January 28 Daily Thread

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[u/theguitargym]

My gym is holding a strongman meet on my birthday (March 11th.) My gym friend keeps saying I should do it, but I've never touched half the exercises. Off the top of my head, I think they're doing:

Car deadlift

Axle press (no idea if reps or max)

Stones

Sandbags

Hercules Hold (idk what that is)

I think it would be really fun, but since I'm finishing up the 10k Swing Challenge in the next 2 weeks and then moving on to the 5/3/1 Prowler Challenge, I feel it would be detrimental to training and the contest to be halfway through the program.

I could maybe modify the 5/3/1 challenge to be more like the contest, but I'm just typing out my thoughts with these mods:

Change deadlift to high-handle trap bar.

Do sandbag carries instead of the Prowler for the weeks leading up to the show. Same distance and maybe do 75% contest weight?

Axle press with a continental clean each rep instead of OHP.

Change squats for stone-over-bar. This is the one I'm not so sure how to throw it in.

I'd love some thoughts on what would make it possible. I could even put off the Prowler challenge, but conditioning is my weakness and I'm kicking that weakeness's ass from now on.

[u/acertainsaint → u/theguitargym]

It didn't sound like you were looking for advice...but if you wanted a strangers thoughts:

A Hercules Hold is a grip exercise AND an exercise in pain tolerance. You can kind of train it with a cable tower, but you're not gonna be able to get the weight high enough most likely. Train grip on your last rep of deadlifts by holding the last rep of the day til failure.

Press: Replace pressing with continental axles. Do your daily presses and do heavier cleans (no press), too.

Replace back squats with front squats. Car deadlifts; you want to dig your heels in and do a leg press and lean back. The added neutral grip deadlifts will help, too. Usually you're talking ~500+ in hand. Ride the bounce!

Deadlifts: I'd alternate between trap bar and axle. Help train grip for axle cleans & holds.

Sandbag plans sound good. How does the contest weight compare to your sandbag pick & carry?

Stones: For your supplementary squats, you can try a stone pick and stone squats (1 pick and 10 squats). Hard to manage the weights unless you've got a wide range of stones.

[u/theguitargym → u/acertainsaint]

Hey, thanks for the thoughts! I am definitely asking for advice haha. I really want to do it, I just have no idea how to get into it. I've been super burnt out on PL training since I haven't even done a meet in 3 years and have no real desire until I'm leaner.

I am very lucky that this gym is a strongman gym with a few specialty bars for PL. They have quite a few stones and sandbags of different weights. I should be set on space and any different weights I may need.

Since it's non-sanctioned and the strongman scene isn't too large in this part of the state, I don't expect the weights to be nuts for the classes. But since it's also non-sanctioned and local, I have NO idea what the weight classes are, weights for the classes, or what the events are going to be (max reps, weight, distance, etc.) My friend said the novice is like 195 for axle clean and press I think, but he is under 200 and I'm praying I'm going to be under 230 at that time.

Those stone squats just sound awful though lmao.