I was really, really hoping I'd get your input. Thanks a bunch.Hardartery wrote: ↑Mon Nov 21, 2022 10:40 amRoughly speaking all Strongman contests are the same thing. If it's set up correctly (Some promoters don't seem to know that there is actually a formula), there is an event to test back strengthm there is an event to test grip, there is an event to test anaerobic endurance/speed with weight, there is an event to test legs, and there's an event to test shoulders/pressing power. This translates to some sort of Deadlift (Sometimes Stones in whatever form take this slot), a Farmer's Walk or Hercules Hold or something in that vein, a Medley/Loading event, a Stone Circle (Conan's Wheel if you use the popular but incorrect term) or Squat variation, some sort of Press like Viking or Log or Axle or DB...you get the idea. The formula is to provide an overall test of all basic attributes. The fine details are skill on the specific event and ability to handle the contest weight.MarkKO wrote: ↑Mon Nov 21, 2022 3:01 am This is a very rough draft of how I'm looking at the eight weeks leading into the strongman competition in May. I've been told there will be five events, but what they are remains to be decided.
Depending on events I figure I'll go one static, one moving Mon/Wed. Friday is whichever fits. I would guess my best bet is to, where possible, pair up events that are different from each other.
The progression only covers the events. Assistance will remain much the same as it is now, except bench and squat will be shifted into assistance slots just to keep in practice. The first three weeks I won't squat or bench at all, as I normally don't after a meet.
Really the only difference to how I train for powerlifting is that the first one or two exercises of the day are the events. How I set the assistance up and what the assistance is remains nearly identical since its role is to build muscle.
Progression
Weeks one and two keep same load, around 50% event weight. Reps/distance also around 50% of event reps/distance just for technique and feel and to rebuild work capacity
Week three
60% weight/reps/distance
Week four
70% weight/reps/distance
Week five
80% weight/reps/distance
Assistance reduces by 25%
Week six
90% weight/reps/distance
Assistance reduces by 50%
Week seven
80% weight/reps/distance
Assistance remains at 50% volume
Week eight (competition on Sunday)
Monday events 1/2/3 for light technique work
Wednesday events 4/5 for light technique work
No assistance
That all being said, you should be working with higher volume and hopefully at least the equivalent weights in training. Higher volume because you are splitting training up over multiple days of the week, but in the contest it's all happening right now today so you want your body to be expecting more and thus recover faster on contest day than on training days. And honestly, if you can't get at least one rep with contest weight your conditining is meaningless. So, generally the training structure is based around core strength and then you adjust for specific events when you get them. Knowing the events should really only be about refining technique going into the contest, not about building specific strength in the event. So working the contest weights and pushing the rep limit or speed of [erformance usually is the way to go.
Ok, so I'll make some changes then. That setup was based on how I prepare for PL and taking into account that I'll be coming straight off a meet.
What I figure based on what you said is leave the first three weeks as is simply because I'll need to regain work capacity and I know that approach works well for me.
From the fourth week onwards I'll bump the weight/distances etc up to match the actual event (unless they are max lift events, in which case I'd probably do it closer to how I would for PL as it'll likely be three attempts to get the heaviest weight I can). By that stage work capacity will be OK to do that and it'll just improve as I go. Then the week of the contest I'll leave as is so I'll be fresh going in.
Again, thanks for the help with this. I really appreciate it.