Programming for Strongman with Alan Thrall and Joey Szatmary

[lehman906]

Just finished this up, and Alan is really picking up on the nuanced answers. If you wanted nuts and bolts of how they would program in the events (ex: more short runs with turns for Farmers vs longer distance, for example), this wasn't it. The take-away points that I got were:

1) If you are new to Strongman, you need more exposure to the events.
2) If you are more experienced, you should limit your time with them and focus on increasing strength with the barbell lifts.
3) Strongman lifts are not as technical as Olympic lifting, so if you're at all athletic, just get stronger (except for really weird lifts like the Circus DB).

I'm going to have to listen to it again. It makes sense, but it's been my experience that even though I'm fairly technically proficient with the lifts, it is absolutely possible for technique to get rusty, and I feel like I do better with frequent practice. Before anyone jumps on me, I definitely needed/need to get stronger. I don't think that people who aren't brutally strong can get away with just doing lighter conditioning/form work with the implements, though. You need to feel a 90% log press in your lap before the clean and on your chest in the rack position. You need to practice trying to straighten out heavy farmers after a turn. I'm sure he doesn't advocate just doing lighter work, but it did sound like he thought that should be the bulk of your training for anyone not brand new to the sport.

This also contrasts with what I've seen/read from a lot of the top guys, from Shaw and Thor down to top amateurs, who seem to put a lot more time in with the events than what he was advocating. Caveats: this could be just what I see on their IG/YT. Maybe they do follow an idea a little closer to what Alan is advocating. I may have to stalk a bit and see if I'm way off base on this.

So apparently I'm just processing it and don't have any conclusions yet. Did anyone see it and take away something different?