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Primitive Equipment Strength Training

This is an article that lists and describes some methods of strength training with "primitive" equipment or equipment outside of the gym. There are lifts, throws, carries, and other strength exercises.

Disclaimer: knock yourself out, but before you do, you should develop a strong and healthy back with conventional strength training. Always use good form to minimize injury. Never do an awkward movement if the back has been fatigued from prior training.

* Thanks to Doug Steiger for contributions.

Introduction

Primitive equipment exercises are whole-body movements. It will increase the integrity of your supportive muscles and large muscle groups. It also exercises coordination: you learn to coordinate your muscles in order to most effectively move the implement. These are not isolative movements.

These are performance-oriented exercises, not appearance-oriented lifting. Put all that muscle to use in a coordinated way to actually do an athletic feat!

Strongman-style strength competitions base many of their events on the exercises described below. This is not an attempt to list all of the WSM events, but to describe training methods.

1) STONES

Overhand throw: a very small stone (#1-6) can be used to throw overhand (like a javelin) for distance. You must use a very light stone. Too heavy a stone can put too much stress on the elbow and shoulder. This throw exercises the rotator cuffs and is good for strengthening the arm for overhand throws, such as the javelin, baseball, or football. One can also do a sidearm throw or an underhand (softball-style) throw.

Discus throw: small stone (#2-10) can be slung like a discus for distance.

Putting: held with the hand against the neck and pushed from the shoulder. This motion is like that of a shot put. There are numerous drills not given here related to shot putting. All can be done with a medium stone (#10-30). Be careful to keep the elbow in line with the direction of the throw; do not let the elbow drop below the hand, or lead like a javelin throw. This would place too much torque on the elbow. Consult a track and field book for numerous drills with a shot and medicine balls. All of those drills can also be done with a medium-sized stone. Putting can be done also with a large stone, with the other hand supporting the bottom of the stone until release. Putting can also be done for height.

There is a Bavarian event called the Steinstossen, which involves running and then putting a large brick or stone from the chest.

Overhead back throw/toss: a medium stone (#10-40) can be swung from between the legs to overhead and back for distance, or up for height. Can also be done with a cinder block. A cinder block-sized block toss for height has been a strongman event.

Chest throw/thrust: Holding a medium stone with both hands at the chest, push the stone out. Can be done with the feet in line, or with one foot leading, for more distance. Can be done for height or distance. Can be combined with a squat: first squat down holding stone at chest. Jump up and then immediately thrust the stone up and out.

Overhead forward throw: with stone held at arm's length overhead, take the stone slightly back, and throw it forward. Two versions: one with the feet in line and thrown symmetrically, the second with one foot leading, and a twist of the torso, can be thrown further.

Twists and twist throws: hold stone with both hands, and twist from above one shoulder, across the front, and toss over the other shoulder. Similar to hammer throw release.

Large stones (100+ pounds): 1) Deadlift: take the stone from the ground (holding with both hands) and lift to straight body position, holding stone in front of thighs.

2) Clean: take stone from ground to the top of the chest, rest stone on upper chest in front of face.

3) Shoulder: take stone from ground to the top of shoulder on one side, resting on deltoids and/or collar bone.

4) Shoulder rolls: with a round stone, after shouldering, roll the stone from one shoulder, across the upper traps or back of the neck, leaning head forward, to the other shoulder. This is a Basque event: shouldering stones, rolling it over to other shoulder, and then dropping to the front, for reps.

5) Jerk: from clean position, thrust stone up, split legs and drop body under stone with arms extended overhead. Recover by bringing legs back in line with stone overhead with fully extended arms.

6) Push jerk: same as jerk, but drop body under stone while keeping feet in line.

7) Push press: dip and thrust, but extend the stone by pressing with arms (triceps and shoulders) without dropping.

8) Head push press: Dip and thrust to get the stone from the clean to gently rested on the top of the head. From the head, another dip and thrust or a press out to overhead. Caution: weight of the stone should be supported primarily with the arms during the dip.

9) Strict press: from head or clean, push the stone to fully extended overhead without any dip or thrust of the body.

10) Combination lifts: Clean and jerk, clean and press, continental lift (three-part lift: deadlift, hang clean or shoulder, and overhead. A stone lift to overhead has been a strongman event.

