Training for a Strongman Competition

Here are three things I know to be true when training for a Strongman competition:

1- Heavy squats (250 pounds) and deadlifts (380 pounds) are cardio.
2- Things I thought were impossible just 3 months ago are now routine.
3- When training, the scale can’t matter. The goal is strength and as the body adapts, the scale will fluctuate. 

At the beginning of training to be stronger, I had this idea of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to look. “I’ll lose the extra pounds from quarantine” and “I’ll dabble in more strength training” that I long ago abandoned for smarter workouts and happier joints. 

In the Fall of 2020, a friend suggested we train with another friend for a Strongman competition. My literal laugh out loud was no deterrent. Once the holidays passed and vaccines rolled out, I found myself in a Brooklyn gym surrounded by Atlas Stones, kegs and axle bars. 

With my competition quickly approaching (July 24), I am amazed at what I have been able to accomplish with a smart coach and a plan. And you can too! I’m not saying to go lift kegs and pull trucks, but if that is your jam, I certainly won’t stop you.

I want you to know you can deadlift 300 pounds again. You can run that 10k again. You can write the book, start the podcast, create the LLC. You can do anything. Just not all at the same time. Patience and a plan are the magic ingredients. The BEST part about the past few months has been the expansion of my community. Acquaintances are now teammates and binging Strongman events on YouTube is now for form checks AND amazement at what the human body can do. What are you doing or want to do that makes you feel like a beginner again? Pottery, knitting, coding, running, swimming, writing...whatever it is, if you were waiting for a sign to start, this is it.

—Melissa Ruiz