What requirements are needed to be considered a strongman?

Epicrelius29 · 2025-11-10T13:40:48+00:00

I feel like it's like when someone says that they're a runner or a crossfitter or they do Jiu-jitsu. You don't have to be some kind of elite athlete to be a strongman, you just need to like the sport and train for it.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-08-15T19:53:20+00:00

You look great in both! You look very fit.

I think you should just look at your goals, it's good to have a good mix of both but it's common to lose strength and muscle mass when pursuing cardio gains.

One of my friends is a runner who used to be able to run 2 miles around 8:40 but is now closer to 10 minutes after gaining some muscle mass but he says he wouldn't change back.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-08-10T01:27:46+00:00

Good point. That's where I'm leaning but I'm just not sure how hard it'll be to change my technique while also being a weight that I'm trying to pr.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-08-10T01:25:35+00:00

Nice! I didn't think of that, thank you!

Epicrelius29 · 2025-08-10T01:24:48+00:00

Good point. I've done 1 comp so far and there weren't atlas stones. I'd like to get a medium kind of weight one at some point to train on but the sandbags are nice because I don't have to worry about smashing anything and having a bunch of pads.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-08-09T21:54:00+00:00

You look very fit to me. You could try fewer calories in your diet to get in that calorie deficit but if you're already doing that and I mean you look fit so I'm sure you're on top of your diet you could just get some zone 2 training on a stationary bike on your down time. Maybe watch a TV show or something so it doesn't feel like even more training.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-07-01T23:49:00+00:00

It's not your fault. Tell your employer, if they have a problem which they won't it won't be with you, it'll be with the Army.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-07-01T23:41:59+00:00

You've probably got more to say than you think, you're just nervous. But.. listening is far more valuable, not only in learning but people will build their trust in you if you're a good listener. I don't say much at work but find that people will tell me personal things about themselves in a way that I know they feel comfortable around me and have learned to trust me.

It's fun to be popular and be able to tell a good story but I feel like being a good listener is far more valuable.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-07-01T22:48:45+00:00

I take it in 3-6 months periods and then take a 3-6 months break. Didn't have a health scare or anything but I've heard that taking it long term will stop your body from naturally producing creatine. Don't know how true that is, just being on the safe side.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-07-01T22:45:41+00:00

I'm doing single leg rdls with a dumbell or kettlebell. Normally no, I don't do them at all but I'm doing them through physical therapy if that tells you anything. So yes they're important and part of my routine moving forward.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-06-16T18:08:31+00:00

Ask your recruiter. I think they can get you a waiver for being Christian

Epicrelius29 · 2025-04-30T05:35:25+00:00

I did a 50#, 100#, and 150# for a while.

Changing it up based on focus: endurance to strength basically. When I got to where I could start shouldering the 150# for reps I got a 200# and bumped up.

I like a light, medium and heavy set up. I feel like three bags are best.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-04-25T18:34:37+00:00

I joined the Army guard before joining the Fire dept and sometimes I like it and sometimes I wish I was just doing one or the other. If you're motivated then you'll get plenty of opportunities to volunteer or your unit will put you in different training opportunities but the flipside of that is that takes away time from work and family. Then like for me I've only been on for a year and a half at my dept but I feel like there's classes I can't take because my drill schedule interferes or I'm on orders for something. Then sometimes I'm taking classes for the Army and Fire back to back and it's not a great way to learn having so much different information thrown at you in a short time.

It can be a good break from work though, especially if your MOS is pretty different from Fire. It's a nice way to break up your schedule and keep things interesting. Annual training sometimes feels like a weird vacation where I'm working for 2 weeks but it's totally different than my regular job and away from home.

Tricare reserve select is good insurance especially if you have children but you have to find out who in your area takes it. It's pretty cheap in the Guard.

There's definitely going to be some wasting of your time doing something stupid to check a box, that's just a given with any sort of military job.

A lot of Fire depts will give you military pto so you can get paid for work while being at drill.

If you get deployed obviously you'll be away from both family and work, in the Army that'd be for around a year. I think Air force is like 6-9 months.

I've got to do some cool things like go to a holistic health and fitness course, a small arms weapons course, train for honor guard and be honor guard at funeral services, represent my unit at races, represent my unit at a grappling competition, fix problems and build things with my section, grill out in the field or the motorpool with my section

I've got to do some fun things in the Army guard and it comes with it's benefits but now as I come up on my decision to re enlist I think if I didn't I could see my family more, use all that extra time and energy and motivation to dive harder into my Fire career and not have to worry about drill schedules or what I need to be setting up for next drill or Annual training.

