Becoming a strongman starts with building a base of general strength, then layering in the sport-specific skills like carrying, pressing, and loading odd objects. Most people can enter their first novice competition within 12 to 18 months of focused training, though the timeline depends on your starting point. Here’s what the path actually looks like, from the gym to the competition floor.
Build a Strength Base First
Before you touch an atlas stone or a log press, you need a solid foundation in basic barbell lifts. Two useful benchmarks to aim for: a deadlift at twice your bodyweight and an overhead press at 75% of your bodyweight. These aren’t competition-ready numbers for most men’s weight classes, but they signal that your body can handle the awkward, heavy implements strongman training demands. If you’re a lighter athlete or a woman competing in the lower weight classes, these numbers may actually put you close to novice competition readiness.
The best way to build this base is through compound movements: squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, rows, and bench presses. Train these 3 to 4 days per week, sticking to 1 to 3 exercises per muscle group per session. Progressive overload, meaning you gradually increase the weight or volume over time, is what drives adaptation. Strongman rewards full-body strength, so avoid the temptation to specialize too early.
Learn the Core Events
Strongman competitions test a range of abilities that a standard gym routine won’t prepare you for. Most contests include some combination of these event categories:
- Deadlift variations: conventional, axle bar, car deadlift, or max reps at a set weight
- Overhead pressing: log press, axle clean and press, or circus dumbbell
- Carries and loading: farmer’s walk, yoke carry, sandbag loading, atlas stones
- Pull and drag: truck pulls, sled drags, arm-over-arm rope pulls
- Static holds: Hercules hold, frame hold for time
You don’t need access to every implement on day one. Start by finding a gym that has at least a few strongman implements, or look for a dedicated strongman gym in your area. Many crossfit boxes also carry some of this equipment. Dedicate one training day per week to event practice once your base strength is solid, treating it as a skill session where you learn how implements feel and how your body moves under odd loads.
Train Your Grip Like a Separate Skill
Grip strength limits performance in nearly every strongman event, from deadlifts to farmer’s carries to loading races. It deserves its own training time rather than hoping it develops as a byproduct of other lifts.
Plate pinches are one of the simplest and most effective options. Hold weight plates pinched between your fingers and thumb for time, starting with 25-pound plates and working up to 45s. Double overhand axle shrugs build grip and upper back simultaneously. Use an axle bar (a thicker barbell) set just above knee height, grip it overhand, and perform sets of 10 to 15 reps. As the weight climbs past about 70% of your max, switch to timed holds of 10 seconds per set, adding 10 to 20 pounds each round until you can no longer hold on.
Another effective method is barbell holds with resistance bands attached. Set a barbell at rack-pull height, loop heavy bands from the bar to the floor, and hold at lockout. The bands create oscillating tension that forces your hands to work harder than a static load would. Work up in weight until you fail to hold for at least 10 seconds. Training grip 2 to 3 times per week alongside your main lifts will produce noticeable improvements within a few months.
Pick a Weight Class
Strongman has weight classes for nearly every body type. Under the Strongman Corporation, men’s divisions range from under 176 pounds all the way to super heavyweight (265 and above). Women’s classes start at under 141 pounds and go up to an open division. Masters categories exist for competitors over 40 and over 50.
For your first competition, compete at whatever weight you naturally walk around at. Cutting weight for a novice contest adds unnecessary stress and costs you strength. As you gain experience, you can decide whether moving up or down a class serves your competitive goals.
Eat to Support Heavy Training
Strongman training burns a tremendous amount of energy, and undereating is one of the most common mistakes new competitors make. Male strength athletes typically need 3,500 to 4,500 calories per day during heavy training phases, though individual needs vary with bodyweight and session intensity. Women generally need less but still more than most expect.
Protein is the priority. Aim for 1.8 to 2.7 grams per kilogram of bodyweight daily. For a 200-pound athlete, that’s roughly 165 to 245 grams per day. If you find yourself constantly hungry during hard training blocks, pushing protein up to 3.5 grams per kilogram can help with satiety without harming health in otherwise healthy people.
Carbohydrates fuel your training sessions. A range of 4 to 7 grams per kilogram per day works well for most strength athletes, with the higher end reserved for days with long or intense sessions. Fat should make up at least 20 to 25% of your total calories to support hormone production. The exact split matters less than consistency. If your strength is going up and your recovery feels adequate, your nutrition is probably close enough.
Prioritize Sleep and Recovery
Heavy strength training breaks your body down. Recovery is where you actually get stronger. The general recommendation for adults is 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, but athletes training at high intensities often need more. If you’re consistently sleeping under 7 hours, that’s likely limiting your progress more than any programming tweak would.
Take at least one full rest day per week. Training without rest days during intense phases is associated with overreaching, a state where performance drops and fatigue accumulates faster than your body can clear it. Many strongman programs run 4 training days with 3 rest or active recovery days. A typical weekly split might look like: two heavy barbell days (one lower body focused, one upper body focused), one event day, and one lighter accessory or conditioning day.
Deload weeks, where you reduce training volume and intensity by 40 to 50%, are standard practice every 4 to 6 weeks. They feel counterproductive but consistently lead to strength jumps in the weeks that follow.
Gear Up Without Overspending
You don’t need a closet full of equipment to start. Buy in this order of priority:
- Flat, hard-soled shoes: wrestling shoes, Chuck Taylors, or deadlift slippers give you a stable base. Squishy running shoes rob you of force transfer.
- Lifting belt: a 10mm or 13mm leather belt stabilizes your torso under heavy loads. It doesn’t replace core strength. It gives your abs something to brace against, which actually makes your core work harder.
- Knee sleeves: 7mm neoprene sleeves reduce joint pressure at the bottom of squats and during pressing movements. Beginners and lighter lifters do fine with 5mm sleeves. Larger or more experienced athletes often prefer 7mm or 9mm.
Wrist wraps, elbow sleeves, and tacky (a sticky substance used for atlas stones) can come later as you get closer to competing. Most novice contests don’t require anything beyond a belt and sleeves.
Find and Enter Your First Competition
The Strongman Corporation is the largest organizing body in the United States, and their contests range from local novice shows to national championships. The website strength.events hosts competition registration, upcoming event calendars, and rosters for Strongman Corporation sanctioned meets. Outside the U.S., organizations vary by country, but most follow similar weight class structures.
Novice competitions are specifically designed for first-time competitors. The weights are lighter, the events are more standard, and the atmosphere is welcoming. Sign up for one before you feel “ready,” because you’ll never feel fully ready. Competing teaches you things training alone never will: how to peak for a specific date, how to manage energy across five or six events in a single day, and how to perform when the adrenaline is high and the rest periods are short.
Most local contests announce events 8 to 12 weeks in advance, giving you time to practice the specific implements and weights listed. Train those exact events during your preparation block, simulating competition conditions as closely as possible. On contest day, your job is simple: make every attempt, learn from every event, and have fun. The competitive community in strongman is one of the most supportive in all of strength sports, and your first show will almost certainly not be your last.