rows. Light shoulders, light triceps, more lat/back work. Another day is squats and deadlifts...mostly 5x5 also...or HEAVY!!! They lift on Tuesday and Wednesday and then do events (like a contest) on Saturday. It has worked for both of them...but they are also 2 of the most disciplined amateur strongmen in the organization.

...let me post this then I will continue...

 

[b fold the truth]

Conditioning.

You need to have your body to where it is conditioned to doing the events and to be pushed through them. It is hard to compete for 3-12 hours straight. You have to learn to push yourself and then recover in enough time to do it all over again. The 18" deadlift, max log press, and keg toss will not be too overly taxing on your body. The partial deadlift will take a lot out of your lower back though...and you need to be able to do the stones and the deadlift hold after that...when your back is trashed.

Drag the sled if you can. Pull it from between your legs, in a bent over style, and often. You and your muscles must be in shape...very good shape.

I really hope that some of this made some sense. If we can't get this taken care of over Elite, we will chat. If not over chat then via email. If not over email then over the phone...we will get you ready for this!!!

Please ask questions...I will help.

B True

 

[DrBones]

Bfold gets props for going over everything so indepth...
Once again proving how much of an asset he is to the board...
Karma for you man

 

[jeremys]

thanks so much..you're really taking a lot of time and effort explaining this all to me. thanks..

how could i fit in events every week with 5x5? is it possible? i really have to get full range of motion for both squats and dead..

could you help me get my split fixed up?

i got the one week gym, one week events idea from jouko ahola's site that i remembered i read a while back. it's not there anymore.

the keg toss is for height i believe.

thanks for the pics and vids of the atlas stones...really helps out with understanding form.

i found an article on how to build a log here:
http://hometown.aol.com/jonestom04/overhead.html

could i get one of those tricep bars and use that instead? i'm really pressed for money and materials

i think that's it for the moment..

 

[b fold the truth]

The main thing is to do your 5x5 routine and add in some events every day.

Plan out a routine and I will help with advice on it.

Of course, I do my routine because I believe that is the best. It is hard for me not to design a routine just like mine...lol

You can use the tricep bomber but you can only load up so much weight on it, the grips are SUPER close together and it is nearly impossible to clean.

B True

 

[jeremys]

you mean events every week, right?

do i do all these events every week or do half one week, half the next week, then switch to all a few weeks out from the contest?

while i work on my squat form, and get my squat and dead weight up a little, i'll also be doing reverse hypers and abs for lower back. i won't be able to do events for a couple weeks. so maybe at that couple week mark when i start training events, i can do something similar to your split?