APPLIED

STRONGMAN
TRAINING 2nd Edition

Functional training methods designed to

gain strength, pack on muscle, and lose fat

1 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Poliquin Group™

Copyright © 2018, Poliquin Performance Center 2, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Notice: Before beginning any exercise program, consult with your physician to ensure that
you are in proper health. This book is not meant to provide medical advice; you should ob-
tain medical advice from your private health care practitioner. No liability is assumed by the
Poliquin Group for any of the information contained herein.

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Exercise drawings by Sylvain Lemaire, Physigraphe, info@physigraphe.com

 Contents

Introduction
A Brief History of Strongman Training ................................... 4

Chapter 1
A Few Words for Coaches and Gym Owners………................. 7

Chapter 2
Traditional Strongman Exercises.............................................. 9

Chapter 3
Introductory Strongman Workouts........................................... 17

Chapter 4
Basic Strongman Training............................................................ 26

Chapter 5
Strongman Training for Fat Loss................................................ 30

Appendix
World and Continental Strongman Competitions............... 34
 Introduction
A Brief History of Strongman Training

A former world champion and world record holder in powerlifting, Bill Kazmaier won three “World’s Strongest Man” titles. He is considered one of the
strongest all-around strength athletes of all time. Photo by: Bruce Klemens

The roots of strongman training can be found in carnivals and circuses, with powerful athletes
performing feats of strength such as bending steel bars in their teeth, accomplishing chal-
lenging hand balancing skills, and lifting heavy objects in unconventional ways. From those
early days, strongman evolved into a sport that attracted a much bigger audience, offered
much bigger financial incentives, and recruited much bigger and stronger athletes.

In 1977 weightlifter Bruce Wilhelm won the first “World’s Strongest Man” competition
against a field that included powerlifters, bodybuilders, Olympic-style weightlifters, track and
field athletes, wrestlers, martial artists, and football players. The producers wanted these
powerful athletes to showcase their abilities with activities that the average person could
relate to. Such events included running with a 400-pound refrigerator strapped to their back,
pushing a 700-pound wheelbarrow, and throwing a car tire for distance.

4 © 2018, Poliquin Group

For many years this strongman competition was regularly featured on ESPN, and as its pop-
ularity grew it became a respected sport with standardized events. Prize money increased
significantly, sponsors were bountiful, athletes from other countries became involved, and
eventually women were invited to participate.

As the sport grew, athletes and the general population began to recognize the value of
strongman training for improving athletic performance and physical fitness. Strongman exer-
cises were also being prescribed by personal trainers to help their clients add muscle and lose
fat. Its popularity also attracted the interest of the sports science community.

One well-publicized study on the benefits of strongman training was published in the July
2009 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Confirming what the Iron
Game community already knew, these sports scientists concluded that strongman exercises
were a form of functional training because they “…clearly challenge the strength of the body
linkage, together with the stabilizing system, in a different way than traditional approaches.”

Although Olympic-style weightlifting and powerlifting competitions consist of lifts performed

for single repetitions, strongman events are often performed for numerous repetitions, and as
such are considered a form of energy system training. For example, during the tire flip event,
strongmen may flip a tire a dozen or more times; likewise, in the farmer’s walk, athletes must
carry weights over distance. Of course, the shorter the distance, the heavier the weights. How
far and how heavy? Distances vary, but consider that Canadian strongman Hugo Girard car-
ried two cylinders, each weighing 175 kilos (385 pounds), a distance of 25 meters (about 27
yards) in just 21.39 seconds!

5 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Strongman training is not considered aerobic, but anaerobic (i.e., without oxygen) and de-
signed to improve muscular endurance. From a sports science perspective, the following
four energy systems can be trained effectively with strongman exercises: 1) anaerobic alactic
power, 2) anaerobic alactic capacity, 3) anaerobic lactic power, and 4) anaerobic lactic ca-
pacity.

Probably the most recognized strongman event is the tire flip. This event is considered a total
body movement that works the same muscles used in a squat, deadlift, or power clean. Often
football teams would store a few tractor tires on the field for their athletes to flip at the end of
a practice as a “finishing exercise” (such that when you’ve finished flipping them, your body
is finished!). Tire flipping is also a great exercise for producing high levels of growth hormone
production. High growth hormone production stimulates fat loss, and is the basis of the pop-
ular German Body Comp program.

What the tire flip is to the lower body, the log press is to the upper body. It is performed with
a cylinder that has parallel handles attached on the inside so that you can perform exercises
with a neutral grip. A neutral grip places less stress on the shoulders than a barbell exercise
performed with the palms facing away from the body. Many athletes, especially powerlifters,
use these logs to perform bench press variations in a power rack.

Rather than pushing wheelbarrows or pulling trucks (and even airplanes!), modern strong-
man training involves pulling sleds (forward, backward and sideways) and pushing sleds.
These sleds have pegs attached so that additional weight can be added. No only do these
sleds work the major muscles of the lower body, but there are specific exercises that can be
performed that focus on the upper body muscles, especially those of the upper back.

