A big talking point in the gym when training strongman is "where do you see the sport going?" For me this is an easy answer “down” and most would disagree but lets look at this in a different way .
The worlds strongest man started in 1977 with mainly Americans competing in it. It took off more for Britain when Geoff capes won his first title as worlds strongest man in 1983 and then 1985. These wins brought a lot of attention to the sport and from then on there has always been a good viewing of the sport especially with Mariusz Pudzianowski taking it to another level.
Around 2012 better and bigger characters of the sport came along ie Eddie Hall. Eddie brought new side to the sport. Someone you can love and hate … the beast …. a man fighting to win the worlds title and would give anything for it. It took the attention of Britain and got everyone hooked in order to find out if he will do it! He with others gave the sport new life.....
Up until 2017 before Eddie Halls win of wsm. Tickets had been selling out to see the beast perform to the crowds, wining new titles and claiming new world records! A 500kg deadlift, the room was electric with people screaming, shouting and cheering the beast on in a fully packed stadium.
The same happened for Europes strongest man where he went on to claim the world axle press record at 216kg and took second place overall. Narrowly behind Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. Finally, he claimed the win with his worlds strongest man title in late 2017 after much hardship and sacrifice.
Now that the beast has taken a step back after his 5th win at Britain’s strongest man it has become more noticeable that the sport has taken a down hill approach in terms of popularity as the last giants live only sold tickets for the front few rows. Compared to a year back where it was a full sell out! This can be expected when you lose a character like Eddie who brought so much to the sport but the joy of the sport is that there is always new up and coming athletes. They are getting ready to take his place and that will bring new viewers to the sport once again. They will help to bring the sport back in to the public eye, bigger and better than before!
What about the future of regional comps that are held by locals? Small comps can be hit and miss as it all depends on the area and the people near that area that are interested in the sport. Many comps are normally full but you do find the odd one that only fills first timers, novice and inters but opens can lack support.
This is mainly down to how many stronger athletes that want to travel as it extremely rare to get 20 athletes in the same area that can perform the weights needed for the category. As said before though most comps do very well and bring a lot of interest, crowds and excitement to the sport.
Regional comps definitely open ways for people to compete and get into the sport. They can then move on to a higher level through the experience that can be gained.
Overall the future for strongman is looking positive and there are many new exciting competitors working up through the ranks!
Many thanks,
John Thompson.
]]>Pushing hard in the gym has a lot of benefits but this is only if you keep your body in check and if you do not develop or have many complications. The main way to stop this is to make sure it does not happen in the first place! Make sure to: foam roll, Massage, Physio , Stretch and use hot and cold treatment on injuries. There are many other ways of helping to stay safe like training equipment such as supports, belts etc while training. All the equipment you need can be found here.
So, you have been training for a while and one day you feel a sharp pain in the body somewhere. It could be the bicep, tricep, back, quads, chest etc and you feel like the gym life is over! and you want to throw in the towel! This does not have to happen....
Firstly, go and seek medical advice and help as something very painful can turn out to be a small problem sometimes. Never take the risk, go and seek help .
Once you have received medical help look into training around the problem if possible. Change your program or avoid a set of muscle groups that are injured. As said above, use equipment (supports) to reduce anymore damage or pain while training.
Another way to reduce pain or damage is to lower the weights you are using and reduce impact on the muscle and nervous system which can greatly improve repair time and still keeps the muscle working .
Once you feel confident and comfortable to start lifting heavy again slowly work the weights up and do not jump in at the deep end . Even when you feel like your body can take the strain it can still have small hidden damage that might take a while longer to repair, so slow and steady.
If the damage is bad then seek outside help to recover quickly. There are many places available that can help with this but the down side can be cost … It can cost a small fortune if a problem continues (Physio etc) but this is a personal choice on how quickly you would like to recover.
Having the right people on board can greatly improve healing of the body and can give you great advice on hot to maintain your health after the injury. This is just as important to stop it recurring in the future .
The most important thing I will say is never give up and adapt to overcome the problem and don’t let it beat you! Seek the best advice and try to work around the problem by using your imagination. Learn how to improve your body to stop it recurring and most of all keep motivated and keep your goals and work towards them. Every cloud has a silver lining.
Thank you,
John Thompson.
]]>So, you have been working hard over the last few months getting ready for your first strongman comp. You have put the hours in the gym pushing through the pain, sweat and blood! Your effort has always been to the max. Week after week you have been pushing the event training to make sure things do not go wrong on the day ….. but what next? What should I do now I have put in the hard work and my competition is only a week away? These are my own 5 personal tips of what to do before a comp to make sure i am 100% ready and to put my mind at rest so my head is in the game.
Give it your best on the day and always take any lessons learned and improve on them for next time.
Have a great competition,
John Thompson.
]]>
First thing I would say is to research as much as you can. If you look on forums, reddit and YouTube you can find some good information but as a warning you will find a lot of people doing deadlifts with bad form or no form at all! Looking like an angry cat! Don't do that. You should be totally focused on good form, that is what makes you grow and get stronger.
