Question about Strongman Training

[Lee]

im sure Clint could answer this pretty easily. How do you go about training for strongman. I havent started yet but i really want to. i have the height and build for it, i just dont know where to start. Where would i get equipment for it? 500 pounds tires are pretty spendy, are there any substitutions i could use? are there any websites that have directions on how to make farmers walk bars? logs? stones? i have always been interested in strongman but never knew where to start.

 

[Backlash]

I think most of the strongmen I see posting their training do a modified Westside split with events on De Lower day. Clint can you confirm this?

On a side note, good to see you back here bro!

 

[JOKER47]

Hey Lee, good to see you back on here. Hope everything is working itself out for you.

I can help with a lot of the questions you just asked, but not for a few hours. (Gotta train then go to work.)

I'll answer as much as I can tonight from work. Hang tight til then, bro. (Unless B-Fold get's to it before me.)

 

[rbrown]

you combine gym training with event training; ideally using the real events. It can be an expensive hobby, but there are cheap ways to acquire the implements. Also, get some grippers like the COC grippers--the importance of grip in strongman cannot be overstated.

The tires are the cheapest thing--they are free. Just find a commercial tire place (that sells the big tires) and they will likely have some old ones laying around. The place here in Nashville had like 200 of them. We just looked around until we found some that were about right. I actually found 2 that were identical and use them in my contest. The most basic events that you will see everywhere can be made by a welder or purchased at places like viking equipment. We have about 12 different events now so training can be quite varied. If you don't have the event, just improvise--like doing high pulls to simulate power stairs (or you can go to a local stadium and use a loading pin; just be careful not to tear the stair apart).

I do a 4 day per week split. Tues-squats, lower body asst; Thurs, max effort bench; Saturday-ME lower and events and Sunday, DE bench and overhead.

 

[JOKER47]

rbrown pretty much covered it all. Here are a few links that might help too:

Making homemade stones:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~keen0018/makeastone.htm

Purchase inexpensive, high quality logs and other equipment. (I own one of his 6ft logs myself)
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~keen0018/makeastone.htm

For farmers walks ideas, do a search on the boards here for them. Several strongman competitors have posted pics of their homemade creations here.

rbrown is right. Tires are free. I have two of them, and paid nothing. In fact, Les Schwab had one of them delivered to the store closest for me to pick up. Still no cost.

I have also made my duck walk and farmers myself from Lowes without welding. (I don't know how to weld, and didn't want to pay a welder at the time.) Here's a link that has several pics of some of my stuff I made at home:
http://www.joker47.com/Pics/Home Gym/

I also do a 4 day split, modifed WSB workout:
Monday - ME Upper
Tuesday - DE Lower
Wednesday - Tire practice/GPP -or- off
Thursday - DE Upper
Friday - ME Lower and Events
Sat/Sun - Off

Lifts vary, but the format stays the same. ME Lower and Events are 1-3 gym lifts, and 2-3 events. All OHP events are trained on Upper days as part of the workout.

Hope this helps some. I'm sure B-Fold could add more, too.

 

[Lee]

thx joker, that info helped a lot. i wanna start off with the basic, low level stuff, then move onto the more intense events, like the truck pull. my friend has a half ton dodge im gonna try to pull this summer, man is it gonna be fun. i live in alaska so shipping on that sorta stuff is gonna kill me, but itll be worth it.

 

[JOKER47]

Pretty much anything you could ever need is sold here:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~keen0018/makeastone.htm


I also use the pics on his site of what he sells to come up with my own ideas of how to make it.

Make sure to post up any pics of ideas you come up with for making equipment.

 

[b fold the truth]

Be creative and you can make all kinds of things. My first pair of farmers walk implements were an old pair of EZ curl bars. My first super yoke was a squat bar with chains hanging down and looped through 45's for weight. Same with Conan's Wheel.

Be creative, spend little money and put it together piece by piece.

Remember to get stronger...you need BASE strength. Work on ALL weaknesses.

B True

 

[Lee]

well right now my body is one large weakness due to my lack of training these past 6 months. really sucks, but when i get back into training steadily with a good schedule, im gonna make myself turn into a beast. being 6'5" will make it hard, but ive never had a lanky build, always been kinda thick, so ill be big in no time