Axle Clean and Press for Max Weight

In any strongman competition there is going to be an overhead event of some kind. This event could be in the form of Maximum Log Press, Log Press for Reps, Max Axle, Axle for Reps, or it could involve the Viking Press, or the Circus Dumbbell, etc.

When most strongman contests involve 5 events with one of them being overhead, if you suck at overhead press, can you afford to give away 20% (one out of 5 events) of the points?

If you can afford to give that much of the score away to your competitors, then you’d better be heads and shoulders above the rest of them in all four other events in order to negate all of the points you’re handing over to them in the overhead.

If you have identified the overhead lift (regardless of the implement used or whether for reps or max weight) as an event that you must improve upon, there are a few ways you can go about improving your performance.

Which one you choose will depend on what your weakness is, and one of these points of attack may be something you have not thought of before.

Liability #1 – Weak Clean

If the event involves cleaning the implement to the shoulders before pressing, and you struggle with the clean, then you are going to be in trouble for the press.

When you have to labor in order to make the clean, then you will be burning energy reserves that you need for the press.

If you have to struggle in order to get the log or axle up, and it is a clean-every-rep event, then you will be in even more of a rough spot.

If you knowingly have a hard time with the clean, then you will need to dedicate time to it in your training sessions.

One way you can do this is to over-load the clean beyond the weight you can comfortably press or jerk overhead. I show you how to do this in the video below, from 2006.

Without a doubt if your difficulty is a technique flaw, then you need to fix that. Getting stronger in order to power through it will only get you so far. It is much better to hone your technique, make it efficient, and then improve your strength levels later on.

If technique is what you need work on, then you should check out our Strongman Training DVD, which is heavily technique based in order to help you solidify your foundation for strongman training. Remember, it all begins with technique.

Liability #2 – Weak Leg Drive

In most of the overhead events in strongman, you are allowed to use your legs to propel the log, axle, or viking press upwards. In some events you are even able to re-bend in order to catch the implement, similar to the Olympic Jerk.

What I suggest here is Front Squats. While many Strongman competitors include Back Squats in their routine on a regular basis, Font Squats should not be forgotten. After all, initiation of the press is done with the legs, and since the log or axle is being held at the front shoulder, the most specific movement to train is Front Squats.

In addition to doing regular Front Squats with an Olympic bar, there is also nothing wrong with including Front Squats using the Log, in order to get used to the shape of the Log, and increase the specificity of the lift (as shown below).

However, if your legs are weak and you can not drive through the log and propel it towards lockout, that will mean you will have to develop sick strong triceps in order to catch the log once its momentum ceases and then drive the arms straight to lockout.

The problem with this scenario is that after a few reps, if your legs are a weak point in the movement, then they will eventually burn out and you will not even be able to pop the implement high enough off your shoulders to involve the triceps. If that is the case, the only alternative is to try to employ a jerk-style re-bend in order to get your body further under the implement in order to catch it.

Unfortunately, while this may sound like an extraordinary plan, this technique requires more skill and to shift to this style mid-way through the event without having practiced it will probably not result in much of a benefit.

Liability #3 – Weak Triceps

As you can see, when there is a weakness somewhere in the overhead lift movement, the general objective is to build the strength and power on either side of the movement in order to fortify the previous link and next link in the overhead lifting chain.

Unfortunately, in the case of weak triceps, there is no next link in the chain to strengthen. Everything up to this point depends on your triceps and their ability to take over in the transitional phase of the “press,” continue to full lockout, and thus control the log in order to get into the finished position (feet together, head facing forward, etc).

With every other part of the overhead lift depending on your triceps to finish the job, its imperative for them to be rugged enough to get the job done, or else you will end up doing a lot of work for nothing in the form of monster cleans, big powerful attempts to push the log up with the lower body, an exhausted core from attempting stabilize the body with all of this movement going on as well as your oxygen and energy stores becoming depleted with possibly many more events to go.

