Squatting for Strongman

Squatting for Strongman
by David Jennings

Squatting has been called the King of Exercises before and while for Strongman we often think of Deadlift as the most useful movement Squatting still has a vital role. Any serious strength athletes should know of the many merits of the Squat already without me having to state them. The point of this article is not to convince you that Squatting is important or to explain and give advice on how to perform and improve the various types of Squat but more to analyze what I think the purpose and methodology behind training the squat should be for an athlete looking to succeed in Strongman. This article is also specifically directed towards a Strongman competitor. This information may not apply to athletes seeking to compete in other strength sports as well. 

Most strength programs have at least one squat day in them a week. But what type of squat variations are most useful for Strongman training? Let me talk a bit about how I used to squat. Like many newer lifters I determined the success of my squat training based on how many reps I could get with how much weight. So naturally I would take up a wide, low bar powerlifting stance and just go down far enough to barely break parallel and have the squat actually count as a squat. This type of training got me to a point in summer 2013 where I finally hit a raw squat of 515 lbs. Although this was great for my ego I was beginning to realize this type of attitude and method was not good for my long term training goals. As a very tall lifter with long legs I was using this kind of squat as a crutch for my relatively weak quads by using my strong lower back and hips. Some friends of mine commenting on that lift had a very good observation when they described it as turning into a “crappy Good Morning” since I would lean forward to allow my legs to drive my hips up and have to finish the squat by bringing my back up as in a Good Morning. Are Good Mornings a great accessory lift after deadlifting? Yes they definitely are.  Is it good to lean forward and turn your squat into a Good Morning when it becomes too heavy for your legs? No absolutely not. I knew I needed to switch things up. Powerlifting style squats can also be used to compensate for lack of mobility. So if exclusively using this style of squat isn’t effective Strongman training than what is?

Although I had a good idea of what I should be doing it was confirmed to me at a seminar I attended where Magnus Ver Magnusson in no uncertain terms advised that for your primary back squat an Olympic lifting style squat had better carry over to Strongman than a powerlifting style squat. Now since Magnus is essentially a god among men whose word is law when it comes to Strongman I could leave it there but I feel I should explain things a little. Olympic lifting style squats put more focus on the quadriceps and less on the hips and lower back than powerlifting style. They also help to increase mobility and are a more natural squat position that has better carry over to most strongman events and can develop amazing explosive power within the legs. The squat is very rarely used as an event in strongman and so for the most part the numerous Squat variations are the go to group of exercises that build the legs and lower body. So what strongman events can squatting help you be better at? I think the list of events it wouldn’t help with would be shorter.

Probably the best piece of advice I have ever gotten for Strongman training is "Don't be too mechanical" by this I mean doing a very narrow variety of lifts a very specific way all the time. Unlike Powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting where the goal is to do a very specific lift for 1 rep Strongman has you doing a ton of different movements in different volumes. Every competition you go to will probably have different events with different kinds of implements that will force your body to be strong in multiple ways. This is the whole principal of odd object lifting that is one of my favourite aspects of Strongman. For an event like natural stones you can just go get a bunch of random boulders and tell the competitors to move them. This kind of performance along with the countless other possible events requires highly balanced overall lower body strength. This means add variety to your squatting. My favourite way to switch up standard squatting is pausing at the bottom. This makes the lift harder by taking away some stretch reflex and allows you to explode up out of the hole. Will this make you able to use less weight? Totally but sometimes you have to put the ego away and make training harder in ways other than just making it heavier. Another point that may seem contradictory to what I said before is that powerlifting style squats can totally be incorporated within a balanced squat program as long as they are only a portion of the squatting you do. 

The other best type of squat is something I almost feel sick saying since I hate them so much. Front squats. Yes for me at least they are possibly the least comfortable exercise in my training but if you wanted to be comfortable this isn't the sport for you. Front squats remove the possibility of using your lower back to do the lift and force you too keep an upright torso to avoid dropping the weight in front of you. They carry over well to almost any event having the weight held in front of you, can help build the type of quads that force you to buy new pants and they are easier on your lower back than back squatting. They are also a great exercise to add pauses to especially if you are masochistic. There are many other forms of squats that can be added into a program like Zercher squats or Safety bar squats and as long as you know how to safely perform these exercises feel totally free to add them in a part of your program. Just don't get too reliant on any specific style.

As far as gear goes for squatting my general idea is try to use more supportive equipment than assistive. By supportive I mean something like a belt or light knee sleeves that help support you through the lift but don't use elastic recoil to make the lift easier like knee wraps or a squat suit. I think knee wraps can still be used occasionally providing they aren't used as a crutch for muscular weakness but I personally prefer almost never using them. I will usually use my belt for lower rep sets but will do large amounts of my training without one. This comes down to individual factors and preferences though.

So what kinds of accessory work are good to do after squatting? Well getting back to the whole "don't be too mechanical" thing variety is key. Just remember that accessory work is meant to be an accessory and not something you try to 1 rep max with. I think a general good rule for accessory work is to focus on volume and good form. Here are some accessory exercises I like.

Leg Press- Yes a machine (gasp). Now some people make it their goal with leg press to load up every plate in the gym plus get their buddies to stand on the thing and barely pump out 1 tiny rep. This is actually fairly dangerous. When this huge amount of weight folds you up and drives your knees past the headrest it also lifts your hips off the back rest and can put huge stresses on your lower back. People have literally been carried out of gyms on stretchers doing this kind of thing. Instead try to get more volume and really focus on exploding the weight upwards and slowly lowering it. Leg press is also a great way to continue training your legs if the infamous lower back pump kicks in while squatting. 

Leg extensions- Pick your chins up off the floor now any free weight purists. How many guys at WSM do you see who have tiny legs? The answer is none. High rep leg extensions can be a great way to end a squat training session to really pump up the quads and encourage growth. I think the infamy leg extensions get is when ordinary people do them as a primary exercise and don't squat. But you are all smart enough not to do that.

Step ups- I think step ups are a highly under rated exercise as they are great for building agility. One variation I like is putting a barbell with some light weight on your back, walking up 2 steps, walking down backwards and then repeating leading with the opposite foot. Once again this is something to focus on volume, speed and good form (seeing a pattern with accessory work here). You want the set to end when you are getting tired not when one of your legs collapses under you from using too much weight.

Lunges- walking, stationary, barbell or dumbbell just do them and follow the rules of accessory work.

Sled drag- These destroy your quads. After doing a heavy drag for a good distance prepare to possibly fall down if you aren't used to them.

Prowler- After a lower back injury I had last year I used heavy prowler pushing as a rehab tool to keep my legs strong since it doesn't put a lateral stress on your lower back the way squats do. It is also my favourite conditioning tool when used with light or moderate weight for speed.

So take home points. Olympic style squats should be your primary back squat style. Front squat. Do paused front and back squats. Variety is key. Use you accessory training to do volume and maintain good form.

David