Strongman for Athletes
Implement Training for Improved Athletic
Performance: An
Integrated Approach
by Allen Hedrick

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You need to know right away that our athletes at the US Air
Force Academy don't train as if they're preparing for a strongman
competition. The concept of training specificity makes it clear
there are few similarities between competing in a strongman
competition and competing as a football, basketball, or hockey
athlete.
We emphasize the use of barbells and dumbbells, performing a
variety of multiple-joint closed kinetic chain exercises in the
training programs of our athletes, with a major priority placed on
performance of the weightlifting movements (e.g., cleans, jerks,
snatches, and associated training exercises).
However, just as strength and conditioning coaches borrow from
the sports of powerlifting and weightlifting when designing
programs for their athletes, we can also borrow from activities
associated with strongman training. The thing to remember is to
take those aspects of strongman training, powerlifting, or
weightlifting that can be successfully applied to the sport that
youÕre preparing for and disregard the rest.
This is the approach we've taken at the Air Force Academy with
the training programs of our athletes. Just as our athletes perform
cleans and snatches (like a weightlifter) and squats and bench
presses (like a powerlifter) they also flip tires and lift various
water and sand filled implements (like a strongman competitor) as a
way to improve athletic performance. This mixture of training
provides the best pathway to improving athletic
performance.
Want an inside peek at how we do it? Read on.


Implements We Use and Why
Below is a list of the implements we integrate into the training
programs of our athletes and an explanation of why we chose to use
these specific implements.

Truck/Tractor Tires
We emphasize performance of the weightlifting movements with our
athletes, primarily as a way to enhance lower body power
capabilities. The explosive triple extension of the ankle, knee,
and hip required to perform these exercises transfers well to a
variety of movements seen in athletics. This same explosive triple
extension occurs when flipping a tire, with some added benefits.
First, the movement involves a combination of vertical and
horizontal forces because the tire is moving both upward and
forward, rather than the strictly vertical movement involved in
cleans, jerks, and snatches. Think of an offensive lineman
exploding out of his stance to block an opponent or a hockey
athlete delivering a check. You can now understand the advantage of
the horizontal movement required when flipping a tire as compared
to the strictly vertical movement when performing the weightlifting
movements.
Secondly, you donÕt have to catch the tire after you flip
it, unlike the clean, jerk, and snatch that all involve a catching
phase. While there are benefits to performing this catching phase,
being able to focus completely on the explosion phase of the
exercise without having a catch phase is also advantageous.
As a result, on the days our athletes perform dumbbell cleans
they're allowed to substitute one or more of their dumbbell sets
with a tire flip. Those athletes who are injured and can't catch
the bar or dumbbells because of an injury to the back, shoulder,
elbow, or wrist are also encouraged to flip the tire if they can do
it pain free.
We have five tires in our facility at the Academy. The tires
were at a truck tire repair shop ready to be taken to the dump and
were free for the asking. They range in weight from 275 to 400
pounds. They've been modified so that the athletes can load
additional weight in the center of the tire. This allows them to
adjust the weight based on their individual strength levels rather
than having to choose from just five different
weights.