Preparation for Strongman during Cut

[drewott]

I have been interested in competing in strongman since I decided to reform my body. I started very much out of shape and over the past year have lost over 80 lbs. I have between 50 and 70 more lbs to go and plan to cut until at least April of next year. At that point I will assess and determine whether to continue cutting or start a long term bulk. I am aiming for ~180-200lbs. (Currently 247)

My current goal has limited my ability to increase strength, though I have had great gains through this year, Bench: 225x5, Squat: 260x5, Deadlift: 275x5, OHP: 155x5, Row: 135x5. At this point I am stalling on Bench, the other lifts are still increasing, albeit slowly.

My question is, how can I improve my strongman skills during a cut? I will need my core lifts up, using Madcows 5x5 to at least maintain strength and likely increase it. However, what type of conditioning work is conducive to strongman? So far I have come up with general cardio-like events: Farmers Walk, sled drags, car pushing/pulling, loading kegs/sandbags. Is it helpful to use events like these as my cardio during the week? 2-3 days a week do some event specific, cardio specific training? Carry a sandbag up a hill or push a truck around for 20 minutes? Or would traditional gym cardio be preferable?

I am eager to get involved in the sport, but I would want my lifts closer to a 3-4-5 before competing. Thanks for any advice.

-Drew

[austin.j.taylor]

You have some options. You can either slow down your cut by adding back in some claories, or keep cutting and add strength in later. I prefer to cut slower and maintain/increase strength. also, wanted to say that lifts are normally listed as squat/bench/deadlift. You are going to be trying for a 400/300/500

[drewott]

Thanks for the info. I am trying to keep myself from muddling goals together.

[dbluegoat]

Or would traditional gym cardio be preferable?

I am eager to get involved in the sport, but I would want my lifts closer to a 3-4-5 before competing. Thanks for any advice.

-Drew

don't wait too long, just go learn. you might find you do things you never thought possible just due to the adrenaline of competing. traditional cardio is not even worth the time imo for strongman, do the other stuff you listed, push, carry, drag etc.

I recently did my 1st and 2nd contests, loads of fun. loads of learning.

I don't recommend cutting before a contest, don't be afraid to eat. If you do enough conditioning and heavy lifting I think you would have a hard time gaining weight anyways. trust me on this one.

and don't worry so much about flat bench, very little carryover. definitely work on overhead pressing and if you still want to bench focus more on incline

[Poppy83]

Congratulations on the weight loss and lifestyle change.

With that said, if you want to be competitive in strongman, then I'd suggest staying around 230-235 at 6'0". I compete in the 200s and I've been the tallest one in that class the last 3 contests. I would focus less on bodyweight for the time being and more on getting your strength up.

Also - dbluegoat has a great point. Don't wait to compete. I've been training for strongman for about 14 months now. I did my first contest after barely a month and a half of strongman specific training. It was way more fun than I expected and talk about being REALLY motivated after the fact!

Do you have a strongman training group in your area? If not, then that would be my first order of business if I were you. PM TomMutaffis (that's his name and username here on bb.com) and ask him about training groups in Mass. He's a pro strongman and is extremely helpful with fining training groups.

If you want to throw in some traditional cardio for weight loss, then I don't see an issue with it, but don't expect it to carryover to strongman. Nothing will prepare you for strongman events (strength and cardio wise) like practicing the actual events. They will whoop you like no other!

Edit: Most of your training will probably still be in the gym. Keep working on "bar strength", but you HAVE to feel a 12" log, you have to FEEL an atlas stone, etc.

[TomMutaffis]

I have been interested in competing in strongman since I decided to reform my body. I started very much out of shape and over the past year have lost over 80 lbs. I have between 50 and 70 more lbs to go and plan to cut until at least April of next year. At that point I will assess and determine whether to continue cutting or start a long term bulk. I am aiming for ~180-200lbs. (Currently 247)

My current goal has limited my ability to increase strength, though I have had great gains through this year, Bench: 225x5, Squat: 260x5, Deadlift: 275x5, OHP: 155x5, Row: 135x5. At this point I am stalling on Bench, the other lifts are still increasing, albeit slowly.