Many strongman athletes realize that their tricep strength is holding them back and they begin adding extra tricep work into their training. Exercise choice in this regard is extremely important. For instance, if you start throwing in a few extra sets of tricep pushdowns or kick-backs, you are in trouble as these movements do very little to improve overhead press strength. Instead, standing overhead tricep work should be employed, such as rank lockouts, pressing against bands, and half reps.

In the video above, I show you how to add resistance bands to the log in order to strength your triceps for the lockout.

Liability #4 – Weak Shoulders

If your shoulders are your weak point in the press than you are going to be against the wall in an overhead event. This is a common scenario, especially for strongman competitors who venture into the sport after years of Powerlifting, where overhead work is not routinely done.

If your pressing power is weak due to a lack of shoulder strength, then you need to spend more time pressing, utilizing a variety of overhead lift methods.

First, you will need to build your vertical pressing using stricter movements in military press fashion. Building a foundation of strength in the vertical position will be a huge asset toward your performance in competition.

Next, you will also need to work on your speed, propelling the log upwards with the lower body in order to avoid a hang-up when the shoulders need to take over. By developing speed in the lower half you can blast the log or axle high enough where the triceps can come into play in conjunction with the shoulders and contributing to a stronger lockout.

Liability #5 – Let’s stop right there for now

I’ve already given you 4 big factors in overhead press success and how to improve upon them. Look at your training program and try to plant some of these movements in it to bring up your weaknesses in the overhead press.

Down the line, I will put up another installment in this series on how to improve overhead pressing power. And in this next one, I will show you some thing you have probably never thought of to improve your overhead lifts.

Be sure to sign up for the Strongman Training Newsletter to be sure you know when the next installment in this series comes out.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Congratulations to Brian Shaw for winning the 2011 World’s Strongest Man contest!

Brian was tied with Zydrunas Savickas going into the last event, the Atlas Stones, and finished a full stone ahead of Savickas to win the event and the championship!

Brian Shaw takes the final event, Atlas Stones:

Here’s another angle of the Atlas Stones:

To recognize Brian’s amazing suspense-filled victory, I am holding a sale on the Introduction to Strongman DVD.

Use this special link and you can get the Intro to Strongman DVD on sale for just $39 (regularly $49).

Special Price – Introduction to Strongman Training DVD

Congrats again to Brian, a true champion and ambassador to the sport. I have met Brian a couple of times, and what an outstanding guy – humble, approachable, enormous, and STRONG!

Click on the image below to take advantage of this special offer:

All the best in your training!

Jedd

My name is Steve Slater. I developed the Slater’s Stone Mold and I have made many world record atlas stones for the best competitors and the best strongman competitions in the world.

Making stones for this level of competition involves a painstaking process in order to control many variables.

In reality, if you are going to make stones, you might as well make them to the best of your ability. After all, you want your homemade atlas stones to be something you can be proud of, train with for years, and show off to visitors who come to your facility.

With all of that in mind, I’d like to share with you some of the steps I have found to work the best in making high quality stones. I am convinced that if you too follow these steps, you will also be able to make stones worthy of being used in competitions on some of the biggest stages, so here we go…

Strength and Resiliency of the Stone

When you make a world record stone, it has to be strong, have a clean surface and be well balanced or attempting to lift it can be disastrous.

Some of the world record stones have as much as 300 pounds of lead added into the center of the stone, so you need to make sure the stone is strong enough to hold this large amount of lead to avoid any cracking or breaking.

In addition, the surface of the stone must be smooth and solid in order for tacky to work properly.

The Story of the Disintegrating Stone

In the way of stone making, I have made my share of mistakes and that’s one of the reasons why I’m writing this article so you don’t. I can remember when I made the record breaking stone for the world’s strongest woman, Jill Mills. I did not finish the surface properly and used a standard grade concrete, which resulted in the tacky pulling off of the surface of the stone while Jill was lifting it during the world record attempt.

I will never forget when, in front of thousands of spectators, after Jill attempted to lift the stone and failed, Jill said, “Steve the stone is falling apart!”