Strongman training requires specific equipment, but most of it is relatively inexpensive and
should last a lifetime. All the exercises can be performed outdoors, which is important be-
cause many of the exercises have you carrying heavy weights for distance. The equipment
that takes up the most space is the super yoke, which are large frames that you carry across
your shoulders to develop overall strength, and the tires.

To perform strongman training safely, you have to know what you’re doing. Strongman train-
ing is not commonly taught in most strength training certifications, so seek out coaches who
have practiced these exercises and know how to teach them. Although exercise descriptions
are provided for the workouts provided later in this book, it is difficult to learn proper tech-
nique in these exercises from reading a book or looking at drawings or photos.

If you need a break from your regular training and want to try a challenging method to trans-
form your body and make you a better athlete, give strongman training a shot.

6 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Chapter 1
A Few Words for Coaches and Gym Owners

As with any new training method, as a coach or gym owner you should look at strongman
training with a skeptical eye before introducing it to your program. Playing devil’s advocate,
here are four concerns.

Budget. Although many coaches and gym owners make their own strongman equipment – a
practice that raises all sorts of liability issues – chances are if you want some of this equip-
ment, you’re going to have to buy it. Determine what strongman exercises are the most im-
portant to your program and go from there. Perhaps start with a sled or a prowler, followed by
a pair of farmer’s walk cylinders.

Storage. Have you ever met a strength coach or gym owner, at any level, who thought their
weightroom was too big? Doesn’t happen. Instead, what you’ll find at many schools, unfortu-
nately, is that there are too many athletes working in too small a space, creating a safety is-
sue. Many strongman tools take up a lot of space. Do you store them outside, in a large closet
or in the corner of the weightroom when not in use? These questions should be addressed
before adding strongman training to your program.

Safety. Not only must athletes and other gym users be trained to safely practice and (when
necessary) spot strongman exercises, coaches must address the fact that there can be a high
risk of injury with some of these events. This is especially true with tire flipping as there is the
possibility of the tire falling back on the athlete, or injuring the biceps when improper flipping
techniques are used. Coaches also need to learn how to warm-up for these exercises; on this
subject, be certain to purchase tires of several different weights (or at least perform some
Olympic lifting movements to prepare the body) so that an adequate warm-up with lighter
tires can be performed before using the heaviest ones.

7 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Scheduling. When training athletes, especially in school environments, there is the issue of
time limitations. Often many high school athletes get their weight training in during the day
in a gym class, which means they may be limited to training sessions lasting only 45 minutes.
Could strongman training detract from their results? Even at the collegiate level, it’s often
hard to get in the basics of athletic fitness training, such as running and stretching, let alone
do supplemental strongman training.

Just as you don’t fill a room full of gymnastics equipment and tell young athletes to “play
gymnastics,” you need to carefully plan how you organize a strongman program in your facili-
ty and ensure that those using this equipment can do so safely.

8 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Chapter 2
Traditional Strongman Exercises

The number of strongman exercises continual increases as strongman competitions strive to

become more unique and entertaining. In this book we will offer several workouts that include
exercises that are often included under the umbrella of strongman, such as battle ropes and
medicine ball exercises. When it comes to traditional strongman training, however, there are
four basic categories of exercises:

• Sleds
• Super Yoke
• Log Press
• Tire Flip

Let’s take a look at each of these in detail.

Sleds
The inspiration for the use of sled work for strongman can be loosely traced to the Scandina-
vian forestry industry. Once a tree was felled, loggers would drag it from the wooded areas
not accessible by vehicles. Powerlifting coach Louie Simmons brought sled dragging to the
forefront by drawing this information from the Finnish powerlifters when querying them re-
garding their deadlifting prowess. They claimed that their background in dragging trees from
logging employment provided them with a solid base of posterior chain development, which
is key to excelling in the deadlift.

If you were dumped on a deserted island and were allowed only one piece of exercise equip-
ment, it should be the sled because virtually every muscle can be trained using this appara-
tus.

9 © 2018, Poliquin Group

And the more resistance an athlete has to overcome in his or her sport, the more useful the
sled, which is why it is often a strength tool of choice for rugby and football players. Sled work
is also useful in other team sports such as basketball, ice hockey, soccer and volleyball.

Here are a few more specific advantages of sled work:

Sled work provides one of the best forms of strengthening the vastus medialis muscle
(VMO), a quadriceps muscles essential for knee stability, in a progressive but non-impact
manner. In contrast to squatting, sled work can be performed early in the rehab process.
Forward and backwards sled walking are also more inherently natural movements than squat-
ting, and therefore they can be done shortly after orthopedic surgery once medical clearance
for any resisted movements is given.

Structural Balance Assessment. Sled work can provide
important feedback with regard to
an individual’s structural balance. For example, let’s say an athlete is executing a backward
sled drag and consistently pulls the sled off a straight line towards one side or the other. This
fault may suggest that a piriformis, a muscle involved in pelvic stability, is either is too tight or
is too strong relative to the opposite side. Similar assessments can be performed for muscle
groups such as the hamstrings by using the single-arm sled drag.

