Anyone new to the fitness game will inevitably find the endless choice of exercise equipment overwhelming. Not only is there the choice between cardio or weights, but now with the rise of crossfit-based box gyms and commercial gyms investing more into cardio-based resistance equipment such as prowlers, kegs, tyres and batteling ropes, the average gym goer can now dump the cross-trainer in favour of flipping tyres and pushing a prowler double their own bodyweight down a track, effectively training like a strongman athlete. But how will this impact strength, muscle building and getting lean?
Let’s look at strength first.
Strongman training was put to the test for the first time in a study comparing a strongman programme to a traditional strength programme. The study, carried out over 7 weeks, measured body composition, strength, power, and speed. All performance measures improved up to 7% in both groups, particularly in 1 repetition max strength over the bent over row, squat and deadlift.
However it’s important to note that this could simply be down to the change in stimulus for participants; as we know from Owen’s recent blog post looking at the benefits of programme periodization, training programmes should be revamped regularly to create a new stimuli for our body to adapt to. This change forces new neuron pathways to be created, thus allowing for more strength gains.
So next time the sun’s out, maybe ditch the monotonous cycle of endless squats and deadlifts and allow your body to try something new.
Secondly, is strongman training effective for building muscle?
To build muscle, the muscle in question needs to be under tension for a long period of time. Hypertrophy based programmes usually contain sets lasting up to 30-45 seconds. This is very similar to most strongman events, which usually have the participant training under heavy loads for 30-60 seconds.
The second important factor in building muscle is not in the training itself but in the recovery. A muscle will not grow if it does not recover. Research has found that after a sled drag session completed with 75% body weight, participants saw large elevations in blood lactate and testosterone. This increase in testosterone was still present at the 24-hour recovery mark. Researchers believe this indicates a rebound effect which aids in recovery.
So the answer to our second question is yes; the only downfall of strongman training for hypertrophy would be in the inability to target specific muscles groups.
Will training like a strongman get me lean?
Over the years there has been an increase in High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) among people wishing to lose body fat. These sessions are commonly carried out on a stationary bike or cross trainer. However, teaming HITT training with resistance equipment such as a prowler, sled, keg or tires could further increase your calorie burn. Not only are you burning calories through rapidly raising and lowering your heart rate, but as strongman training helps with hypertrophy, you’ll also be building functional muscle.
Cardio-based resistance exercises (i.e. strongman exercises) produce higher levels of lactate in the blood, releasing a large amount of growth hormone which stimulates fat burning. This was seen in a 400m car push test compared to a maximal treadmill test; blood lactate levels reached 15.06mmol/L. 31% higher during the car push than the max treadmill test. However, this is an exhausting event and would not be recommended for many people at all! A similar stimulus can be created through 5x (2x 20m) sled drags loaded with 75% bodyweight, something our members at Trimnasium and Studio PT will be familiar with!
To conclude, strongman training isn’t the only form of training which will help you reach your fitness goals, but you should definitely consider it, and it should be deemed just as important as traditional forms of training. At Hall Personal Training we recommend keeping your training stimulus changing every 4-8 weeks, and throwing some strongman training into the works could help you with just that!