Diets and Training

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Training and Diet.

I probably get more emails about diet than any other subjects. Quite rightly so as diet is just as important as training and rest. Strongman training, as with any weight training actually, consists of 3 main sections

1. Training
2. Diet
3. Rest

All as important as each other, fall down in any one of these areas and you wont get the results you should do.

The advice I give my students who come to me for Strongman training advice is this, (this is only my opinion but it seems to work!):-

Training:- 3 weight room sessions a week, pushing, pulling and legs. At least 1 event training per week.

Split Routine Heavy Weights
Push – Pull
Monday
Pushing	Bench press	5 x 10
	Press behind neck	4 x 10
	Military press	3 x 10
	Dips	3 x 10
	Lying tricep hammer curls	3 x 10
	Tricep press downs	3 x 10
	Abbs - sit ups etc.
Tuesday
Rest
Wednesday
Pulling	Bent over rows	4 x 10
	Deadlift	8/6/4/2/1
	Lat pull downs	4 x 10
	Lat pulley rows	4 x 10
	Upright rows	4 x 10
	Bicep curls	3 x 10
	Shrugs	3 x 10
	Hyper extensions
Thursday
Rest
Friday
Legs	Squats	5 x 10
	Leg press machine	4 x 10
	Leg extensions	4 x 10
	Leg curls	4 x 10
	Weekend rest

5 sets means 1 warm up 15 reps, then 4 actual sets aiming at 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 2-4 reps - getting progressively heavier each set. If you can do 10 reps on the 4^th set its not heavy enough, 2 reps on 3^rd set too heavy. Work out your weights so you can keep roughly to 15, 10, 8, 6, 2-4.

Pushing – Flat Bench Press 5 sets, Smith machine -Press Behind Neck 4 sets, Military Press 3 sets, (ideal on Smith machine with bench fully upright so as bar just misses nose on way down), 3 sets weighted dips (we do it by hanging dumbbells on the crossed feet, kills your hamstrings also!. Ideally done with a weighted belt), then finish off with some tricep curls and press downs.

Pulling – Bent over rows 5 sets, Deadlift 5 sets, Lat pull downs 5 sets, Bicep curls 5 sets.

Legs - Squats, leg presses etc 5 sets each.

Because you’re doing opposing muscles the pushing and pulling can be done on consecutive days but always leave at least a day between the pulling and legs.

Some people say that doing chest, shoulders and triceps on the same day is bonkers! However that’s the beauty of this program and the reason it works!

After doing flat bench your shoulders and triceps have already been worked and warmed up. After doing shoulders your chest has been worked some more, your triceps are know screaming and when you finish off with dips all 3 muscle groups get a final blast! Until you’re used to it your triceps will be dead at the end and your first attempts and the dips will be a nightmare. But after a while your triceps will come on a bundle and you will still have enough in them after all your bench pressing, shoulder pressing etc. This teaches your muscles stamina, that even after working them hard they have to recover and retain enough power to work again and again. This is imperative in Strongman as you have to do at least 4 –5 events where all your muscles have to work flat out.

Powerlifters train for single explosive lifts. Their muscles give up all they’ve got for the one big lift. This is not the case for strongmen they have to retain stamina for each barrel, stone, log lift, event etc. so need a different muscle profile then the powerlifter.

Distance runners have muscles that only give up a small fraction of their power each contraction but can go on forever (however with very little strength).

Strongmen need a mixture of both, explosive power and short burst endurance, this push pull training helps that.

Diet.

If they are trying to get bigger and stronger and not too worried about staying ripped then I recommend a huge increase of food and water intake. Any food will do at this stage as we’re just trying to build muscle. You can only build muscle when you are in “positive mode” i.e. taking in more food than you are burning up.

I often get lads who are training really hard but start to lose weight! This is because they are in “negative mode” i.e. taking in less food than they are using so there’s nothing left around to build muscle. This is fine for “cutting up” or for losing weight but to be avoided like the plague for muscle and weight gaining.

If you are training hard but not eating enough your metabolism will suck the fuel that it needs from your muscle cells. Fuel that you desperately want to keep there to build your muscle! That’s why is great to drink isotonic drinks before and during training, as the body will burn that as fuel rather than sucking your muscles dry.

I used to eat 2 massive meals a day but felt a little lethargic during training and especially after eating the meals. Now I eat 5 small meals a day around every 3 hours. This has increased my metabolic rate and given me more energy.

You know when you are in “positive mode” as you will notice that your training is going well and you feel stronger. Your weight will start to increase as you are now supplying your body with the extra “bricks” it needs to build the new muscles. You may get a slight fat roll around your waist, this is normal but if it gets too big, then cut down slightly as you don’t want to pile on the weight too quickly.

Protein shakes can be used during this period especially if it is awkward to have a meal every 3 hrs, replace it with a shake.

If anyone wants further information or has a specific question then please feel free to email me or leave a message on the message board.

Philip.j.wright@btinternet.com

http://www.ukstrongman.com