Have you noticed those Strongman competitions where the competitors strain under the weight of performing a loaded carry with the yoke? Chances are you admire their strength, possibly wondered what it would be like to try a yoke and then forgot about it as you believe that the strongman yoke is a highly specialised piece of equipment and something that would take up too much space in your garage gym.

Best you think again! The reality is that the Strongman Yoke is a highly versatile piece of equipment. As 2 x Britain's Strongest Man - Adam Bishop - demonstrates to us, the yoke can be used for a variety of push and pull movements in addition to being used for loaded carries. The list of exercises that can be performed with the yoke is extensive. Below are our top 20 Strongman yoke exercises.

1 - Yoke Walk

This is the most well-known yoke exercise. Almost every muscle in the body needs to be active to perform the Yoke Walk as the weight is transferred from your upper back all the way down to your feet.  This includes the calves, glutes, hamstring, quads, core, lower back and upper back. Your muscles are also required to stabilise as you move forward and the weight starts shifting.

Start by positioning yourself under the bar and get into a strong position with your core braced and your legs slightly bent in a squat. Now straighten up so that the bar makes contact with your upper traps. Drive through your heels and glutes to lift the weight off the ground. Looking straight forward, start with small quick steps and see how far you get.

2 - Sandbag Over Bar

This exercise develops everything from grip strength to arms, core, back and leg strength. The initial movement is similar to a deadlift by lifting the weight off the ground and then requires you to use your core and grip strength as you hold the weight to your chest and explode it over the bar. Start with the sandbag between your feet and reach down with straight arms and get your fingers under the sandbag. Pull the bag up with straight arms and catch the bag on your chest and then push it over the bar.

3 - Yoke Overhead Press

By using the yoke to perform the overhead press you are getting the benefit of training the deltoid muscles as well as improving core strength and stability. The entire body including the core and glutes are active, providing a strong base to perform the overhead press. The yoke also is unstable due to the distribution of the weight and will require your stabilising muscles to be activated while you perform the press.

To perform the press start without any weight added to the yoke. You can add weight plates once you are comfortable with the weight of the yoke. Approach the bar by positioning your hands just wider than your shoulder and your hips slightly lowered. Drive through the heels to straighten the legs and at the same time push the bar above your head.

4 - Squat

By simply adding J Cups to the Strongman Yoke, you are able to use the yoke as a squat rack. Place the J-cups at the correct height for your squat, place a barbell with plates on the J-cups and start squatting as if you had a normal squat rack.

5 - Zercher Carry

Develop a rock solid trunk with the Zercher carry. By balancing the bar on your arms your trunk has to remain stable while you are carrying the load. As an added benefit you will also get a workout in the arms and shoulders. Set the bar height so that it is just above belly height. With bent arms lower yourself so that bar sits comfortably between your bicep and forearm. Straighten up and lift the weight by driving through your heels. Keep your core tight and stand up straight and take small steps while you perform the carry.

6 - Pull Ups

By adjusting the crossbar to a higher level, you are able to develop the lats, the rhomboids, posterior deltoids and biceps. The larger diameter bar also develops grip strength. Alternatively you can install a pull up bar at the top of the yoke with a smaller diameter to make it easier to grip.

7 - Axle Deadlift

The thicker diameter of the crossbar makes gripping the bar harder during this lift. The weight you can lift will be less than the standard deadlift but your forearms will get a great workout, improving your grip strength. Due to the distribution of the weights, your stabilising muscles will also be active during the lift.

8 - Battle Rope Anchoring

If you have ever used a Battle Rope you will know it has the ability to move some of the sturdiest anchors during the exercise. By attaching a battle rope anchor to a yoke you are able to provide a stable base to perform all your battle rope exercises. Battle rope training can supplement your strength training by working the abdominals, shoulders, arms, upper back and lower back while also giving you an intense cardiovascular workout.

