Am I reading this right? You’re waiting until you can OHP 315 for 5 reps before competing? So aside from the fact that your numbers are HEAVILY skewed towards upper body strength (a 6 plate deadlift for 5 is not remotely comparable to the OHP goal), those are SHW-type numbers. If that OHP is meant to be strict, you’re potentially talking about pro-caliber numbers. Just so you’re fully aware of what you’re saying.
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exactly where I am.
BTW, doing a show in May that involves zero carries. Only moving event is a tire flip. I’m about to win this shit 
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Yeah. I don’t want to compete in strongman till I’m actually a strong man. It will probably take me 3-5 years to hit those numbers if I ever do. I’m going to train consistently and eat for my goals and see where I end up. If I plateau at 265 ohp for reps what have I lost?
The stepped approach to this game is me trying to put the brakes on my personality. My last hobby (reloading) turned into an obsession and a side business. I made a lot of money and then lost a whole lot more when it failed. 5 years of stress and now I can’t even look at a reloading bench, it disgusts me.
I enjoy strongman events. I have a tire, a keg, a well drill bit, a sand bag etc… I enjoy trying hillbilly medlies in my back yard till I can’t stand up. If I sign up for a show and go ham on it now I can lay even money I won’t be doing this in 5 years.
Looking to lift for the long hall and if I never get strong enough to be competitive I won’t be heartbroken.
Major thread derail. Sorry.
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Exactly what I thought. A 3 plate OHP is going to take forever to build up for 5 if strict. Might want to rethink those numbers. Also, why are you so worried about the bench being 405 for 5? Why not just watch it go up and make your main focus OHP and do a shit ton of dips for strongman?
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the ability to enter a strongman comp, based on your criteria…
315 OHP for reps is monstrous.
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I think you’re missing my point here, so I will clarify. You can WIN COMPETITIONS without having a 315x5 OHP. You could legitimately get a pro card without being as strong as that. On the flip side, a 585 deadlift for 5 reps will not be particularly strong at all as a SHW. In a highly competitive competition, that could reasonably put you in dead last in the deadlifting event. That’s really why I think your goals are screwy. Your numbers would b indicative of a world class presser and a sub par deadlifter, lol. The best light and middleweight guys out there could get that deadlift done, but there are zero lightweight, and probably no middleweights I’m aware of, who could touch that OHP number.
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Curious, what base level of strength should one have before entering a strongman comp?
Does the below seem reasonable?
275 Push Press
500 DL
455 Squat
what weight class? 275 is a fantastic push press in the 200 and under class. It will win a lot of amateur comps. 500 deadlift isn’t winning at any weight class. 455 squat doesn’t matter much unless there is an actual squatting event.
Lowest weight I’d ever compete at would be 220
I get what you’re saying now. I wasn’t aware 585 was so weak for amateurs on the DL. Gives me more to shoot for on the low end. No way I’ll ever be a light weight either.
I gain weight just walking past food (muscle and fat). It’s nothing for me to hold 220 at 2000 cals. So I plan on staying under 230 and trying to get as strong as possible (leaner as well).
This is all moot until years from now. So for now 5/3/1 with conditioning and events on the weekend + don’t be stupid with food.
Your current bodyweight puts you on the lowish end of middleweights, at least by NAS standards. There are middle weights who walk around 245+, some of whom make weight with a water cut and actually compete at that kind of bodyweight, or even higher. So there’s absolutely no reason at this point why you should be talking about SHW kinds of numbers. You’re not a big guy. You COULD deadlift that much at your bodyweight or lower, but there’s no way in hell you’re gonna end up with that kind of press without adding a ton of bodyweight. If you ACTUALLY have an interest in the sport of strongman, I would suggest trying to make weight for the 230 class. This gives you room to add plenty of bodyweight, and strength.
How tall are you btw? IMO, height should dictate what weight class you are best suited for. If you’re 6’4 or taller, you should be shooting for HW or SHW, but if you’re like 6’0 or less, your height will put you at a disadvantage no matter how strong you get. Height is a big deal in the sport. I’m 5’11, and I can compete well in the 200 class. A lot of guys in the 230 class are more like 5’11-6’3, with a few outliers. Just some info for ya. And for me, I can DL 600, and that is very good for my class. It’s usually good enough for a win in the class. Jumping to the 230 class, it’s borderline. Anything above that, it wouldn’t be so good. On the other hand, Max log press was in Texas Strongest Man last fall, and 265 took the 200 class. Something right around 300 took the 230’s.