Learning good form reduces injury risk to major parts of the body that if damaged could lead to a lot of time out of the gym and even work. However when deadlifting the risk is never zero. Good form will even out the stress caused by the lift rather than placing a large load on a specific area like the lower back. Good form also increases performance and teaches the muscles to work at the right times to get the bar from the floor to the lockout position more efficiently. When you lift with good form, the bar follows a path that allows for the legs, hips, and back to move better and more freely which in turn improves the lift.
Once you've done a few reps on a low weight, you are ready to work towards a more powerful lift. Small things can help to change the deadlift and increase the power output.
For conventional deadlift your feet should be spaced hip-width apart with your grip just outside your legs. If this does not suit you then move your feet till you feel comfortable. Also try and use different grips to improve strength as this is a key thing people tend to miss out on.
Your back should be flat and never curved as this can cause massive amounts of discomfort or even pain and the risk of injury goes from very little to an extreme chance of damage to the body. Your shoulders should be back and tight so you can get a good tight back as you pull the bar towards the knees. This can help prevent curving your back and can also help the bar stay in contact with your legs for the entire range of motion.
Rep range is very important and depends what you want your end goal to be. For example if your goal is bodybuilding you would have higher rep to set range than you would if your aim is for powerlifting or strongman. They would be lower reps and sets but higher loads being lifted. this said look into programs and other people to see what their rep range and weights are to give you a guide.
My own deadlift strategy and workout:
So a big question is “do you know if a weight's too heavy?” Easy answer is does it come off the floor .. no .. to heavy also does your form go out the window when you deadlift… yes … it's too heavy when form breaks down this can cause problems with your back. If your spine rounds or your hips and knees don't move together, the weight is probably too heavy. So the safe thing to do is lower the weight and start building up from there.
A big point which gets asked a lot is what is the point in doing deadlifts? Why bother to learn the deadlift? You can train your back on other equipment without the risk of hurting yourself.The simple answer is that they do not just work your back but your full body from legs , shoulders , bicep , triceps , forearm , back , it's one of the most effective exercises for the body to gain maximum strength. They aid with size as well Since they are a full-body movement that use a lot of muscle mass.
In short, deadlifting will build muscle, improve strength, give you a larger more powerful frame and better core strength. They will aid you in becoming a great lifter in the gym and help you hit bigger and better goals when done correctly.
John Thompson.
]]>In 2002 with only 4 weeks till Christmas , your sat by the TV waiting, knowing whats going to air . The screen goes black and then there it is! The worlds strongest man. You wait, watching all the athletes be named and you finally get to see the hero himself Mariusz pudzianowski the future in strongman. You watch as they lift and pull the greatest of weights that are only achieved in your dreams. Then they crown THE WORLDS STRONGEST MAN 2002! Mariusz pudzianowskiiiii !! He did it! He has taken the worlds strongest man title , and that's what I want to be when I grow up… A strongman. That is the beginning for most people in the journey to becoming a strongman.
Now you are a bit older and you sign up to a gym and start trying what everyone is doing 3 sets of 10 reps. Following people around trying the weights and the machines that people are using. This goes on for weeks and weeks. Now so you start training more regularly , you get bigger and more defined but yet not as strong as you would like . That is where most people make their first mistake, training like a bodybuilder.
The first thing I would tell anyone is to research training tips , weights , reps , events. Anything that can help you. Most people don’t know where to begin plus don’t be scared to ask or join in with people. Everyone has to start from somewhere in the gym and training with people is the greatest way to get motivated and stay safe at the same time.
The second point of call is exercise selection and working out what is best for you. As you can tell, a lot of strongmen don’t have abs or look like a bodybuilder! Unless you have amazing genetics in your body. When finding the exercises that will be right for you i advise you to find someone that can build a program for you to follow. If you are 100% willing and commited then don’t be afraid to spend some money on a well planned program to your level of fitness and strength. Programming your workouts is key to routine and most of all recovery. Which leads me on to the third part.
Recovery is a massive part in getting stronger, as you workout out your body breaks down muscles and pulls micro muscle fibers apart and they get damaged while training . Sleep and rest aids the repair of these muscle fibers and grows them thicker and stronger which in-turn gives you more muscle and strength. This takes place over time, strength doesn't come over night. Their are other forms of treatment that will aid in recovery. For people that are starting out then foam rolling and just stretching will help improve recovery and help with future exercise range of motion and avoid injuries. As you progress into the sport look at different health providers that offer physio, massage and cupping. Also, hot and cold treatment plus many other possibly effective options that are available.
The last key point is diet. Most people in a gym will say they are on low carbohydrates and low calorie diets with high protein. These types of people often make my ears burn as everyone is different with very different metabolic rates that change over time . With any power sport you can burn out very quickly. Carbohydrates and overall calories that the people in the gym told you not to take in would come in very handy. Look into good diet programs that are right for your body , calories can start from 3000 and go up to 10000+. It all depends on your body and what works best for you.
Don’t be scared to ask supplement retailers for advice. Experienced staff both online and in person will have great knowledge about supplements and food intake and what is best for the sport you are training for.