Personal trainer in San Diego dishing out practical information to help you get stronger and live life the way you want.
Need more loaded carries in your workouts? Here's a dozen variations you can perform with nothing but kettlebells. Not everyone has access to strongman equipment like specialized farmer's handles, but these kettlebell carrying exercises will add plenty of strength and conditioning variety to your routine. If you like being strong, healthy, and lean add some of these exercises into your program.
I’ll be one of the first to tell you there are huge benefits to incorporating strongman style movements and events into your training program. But I’ve also pointed out that depending on your goals and level of conditioning there are particular exercises which are inappropriate and more specific to competition than general strength or fitness. Strongman starts with strong, and as that implies, it is helpful to have some basic tenants of strength before going all out with strongman (or strongwoman) training and implements.
You need to be doing farmers walks and loaded carries. I can think of very few people that wouldn’t benefit from the addition of carrying something from point A to point B in their workouts. But you still don’t see them being done very often in gyms. Loaded carries are great for training the grip, building muscle, work capacity, core strength, coordination, and even improving function of the shoulder girdle. They really do offer something for everyone, and I’m not the only who thinks so.
I’m not your typical strongman. I compete in a category often referred to as the “little fellas.” My fellow competitors and I have to weigh in at a weight of 175# or less. We’re not exactly the gargantuans you see on ESPN. But if you are fortunate enough to witness one of our competitions you see some amazing ant-like feats of strength. If you have ever thought you were too small, too “normal” sized, or too average to compete in strongman or train like one, this story is for you.
You’ve been training hard. You flip a tire like a mad man or pick up rocks like a crazy lady. And it’s about time you put that body and skills to the test against some others. This your guide to get finding a real Strongman contest in your area, signing up, and heading to the show.
I'm still beaming with pride at the performances from everyone while we were there. Adam and I were competing in the <200 division and Ryan competed alongside the heavyweights. Each of the weight classes had a great showing of competitors both new and seasoned. I was especially excited to compete alongside Adam in his debut competition.
Sandbag drills and exercises. They're simple, effective, and incredibly versatile. And as the site name suggests, I like simple. But there's a lot of stuff out there complicating sandbag work and I don't care for that much.
This month I was given the opportunity to write an article for the Performance Menu regarding my unique perspectives on training and competing as a 175# strongman. I discuss some of the things that I feel are important for performing lifts as efficiently as possible as well as optimizing the heavy training to stay athletic, move well, and avoid injuries/overtraining.