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It’s also hard to correlate lifts to events.
You could have a big push press, with lots of explosive leg drive. Leg drive might not help you much when you have to lift a 10 inch log.
Or a great strict press, but you forget to wait for a down signal and lose a rep on the press for reps event.
How do you practice in the gym for a 500 pound chain drag?
You learn a bunch about what to work on in contests.
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You hit the nail on the head. I’ve pulled 605 from the floor, couldn’t hit 525 from 18" on an axle. You can only succeed at what you practice.
Ya, i’m 6’4". I’m pretty far off from looking at a strongman competition. Was just curious where I’d need to be without embarrassing myself with a zero on every event.
Depends on the show. Some exotic events NEED practice, while others you can just brute strength.
If you have never touched a yoke, you don’t want your first time to be at a show. That was my first show, and it was awful.
5’10". It’d be nice of I could get below 175 to give myself a better chance of placing. But I was 190 at 14yo with a 33 inch waist before I ever touched weights. Just dense.
This is what I was trying to say. But I did a poor job of it. I’d like to at least have a snowball’s chance of placing so I don’t waste my time, the promoter’s time and the other competitors’ time.
This is actually why signing up to compete makes you stronger vs if you don’t. With this mentality, once you put money down and have the pressure of the show looming, your training takes on a new priority and you start pushing yourself WAY harder than when you were just prepping for the IDEA of competing.
I went from a shaky and slow 300lb yoke walk to the fastest 550lb walk of my life in the span of 2 months training for my last show. This was after a year away from the yoke, recovering from knee surgery. If I had my way, I’d never touch a damn yoke again, but knowing it was going to be in the show pushed me hard. Consequently, I ended up winning the event.
You simply get so much stronger training for a show vs just training.
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This is an enormous misconception of the sport. You know someone has to finish last, right? In my first competition, I zeroed the truck deadlift, and came in last in every event except for a crucifix hold, which I won. And it was fucking awesome. I dare someone to say that I wasted anyone’s time. I had absolutely no shot at winning whatsoever. I was not strong enough, nor did I have any experience with the contest implements. But I did not waste my time, I did not waste the promoter’s time, and I did not waste the time of a single other competitor.
Your mindset is shitty, and I’m calling you out for it. Here’s what I would do, if I were you. Don’t shoot for goddamn world-class pressing numbers. Cut your fat to a reasonable level, get as strong as you can, and compete in the 200 class. I’ll give you some baseline numbers that will guarantee you can be competitive in a show in the 200 class: 400 unwrapped squat. 500 deadlift. 250 OHP (push press, not strict). Experience with the contest implements. Ability to move with contest weight on carries for the prescribed distance within a minute. If all of the above are the case, you will not come in last. guaranteed. Every show I’ve done, there have been guys with sub-500 deadlifts, weaker squats, weakers presses, and shitty foot speed (ahem me). I’ve come in dead last on the conans wheel, by a good margin, both times I’ve done it. So fucking what.
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I don’t know why anyone is even worried about how much strength to have to start. Train hard and pick a date. Embarrassment is internal and usually only in your head. No one is going to make fun of you and shit unless they’re a child and generally people at shows and comps are mad supportive of your efforts. They know the shit is hard, especially when its your first time. Just go, have fun and leave everything on the platform, stage, parking lot, etc.
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Bad attitude. Check, callout noted. Not trying to be a downer, just don’t want to be a poser. Don’t care what others think really just want to feel like I earned the right to compete.
Those lifts are reasonable. I’ll make you a deal, when I hit a 250 push press I’ll sign up for the first available contest. I had a 200 C&P before I dislocated my shoulder falling through a floor. Healed up now and strength is returning nicely.
Working on foot speed under load and conditioning for medleys. Zercher squats also (damn things always squeeze the air out of me after rep 5).
Not being fat. Working on it.
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