My question is, how can I improve my strongman skills during a cut? I will need my core lifts up, using Madcows 5x5 to at least maintain strength and likely increase it. However, what type of conditioning work is conducive to strongman? So far I have come up with general cardio-like events: Farmers Walk, sled drags, car pushing/pulling, loading kegs/sandbags. Is it helpful to use events like these as my cardio during the week? 2-3 days a week do some event specific, cardio specific training? Carry a sandbag up a hill or push a truck around for 20 minutes? Or would traditional gym cardio be preferable?

I am eager to get involved in the sport, but I would want my lifts closer to a 3-4-5 before competing. Thanks for any advice.

-Drew

Others have posted some good advice here for you, and as they suggested I would recommend competing if strongman is something that interests you. Many contests offer a 'Novice' division where the weights should be manageable for anyone with a general weight training or athletic background.

Since you are 247 lbs right now I would make your short-term goal to cut down to where you can compete in the 105 Kg (231.5 lbs) weight class. The next weight class up would be the HW 265 lbs class, but in order to be competitive you would probably need to gain a bit of strength and it may not correlate with your weight-loss goals.

Having a good 'base' from gym lifts is important, but you do not need to worry about lifts like bench press since it is not a "functional" movement. For your gym training I would work to increase Push Press, Deadlift, and Front Squat. Of course you still want to perform some regular squats, rows, strict press, incline bench, etc. - but they should not be the basis of your program. The 5/3/1 program seems to work well for most people who are looking for steady and consistent gains, and it can be used while in a calorie deficit because the program is not overly demanding. I have a couple of modified templates that I will attach here for you to take a look at.

Another thing that I would do is try to obtain some implements so that you can begin working with some total-body movements. Things like kegs, tires, and sleds are inexpensive and can be kept at home. You can use these for your 'conditioning' which will coincide with your weight-loss and metabolic objectives.

Here is what an effective split may look like:

Monday: 5/3/1 Push Press, Incline Bench, Pressing Accessory
Tuesday:5/3/1 Deadlift, Rows, Pulling Accessory
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday:5/3/1 Front Squat, Squats, Lower Body Accessory
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Conditioning - Keg Carry or Keg Load, Tire Flip, Sled Drag or Pull
Sunday: Rest or Steady-State Cardiovascular Training

I also wrote an article with some additional examples of strongman training splits:

http://www.atlargenutrition.com/effe...an_routine.php

Hopefully this helps, I will subscribe to this thread and check back in case there is anything else that you would like to discuss.

[UHCougar05]

Congratulations on the weight loss and lifestyle change.

With that said, if you want to be competitive in strongman, then I'd suggest staying around 230-235 at 6'0". I compete in the 200s and I've been the tallest one in that class the last 3 contests. I would focus less on bodyweight for the time being and more on getting your strength up.

Also - dbluegoat has a great point. Don't wait to compete. I've been training for strongman for about 14 months now. I did my first contest after barely a month and a half of strongman specific training. It was way more fun than I expected and talk about being REALLY motivated after the fact!

Do you have a strongman training group in your area? If not, then that would be my first order of business if I were you. PM TomMutaffis (that's his name and username here on bb.com) and ask him about training groups in Mass. He's a pro strongman and is extremely helpful with fining training groups.

If you want to throw in some traditional cardio for weight loss, then I don't see an issue with it, but don't expect it to carryover to strongman. Nothing will prepare you for strongman events (strength and cardio wise) like practicing the actual events. They will whoop you like no other!

Edit: Most of your training will probably still be in the gym. Keep working on "bar strength", but you HAVE to feel a 12" log, you have to FEEL an atlas stone, etc.

This can't be stressed enough. Improving strength is key, but you need to learn to become comfortable with the implements. I went in blind my first contest and I could only load a 200lb stone. Now the 200lb stone is a warmup. Find a strongman crew if you can, that would be my recommendation as well.

[drewott]

Great advice in here, I appreciate all the responses.

The issue, as many of you have pointed out, is in priorities. I have a single short term priority: 230 lbs. by Dec. 31, 2010. That was what started my transformation and something I won't change.

The issue comes from what to do next, to correlate with my goals to compete in strongman and highland games. Earlier this year I had made plans to compete in a local strongman competition. As I neared the date, my lifts were not up to par. I was unable to Deadlift the required weight for reps even once, my OHP was lacking and I would have put up zeros on several events. I spoke with the promoter who suggested I try for the next season, although I was more than welcome to compete.