Now there are round stones, and there are rectangular stones. Round, spherical stones, like the McGlashen or atlas stones, are better for lifting only to chest height, shouldering, and loading. Not recommended for pressing overhead because of the danger of slipping and hitting the head. Rectangular stones are preferred for pressing overhead; not recommended for loading because of the risk of smashing hands and fingers between the stone and the loading platform.

2) LOGS:

Experiment with logs, try barbell movements, such as squats and presses. For example, front press, press from behind neck, back squats. Cannot do pulling movements with plain logs; however, logs can be modified with inlaid grips to allow for pulling movements.

Log carries: carry a log up a hill or up stadium steps like that wrestler movie. Logs can be carried while racked (log across the upper traps as a back squat), cleaned (across upper chest like a front squat), or holding low on forearms or in hands across the front torso. Log can also be held hooked in elbows across the lower back, torso bent over.

End flips: with log laying on ground, cradle one end of the log in interlocked hands. Squat, extend, and throw the end of the log up for height, as if you were throwing up a stone. This is a warmup exercise for caber turning so that the athletes get a feel of the weight distribution of the caber.

Walkups: with the log on ground, lift one end of the log overhead, and walk arms under the log as you move down the log. If you have a short log (15 feet or less), you will be able to stand the log up. a longer log, the bottom end will come off the ground before the log is stood up. You might try to balance and hold the log, or continue to walk your hand, while the other end comes off the ground. Finish with log balanced horizontal overhead.

Turns: the log should be held horizontal by the small end, fingers ointerlocked, with log resting against one shoulder and side of head. Run and throw up the end of the log so that the large end rotates down and the small end flies up and falls away from you (called "turning the caber", a Scottish heavy athletic event). For more on Scottish events, refer to this: descriptions.

3) Weights/puds/kettlebells:

Weights are iron balls or masses with a handle attached. The handles may be attached by a chain, and can vary from 12 to 20 inches in length. Kettlebells are weights with the handle welded directly onto the weight. Kettlebells can be lifted or swung, but should not be thrown as they can break.

Puds are simple swinging throws with weights. The weight is held with one hand. The first pud is to swing the weight between the legs, and forward and up overhead for height. The other hand can be rested on the thigh for support. This can also be done for distance (to the front or back overhead).

A variation: instead of swinging between legs, swing to the side of the body, or across the body.

The "farmer's walk" is done with two very heavy kettlebells or other objects with handles. Hold two weights of equal size, one in each hand, and walk for distance, or over a set distance for time. Tests grip strength and overall body strength. Can also be done holding heavy dumbbells (100+ lbs)

4) BRICKS AND BLOCKS Bricks and blocks (cube or rectangular-shaped masses) can be substituted for stones in most exercises.

Steinstossen: a traditional Bavarian festival event, in which a 15-kg (33-pound) brick-sized block of iron is put from the shoulder for distance, like a shot. Throwers get to use an unlimited approach. They often use a long jump runway, and throw into a sand pit (long jump landing area).

OTHER OBJECTS

Plates: Plate swings and twists: experiment holding full-sized plates: hold the edge in both hands, and twist from side to side.

Russian twists: the ultimate twisting exercise: on a Roman chair, hold a plate perpendicular to body, and twist from side to side, touching plate on either side.

Tires: Tire throw: hold tire on inside rim. If rim has a sharp edge, use rough sandpaper to ease the edge and use gloves to protect fingers. Throw like a discus or hammer.

Bags: Sandbags can be used for lifting, carrying, and loading. Not recommended for pressing overhead.

Use sand-filled inner tubes for a less messier bag. Small bags can be held and thrown overhead or slung like a discus. One can practice lifts or wrestling throws with large, long sand-filled inner tubes.

Sandbags with handles: tie two corners of a loose sandbag together and wrap with tape to make a handle. This sandbag can be substitutes for a weight/pud/kettlebell. Can be thrown indoors, won't damage floor (but might make a bit of a mess).

Kegs or barrels: can be lifted overhead or loaded.

Fisting and grabbing with your hand and fingers in a bucket of wet sand, hard corn kernels, or other coarse grains, is a strength builder for the fingers and forearms.

Running through deep snow is a good strength and endurance-building workout made famous by Karelin, that Russian wrestler.