What To Know Before Your First Strongman Competition
Welcome to strongman! There are endless amounts of things to know and prepare for, however, don’t stress too much about the specifics. You’re interested for a reason; maybe you want a different challenge or you’re just curious. Regardless, priority number one should be as simple as this: HAVE FUN. The goal for my first competition was to just perform my best on all 5 events and figure out what I need to improve on. I told my now wife that I was only planning on training and competing for the summer. Seven years later, here I am, running a strength training studio, filled with strongman equipment, training for my next competition.
What To Know Before Your First Strongman Competition
So you want to compete. Where do you start? Currently, in the US, there are two federations: United States Strongman (USS) & Strongman Corporation (SC). Both federations will have different weight classes, but their local and national competitions will be structured similarly. Between the two, they’re both great, it comes down to your preference.
A strongman competition is different from a powerlifting meet that consists of three events: squat, bench, and deadlift. A strongman competition has 5 total events. Most commonly, you’ll begin with an overhead event. Secondly, there will be a deadlift event. Followed by 2 moving events. Ending on the classic loading event. All of these events can be either for max weight, max repetitions, or for fastest time.
Another important thing to consider is that almost all competitions have various weight classes for men and women. Within these weight classes, there are 3 categories: novice, open, and masters. For anyone’s first time, I’d recommend the novice class. The novice class has a much broader weight limit, split between lightweight (women under 165, men under 220) and heavyweight (women over 165, men over 220). The weights for these divisions are the lightest. Most athletes in these divisions are competing for their first time as well.
How Strong Do You Need To Be?
So many people feel the same way about these competitions. No one wants to embarrass themselves. No one wants to fail an event. But the reality is that everyone feels the same way. Chances are that there will be a couple events you feel comfortable with and some that you might have to work harder on. It’s very rare to stroll into a competition and be proficient in everything. And no one is going to laugh at you. In fact, your competition will be cheering you on the whole time. They want to see you perform your best and give it your all.
I remember that my first competition was a 405lb deadlift for reps. I had never touched anything over 385lbs in my life. However, a combination of my coach and wife cheering me on and the adrenaline, I squeezed 6 reps out! I’ve even had other competitions where I didn’t have access to the right equipment for an event. This is actually a very common situation. Some events have very specific pieces of equipment that aren’t so easily found. Nonetheless, athletes will still jump in on the competition, even at the professional level, and give it a shot. So be sure to always know that just because you haven’t touched the weights before, doesn’t mean you’re not capable. Keep building your strength, but remain open to the new challenges.
Unfortunately, there is no real formula to follow to determine if you’re ready. Just because you bench press 315lb, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to handle pressing a 150lb log over your head. But if you can’t squat 135lbs, you still might be able to crush the atlas stones. The numbers don’t correlate. Another important consideration is that some competitions are on the lighter end and some are significantly heavier. So as you’re looking through competitions, pick which one you feel good about.
How To Find A Strongman Competition
The easiest way to find almost all competitions in the US is through the website, Iron Podium. You’ll be able to see when each competition will be, where it will be and review the events and weights to find what sounds best for you. You’ll find that the site has both USS and SC competitions and you’ll be able to check out the differences between the two federations.
Find A Strongman Crew To Work With
Strongman, at its simplest, is a group of strong people looking to push one another in order to get the best out of everyone. A great way to maximize your training to its fullest is to find a group of people with similar goals and who want to train in a similar style, so finding strongman training that has a welcoming community, so you can learn from others and receive advice, tips, help and encouragement.
Should You Lose Weight For Your First Competition?
There is no need to stress about weight loss for your first competition. Strongman is a strength sport, and focusing on weight loss could increase your stress levels and potentially affect your performance. The main thing you should be focusing on is how positive an experience the prep has been and the competition itself. Once you’ve gotten enough experience and feel more confident, you could consider entering the open division. When you decide that you want to compete in an open division, working with a coach who understands how to properly cut weight while maintaining strength can be advantageous.
What Do You Bring With You In Your Gym Bag?
This is your first competition. It is important to bring the pieces of equipment that you’ve been using throughout your prep, as long as they fit the guidelines of the specific competition. The guidelines should be listed on each event page. Competition day is not a good day to try out the new shoes you bought or the elbow sleeves you haven’t worn yet. These new factors will influence how you feel and how you perform, often negatively. It’s crucial to stick with what you’ve been using regularly.
Typically, these competitions will start at 9am and end in the mid-afternoon. The day is long, you’ll get hungry, and you’ll need to stay hydrated. Treat your eating just like your equipment. Don’t change anything on competition day. Pack the foods and drinks that you've normally been using before, during and after each training session.
What To Eat The Night Before Your Strongman Event
By now you’ve experienced your first strongman competition prep. And throughout that prep you’ve discovered what types of foods have helped and what types haven’t helped. You’ve also had plenty of strongman Saturday sessions, dedicated towards some of the events. Just like your strongman Saturdays, the competition will lie on a Saturday. The only difference is that this is a day event.
Remember, you shouldn’t be thinking about your body weight for your first competition. Listen to your body. What have you been eating consistently on all your previous Fridays? Keep it simple. Keep it the same. Your body has adapted to the routine you’ve been following. There isn’t a need to change it, especially the night before you display all the hard work you’ve put in these last few months.
Final Thoughts On Strongman Competitions
Strongman competitions are great. The events are always slightly different, the competitors are cheering you on (despite being your competition), and you can test your strength with a great group of people who have been working just as hard as you. Have fun!