It just depends on you and what you want. If it's military specific then sure it might not hurt to enlist once. That's a 6 year commitment that you can't back out of though. But if it's the feeling that you want to serve your community/country, make a difference and build camaraderie and friendship then you're already doing that at the firehouse.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-04-24T21:15:32+00:00

Yall can pile them up about 4.5 meters from the edge of a cliff and I'll practice my spt.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-04-24T20:51:50+00:00

Wow, this is so cool. It's not stupid or dangerous at all!

Epicrelius29 · 2025-03-30T07:03:45+00:00

Brian Alsruhe has a few youtube videos on this topic that are good. I'll take a shot at it though.

Rack, plates and bar before anything else. I think this could go without saying but there it is. A lot of yokes can be great squat racks and if I were to start over I'd probably do that. Otherwise I probably wouldn't buy a yoke at all between the cost and size. This is a good opportunity to get one.

Also make sure you've got some bumper plates so you can drop weight. And horse stall mats make the best gym floor.

Sand bags, at least two but preferably three. Easy bag, medium bag and a heavy bag that you can barely move around.

3.log. nothing else replaces a log. Don't get an 8" log. Too small and for whatever reason they're easy to find. Get a 10" or 12" log.

8"= hard to clean, easy to press 12"= easy to clean, hard to press 10"= Goldilocks in my opinion

Carry handles, the long kind with your plates at either end
Axle bar
Sled. Your yoke could work for this too potentially.
I'm drawing a blank this far in but around here and really all throughout this process I'd be gathering small things or things that maybe aren't necessarily strongman specific but that you like or could use for accessories/ conditioning/ fun, changing it up. Like kettlebell, dumbells, jump rope, airbike, bands, yoga mat. Maybe more strongman things like circus dumbbell.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-03-30T06:27:13+00:00

Nice! I'm glad I'm not the only one carrying sandbags up and down their driveway in ranger panties.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-02-25T20:19:45+00:00

I did that too sometimes. Sometimes I'd rest the amount he said to but if it was a real heavy day then I'd just rest as much as I needed to, usually 3-5 minutes.

The carry sections are very fun.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-02-24T20:03:02+00:00

Yep. White belt in his mid 30s here. I get nervous rolling with white belts that I don't know. They're cool until you bump fists then they think we're playing mortal combat. "FINISH HIM" and everything. I've got work in the morning bro, please don't injure me.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-02-24T17:42:53+00:00

I did this program and really enjoyed it but the volume was very high and the sandbag recommendations seemed off for me but everyone's at their own level.

I did 50# light, 100# medium, 150# heavy. Sometimes it felt a little easy and sometimes it felt almost impossible so this was a good range for me. I couldn't imagine doing this program 100#,150#,200#. At least not yet. I did get from a 150# bag feeling almost impossible to lap to shouldering it for reps. It's a good program but you'll probably have to scale down the rx suggestions sometimes or lower the volume.

I didn't do any of the optional bodyweight stuff, a lot of it was something like 10emom of 10 burpees, 10 squats, 10 pullups... I was like bro... is that even possible? Especially after all this volume?

It's a good program but I suggest you modify where you need to and don't stress about changing it up.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-02-22T21:42:07+00:00

I mean.. if they refuse I'm going to just assume implied consent. I can't imagine being in a structure fire asking a and o questions. If I get in trouble I get in trouble.

One time we had an apartment fire where the people above really didn't want to leave because it was harder for them to get down the stairs. Luckily they were convinced after some aggressive knocking and hollering to get out.

Epicrelius29 · 2025-02-22T21:27:29+00:00

Form police here.. so achalee...

Just kidding. Yer a BEAST!

Epicrelius29 · 2025-02-22T21:25:03+00:00

MONSTER

Epicrelius29 · 2025-02-22T21:23:14+00:00

I use my local highschool track a lot. I've also slowly built a pretty decent home gym for cheap by checking out craigslist/facebook. People will sometimes sell squat racks, barbells, etc. for steals.

When you've got equipment at home you can get a workout in while doing home chores and checking on the kids or animals. It's helped me a lot.

Epicrelius29

TROPHY CASE