Jill Mills

She was able to lift the stone on the second attempt, and when she finished she had small chunks of concrete and dust all over her arms and hands that the tacky had pulled off the stone. The weak stone surface made the lift more difficult because the tacky wasn’t able to work properly.

Since this incident, I have come up with a solution to this problem. In this article I will explain the techniques to making a stronger, more efficient stone.

How to Make Atlas Stones

After determining the stone size you want to make, the first step is to purchase the appropriate Slater’s Stone Mold. Keep in mind, Slater’s offers inserts to alter the weight of your stone.

For now, we’ll focus on making a stone without any inserts.

Step One: Lubricating the Mold

Lube the inside of the mold. We suggest silicone or Triflow Teflon, both of which you can purchase from Slater’s.

Spray it on, and use a paper towel or rag to spread it evenly inside the mold. I then put the mold together, and tape it using 2-3” Gorilla Tape.

While doing this, I check inside the mold several times to make sure that no gap has occurred at the parting line which is the seam where the mold comes together. If a gap has been created, I press down on the mold while I apply more tape to that area. When in doubt of how much tape to apply, use more.

Step Two: Shrink Wrapping the Mold

The next step is shrink-wrapping the mold. We offer a 5” shrink wrap, which allows for easy wrapping. Wrapping the mold is not only to support the mold, but to keep the concrete from sticking to the surface of it, by creating a barrier that you can remove.

After the mold is wrapped, place it in two old car tires, so that it is supported when you pour the concrete into the mold. Using two tires instead of one will make sure that the bottom of the mold will not touch the ground and result in a flat spot on the bottom of the stone.

Step Three – Mixing the Concrete

The next step is to mix the concrete. I have a special complicated concrete formula that I use for my Slater’s Stones. However, I will explain a more basic formula for you to make your own quality stones.

Quikrete 5000 works well or any type of Sakrete concrete mix. You may also add Portland cement to the mix to add extra strength. This is also a good product to use to make the mixture thicker if it turns out to be very wet.

To mix the concrete, I prefer a concrete mixer, but a hoe and wheelbarrow will also work. As another efficient and inexpensive option, we also offer a reusable concrete mixing bag.

How Much Concrete?

Make sure to buy the same weight in concrete that you want your stone to weigh, so that you have extra in case you spill some or make any other mistakes along the way. You will have some extra because the water you add to the mix will account for some weight too.

How Much Water?

For example, if you are making a 150 pound stone, buy 150 pounds of concrete. For a solid mixture, add about 1 gallon of water per 80 pounds of concrete mix. Combine these two parts completely so it is a smooth mix, not soupy and not clumpy. If it is soupy add some Portland cement or more dry concrete mix.

Pouring the Concrete into the Mold

Once you have everything prepared, add the mixed concrete into the mold, using a funnel. You want to add the mix in small batches. I prefer to add the concrete in about 90 pound increments because it is standard for concrete mix to come in 80 pound bags and the water accounts for about 10 lbs.

Once I add 90 lbs in I will shake the mold and slightly bounce it to get the mix to settle. I then mix up more concrete and once I add the next batch I will probe a broom handle up and down and stir some to blend the two mixes together. Then I will shake the mold and slightly bounce it again.

I do this until the mold is filled. Once it is completely filled I will add some more mix to slightly over fill the mold. I will then let it sit for 10 minuets or so and then go back to the mold and press some slightly dry mix into the mold if water has settled to the top. This will help to force some water out.

There are times when I will press a brick into the full mold thus pushing some of the mix tighter to the side of the mold walls helping to make a smoother top surface. If I do the brick technique I will also top it off as I described above. I will then tap the mold with a rubber mallet around 50 to 100 times driving more water out. You will probably need to add some more dry mix to the top after the tapping to keep the water from settling to the top. Too much water on the top can cause weakness on that part of the stone or an excessive flat spot (or both).

