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and work ethic, over one with talent, and I'll
show you a champion."
In part one of Strongman Training 101, in season and off season training was covered. Part two will focus on cardio, core/flexibility work, diet and
the most important strongman implements a beginning strongman athlete should have.
Quest 3) Do you think cardio is very important and how much, if any do you perform?
Hammer: I believe cardio is important to the strongman competitor. A good aerobic base allows the body to recover faster in between sets or
events. Aerobic training can be detrimental to strength gains, so longer, less intensive cardio should be done in the early off season phase while
short, intensive interval training should be used during the competition phase. Types of cardio I use are sled dragging, DB or B-Bell circuits, judo,
kick boxing and other MMA activities.
Dermody: I honestly do not do any cardio for strongman. Obviously, some medleys require cardio, but I just train the specific contest medley to get
in shape for it. These are done during event training.
King: I think cardio is very beneficial to strongman. Running out of breath is the rate limiting factor in most strongman events. I train cardio in a
sport specific manner. I do not feel that long duration cardio will provide much benefit to the strongman. My cardio sessions are performed in a
interval type fashion after my workout. For example, I may do sled backpedals for 50' and rest 10 seconds and do this for 10 sets. some other
cardio excercises are lightened yoke carries for 300', quarry rock carries for long distance, and running bleachers. I will get on the elliptical machine
for 15-20 minutes after event training as I have found this to speed up my recovery.
Quest 4) What are your thoughts on core, balance, and flexibility work and what types of exercises do you use?
Hammer: Core stability should be placed high on a strongman's training regime. Performing squats, deadlifts and overhead lifts without the use
of a belt are the best core exercises an individual can do. I believe events provide a great combination of core and balance work.
Static flexibilty, I believe is great for after a heavy workout session and will help limit soreness, but other than that I don't believe in it.
I utilize dynamic flexibility prior to workouts where I will go a distance of 10-15 yards and will perform exercises like straight leg kicks,
walking lunges with twists, skipping, jogging and other low impact plyometrics to help warm my muscles up and get ready for the workout to come.
My core work is primarily done on main lifts like a max effort on squats without a belt or a max effort
push press without a belt and stabilize the bar overhead for 10-20 seconds. I use other exercises like reverse hypers, back
extensions or weighted decline sit ups, but not too much during the competitive season.
Dermody: I think core work is extremely important for strongman. I train core work four times per week. I will perform traditional work such as
heavy, weighted sit-up for sets of eight or less twice a week and medicine ball work twice a week. The med. ball movements are, side throws, side
chops, forward chops, overhead throws, backward overhead throws, single and double arm chest passes, forward and backward rotational throws. I
do not perform any specific balance work for strongman. I do dynamic flexibility at the start of every training session and static work at the end.
Dynamic stretching is important in maintaining athletic ability and preventing injury by warming up thouroughly. Static stretching is important for
injury prevention and decreasing recovery time.
King: All three are very important in strongman. I do feel that beltless squats and deads and certain events are good for core and balance, but I
feel you must work the two specifically. Performing specific balance and core work will help in injury prevention and will help improve any muscle
imbalances you have. The types of balance and core work I may do include one arm DB overhead presses while standing on one leg, bridge work
off a stability ball, two point bridges (bird dogs) where I get in a push up position with DB's and take one hand off and one leg off the ground and
hold for a count, and other types of movements involving a stability ball. This type of work hits smaller muscle groups, increases concentration and
teaches your muscles how to stay contracted for long periods of time. I do not perform many weighted sit-ups just because of the fact that my abs
get trained hard during event days.
I think flexibility is very important and you should stretch everyday. Before training, I do a specific warm up that includes dynamic stretching with very
little static stretching. For example, if I train legs I will do leg kicks, form running, and static stretch my adductors and hip flexors for about a 10
second count. I won't static stretch a trained muscle until the next day because the muscle is fried and there won't be much benefit. Both types of
stretching are great for improving athletic ability and injury prevention. I have to do more stretching now that I am 35 years old. I static stretch my
hips, calves and hip flexors everyday, holding the stretch for up to 30 seconds. Stretching these muscle groups daily helps my mobility and keeps
me from walking like Frankenstein.
Quest 5) What approach do you take when choosing what to eat and what type of supplements do you take if any?