I would rather compete in 2011 than wait for another year. Though I could cut low for the first half of the year, the second half would be spent gaining strength/size/power, enabling me to compete by fall of 2011. I understand the need to get into competition and do not expect to win or place or even be not last. I do however want to be sure I can hit the weights in the gym before entering a comp where I will not be able to perform even 1 rep.

In addition to my goal of competing in 2011, I also wish to be in great physical shape. I joke with my friends that I want to be 'sick huge'. I don't care what my bodyweight is, but I do care what my bodyfat percentage is. I had planned to cut to 8%, then bulk to 15, then back to 10 etc. etc. This seems to be the bodybuilding mentality, while strongman/powerlifters are more focused on strength. A good physique is important to me, I have never been able to take my shirt off and feel good, that is a goal.

My concerns are this: I do not feel 230 lbs. would put me at an acceptable BF%. As such, I would have to cut more. However, I may be better served by bulking for 3-4 months at the close of the year, at 100 lbs. lost. This will enable me to increase calories and therefore increase strength/size. With a slow bulk, over 4 months I would expect to improve significantly on my lifts. The increase in muscle would improve my physique and add to my goal of strongman competition. Then I could go through cut/bulk cycles while maintaining strength.

Here is my most recent progress pic, at 247 lbs. I approximate around 30% BF?




For the combined goals of improving my physical appearance (muscles growing out my ears) and strongman competition, would a 4 month bulk from 1/2010-4/2010 be best, or should I continue a focus on dropping BF % while maintaining strength?

Thanks,

-Drew

EDIT: There is a strongman crew around where I live. I also have a caber, 56lb. weight, scottish hammer, sandbags and a keg. I have the tools/materials to make a sled, log (to press), and atlas stones. I am currently looking for a large tire.

[dbluegoat]

I can relate because I have been focused alot on losing fat, I did however slow down on the dieting as I started to focus on strongman. I think you should find that as you train more for strongman if you eat reasonably clean and not excessive you should be able to still lose some fat and get stronger at the same time. You may not see that correlate on the scale. The scale might stay the same but you will slowly start to look better. If you go on a hardcore cut you will lose strength and definitely not be able to train really well. Getting to a certain strength level is a good goal but don't just wait, for instance in my first contest we had a frame/trap bar dead, 400lbs for reps. I had never gone above 12 reps in the gym. That day I did 25. You will be stronger just by being there. The rush of the competition etc.

I want to look better too, I am still fat and not pleased with taking a shirt off but I am taking it much slower now and doing small cuts like maybe a month or so if there is enough time in between competitions.

If I was in your shoes I would just starting focusing on training the events, lots of the conditioning work and eating enough to feel like you are recovering and not starving.

[bigtallox]

I understand the need to get into competition and do not expect to win or place or even be not last. I do however want to be sure I can hit the weights in the gym before entering a comp where I will not be able to perform even 1 rep.

I understand that. IMHO, but don't be afraid to compete just because you might get zeros on some things. There is no shame in strongman because it's HARD, and everybody realizes it. IMHO, get out there and get your feet wet competing, nobody ever feels 100% ready.

A good physique is important to me, I have never been able to take my shirt off and feel good, that is a goal.

Strongman has helped me reach that goal. I never used to feel comfortable with my shirt off, but I do now. yeah, my gut sticks out a little bit, but it's rock hard and strong too, hahaha. I walk around with my shirt off all the time now.

My concerns are this: I do not feel 230 lbs. would put me at an acceptable BF%. As such, I would have to cut more.

Why are you worried so much about your BF%? If your goal is to compete at strongman, then make strongman goals, IMHO your physique goals will fall in line. When I started strongman, it forced me to cut, because I couldn't eat enough with all hard training. Most guys who are serious at strongman have pretty darn impressive physiques IMHO.

EDIT: There is a strongman crew around where I live.

Train with them.

[bigtallox]

I can relate because I have been focused alot on losing fat, I did however slow down on the dieting as I started to focus on strongman. I think you should find that as you train more for strongman if you eat reasonably clean and not excessive you should be able to still lose some fat and get stronger at the same time. You may not see that correlate on the scale. The scale might stay the same but you will slowly start to look better.

That's right. I weight about the same as when I switched over entirely to strongman ( june 2010 ), but I look better with my shirt off now, and I'm stronger with both strongman events and powerlifts ( excluding benching, I'm not sure about benching I don't bench anymore. Neither does the pro strongman that I train with. )