I usually keep the mold together for 2-3 days if it the temperature outside is above 60 degrees or so. If it is colder out, or if the ambient temperature of your building or room is less than 50 degrees, then I will leave the stone packaged to sit for 5 days.

Once the two to five days have passed, it is time to remove the mold. The first step is to remove the tape and use the provided tap stick to separate the mold. I also have a mold release I use that is available on Slatershardware.com to make the separation process easier, called High-Performance Mold Release (12oz).

What if There Are Holes in the Stone?

Occasionally, after removing the mold, the atlas stone will have some holes. If you do have some holes in the stone you can patch them with concrete resurfacer. I make sure I wet the stone prior to adding the resurfacer and I only add it to the holes. I then take an old damp t-shirt or cloth and pull it across the filled holes. This will help to push the mix into the holes and wipe it off the solid surface of the stone. You really don’t want the patch on the solid surface of the stone as it will most likely come off on your tacky while you lift the stone. Be accurate and conservative when applying the patch. Fill the holes but don’t get it all over the place.

Training with Your New Atlas Stone

I always suggest waiting at least 5 days before training with new stones. Stones need time to dry, and 5 days is usually a pretty safe bet, especially if you will be dropping them from shoulder height or off platforms. After all, you do not want to damage the stone you just worked so hard at building.

I hope this article proves to be helpful for you in making your atlas stones. Stone lifting is an extremely beneficial activity if you are interested in developing serious real world strength that is applicable to other forms of training and other sports.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.

Stay Strong.

Steve Slater

Get Your Atlas Stone Molds: Slater Stone Molds

Need to Learn Stone Lifting Technique? Pick up the Fundamentals of Stone Lifting DVD.

Want to go even further with implementing Strongman Training in your program? Check out the Introduction to Strongman Training DVD – click the banner below.

Today I have an awesome guest post from Steve Slater. Steve and I teamed up on the Intro to Strongman Training DVD and he recently put together an article on how he approaches Stone Lifting when he works with new guys in the sport. I just did a Strongman Workshop with Steve two weekends ago and he is loaded with knowledge on Strongman. Look for more articles and videos from Steve down the line. Enjoy!

Atlas Stone Training for Beginner Strongman Competitors

Atlas Stones are a fundamental test of strength in many strongman competitions, and they have also become a staple among strength training enthusiasts who are looking for the ultimate strength workout.

Stones literally tax everything from head to toe. In fact, try not contracting any major muscle group like your legs, glutes, back, chest or biceps during a stone lift, and let’s see if the stone even comes off the ground – fat chance.

When it comes to Atlas Stone training, you’ve just got to know how to do it right! So let’s get into that right now.

LEARNING THE STONES

It’s time to get your hands on some stones and get to work.

At first, it can be easy to get frustrated with atlas stones as they fight you the whole way up. Since they are round, they make your job of lifting them very difficult, and once they start to get loose on you, they often win the battle.

Learning how to conquer the atlas stones takes time and requires understanding the proper technique. Once you master the technique you then can really start to work on using the stones to take you to a new level of fitness.

SAFETY FIRST

Stone lifting is generally done by pulling the stone from the ground and either placing it on top of a platform or barrel, or it is put over a bar of a designated height (usually 4 feet or higher). Whatever you choose to lift the stone onto or over, make sure that it is stable. Here are some examples of loading strategies we have used.

Normally, we lift the stone over an adjustable strongman yoke bar. We also at times use solid platforms to load several stones one after the other. To make the platforms, we fastened wood pallets on top of each other, and attached plywood to the front and around all sides. We sometimes use whiskey barrels or oil drums, but if you use a barrel watch out for the lip, as it can be a finger pincher.

With all platforms, please use caution making sure the back side of the platform is braced; this will keep the platform stable so it will not tip if the stone hits it. Once you’re more experienced you can work on shouldering the lighter stones. Incidentally, the world record for a shouldered stone is held by Derek Poundstone. In 2009 he shouldered a massive stone in the range of 420 lbs.

