Strongman Conditioning
Workout of The Week
It’s like Hyrox, but for men.
The intention of strongman conditioning isn’t to prepare you for a marathon or to develop your aerobic system. We’re not trying to make you skinny and able to run for miles.
The purpose is to build capacity under load and improve anaerobic performance.
It’s also a great method to train the “inbetween muscles”. Especially deep abdominal muscles, your forearms, and scapula (with overhead carries specifically).
If you’re looking for something more “Cardio” or “fat loss” based, i’d recommend modified strongman. I’ve written about modified strongman conditioning in the past. If you’re unfamiliar with my work i’d recommend giving that a read as well.
All exercises should be performed at the highest intensity possible. This means if it says to perform a 40 yard carry, you select a weight that’s difficult for 40 yards. Too often I see people carrying 20-30 lb dumbbells. If it isn’t challenging you, it’s not changing you.
Feel free to get creative with carry variations. Carries can, and should, be used to address a weakness. Almost nobody has adequate scapular stability, core, or grip strength. There’s a carry you can find to target at least one of these areas.
Sleds are an amazing too for conditioning and building work capacity. If you don’t have access to a sled you’ll miss out on some big benefits. Join a real gym that has a sled, or just buy one. There is no real replacement for the sled.
Benefits of Strongman Conditioning
1.) Strongman style conditioning that uses carries, odd objects, pushing, and pulling has a greater carryover to activities of daily lifting and to sport compared to something like traditional aerobic training on an elliptical. Strongman movements like carries for example are especially useful for contact sports like grappling, football, and rugby.
This doesn’t mean aerobic training is useless and that athletes should never do it.
2.) Unlike a treadmill workout, strongman conditioning can also improve core strength. Most people use exercises like crunches and planks for their core, and while they have a place, they don’t heavily target the transverse abdominals and other muscles deep within the core or lower back.
3.) Jogging won’t kill your gains but it also won’t directly support strength gains. Again, there is still benefit to aerobic training but if you want carryover to strength then strongman conditioning is a better option.
The hormonal response from strongman training is also anabolic while aerobic training in general is more catabolic.
Strongman = Acute increases in testosterone and growth hormone
Aerobic Training = Increase of AMP-k ➡️ Decreased mTOR ➡️ Decreased protein synthesis
Movements like sled pushes are also lactate bombs. Elevated lactate increases growth hormone and promotes fat loss. Lactic acid is probably something your baseball coach told you makes you sore, it isn’t. Lactate isn’t your enemy or a waste product like you’ve been lead to believe either.
Lactate is an energy source for type 1 muscle fibers and has many physiological effects (i.e., increased growth hormone, regulating brain function, neuroprotection, improved glucose metabolism).
4.) Don’t just get conditioned, get strong and conditioned. Strongman circuits allow you to gain strength, conditioning, and improve your physique. Something jogging would never do.
The Workout
When in doubt grab the heaviest weight you can carry for 30 to 40 yards and perform 3 to 5 sets. It can be just that simple. However, I prefer to either do Medleys or mix in bodyweight movements if the goal is to also improve conditioning.
Strongman Conditioning + Bodyweight
Training Structure A
A1 Bodyweight Movement
A2 Carry
Rest
Training Structure B
A1 Bodyweight Movement
A2 Ballistic
A3 Carry
A Example
4 Rounds
A1 Pushup x 20
A2 Dumbbell Farmers Carry x 40 yards
B Example
4 Rounds
A1 Diamond Pushup x 15
A2 Kettlebell Swing x 10
A3 Sandbag Carry x 40 yards
Strongman Conditioning Medley
A medley is a series of movements. Ideally, you don’t just do carries but you could if you’re limited on equipment. I’d recommend changing angles and muscle groups here. Include overhead carries, single arm / side, sled variations,
Example A
4 Rounds
A1 Trap Bar Farmers Carry x 20 yds
A2 Overhead Dumbbell Carry x 20 yds
A3 Sled Push x 40 yds
Example B
A1 Sled Row x 20 yds
A2 Sled Push x 20 yds
A3 Sandbag Carry x 10 yds
A4 Sandbag Squat x 5
A5 Sandbag Carry x 10 yds
A6 Sandbag Squat x 5 yds
Rest
Example C
All implements start at one side, sprint back to grab the next implement. Perform 4-5 rounds.
Sled Drag (HEAVY) x 20 yds - Sprint Back
Farmers Carry x 20 yds - Sprint Back
Sandbag Carry x 20 yds - Sprint Back
Rest
Get strong, lean, and fulfill your wildest dreams my friends. I’m rooting for you.