Strongman training is not for the faint of heart. Often, strongmen (and strongwomen) need to showcase unparalleled strength, muscular endurance, and anaerobic capacities while pushing, pulling, dragging, throwing, and carrying a wide array of objects.
Strongman training incorporates a wide array of foundational movements, ones that nearly every athlete can benefit from. Each strongman event and movement requires a certain amount of strength, skill, and a tenacious spirit that can be applied to other power, strength, and fitness sports.
To the newbie, strongman-style training can be daunting, however many newbies (as well as all levels of athletes) can benefit from incorporating these seven movements into their current training routine.
Why Do Them?
Movement under loads, maximal strength, and work capacity in a wide array of applications (pushing, pulling, lifting, throwing, dragging, etc) can increase overall strength, athleticism, and fitness. Novice athletes and fitness goers can learn basic movement patterning while developing fundemantal strength and fitness, especially when combining these exercises into strength sets or conditioning circuits.
Zercher Squat
In a recent article, we discussed the Zercher Squat, and why every athlete can benefit from performing them. The Zercher Squat is a front-loaded squatting movement that can be performed to develop core stability and postural and leg strength. This simple exercise can be performed with beginners as well as higher level lifters.
Farmers Carry
Farmers carries or walks, as well as other loaded carries develop leg, back, and core strength. The simplicity of the exercise, and it’s functional roots, allow for increased loading with relatively low risks, which can stimulate serious strength and postural development. Ready to try out some loaded carries? Try out these variations here.
One-Arm Snatch
In a recent article we discussed the origin and benefits of unilateral training of the snatch, making the case for nearly every athlete to incorporate this movement within some aspect of their training program. The unilateral component, as well as the explosiveness of this movement, makes this a great way to challenge lifts and develop overall athleticism in arguable less time than the formal Olympic lifts (meaning, while snatches and clean and jerks have their place, this movement may be easier to teach and progress lifters towards more complex movements)
Fat Bar Clean & Press
If you have access to a log bar or fat grips, try performing this highly functional movement. This is a great exercise for beginners to learn the basics of power development and learning to use the body as one strong, fluid system. While similar to formal clean & jerks, this movement often is performed with slower speeds, which can help in the early phases of training to develop a sound movement patterning.
It is important to note that this style of clean & press is different from the formal Olympic lift, however both can play a large role in overall athletic development. Additionally, formal strongmen and women rest the bar on their stomachs/belts, which requires proper coaching and skills. Generally speaking, find a fluid path to take the bar from the ground to the front rack position, and then pressed overhead using the legs, hips, and upper body (press) and keeping a stable spine.
Sled Drag
Dragging (while seated, standing, crawling, etc) a weighted sled, car, plane, or semi-truck is pretty straightforward. Challenging leg strength, stamina, mental fortitude, and work capacity will develop stronger, fitter individuals. Athletes can drag heavy or light loads for time, distance, or race depending on their goals, each offering improvements in strength, cardiovascular fitness, and muscular hypertrophy.
Stone Lift
Whether these are done with a round stone, weighted ball, or odd object, lifting something from the ground to the shoulder is highly applicable to most things throughout human life. Increased hip, back, and arm strength are just a few of the benefits derived from lifting heavy and sometimes oddly shaped objects. The Scottish Highland Games athletes (as well as many natives) have done this for years, so much that Rogue Fitness even did a special documentary called “Stoneland”.
Yoke Walk
This falls under “loaded carries/walks”, this movement is primitive and highly effective at developing system strength and stability. By simply bracing, loading weight onto one’s shoulders, and moving, athletes will develop the physical and mental strength and stamina necessary to progress throughout their long-term fitness journey. Similar to the drags and walks, this exercise can be done for loading, time, distance, or a combination of those to meet the needs and goals of the program.
Final Words
I am a huge fan at incorporating these basic “strongman” movements into many beginner fitness routines (even with very minimal loading) to set the foundation of fitness. Nearly every athlete (and nearly every fitness level) can benefit from incorporating these throughout their training routine, whether for strength sets or conditioning segments (choosing a few and performing together in medleys/circuits).
Editors note: This article is an op-ed. The views expressed herein are the authors and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BarBend. Claims, assertions, opinions, and quotes have been sourced exclusively by the author.
Featured Image: @mikejdewar on Instagram, taken by Martin Romero
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