So, I figure with one year and four months, and upward of a dozen comps experience, I have just about reached the level of all-knowing veteran. Yes, I am being sarcastic. But even with my minimal experience, I know the life of a strength athlete is a lot tougher than the picture being painted. On that note, here is my "life is tough, suck it up" version of a list for Strongman.
1. Just Commit.
If you want to compete, pay the entry fee, and get to work. A year and a half ago, I signed up for my first comp with zero knowledge or background in strongman, and did so simply because it looked like fun. I had just enough time to get some basic "how to" on the different events, and run a yoke...twice. It has been one tremendous journey since that day, so I say this in the nicest way possible...nut up or shut up. Fear of failure, or the "it's too heavy syndrome" is just your ego telling you that you do not want to look like an ass in front of a large group of people. Fellow competitors will have a lot more respect for you if you join them in battle rather than kicking back on the sideline, and/or talking a big game.
2. Implements & Events Vary.
No matter how much you practice, or how good you become within the comforts of your training space, it is rare to find an exact replica of your equipment at a contest. Do not be surprised when the yoke is wider, a stone is lop-sided, the axle bar has a fresh coat of paint, etc., etc. The inconsistencies in the equipment are just as common as a change in the events on the day of the contest. That is strongman. Shit happens. Learn to adapt. Save yourself, and your fellow competitors, from the on-slaught of excuses that are building in your head by preparing for anything and everything...obviously, within the limits of the equipment that will be provided at the competition.
As far as equipment goes, you need to locate the closest Home Depot, lumber yard, and car salvage facility. That is it. If you can find a cheap welder, that is an added bonus! Almost everything you need to train for strongman can be pieced together in one way or another at a very low cost. It does not require the mind of an engineer, just a little creativity. If, by chance, you have money at your disposal, I will be happy to recommend the best equipment manufacturers...as well as a place to store it within walking distance of my house.
3. Gear.
Knee sleeves, wrist wraps, tacky, and about a million other items are wonderful to have, but are they absolutely necessary...no. (And yes, I include tacky as optional. Take the advise of my coach: Learn to lift stones without it...it will make you better in the long run.) As with any other sport, these additional items are not cheap. My personal recommendation is to invest in a good belt, knee sleeves, and several roles of athletic tape to get started. With competition experience, you will learn what else you might need, or want to invest in. Truck pulls do not require rock climbing shoes, stone loading does not require stone sleeves, overhead pressing does not require ten ply elbow sleeves...stick with the basics until you have an understanding of the movements of the sport. With the money you save, you will be able to enter more contests, or travel to a larger one.
4. Comfort Food.
There are no grass fed, free range, gluten free, non-grain, veggie filled, pop-tarts. But you will see a lot of them at a competition. If you haven't noticed by now, strongmen and women eat...a lot. There are no specific dietary boundaries. Everything under the sun is free game. There is no one standing around waiting to ask about your Paleo to cheat meal percentages. If you choose to consume Big Red Zero and Chunky Chips Ahoy, then so be it. You eat to fuel your body for a day of competition or training...whatever works, works.
5. Patience.
You may possess incredible raw strength. You may be technically proficient. You may be a great competitor. You may have the greatest training crew or coach on the face of the planet. Problem is...can you put all the pieces together for a single sixty second event? How about five events? And then what about a two day competition? Most people are not born with every single factor associated with being a successful competitive athlete. It takes time, and a whole lot of practice, to develop the physical and mental strength to become more than a weekend warrior. Most will not achieve over night success, so be patient with your training. Learn and practice the basic elements of an event, from the actual lifting technique, to transitions, to foot speed. In other words, check your ego, unload the implement, and do it right, with light weight. This process will be very beneficial in the long term.
6. Love or Hate.
If you love strongman, you will know it by the completion of the first event in your first competition, or possibly the first day lifting a stone or carrying a yoke. It is definitely not a sport for everyone. Some will fail to find the challenge in it, while focusing on their short-comings. Some can't handle getting beat up day in and day out. And others are looking for a pay day, that of which strongman will unlikely provide. If you love it, you will find any way to train, make room in your training schedule for torturous event days, research every available article and video in order to get better, and possibly employ the help of a coach. Then, you will spend more time trying to perfect techniques, and alternative ways to train for events for which you do not have proper equipment, than you ever spent studying for high school algebra. If you hate it, you will turn the overpriced stone you purchased into a yard ornament, and settle for a return to the local globo gym.
7. Learn.
You live. You learn. You fail. You learn some more. Not every contest will be your best. Even if you do come out on top, there will be, in the back of your mind, something you could have done better. If not, you need to re-read the point I made about checking your ego. There will always be that one event where you had a specific rep count planned, but you failed to hit it, or a specific time frame in which to finish, but didn't make it. These are the things that make you better, and push you beyond what you thought was possible. Embrace the learning curve of failures and mistakes.
Finally, learning the technical aspects of this sport may require a coach of some sort. If your thinking about hiring one for programming, nutrition, or specific event training...DO YOUR RESEARCH. Hiring someone based on a well-known name, number of contest wins, or the fact that they are strongman certified by a self-proclaimed elite fitness company, does not mean they are capable of educating a tree stump. Behind the walls of a Google search engine and social media is more info than you truly need to make a well educated decision. Use it. It is not every day that you find a multi-time world champion, proven programer, and technically proficient instructor, right in your backyard. But if you do the research, there is no telling what you may find.
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