If you practice stone shouldering, make sure you use plenty of rubber mats to drop the stones on. At our club we use four of the 5/8” thick stall mats with plywood under them so we can just drop the stones off of our shoulder or the top platforms without damaging the floor or the stones.

As for lifting the stones, there are some basic cautions to be concerned with for safety.

I have seen athletes twist at the top of a stone load. If you are going heavy or you are doing reps to failure for conditioning, once you get the stone to the tip of the platform, do not pause in that top position longer than a few seconds, and do not twist in order to try to get it onto the platform, as accidents have happened at this point before.

HEIGHT OF PLATFORM

If you use a platform for stone loading, for most stone training I think it is best to use a platform that is around sternum height or somewhere below. This is a good position, especially if you are training for a particular sport that requires hip drive and/or triple extension like a football player exploding off the line of scrimmage or a swimmer leaping off the diving block.

As a variation and progression from the normal platform, we also sometimes use a hanging target. It may be a jump stretch band or a large rope hanging from a rafter or a power rack. We dangle the band or rope from the rack as a goal upon which to touch the stone. When you touch the top of the stone to the bottom of the band, you have achieved your goal. You can also have a partner pull the band/rope up slightly after each successful rep, so you try to increase the height on each rep.

LEARNING THE TECHNIQUE

I will discuss the best way that I have found to lift an Atlas Stone, although we all may lift them slightly differently.

In training, strive to keep good form so you can strengthen your body using the safest way of lifting. As for myself, when it comes to lifting the stone, I first position the stone about 6”-8” away from what I may be loading it onto. I then face the Atlas Stone and straddle my feet over it so that my calves are around 1” from it on both sides. I make sure I stand almost directly over the stone so the balls of my feet are positioned at the center point of it.

Next, I squat down to near parallel, grabbing the stone with my arms straight down and hug the center of it with my forearms and hands trying to get my fingers as far under the stone as possible without smashing them. My finger nails will likely be touching the ground at this point.

I then squeeze hard with my fingers, hands, forearms and begin to pull with my legs and entire back. This is when I think of contracting with everything I have. My legs straighten slightly as the stone begins to come up, although the legs are never completely straight. As the stone starts to pass my knees, I then re-bend my knees back into a near parallel squat and I roll the stone onto my lap. If possible, I also may try to walk my feet in slightly. Since I’m resting the stone on my lap, bringing the feet together will position the stone higher on the abdomen when I start the second part of the lift.

From here, I will reposition my hands more towards the top of the stone maybe about 1/3rd of the way up but not all the way on top or the stone will drop down. Your palms will not be facing each other any longer. They are now angled more towards the ground. I squeeze the stone again and press it against my chest so my chin is as far over the stone as possible. Then I will dip forward and down slightly to get a stretch reflex and pull back explosively with my upper body, forcefully standing up and driving my hips forward.

If I am just lifting the stone to the high chest and then returning it to the floor, I try to keep the center of the stone directly over my feet and lean back slightly to keep my balance. If I am loading the stone to a platform or over a marker, then I will propel it upward and forward, as shown in the image above. If loading on the platform, I also quickly reposition my arms just in case I don’t quite make it and I have to push it fully onto the platform.

BEGINNER WORKOUTS

You now have an idea on technique. Let’s look at how to train with the stones.

For a beginner workout, I suggest you work with a light stone and focus on reps so you get used to the proper technique as well as conditioning your muscles for something they are not used to doing.

Even if you are a very strong athlete, I suggest that you keep to a stone around 200lbs or under to start with. If you are in good condition and you are new to stone lifting, try not to exceed a stone that is anything above 70% of your bodyweight. In other words, if your bodyweight is 100lbs, use about a 70lb stone, or if you weigh around 180lbs you would use about a 130lb stone, plus or minus a few pounds.

Take this stone and load it for 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps and 2-3 times per week for the first three weeks so you work on technique and conditioning. You may be tempted to go heavier, but just remember the best is yet to come so take it slow. Just try to improve your technique with the lighter stone.