9 - Sled Push

Sled pushes are excellent for developing the driving forces of the lower body. Think quads, glutes and calves. All you need to do is lower the crossbar to just above hip height and set up on a sled track. Place your hands on the bar just wider than shoulder width. Lean forward and keep your spine in a straight line with your core braced. From a split stance start, drive the balls of your feet into the ground to push the yoke forwards and keep driving without losing the straight spine position.

10 - Sled Pulls

By attaching a battle rope to the yoke you can perform sled pulls. Get into a quarter squat position and pull the rope towards your abdomen. This will predominantly train your upper back, lower back and arm muscles as well as your glutes, quads and hamstrings.

11 - Bench Press

Don’t have a bench press rack but want to strengthen your pecs, shoulders and triceps? No problem. In a similar manner to using the yoke as a squat rack you can lower the J-cups to the correct height and place a weight bench below. You can even add some Safety Spotters so you can take the worry out of pushing heavier weights.

12 - Incline Press Up

If you are looking to improve your upper body strength using body weighted exercise, you can perform incline press ups by lowering the crossbar. As the strength in your chest, shoulders and triceps increase you can lower the bar further to increase the intensity of the exercise.

13 - Split Squat

Develop single leg strength of the quads and glutes by performing split squats with the yoke. Ensure that you lower the crossbar enough so that you have enough ground clearance space for lowering yourself into the split squat. Position the crossbar across the top of your traps and get into a split stance. Moving slowly, drop your back knee towards the ground while keeping your torso braced and upright. Drive through the heel of the front foot to return to the starting point.

14 - Bulgarian Split Squat

Bulgarian split squats are excellent to develop single leg strength, particularly in the glutes. Lower the crossbar and place the instep of one foot on the bar while your opposite leg is positioned further forward. When you lower your back knee, make sure your front knee does not go past the toes.

15 - Landmine Press

The landmine press will strengthen your anterior deltoid muscle. By being in the half kneeling position your core and glute medius also needs to be active to prevent you falling over. The Mirafit M3 Rack Landmine attachment will allow you to do all the landmine exercises that you would expect to do with a power rack.

16 - Tricep Extension

Bodyweight tricep extensions can be performed by placing both hands on the crossbar and walking your feet backwards, keeping the body in a straight line. You can then bend and straighten the arms. If it is too easy for you, lower the bar even further.

17 - Overhead Carry

Strengthen your back, shoulders, scapular stabilising muscles and core with the overhead carry. You will also get a cardiovascular workout by carrying the yoke. Get close to the yoke crossbar and bend down into a quarter squat with your arms just wider than your shoulders. Drive up through your heels and press your arms over your head at the same time. Hold this position while you walk with short steps.

18 - Tricep Dips

Lower the crossbar, place your hands on the bar with your legs out straight. Then lower your glutes towards the floor before pushing yourself back up again. If this is too easy you can always add a Bumper Plate onto your lap for greater resistance.

19 - Axle Shrugs

The upper trapezius is not always the easiest muscle to train. Axle shrugs will help you target this part of the trapezius. Start by holding the crossbar close to your thighs. Keep your arms straight and pull the bar up your thighs by shrugging the shoulders. Slowly reverse the movement to complete the rep.

20 - Inverse Rows

Get stronger lats, traps and rear deltoids by doing inverse rows. Start with your arms just wider than your shoulders and walk your legs under the bar and pull your chest towards the bar. Using different grips, you are able to put more focus on the different muscles of the back. You can also raise the bar or lower the crossbar to change the intensity of the workout.

With a list like that you can see that the yoke is far from being a one trick pony. Apart from just being used for loaded carries it can be used for a variety of exercises including as a rack, a pull up bar and as an anchor for the battle rope. If training like a Strongman is what you are after, then the yoke should form and integral part of your home gym equipment.

Now you know all about the yoke, learn the differences between a power rack vs half rack

Written by guest author Brendan McBirnie.

For more content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and on our official Mirafit Facebook page.

Tags: Equipment > Strongman Yoke ; Exercise Type > Strength