Lateral Speed Improvement. Sled work is one of the fastest ways to develop lateral speed.
The
strength coach must realize that lateral speed is almost always expressed in a situation
where inertia has to be overcome; hence the need for load. No amount of speed ladder train-
ing can match the results of sled work. The sled is the only practical tool that can overload
hip adduction and abduction patterns in a positive functional way. The more commonly used
bands placed around the ankles or legs are inadequate because it is difficult to measure or
increase resistance in controlled increments.

Farmer’s Walk
The Farmer’s Walk has the longest history of all the strongman events. Its origins go back
hundreds of years to agricultural Scotland, at a time when it was common to have numerous
tests of strength at local festivals and fairs. The name alone indicates these roots, although it
has been said that most farmers would likely have had more sense than to perform this event
with any regularity unless absolutely necessary.

Farmer’s walk implements consist of two handles attached to two larger, cylinder-shaped
main sections – although there are now implements that have bases that enable them to rest
upright. The main section can be either a fixed-weight object, such as an oxygen tank, or,
more practically, plate-loaded posts. These posts are carried parallel to the ground and must
be long enough so as not to interfere with the stride of the user.

10 © 2018, Poliquin Group

What surface the farmer’s walk is performed on depends upon the goal of the training. A
grass surface will increase the difficulty and instability of the stride. This may be desired for
rehab situations or with athletes who have demonstrated weakened ankle joints in need of
training. For example, alpine skiers and figure skaters often report very weak ankles from
wearing equipment that limits ankle mobility for their long competitive seasons. The same
issue applies to ice hockey players.

A change in training surface is recommended for all athletes using this tool regularly. That
said, it is necessary to consider the type of apparatus used when training on hard surfaces, as
unexpected drops are inevitable and damage to the training surface will occur unless precau-
tions are taken. Bumper plates as loading implements are the preferred option in this case.

Here are some additional benefits of the farmer’s walk:

Lower Body Structural Balance. Because it is a unilateral exercise, the farmer’s walk is an
outstanding tool for addressing muscular imbalances, particularly any weak links in the pos-
terior chain. Because many sports require one side of the athlete’s body to be dominant over
the other, it is crucial that precautions be taken to prevent uneven development, which could
lead to injury. Progress in this exercise will be limited to the weaker side of the body or to the
weaker leg, forcing the weaker side to catch up to its more highly developed counterpart on
the opposite side.

Knee Injury Prevention. As with sled work, the farmer’s walk is particularly useful in
strengthening the vastus medialis oblique, which plays a key role in knee stability.

Improved Running Speed. The gluteus medius plays a critical role during the stance phase
in running, which is the time spent on the ground with each stride. The stronger the gluteus
medius, the shorter the stance phase, as the switch between the eccentric and concentric
phases of contraction is shortened. This translates into faster running speeds.

Spine Stability. The load used in the farmer’s walk may be manipulated to recruit fibers from
one side of
the body over the other; for example, loading more weight on the left apparatus
than on the right. This is useful in cases where the oblique or erector spinae muscles demon-
strate an imbalance, such as often occurs with shot-putters. A right-handed shot-putter will
often have an imbalance throughout the torso in the obliques, erectors and quadratus lumbo-
rum due to the unilateral firing patterns and load of this event. If left unchecked, this type of
imbalance could become a limiting factor in performing squats or other major lifts, possibly
resulting in an injury.

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One notoriously weak muscle group, the rhomboids, is very effectively targeted during stan-
dard farmer’s walk exercises. Strengthening this muscle group can be a quick step towards
improved results in exercises requiring a fixed back position, such as deadlifts and squats.

Super Yoke
The term yoke is quite ancient. To this day, a yoke is commonly attached to cattle in order to
use them to haul a particular load. It has been used (and still is in some areas of the world)
as a feasible way for people to haul heavy loads, such as water and crops, over long distanc-
es. This standard usage was later greatly exaggerated in strongman contests to test overall
body strength, and it remains one of the foremost tests of torso strength known. As a point of
reference, consider that Zydrunas Savickas carried a super yoke weighing 925 pounds (420.5
kilos) 30 meters in 18 seconds.

One unexpected benefit of the super yoke is its ability to help identify athletic talent. In
general, individuals thicker through the torso will have initial advantages here, but superior
athletes will quickly excel. The super yoke requires a keen sense of multiplanar, unilateral
proprioception (or body awareness). That is, the athlete must constantly correct his or her
position under the load while moving forward as quickly as possible. Only athletes with a
combination of superior torso strength, reaction time and kinesthetic awareness will accom-
plish this with any kind of success.

There are many types of super yoke design. As long as the structure is safe during the pickup,
carry and drop phases, there is almost no limit to the variations in yoke design used in train-
ing situations as well as in competition. The best footwear to use with super yoke training is
well-constructed hiking-type shoes or boots. Do not use this tool to train ankle stabilization
as there is too much danger of ankle injury. It is, however, recommended that a variety of
surface areas be used for training to provide varied trunk stabilization feedback. Grass, Astro-
Turf, field turf, asphalt and cement are the preferred choices.

Here are some additional benefits of super yoke training:

Transfer of training to the squat and deadlift. Many athletes report poundage increases in
the squat by just training the lower body exclusively with the super yoke and farmer’s walk,
while abstaining from squat work. One common statement heard from the athletes is that if
the super yoke is going well, everything is going well.

