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First Strongman Competition

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DavThew

DavThew

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I have signed up to a novice Strongman competition on the 24th of February 2019. I have 8 months to train.

I'm going to compete in the under 80kg weight class - which means in my training I cannot put on any more weight (I am currently a slightly flabby 80kg - but the diet has been kicked into line now).

Events are:
  1. Powerlifting style max deadlifts - no straps no suits. Belts allowed
  2. Log floor to overhead press - maximum reps in 60seconds with 70kg log
  3. Seated rope pull to prowler push 15 metres both ways 120kg
  4. Event 4 unknown, but from what I have seen from strongman it's very likely to be a carry of some form. Most likely farmers
  5. Atlas stone to shoulder medley: 50kg, 60kg, 70kg, 80kg, 90kg
So I need to get stronger. I have found a gym with good strongman equipment I can get to once a week for event practice. I have a barbell and kettlebells at home (no rack or bench though)

My basic training template for now will be the following: (I'll get a peaking cycle started 12 weeks out from competition - but this is my base building phase.)

Day 1 - Squat focus (home workout)
Power clean to Front squat - building to a heavy set of 3 or 5
Zercher squat 3 sets of 5-8
KB swings 4-10 sets of 10
Barbell curls
Ab wheel

Day 2 - Press focus (home workout)
KB C&P - 1,2,3 ladders for 15 minutes
Deadlift - working up to a reasonable triple
Barbell row 3 sets of 5-8
Close grip pushups 4-8 sets of 10
Ab wheel

Day 3 - Events day (gym day)
Log press - work up to a reasonable set of 5
Loading event practice
Farmers carry
Prowler push/pull

For recovery work I will be doing a yoga session at least once a week and jumping rope for some aerobic work 2-3 times a week. I walk about 5 miles a day.
 
30/05/2018

First day of training:
Feeling very tired after a stag weekend with friends - I didn't drink (I can't at the moment - it makes me feel really terrible), but boy am I tired still. I needed to train though to keep myself sane.

Front squat - Finding my feet with the front squat as I haven't done it too much. I just did 60kg 3x3 today
Zercher squat from the floor - 60kg 3x6
24kg KB swings 4x10 - very tired today
Barbell curls - 20kg (empty bar) 3x8
Ab wheel 2x8

That's a lot more squats than I'm used to. The DOMS on the 31st were pretty brutal.
 
31/05/18

Rolled the dice (4 of 'em) for minutes of jump rope today. 40s jumping to 20s rest

10minutes
average HR 128bpm, 105kcal, max HR 140bpm.

Really helped alleviate the leg DOMS
 
3/6/18 - It's be a very long week so took Friday off training. After a bit of thought (following feedback from some other forum member s0 I am going to use 5/3/1 for base strength building and do an events day once a week.

The squat rack is on the way! Thanks for the advice @Geoff Chafe and @Anna C

Went to the gym I had scoped out. It was absolutely brilliant. Anyone in Birmingham looking for all the equipment anyone could ever want should check out Central Fitness.

Events practice day:

Log press - some work to do here. Not pushing it too hard today
20kg 5x2
35kg x5
40kg x 3
45kg x 3

Back sqaut - just giving it a little go
20kg 5x2
40kg x5
60kg x5
80kg x3

Farmers carry 50kg each hand - 20m x5

Prowler push +60kg 20m x 2
+100kg 20m x 2

Felt great. Updated plan to follow soon.
 
Note - 5/3/1 or starting strength linear progression I meant to say above. The other option is the Starting Strongman novice program as mentioned by @Geoff Chafe
 
04/06/18 - Working out some numbers for the coming 9 months.
I hadn't set a deadlift PR since finshing this plan No Distractions: The Occam's Razor Training Plan | StrongFirst so I thought I should do that today.

Warmup sets 24kg DL 5x2

Deadlift Work sets:
100kg x1
130kg x1
150kg x1
I think I had another 10kg in me, but I really did not want to push it and hurt myself before starting training in earnest. All in all I'm pretty happy getting close to a double body-weight deadlift. I actually loaded up the bar with the extra 10kg and then walked away thinking about how badly it might go.

Kept my ego in check.
 
05/06/18
THE SQUAT RACK ARRIVED :D

Had a play and worked out what

Back squat: 20kg x5
60kg x1
80kg x1
90kg x1

Front squat: 20kg x5
60kg x1
70kg x1
80kg x1

Big squat to deadlift discrepancy there. I guess I have neglected my squat for a long time there. Some work to do :)
 
06/06/18

Continuing the week of working out which weights I will be using.

Push press/ Jerkl from rack
Practising technique: bar only 5x3
40kg x5
50kg x3
60kg x1
65kg x1
70kg x1

Pretty happy with that as a starting point.

Bodyweight dip 15x2 - That's right the squat rack has dip handles :D
 
Last edited:
So the plan that I will be following for the first 12 weeks of the 36 weeks I have is from Brian Alsruhe. It is a linear progression of giant sets/trisets focusing on squat, overhead press, deadlift plus an events day.
The first month will involve doing 4 sets of 8, the second 5 sets of 5 and the third month 10 sets of 3. and then starting again. It looks like a gear shift, and probably some hard work.