For a stone workout that is centered on hardcore conditioning, you might try the following variations. Pick out a lighter stone and break the stone lifting technique down into segments. You will do the following stone lifting segment work for 3 sets of 10 reps.

The first 10 reps will be the LAP, SQUAT, DROP drill. To begin, pick up the stone, LAP it to the SQUAT position and stand up driving hard with the hips, pushing the stone upward and forward as high as you can. Then, DROP the stone on rubber mats and repeat.

For the next 10 reps, try the LAP, SQUAT and RETURN drill. In this drill, you will LAP the stone, SQUAT it up, and then this time RETURN the stone under control to your lap. Do this for 10 reps but DO NOT drop the stone.

Rest again and for the last 10 reps, do the LAP AND DROP drill, lapping the stone and then dropping it back down between your legs. Repeat this for 10 reps.

If you still have some gas in the tank, you might also finish off with 10 reps of bent over rows with an even lighter stone.

Start light with this series of drills because this can leave you exhausted and sore for days.

REVIEW

As you can see, Atlas Stone lifting can be a very beneficial practice that can quickly have you building muscle, burning calories, and becoming more powerful. This is particularly helpful for power and combat athletes that need to drive with the lower body, and also certain professions such as Law Enforcement and Corrections Officers who have to be able to subdue perpetrators.

With all the benefits of stone training, there are some risks involved, but the benefits far outweigh the risks. As you train, start out light and use caution. Also, condition yourself to the stresses of stone lifting. As you progress, you can add equipment into the mix such as loading platforms, hanging targets, and drop areas, and before you know it you will be performing drills for speed, explosiveness, and conditioning. In time, you will be extremely rugged.

For more information on Atlas Stone training and many other types of Strongman Training events, please check out my Strongman DVD, Introduction to Strongman Training. Loaded with technique and safety tips, I can show you how to correctly train like a Strongman or Strongwoman. And whether you ever enter a competition or not, you will definitely be a stronger version of yourself in no time.

Steve Slater
Click here for the Introduction to Strongman DVD

Hello DIESELS!

I wanted to share a note that I got from a member of the Diesel Universe this week about the Intro to Strongman DVD. This comes in from Carlos Rodriguez…

“Thank You Jedd for the Strongman DVD!!! It was freaking Great!!! You and Steve put together a rock solid production that is extremely helpful & fun to watch, both of you kick ass man!!! I will definitely use that info on the warm up section, a lot of stuff I was not aware of!” – Carlos Rodriguez

Thanks Carlos for the awesome report on the Strongman DVD that Steve Slater and I recently put out. It’s great to hear from all of you guys when you pick up a product I put out. I always try to over-deliver on any ebook or DVD I produce. It’s just engrained in me, I guess.

If you haven’t seen out DVD, you can check it out here: Introductory Strongman DVD

As you can see from Carlos’ statement, Steve and I didn’t just cover Strongman Training Technique in this DVD, although that portion of the DVD is, of course, killer and loaded with golden nuggets.

We also wanted to cover the maintenance and recovery side of Strongman Training in this DVD.

In short, we wanted to show you how to do everything safely as well as prepare for awesome workouts and recover from them as well.

With that in mind, the night before we shot the DVD we sat down and mapped out all of the things we had ever heard about that had caused injury to us, our friends, training partners, competitors and others who had reported bumps, bruises, sprains, and strains. We then tried to identify possible causes of the injuries and how to prevent them.

What we found is that a lot of it came from either lack of warm-up or improper technique.

So, we then made sure that we incorporated each item into our outline and instruction.

The Contents of the Strongman DVD

This brought about our Warm-up Section, Support Gear Section and Recovery Section, which as you can see, has been pretty helpful for people who have bought the DVD, especially my boy Carlos, above.

So, if you’re thinking about implementing Strongman Training into your program, you should consider this DVD for sure.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Click the image below to get your copy of the Introduction to Strongman Training DVD…