Sports Application. The super yoke is an effective tool for virtually any sport; however, the
transfer is especially notable with contact sports such as rugby and American football.

12 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Log Press
This strongman event started in the 1970s as a standard test of shoulder strength. Prior to
becoming popular as a competitive event, log pressing was often used by military forces to
develop overall strength. Its use by weightlifters for general physical preparation purposes
goes back to at least the beginning of the last century. For obvious reasons, logs are readily
available training implements in rural areas.

Prior to the 1950s the bench press was virtually unheard of and overhead pressing was the
method routinely used to improve upper body strength levels. In fact, weightlifting competi-
tions used to have an overhead press as a primary event until 1972, when it was eliminated
due to
the difficulty in judging the movement and because having three events significantly
extended the length of competitions.

Anecdotally, there were far fewer rotator cuff injuries prior to the
use of the bench press as
the staple for upper body strength testing. This is because the neutral anatomical grip of the
log press is actually much more biomechanically suitable for the shoulder girdle than the in-
ternally rotated position associated with the bench press, and therefore it is less stressful on
the wrists.

The log press is optimally performed on an apparatus with handles recessed into holes
carved in the wood or, more realistically, cut into a hollow steel or aluminum tube. These han-
dles run perpendicular to the length of the log.

The distance between the handles can vary considerably, but 22 inches apart is an accepted
standard. The overall length of the
log can also vary, but generally it does not exceed eight
feet and can be as short as 4-5 feet. The longer the log, the more difficult it is to control,
creating an additional training effect. The logs are generally from 6-14 inches in diameter. All
logs should be plate loadable for practicality.

Generally, a lifting belt should not be used while training with this exercise, as the
belt would
negate the core strengthening effects of the log press. In addition, unlike many other exercis-
es discussed in this book, with the log press there is no benefit to performing this movement
on an uneven or unstable surface. The existing recruitment of the stabilizer muscles when
performing log press exercises is sufficient.

Here are a few more advantages of the log press:

Total Body Exercise. A large amount of muscle is used during the log press, especially when
a full clean and press movement is performed. In overhead log presses the upper back must
stabilize the torso in concert with the abdominals on the opposite side of the body.

13 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Functional Training. Novices using the log press will immediately notice the need for
superi-
or rhomboid strength when training with the apparatus. The log is a more transferable move-
ment pattern for football players and many other athletes when performing clean and press
movements, and there is significantly more biceps involvement in the clean and press move-
ment due to the neutral hand placement.

All of these results can be attributed to the awkwardness of the apparatus itself. “Odd ob-
ject” lifting has found a place in many sports training programs in recent years. This family of
movements produces muscle recruitment not seen with more balanced barbell exercises, and
that certainly is not possible with machine-based exercise movements.

Rehabilitation. After an athlete receives medical clearance for rehabilitation purposes, the
log press should be reintroduced into training before any back-supported pressing move-
ments such as the bench press and incline bench press. This approach will enable the trunk
stabilizers to be more fully developed before other higher-load upper body lifts are reintro-
duced.

Core training. The log press has an advantage over Olympic bar pressing due to greater
recruitment of the torso stabilizers; incidentally, the need for stability in the torso muscles in-
creases in proportion to the diameter of the log. Additionally, because the center of mass of
the log is farther away from the lifter’s own center of gravity than with a regular barbell, there
is an increased lower back recruitment. It is not uncommon for an athlete unfamiliar with log
pressing to experience considerable soreness in their abdominal muscles after an initial log
pressing training session.

Bench Press Transfer. Overhead pressing transfers to increased bench press strength, but
the reverse is not true. Trainees often report personal records in the bench press after in-
creasing log pressing weights, concurrent with abstinence from bench pressing.

Tire Flip
Perhaps the easiest piece of equipment to acquire, and the one most likely to provide the
highest return, is the tire. The sets and reps in tire flipping are extremely easy to manipulate
for anything from pure power work to extended lactic-acid training.

Used tires are considered hazardous waste, and therefore truck tire dealers are eager to get
rid of these. You should never have to pay for a used tire. The only downside of the equip-
ment is that there is no consistency among different used tires of the same model, as match-
ing sets are virtually nonexistent. And while methods have been described regarding adding
weight
to existing tires by the use of sandbags or by bolting plates inside the tires, neither
method is recommended or very practical.

14 © 2018, Poliquin Group

One of the most important factors in tire selection is the profile, or width, of the tire; this
is
the height of the tire as it rests flat on the ground, on its side. As a general rule, tires having
a
width of less than 20 inches are too low to achieve a safe position for either male or female
athletes because the athlete’s chin should be resting on or just above the top surface at the
start of the drive phase. The chest and upper arms of the athlete must be resting solidly
against the side of the tire as well. If the chest extends too far above the height of the tire, the
arms are forced to bear too much of the actual tire weight and injury can easily result. Ideally,
the chest should be the point through which the majority of the force passes to the tire.

