In Part 1 of this series on Strongman Training for Athletes, I argue that Strongman Training can be a great option for building strong and explosive athletes and a viable substitute for Olympic Lifting.
Here I will discuss some of my favorite Strongman exercises to make your athletes super fast and angry!
Tire flipping
This drill is a staple in Strong Man and a big part of the soccer strength programs I design for my athletes. If ever there was a whole-body workout since “The Rooter To The Tooter,” it’s tire flipping.
Getting your hands on a 300, 400, or 700 pound tire is a lot easier than most people think. Plus, the best part about this kit is that it’s FREE! All you need to do is look in your phone book for a tire company in your city. They have tons of these things and they need to get rid of them, and it costs them money. They are happy as hell when someone calls and says they are willing to take one of their hands off for free. The biggest problem will be finding a way to transport it to your facility. Many times the tire depot will leave it for you; be sure to tip the delivery guy a good tip.
Car push
It is as simple as it sounds: push a car. That is all. But make no mistake, this exercise is not only fun and brutal, it is actually very useful. When pushing a car, it is essential that you lean forward, which creates a “positive knee angle.” This develops the quadriceps, which are the dominant muscles, which are activated during short sprints and changes of direction.
This is probably the most practical exercise to do, from a team point of view. All you need is a car, the bigger the better. I’ve heard stories about Mike Alstott and how he used to push his Jeep around campus in college to get in shape for football. If Mike Alstott does it, it has to be good!
Farmers leads
I am often asked, “What are the best general strength and conditioning exercises?” My answer without hesitation is always: Farmers Carries. There is NOTHING this exercise does not do. In addition to killer conditioner, farmers carry arms, legs, torso, shoulders, neck, grip, eyelids, eyebrows, and earlobes like nothing I’ve ever discovered.
What makes this exercise even more amazing is that anyone can do it, anywhere, with little to no equipment. Everything from the Torpedoes that you see those beasts wearing on ESPN2; A milk jugs filled with sand will drive you strong and crazy fast.
Sandbag to go
This is another exercise that is easy to put together. In fact, when I started training athletes at a local park, this is all I had to wear. I just went to Home Depot (there may be one in your town) bought some 80 pound bags of gravel, tossed it into a contractor bag, and taped it shut. After a while, I realized that we needed heavier bags, so I bought some large army duffel bags and threw the smaller bags in them. Now I have bags from 40 pounds to almost 300!
This exercise is as simple as: pick it up and go! But make no mistake, it is NOT easy. This exercise is also on my list of the best overall body conditioners.
Barrel cleaning and press
We have all used or taught someone to use the famous Olympic lifts, particularly the power clean and press. And for good reason, they train the whole body and produce faster, stronger athletes. But I make them a little different.
When you use a half-full keg for cleaning and pressing, you’re playing a whole new game. First of all, the neutral grip is more specific to soccer, especially if you are a lineman. Second, the water (or beer) you’ve used to fill your keg will be splashing in there, making this exercise a true central conditioner!
If you want to be brutally strong and fast, you must add this super strong man exercise to your routine.
Drag sled
This is a staple in all of my training programs and I use this exercise for a number of different reasons.
First, the sled skidding forward in an upright position is a great rear chain builder. Nothing puts those lazy glutes in top shape like sled pulls. Second, the back sled pull does for the quads what the forward pull does for the glutes … it fries them! Third, when I do it for distances over 50 yards or with short rest intervals, this is one of my favorite work capacity / conditioning exercises. Finally, because your legs always move concentrically, there is minimal pain associated with performing this exercise. You can drag today and squat with maximum effort tomorrow.
Barrel transports
A thick, strong and powerful upper back is paramount to developing lasting upper body strength. Everything from an increase in the bench press to a lower risk of shoulder injury is associated with having a strong set of traps, rhomboids, and rear delts.
Nothing builds a strong upper back along with leg strength and agility like carrying barrels. Caring for barrels that weigh between 50 and 300 pounds for short distances is one of my favorite ways to train generally weak and not very athletic athletes to build endurance, strength, and mental toughness.
I have a video on Strongman Training on a great example of setting up a “barrel race”. You can train multiple athletes at the same time with a setup like this.
Loading of barrels or sandbags
Do you want to increase your speed and jumping ability?
Loading barrels, sandbags or stones takes even the flattest ass and turns it into a J-Lo. And we all know that a strong glute set is synonymous with explosive hip extension and speed.