Hammer: My approach to eating is simple, I start eating early and I stop eating late. I eat a fairly clean diet where I don't find myself at fast food
shops too often, I do eat subway a lot though. I take my meals to work so I always have something to snack on throughout the long work day. Here is
a sample of my eating during the school year:
Meal 1 (5:30am)
Oatmeal (2 cups) w/ raisins, and honey
Skim milk (8oz)
Meal 2 (8 am)
Bowl of Grapenuts Cereal w/ Met-Rx RTD shake for milk
Yogurt (8oz)
Meal 3 (11 am)
2 Turkey Sandwiches w/ Lettuce, & Tomato
Orange or Apple
Meal 4 ( 2 pm)
1 Met-Rx RTD Shake
1 PB & Honey Sandwich
Meal 5 (5pm)
2 Met-Rx RTD Shake
Orange or Apple
Meal 6 (8pm)
1 Quart of Low Fat Chocolate Milk
Cliff Builder Bar
Meal 7 (11pm)
PB & J Sandwich
Skim Milk (8oz)
I don't have an approach to supplements. I take a creatine product, extra protein, BCAA's, and Glutamine for recovery and restoration.
Dermody: I go by the motto "Never get hungry and never get thirsty.) I try to get a constant flow of good calories into my body throughout the day.
I probably take in 5,000-6,000 calories per day. Some of the foods I eat are chicken breasts, skim milk, peanut butter, ground turkey, lots of fruit
and vegetables, tuna, and salmon. As far as supplements go, I will ingest protein shakes or bars throughout the day when I don't have access to or
time to eat real food.
King: Basically I eat three times a day and throw in some type of snack. The majority of my meals consist of potatoes, rice, red meat, chicken
breast, dairy, and fruits and vegetables. I don't get caught up in how much protein I am getting and don't really care. i think that if you eat a diverse
range of foods and consume enough calories to stay in an anabolic state, you will be fine. For instance, if I consume 5,000 calories, I will go out on
limb and say that 1,000-1,500 calories will come from protein. If I do not have time to cook my meals, I do not hesitate going to McDonalds. I am
trying to get strong and mainitain my weight, not work on my six pack abs. My post workout meal is a quart of 2% milk and a king size Snickers. My
breakfast usually consists of six to eight scrambled eggs with one cup of oatmeal. A typical lunch is two cups of brown rice, 16 ounce sirloin, and
one cup of shredded cheese all mixed together and thrown into a couple of soft shell tortillas. Dinner may be a box of whole wheat Stove Top
stuffing with two chicken breasts. These are just a few of the things that I consume throughout the day.
As far as supplements go, I don't take too many things. I think that about 90% of the stuff out there is s**t. I just stick with a weight gainer protein
powder, some creatine and some NO2. Although not a supplement, I try and ingest at least 25-30 grams of fiber per day. If you are consuming a
large amount of food, especially meat, you absolutely need fiber. I usually take about two tablespoons of psyllium husk per day and wait for the
magic to happen. There is nothing better then dropping a 2 foot fudge stick when you get up in the morning.
Quest 6) If you were just starting out and/or had a limited budget, what two strongman implements would be the most important to
have and why?
Hammer: On a limited budget I would suggest getting a 12" log to clean and press, and a yoke. The log itself is very different than a bar so when
athletes go into their first contest without using log it puts them at a disadvantage. The yoke is another piece of equipment that is a staple of
strongman and that will be at most contests. You can do so many different variations with the yoke which makes it an important
piece of equipment to have in your arsenal. Other items you can pick up on a limited budget are tires (free) and kegs (free).
Dermody: Atlas stones because they are very hard to replicate in the weight room. The second one may be a good yoke set up because you can
use it for so many things. I use my yoke for sled drags, Conans wheel, seated arm over arm, car squat, and truck pull. Most of the other events you
can simulate in the gym.
King: I would have to say atlas stones because there is no way to mimic this event in the gym. Plus you will see this at any show you compete in
and many times this event is the deciding factor in who takes first place and who takes second. The second piece of equipment would have to be a
set of farmers walks. I do not think there as any one event that shocks the body more then the farmers walk. The farmers builds the grip and pretty
much taxes the entire body. All the other events can be trained in the gym.
Strongman502@yahoo.com