It must be kept in mind that tires vary considerably in diameter, thickness, content (e.g.,
steel-belted radial), wear, tread design and texture. Here are some rough guidelines for se-
lecting the correct tire weight:

• 325 to 400 pounds (147-181 kilos) for women and smaller male high school athletes
• 400 to 600 pounds (181-272 kilos) for larger high school and collegiate athletes or for
professional women strength athletes
• 600+ pounds (600+ kilos) for collegiate linemen and professional athletes

Tires below these ranges have very little training value. Athletes who find that tires below
300 pounds in weight are difficult to work with are not physically prepared for tire training. In
contrast, tires in excess of 700 pounds should be considered excessive for collegiate athletes,
given the potential for injury versus possible training benefit.

Here are a few more specific benefits of tire flipping:

Posterior Chain Training. The posterior chain is remarkably well targeted during tire flipping.
The exercise has therefore been correctly prescribed for sports requiring sprint speed and
explosive movements with the hips in addition to its obvious benefits for energy system work.

Sports Training. There are very few sports for which the tire flipping exercise would not be
applicable. For example, in soccer, with its lower-body-only involvement, athletes would likely
derive less-than-optimal benefit. Due to the low pulling position involved, basketball players
are another group for whom tire training would be impractical. Athletes in most other sports
would possibly derive some benefit from tire work.

Energy System Training. The tire is arguably the top endurance training and/or function-
al
training exercise for American football, rugby and mixed martial arts athletes. It should be
considered one of the top endurance exercises in general.

If one wishes to argue that aerobic training is a test of mental toughness for linemen, we

15 © 2018, Poliquin Group

would counter that the athlete who guts out the last three flips of a 10-flip series with an
800-pound-plus tire has superior toughness over the athlete who plods through the last 200
yards of a 1.5-mile run. In short, the tire training exercise tests both preparedness and mental
toughness far better than other age-old techniques, especially aerobics.

16 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Chapter 3
Introductory Strongman Workouts

If you want to give strongman a try, the workouts presented in this chapter is a good place to
start. While specific exercises are prescribed, do not be afraid to modify or exchange an ex-
ercise depending on the equipment you have available. Again, there are seemingly countless
exercises that are now included under the umbrella of strongman training.

With conventional weight training exercises you must adhere to the precise speed of move-
ment for all aspects of the lift: eccentric, isometric and concentric. We express the speed of a
lift in a four-digit abbreviation—such as 4210. The first digit of the tempo formula is the low-
ering (eccentric) portion of an exercise; the second digit is the pause (isometric) phase; the
third digit is the return (concentric) movement; and the final digit is the pause before the next
rep (isometric).

Each digit refers to the number of seconds it takes to complete each phase, and the letter
X means to perform that portion of the lift as rapidly as good technique allows. Thus, if X is
written in a formula, such as 20X1, the lift should be performed with explosive action and full
acceleration during the concentric phase. Using the log bench press as an example, a 42X1
tempo would mean you would lower the weight in four seconds, pause at the chest for two
seconds, press the weight as fast as technique allows, then pause for one second at extended
arms before repeating for another rep.

With some strongman exercises, such as those performed for distance and contain no eccen-
tric or isometric component, the workout prescription may just say, “as fast as possible.” The
farmer’s walk is an example of such an exercise.

Each workout is designed with a formula that includes the order of the exercise, the name of
the exercise, the sets performed, the reps performed (or distance covered), the tempo, and

17 © 2018, Poliquin Group

the rest intervals.

If exercises are alternated or performed in a circuit, this will be indicated with a number
alongside the name, such as A1 and A2, which means to perform one set of
A1 followed by one set of A2, then repeat for the number of sets prescribed. Here is how a
workout formula might look:

A1. Standing Overhead Log Press, 5 sets x 10 reps, 40X1, rest 60 seconds
A2. Backward Sled Drag, 5 sets x 40 meters as fast as possible, rest 60 seconds

This means you would perform on set of the log press for 10 reps, rest 60 seconds, then
perform a set of the backward sled drag for 40 meters, resting 60 seconds. You would then
repeat this sequence four more times.

Workout 1

This workout consists of just two exercises, but they are two of the most challenging. For
those who are not in good shape, it would be best to use the alternative exercises provided.
Perform this workout for 3-4 weeks as it will develop a good strength base for the more diffi-
cult workouts to come.

A. Tire Flip, 10 x 3-5, rest 150 seconds

B. Super Yoke, 8 x 50 meters, 10X0, rest 120 seconds

Notes: With this workout, you would perform 10 sets of the tire flip followed by 8 sets of the
super yoke.

Alternate Exercises
A. Hex Bar Deadlift, 10 x 3-5, 3010, rest 150 seconds
B. Kettlebell Front Carry, 8 x 50m, 10X0, rest 120 seconds

18 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Exercise Descriptions

Tire Flip. Numerous articles and videos have been made depicting horrendous techniques
being employed while flipping the tire. The most common error is that of an athlete address-
ing the tire with the hands inside the legs, the back in a sumo deadlift-type position, and the
feet very close to the base of the tire. This start position results in a line of pull that is quite
close to the vertical. Such a line of force has resulted in many torn biceps tendons.

The correct approach is to lean the chest into the tire and move the feet back to roughly 2-3
feet away from the base of the tire, depending upon the overall height of the athlete. Grasp
the tire with the hands on the outside of the legs -- this position will encourage an automatic
forward lean into the tire.

