🏋️ Strength B.I.B.L.E.
← Back to Programs
💪

Strongman Program

Strongman block

Prerequisites

  • • Farmer Carry (lift)
  • • Sled Work (lift)
  • • Yoke Walk (lift)
  • • Odd Object Lifting (lift)
  • • All core concepts (Progressive Overload, Technique Priority, Autoregulation, Deloading)
  • • Established 1RMs on Back Squat, Deadlift, Press
  • • Access to strongman implements or a strongman gym
  • • 12+ months of consistent barbell training

Strongman Program

An 8-week strongman block that develops grip, trunk, and full-body power using loaded carries, sled work, and odd objects. Built for athletes who want real-world strength that transfers beyond the barbell.

Overview

Strongman training is a different beast from powerlifting or weightlifting. Instead of three fixed lifts, you train a variety of events — carries, drags, flips, loads — each with different demands. The program is organized around four pillars:

  • Grip: farmer carries, dead hangs, plate pinches
  • Trunk: yoke walks, heavy carries, front-loaded work
  • Hip power: sled pushes, tire flips, stone loads
  • Overall conditioning: medley events, time-based carries

Block structure:

  • Weeks 1-4: Skill acquisition + base loading
  • Week 5:
  • Weeks 6-7: Heavy singles and event-specific work
  • Week 8: Test / event day

Weekly structure: 4 sessions per week, 60-75 min each.

Who It Is For

  • Athletes who want strongman-specific development
  • General strength athletes who want to add real-world capacity
  • Team sport athletes in an off-season block
  • Anyone who wants to train grip, trunk, and power together

Not for:

  • Beginners (build a strength base first with Starting Strength or StrongLifts)
  • Athletes without access to strongman implements
  • Athletes in-season with high game
  • Anyone with active lower-back or shoulder injuries

Weekly Structure

DaySession
MondayLower body + Sled work
TuesdayUpper body + Grip
WednesdayRest / mobility
ThursdayEvents day (yoke, stones, carries)
FridayFull body + Heavy carries
SaturdayRest or LISS
SundayRest

Total weekly volume: ~4 hours of training, split into 4 sessions.

Sample Week — Block 1 (Weeks 1-4)

Monday — Lower + Sled:

  • Back squat: 4x5 @ 80%
  • Romanian deadlift: 3x8 @ 70%
  • Sled push: 6x20m at moderate load, 90 sec rest
  • Leg curl: 3x10

Tuesday — Upper + Grip:

  • Bench press: 4x5 @ 80%
  • Barbell row: 4x6 @ 75%
  • Farmer carry: 4x30m at moderate load, 90 sec rest
  • Plate pinch: 3x30 sec per hand
  • Dead hang: 3x max time

Thursday — Events Day:

  • Yoke walk: 4x15m at moderate load, 2 min rest
  • Atlas stone load to platform: 5x3 at moderate load, 2 min rest
  • Sandbag carry: 4x20m
  • Tire flip: 4x4

Friday — Full Body + Heavy Carries:

  • Deadlift: 4x3 @ 85%
  • Overhead press: 4x5 @ 80%
  • Suitcase carry: 4x30m per side
  • Sled drag (backward): 4x20m
  • Ab wheel: 3x10

Sample Week — Block 2 (Weeks 6-7)

Monday — Lower + Sled:

  • Back squat: 5x3 @ 85-90%
  • Sled push: 8x20m at heavy load, 2 min rest

Tuesday — Upper + Grip:

  • Bench press: 5x3 @ 85%
  • Farmer carry: 4x20m at heavy load, 2 min rest
  • Plate pinch: 3x20 sec per hand, heavy

Thursday — Events Day:

  • Yoke walk: 4x15m at heavy load
  • Atlas stone load: 5x1 at heavy load
  • Sandbag carry: 4x15m heavy
  • Tire flip: 4x6

Friday — Full Body + Medley:

  • Deadlift: 4x2 @ 90%
  • Overhead press: 4x3 @ 85%
  • Medley: sled push 20m + farmer carry 20m + yoke 15m + stone load x2, 3 rounds

Progression Rules

  • Load: add 5-10% per week to each main lift or event
  • Distance: add 5m per week to carries
  • Reps: add 1-2 reps per set before increasing load
  • Never add both load and volume in the same week

Event Priorities

Match your training to your goal:

GoalFocus
General strengthFarmer carries, sled work, heavy deadlifts
Grip emphasisFarmer carries, dead hangs, plate pinches
Trunk emphasisYoke walks, front-loaded carries, overhead work
Hip powerSled pushes, tire flips, stone loads
Competition prepAll events, medley work, timed sets

Recovery & Nutrition

Strongman training is the highest structural load in the weight room.

  • Sleep: 8-9 hours
  • Protein: 1.8-2.2 g/kg per day
  • Calories: at maintenance or slight surplus
  • Water: 3+ liters on training days
  • Belt: use for heavy yoke walks and deadlifts above 85%
  • Chalk: liberally, especially for carries and stones
  • Rest between events: 2-3 min

Deload Protocol

Week 5:

  • Cut volume 40%
  • Keep moderate (70-75%)
  • Focus on technique and grip maintenance
  • No heavy singles or event attempts
  • Sleep 8+ hours per night

Common Pitfalls

  • Too much volume too fast. Strongman punishes overtrained athletes.
  • Skipping the warm-up. Yoke and stone work demand full mobility.
  • Poor grip training. Grip failure ends carries early.
  • Ignoring technique on carries. Bad posture is a spine injury waiting to happen.
  • Training events when tired. Events demand fresh .
  • No deload. Structural adaptations need time; the deload is not optional.

Testing

Test at week 1 and week 8:

TestMetric
Farmer carryMax load for 30m
Yoke walkMax load for 15m
Atlas stoneMax load to 48”
Sled pushTime for 20m at fixed load
Tire flipMax flips in 60 sec
Deadlift or 3RM

When to Switch

  • After 8 weeks: retest, then either repeat with new loads or shift to a strength or sport-specific block.
  • In-season: drop to 2x per week maintenance (1 carry + 1 medley).
  • Off-season: this block stacks well with or strength work.

Journal

Uses the Training Log — Strongman template. Track event loads, distances, times, grip status, and technique notes.

  • Farmer Carry (lift)
  • Sled Work (lift)
  • Yoke Walk (lift)
  • Odd Object Lifting (lift)
  • Power (concept)
  • Conditioning Methods (concept)