Strongman is one of the fastest-growing trends in recent history, going from circus-style party trick to a recognised competitive sport in less than 30 years.

Sure, there are some iconic names almost everyone has heard of - whether you’re a strongman supporter or not - but until recent years, the events and training techniques didn’t receive the recognition or attention they rightly deserved.

Today, British names like the Stoltman brothers, Terry Hollands, and Eddie Hall are viewed as some of the best in the business. Veterans like Brian Shaw have more subscribers on Youtube than Hollywood celebrities. And you’d be hard-pressed to find somebody who hasn’t heard of Game of Thrones’ The Mountain (Hafþór Björnsson).

So what changed? Why did strongman become so popular? And, how can you train like a strongman?

Strongman is Functional

While you might not realise it, you see strongman moves every single day. Granted, you probably won’t witness an incredibly fit individual strolling down the street with a 100kg Atlas Stone gripped to their chest, but you will see or make the same moves that this exercise consists of.

To put it simply, strongman breaks down like this: talented people, doing everyday movements, but with a little (or a lot) more weight than the rest of us. Picking an item up, carrying it for a distance, and putting it back down That’s strongman. Pushing something above your head, as if to pop it on the top shelf of the supermarket? Yep. Walking with a backpack in tow? That too, just usually with trucks instead of your laptop.

The Popularity Boost

It’s hard to say where strongman saw its first moment in the spotlight. Fitness icons like Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger almost certainly boosted the popularity of gym work.

Then there’s the age-old Highland Games, a set of challenges that revolve around feats of strength that remain popular to this day. But again, they aren’t likely to have been the one event that saw strongman viewership soar worldwide.

Maybe it was television? In the twenty years leading up to 1980, TV ownership rose by 80%, and with it, came more choice in channels, more airtime, and more variety. Strongmen appeared on all types of shows, and the World’s Strongest Man competition was created and aired in ‘77.

What is for sure is that, now, strongman exercises are found in nearly every gym. The tire flip started in strongman and is now a circuit staple. Even NFL players train using strongman techniques.

Find your Inner Strongman and Strongwoman

Don’t let the name fool you, strongman is categorically not for men alone. You’ll find hundreds of strongwomen throughout the ‘strongman’ scene, doing exactly the same exercises as their male counterparts.

Whether you’re looking for a new challenge, you want to compete, or you simply want to know what all the fuss is about, we’re going to guide you to some of the most popular exercises found in strongman.

The Sandbag Carry

Unless you have a specialist gym nearby, the Sandbag carry is the closest you’re probably going to get to an Atlas Stone. It’s also probably the best test for grip strength, arm and back strength, and great for your core too.

Place the bag on the floor, pick it up from a deadlift-style position, stand up straight, and clutch it to your chest, wrapping your arms around the bag. Once you’ve got it raised, try walking ten paces, and then place it back to the floor. If you’re going to drop it, no problem, make sure it doesn’t fall too close to your body.

The key here is speed, so keep up that momentum!

The Overhead Press

There’s no better test of overall body power than the overhead press. While it’s usually performed with logs in the strongman world, a Barbell, Axle Bar, or even Dumbbell Bars work fine as alternatives.

To perform a proper strongman press, make sure you begin the exercise with the weight on the floor in front of you. Then, gripping the bar or dumbbells in a pronated grip (palms facing towards you) stand up straight, lifting the bar up, and tucking your elbows under. The bar should sit on your chest, with your palms now supinated (facing away from you). Now, press upwards, raising the bar above your head, focussing on keeping your body as straight as possible.

Lower to the ground, and repeat.

The Tyre Flip

The bad news is, most of your regular gyms won’t have a giant tractor tyre laying around their weights room. The good news, however, is that if you’ve got a tyre store nearby, you might be able to pick one up for free if you ask nicely, and have the transport to take it away.

One of the most common strongman exercises, the tyre flip will put your hips, knees, and ankles through their paces, strengthening some of your most important muscles and joints when it comes to exercising.

It’s a simple yet effective movement to master. Hook your fingers under a tyre that’s laying on its side, bend your knees, press up through your heels, and follow through with your hips, pushing forwards and flipping the tyre over.

The Farmer’s Walk

Like most strongman exercises, the idea behind this one is simple, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. In your standard weight room, you’re going to want a heavier pair of dumbbells, or if you’ve got the space, two barbells with equal weight on each end.

Gripping the dumbbells, or barbells, on each side of your body, stand up straight and then walk for as long as possible. Try walking for 30 - 45 seconds, with two or three sets each time you perform the exercise. When you’re ready to move on, keep the weight moving for a few seconds more, or try increasing the weight while achieving the same time as before

The Deadlift

While it’s not strictly a strongman exercise, the deadlift is all about pulling heavy weights off the ground — and picking this up is definitely strongman. You’ll find all the equipment you need for a good deadlift in most gyms and home setups.

If you’re interested in strongman, there’s a good chance you already know how to perform a well-formed deadlift. But, if you’re a little unsure, or you want to brush up on your knowledge, check out our deadlift guide with former Britain’s Strongest Man Terry Hollands.

Whether you’re an experienced lifter or new to working out, you should always seek the advice of a fitness professional before trying new exercises that involve heavy weights. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, stop immediately and speak to a trainer.

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Tags: Equipment > Bars & Weight Plates ; Equipment > Sandbags ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Workout