When the athlete is in the correct position, their chin should rest on the top surface of the
tire. Keeping the hips low, drive the hips, knees and ankles to full extension. If this action
sounds remarkably like an Olympic lift, then you have a correct understanding of the move-
ment. Once the triple extension is complete, the athlete should then be able to drop into the
catch, or transition, position. This stage requires the feet to move into a split recovery-type
position and the hands to move from an underhand start position to an overhand driving po-
sition. The athlete then drives the base of the hands forcefully into the tire and pushes it over
end to the ground once again.

19 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Super Yoke. Progressions in this exercise should follow the same slow, steady pattern as
would be
seen in a squat or Olympic lift so that the load used does not exceed the ability of
the athlete. Progressions in this exercise should proceed from light, short walks (50 feet or
less), to light, long “runs” (100 feet). Light here is defined as roughly bodyweight for a male
or female athlete.

There are two mindsets possible for a given Super Yoke session. The first approach is used
when the requirement is for the athlete to use as heavy a load as possible for a set distance.
During this run, the goal is to prevent the apparatus from moving off-line by firing the tor-
so stabilizers to prevent unnecessary movement. For this goal, hand placement should be
straight out to the side with the hands in contact with the uprights. The athlete then uses the
shoulder girdle and torso to hold the entire apparatus steady during the forward movement.

The stride used should always be a normal walking gait – do not overstride. The foot place-
ment should be a tight, straight line. An uneven gait will result if the feet fall in too wide a pat-
tern off an imaginary straight line in front of the athlete. The glutes should remain contracted
to keep the hips in line, directly underneath the shoulders.

As with most lower body exercises, the abdominals should remain tight throughout the en-
tire run. A momentary relaxation of the abdominals could result in low back injury. This is no
different than a heavy squat with regard to torso stability. In fact, it is this forced contraction
against ground forces that produces the training effect of this exercise.

The height of the crossbar should be at pectoral height for liftoff. As a rule, the longer the
upright or pendulum portion, the more unstable the load becomes, as the distance is greater

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from the load to the supporting crossbar. If a more stable load is desired, the crossbar should
be lower. Be aware, however, that a lower crossbar results in a substantially more difficult
liftoff. The eyes should be looking straight ahead, never at the ground.

The coach or observer can help prevent injury by watching for the following key indicators:
posture and pace. The load used should be modified if the pace is below that of a quick,
steady gait. Because we are attempting to train torso strength in reaction to a normal com-
petitive situation, deviating too much from a somewhat accelerated walking pace can negate
this training effect. A heavy footfall is one good indicator of excessive load. The stride should
be heel-to-toes with a quick, and almost silent, turnover of steps.

Improper posture should be an easy flaw to spot. If an athlete cannot maintain an upright
posture with the hips in line with the shoulders, injury may result. A forward lean is not a de-
sired technique here. Decrease the load used immediately if the back begins to lean forward
of perpendicular. Be aware that supportive gear can mask the presence of both of these faults
and should therefore never be used. Knee wraps may be acceptable for heavier sets – again,
no different from heavy squats. In general, belts are only used by competitive strongmen.
Their use negates the training effect on the torso.

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Hex Bar Deadlift. A Hex bar is a hexagonal-shaped barbell with handgrips placed on the two
sides of the bar. The hexagonal shape allows the lifter to perform exercises from inside the
encompassing bar. A similar device, called a trap bar, has a triangular shape; but the hex bar
is easier to balance and there is more room for larger athletes when they stepped inside the
hexagonal shape to perform deadlifts.

To perform the deadlift with the hex bar, step into the center of the hexagon and assume a
hip-width stance. Squat down and grabs the handgrips on both sides of the bar. Make sure
the hands are placed squarely in the middle of the handles for balance. Lower the hips, lock
the lower back in place, keep the head up with eyes forward, and position the knees directly
over the feet. Now lift bar straight up through the power line using the legs.

Because of the unique design of the hex bar, the weight can be kept aligned with the pow-
er line throughout the entire lift. Once the lifter has stood up completely, the first repetition
is complete and the lifter is ready for the next rep. Now proceed to squat back down, again
keeping the lower back locked in, chest spread, and eyes forward. Do not pause or relax your
lower back muscles in the down position between reps, and the head should be up and chin
stretched away from the chest. If the chin touches the chest, the whole body will come dan-
gerously out of position.

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Kettlebell Front Carry. A kettlebell consists of a U-shaped handle attached to a single round
weight that looks like a cannonball; it has a flat bottom so it rests upright. Most kettlebells
have thick handles to secure the handle to the weight, although many of the lighter ones
used in physical fitness classes have thinner handles (and are often made of rubber or rub-
ber-like materials). Having the handle positioned farther from the center of mass than it is
on a dumbbell allows for several release movements (in which you let go of the handle at the
completion of a repetition) and swinging exercises to be performed more easily than with
dumbbells.

Girya is the Russian word for kettlebell. One of the earliest descriptions of a kettlebell ap-
peared in a Russian dictionary published in 1704. Rather than being considered fitness tools,
kettlebells were first used in markets as counterweights.