Today is squat day - more to follow after the workout.
 
DavThew said:
So the plan that I will be following for the first 12 weeks of the 36 weeks I have is from Brian Alsruhe
Click to expand...
Can you tell more about it or in of his videos it can be found? I am a big fan of Brian's work but I missed it somehow.
 
11/06/18 Day 1 - Squats

Main Giant set
1a Jumps 4x8
1b Back squat
  • 45kg x8
  • 50kg x8
  • 55kg x8
  • 60kg x8
1c Ab wheel from knees 4x8

Second giant set
2a Jumps 4x8
2b Front squats
  • 40kg x8
  • 45kg x8
  • 50kg x8
  • 55kg x8
2c Leg raises 4x8

Assistance giant set
3a Jumps 4x8
3b Barbell lunges 20kg 4x8
3c Flutter kicks 4x8

Conditioning
Jump rope 90s:30s x5

Felt good today. Looking forward to the weights getting serious.
 
12/06/18 - Day 2 Overhead Press

1a. Pull up 4x8
1b. Overhead push press from rack
  • 40kgx8
  • 45kgx8
  • 47.5kgx8
  • 50kgx8
1c Windshield wipers 4x8

2a. Barbell high pull 20kg 4x8
2b. Z press 20kg 4x8
2c. Windshield wipers 4x8

3a Band face pulls 4x15
3b Dips 4x8
3c Lateral raises with 5kg 4x8

I realised that my assistance giant set on the squat day wasn't quite to program, and was keeping the trend of the other 2 sets. It is supposed to look at your weakest links so I need to really identify these.

Weakest link in each movement and potential ways to combat them:

Squat: Quads + core
Lunges
Bottoms up KB squat
Good mornings

Press: Triceps + Chest
Dips
Band tricep pull downs
Band face pulls

Deadlift: Grip + core
Single leg deadlift
Bottoms up KB carry
Rows

I guess I know what to work on then!
 
14/06/18 - Deadlift day

Main giant set:
1a. KB swing 24kg - 4x8
1b. Deadlift
  • 90kgx8
  • 95kgx8
  • 100kgx8
  • 105kgx8
1c. Leg raises 4x8

Second giant set:
2a. KB swing 24kg - 4x8
2b. Romanian deadlift 60kg 4x8
2c. Leg raise 4x8

Assistance giant set
3a. Single leg deadlift 16kg - 4,3,3
3b, Weighted bridge 60kg - 12,11,10
3c. Bent over row 60kg - 8,7,6

Jump rope 30s:30s x 10

Thoughts - I'm not sure single leg deadlifts are a great idea at that point. I might swap this over to heavy lockouts or light farmers carry for grip work.
 
17/06/18 - Events day

1a Grenade pullup 5,4,4,4
2a. Log press
  • 25kgx8
  • 40kgx5
  • 45kgx3
  • 50kgx2
Loading: Atlas stones
  • 44kg to shoulder 1x5 L/R
  • 65kg to loading platform 1x7
Carry: Farmers carry - 7okg 20mx5

Drag: seated sled drag
15m -60kg, 80kg, 1o0kg, 120kg

Felt great today. Got some good advice about atlas stones lifting.
 
18/6/18 Squat

Having to do some switching around of training days due to work. Today felt tough and so I just kept the main set and conditioning.

1a. Jumps 4x8
1b. Back squat
  • 50kgx8
  • 55kgx8
  • 60kgx8
  • 65kgx8
1c. Ab wheel 4x8

Jump rope 30:30x10

Lesson: have a rest day following events day.
 
In the long run, the benefits of the SLDL should work out for you. I would think so anyway. Maybe they should be support work opposite deadlift day, for some GTG & light conditioning?

DavThew said:
14/06/18 - Deadlift day

Main giant set:
1a. KB swing 24kg - 4x8
1b. Deadlift
  • 90kgx8
  • 95kgx8
  • 100kgx8
  • 105kgx8
1c. Leg raises 4x8

Second giant set:
2a. KB swing 24kg - 4x8
2b. Romanian deadlift 60kg 4x8
2c. Leg raise 4x8

Assistance giant set
3a. Single leg deadlift 16kg - 4,3,3
3b, Weighted bridge 60kg - 12,11,10
3c. Bent over row 60kg - 8,7,6

Jump rope 30s:30s x 10

Thoughts - I'm not sure single leg deadlifts are a great idea at that point. I might swap this over to heavy lockouts or light farmers carry for grip work.
Click to expand...
 
Michael Scott said:
In the long run, the benefits of the SLDL should work out for you. I would think so anyway. Maybe they should be support work opposite deadlift day, for some GTG & light conditioning?
Click to expand...
Adding them in GTG on off days doesn't seem like a bad idea. At the end of my session though, the big prime movers were just all worn out.

Thanks for your advice :)
 
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