What Is Strongman Training
WHAT IS STRONGMAN TRAINING?
Strongman training is a combination of useful activity patterns. These training includes pushing, pulling, and pressing. Below are a couple of exercises you can anticipate to be in your regular Strongman training workout:
- Huge tire turning
- Overloaded solitary arm dumbbell press
- Distance strolling/ running with kegs or stones
- Steel log overhead press
- Farmer’s walk
For athletes, the ultimate goal of strongman training is to complete a series of obstacle events. These events include lifting the Atlas Stone, lifting super-heavy dumbbells to perform a farmer’s walk, or lifting a log overhead with a clean and jerk.
However, after the competition is over, strength, cardiovascular endurance, and skills will only improve in your everyday life. The strength you build during strongman training can be very helpful in your real-life situations. For example, it can help you bend properly, lift objects without getting injured, and move objects from point A to point B.
Strongman training is considered an ideal structure to branch into other strength and muscle-focused activities. With the strength and raw power you build, your bench press, squat, and deadlift will be at a very strong starting point, making it easy to transition into powerlifting. Bodybuilding is also easy to get into as long as you build core strength, muscle mass, and muscle definition.
Strongman Training Highlights:
- Focuses on strength, power and endurance.
- Applies to actual movement patterns (e.g. pushing, pressing and pulling).
- Transfers skills to real life situations.
- Uses structures for branching into other strength and muscle movements.
- Can help prevent injuries caused by overcompensation and weak muscle relationships.
Strongman Vs Powerlifting: Differences & Similarities
Thinking about trying strongman training or powerlifting? Not sure which one to choose? Wondering if one is better than the other? Strongman training isn’t always better than powerlifting; everything depends on your performance, health, and fitness goals. Let’s evaluate the key similarities and differences to help you make your choice.
Both are strength-based exercises that increase muscle mass, strength, and power. Strongman training and powerlifting are great for learning the basics of weightlifting, and you can easily transfer skills from one to the other if you want to try both.
That being said, it’s easier to train for powerlifters because every gym has powerlifting equipment. Not every gym has giant tires or Atlas rocks. While it’s easier to train for, powerlifting doesn’t necessarily have real-world transferability. Keep in mind that powerlifting focuses primarily on three specific exercises and is great for those who want to maximize their lifting abilities. Strongman, on the other hand, is a more varied training style that focuses on lifting or pulling real-world objects.
Strongman training is a great foundation for other strength and power training. With the strength and raw power you build, your bench press, squat, and deadlift will be at a very solid starting point. Therefore, strongman training can easily transition into powerlifting. However, strongman training is not always better than powerlifting; it all depends on your health, performance, and fitness goals. On the other hand, strongman training style is more varied and focuses on lifting or pulling real-world objects.
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