The popularity of kettlebell training led to the first competition taking place in 1948 in Russia,
and by 1987 the event attracted 223 athletes from 14 Soviet republics. In November 2001,
weight categories for women were included. The primary Russian organization for kettlebell
lifting is the Russian Kettlebell Sport Federation. Among the most famous kettlebell cham-
pions is Sergey Mishin, a 10-time world champion from Russia who snatched a 70.5-pound
kettlebell (32-kilos) for 102 reps with each arm and jerked it 170 times with each arm. It was
also reported that Vasily Alexeyev, the Russian weightlifting champion who became the first
man to clean and jerk 500 pounds, used kettlebells in his training.

Grasp two kettlebells with your palms facing away from you. Using your legs, curl the weights
to your shoulders and keep your elbows up. Walk, maintaining a few inches between your
chest and the kettlebells.

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 Workout 2
This second workout consists of more dynamic exercises. It’s best to start a training program
with slower movements and then progress to the more dynamic exercises. It is performed for
3-4 weeks.

A. Prowler Push, 6 x 20m, X0X0, rest 120s

B. Sandbag Overhead Toss, 4 x 5, 10X0, rest 120s

Exercise Descriptions

Prowler Push. While pulling a sled is valuable, there are many advantages to pushing a sled.
When you push a sled, your arms are stationary, and this allows you to focus more on leg
drive. With lighter weights this can be valuable in perfecting running technique (because you
don’t have to concentrate on proper arm action), and with heavy weights you can develop
power and strength.

There are two basic ways to push a sled: grasping the handles high or grasping them low; for
this workout, use the high position. The lower position will enable you to use more weight to
focus on developing more strength and acceleration from a low position, whereas the high
vertical handles will work the transition phase between the start of a sprint and the upright
sprint position. One effective workout is to perform several runs in the lower position, fol-
lowed by several runs in the high position with slightly less weight. You could then finish the
workout by either pulling the sled or simply performing several regular sprints.

24 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Sandbag Overhead Toss. One of the first uses of kettlebells was for throwing, and it’s said
that the dumbbell represents the evolution of the kettlebell.

The problem with throwing kettlebells is that it can damage floors and make some significant
dents in outdoor playing fields. Many boot camp programs will instead use medicine balls for
throwing, and if you have sturdy medicine balls this is a practical alternative. Another solution
is throwing sandbags.

Sandbags are relatively easy to handle and can be used both indoors and outdoors. To per-
form the overhead toss, you place the sandbag on your shoulders, perform a full squat, and
then jump upward while propelling the sandbag upward. Of course, be certain to throw the
sandbag slightly forward to avoid being hit by it as it falls to the ground or floor.

25 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Chapter 4
Basic Strongman Training

After developing a base of strength and conditioning with the workouts described in Chapter
3, you’ll be ready to move on to these two more challenging training workouts.

With this program you superset three exercises, resting briefly after the first two exercises
and more completely after the third. These three exercises are done as fast as good technique
will allow. The workout is performed for 3-4 weeks.

Workout 1

A1. Farmers Walk, 5 x heaviest load for 10 seconds, rest 15 seconds

A2. Backward Sled Drag, 5 x fast for 20 seconds, rest 15 seconds
A3. Prowler Push, 5 x fast for 20 seconds, rest 180 seconds

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Exercise Descriptions

Farmer’s Walk. The execution of the farmer’s falk should employ rapid footwork. The in-
creased speed of execution will increase the tendency towards instability of the movement,
hence requiring more-rapid adjustments on the part of the athlete to compensate. It is this
whole-body stabilization effort that generates the training effect.

The lift off of the farmer’s walk is crucial, and should be executed in a deadlift style with a
straight back, using a slight arch to avoid injury. The body should be in an upright position
with a slight lean forward

The feet should be directly underneath the shoulders. Hand placement is usually dictated
by the type of handles on the apparatus but should be centered. This will result in a tilting of
the weight forward towards the strongest part of the grip. However, if the rear of the hand is
in need of rehab or strengthening, the grip position can be shifted toward the forward part
of the grip handle. This will tilt the entire apparatus backwards, hence training the third and
fourth fingers.

Several types of grips can be used during the farmer’s walk: a hook grip as used in weightlift-
ing; a thumbless grip where the thumb is not wrapped around the handle but instead is kept
adjacent to the index finger; and a standard wraparound grip, where the thumb is wrapped
around and rests on top of the index finger and possibly the middle finger.

Stride length should be a normal, fast walking gate. Overstriding will result in an unnecessary

27 © 2018, Poliquin Group

turning of the hips, which has little training benefit and could result in injury, even with light
loads.

It is very important to maintain contracted abdominals during liftoff and throughout the
length of the carry. A momentary relaxation of the abdominals would result in a type of injury
similar to what happens when an athlete relaxes the trunk muscles during a squat, because
the supportive musculature of the spine would then be required to bear the entire load.

Backward Sled Drag. There are very few exercises capable of generating high lactic acid lev-
els and muscular fatigue as rapidly as backward sled dragging. As a consequence, this exer-
cise should always be placed at the end of the workout, if possible.

Stand facing the sled with one handle in each hand. Nylon straps, a waist attachment or
V-grip handles may be used here. Lean the torso back slightly.
Drive back forcefully with one
foot and then the other in an alternating pattern. Avoid turnout of the toes of either foot,
which usually indicates excessively tight lateral hamstrings. With lighter loads, it is possible
to stay on the toes (quadriceps/gastro focus), but heavier loads will require a toe-to-heel
pattern for the feet (posterior chain focus).

It is important to keep the upper body “quiet” rather than use an exaggerated swing of the
shoulders to gain momentum. Move the feet as rapidly as possible over the prescribed dis-
tance.

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 Workout 2
As with Workout 1, this is a hardcore program that combines three exercises performed in
sequence with little rest between sets. Use it for 3-4 weeks.

A1. Tire Flip, 5 x as many reps as possible in 10s, no rest

A2. Battle Ropes, 5 x as fast as possible for 20s, no rest
A3. Sled Push, as fast as possible for 20s, rest 180 seconds

Exercise Descriptions

Battle Ropes. A relatively new type of training method, battle ropes provide a dynamic meth-
od to perform energy system training while strengthening the upper body with a large variety
of movement patterns.

For this exercise, the arms are worked independently, and the muscles are worked with con-
tinuous tension. Grasp the ends of the ropes and alternately raise and lower them with large,
powerful strokes; keep your knees flexed and use them to assist with balance and force appli-
cation. Perform the first few reps relatively slowly to ensure good technique, then whip them
as fast as possible.

29 © 2018, Poliquin Group

Chapter 5
Strongman Training for Fat Loss

One of the keys for fat loss is perform exercises under a high level of tension for prolonged
periods with minimal rest. With this workout, you alternate between workout days, perform-
ing each workout twice a week for a total of four weeks. Note that the rest intervals are de-
creased each week as your conditioning level improves.

Day 1
A1. Standing Overhead Log Press, 30X1, 5 sets x 10 reps, rest 60 seconds
A2. Backward Sled Drag, 5 sets x 40 meters, rest 60 seconds
A3. Farmer’s Walk, 5 sets x 40 meters, rest 60 seconds
A4. Prowler, Low Handles, 5 sets x 40 meters, rest 60 seconds

Day 2
A1. Tire Flip, 5 x 6, rest 60 seconds
A2. Prowler, High Handles, 5 sets x 40 meters, rest 60 seconds
A3. Standing Medicine Ball Slam, 5 sets x 10 reps, rest 60 seconds
A4. Bear Crawl Sled Drag, 5 sets x 20 meters, rest 60 seconds

After the first week, gradually degree the rest periods as follows:

Week 2 – 50 seconds rest

Week 3 – 40 seconds rest
Week 4 – 30 seconds rest

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Exercise Descriptions

Standing Overhead Log Press. From a standing position (the bar can be cleaned to this posi-
tion or taken from a rack), position your feet shoulder width apart. Drive the bar up overhead
using an initial knee bend. Due to the thickness of the log, a significant movement of the head
backward is required to protect the chin when lifting the log to the overhead position. Many a
chin has been inadvertently clipped during execution, so be careful and progress slowly until
you have the technique mastered.

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Standing Medicine Ball Slam. This is an intense, dynamic exercise using medicine balls that
do not bounce. Although it primary uses the upper body, the legs and abdominals are also
strongly involved.

Grasp a medicine ball with both hands and position it at hip level. Lift the medicine ball over-
head to straight arms, then crunch down and slam it hard into the floor. Repeat for the re-
quired number of repetitions.

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Bear Crawl Sled Drag. Rather than pulling a sled as you run, this exercise is performed on all
fours. Attach the ends of the rope around your hips (or use a belt attachment) and assume a
crawl position. Crawl, alternatively moving your right hand with your left leg, then left hand
with the right leg. Keep your head in line with your spine rather than looking up.

33 © 2018, Poliquin Group

 Appendix
World and Continental Strongman Competitions
Strongman competitions have expanded to a global market with many different governing
organizations. Most use the traditional movements, such as the log press and the farmer’s
walk, but often unique events are contested. Here is a list of some of the current major stron-
ger competitions:

• World’s Strongest Man

• Strongman Champions League
• World Strongman Federation
• World Strongman Cup
• Arnold Strongman Classic
• Strongbow Superman
• Le Defi Mark Ten International
• World’s Strongest Viking
• Strongest Man Alive
• World’s Mightiest Man
• Beauty and the Beast
• Highlander World Championships
• Giants Live

Team Events
• IFSA World Team Championships
• World’s Strongest Team Olympics
• Pure Strength
• World’s Strongest Team (Two men)
• Team World vs. Team USA (Philadelphia 2007)
• World’s Strongest Nation (Four men)
• IFSA World Team Championships
• World’s Strongest Team Olympics
• World Strongman Federation World Team Cup

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Europe
• Europe’s Strongest Man
• Europe’s Strongest Man (IFSA)
• Strongest Man of Europe
• European Muscle Power Champs
• European Hercules
• European Open
• European Strongman Classic
• Team Events
• Europe’s Strongest Team

North America
• North America’s Strongest Man
• Pan-American Championships (IFSA)
• North American Highlander Association (NAHA)

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