No Atlas Stone?
No Problem.
How to build elite strongman-specific strength in a commercial gym — using movement simulation, posterior chain development, and three intelligently sequenced lifts. From former competitive strongman and pro wrestler Russ Hamilton.
The biggest obstacle for most aspiring strongman athletes isn't strength. It's access. No Atlas stones. No yokes. No loaded implements. Just a commercial gym and a goal. This training philosophy solves that problem — not by finding perfect equipment substitutes, but by training the same movement patterns and target muscles through intelligently selected exercises.
2. Learn to squeeze and control an object under load.
3. Select exercises that simulate event-specific movements without requiring actual implements.
While you may not have an Atlas stone, you can still build the specific strength required to lift one — by training the target muscles through a nearly identical pattern of movement. The philosophy is not about lamenting what you don't have. It is about identifying exactly what you need to build and finding the most direct path to building it.
The Foundational Pillar: The Primacy of the Squat
In this system, the squat is not merely an exercise. It is the non-negotiable cornerstone of every posterior chain workout. Its designation as the king of all lifts is not a debate — it is the foundation upon which all strongman strength is built. Every posterior chain day leads off with a squat variation, immediately establishing a base of absolute strength upon which all subsequent, more specialized work is built.
By performing a squat variation twice a week, always as the first movement, you prioritize the development of raw, brute strength that underpins every strongman event.
The legs, hips, and back — the engine of the posterior chain — must be progressively overloaded with consistent, heavy-load stimulus. Once this foundational strength is established, the focus shifts to accessory work designed to directly mimic the unique demands of strongman training.
Zercher Squat — Primary Simulation Tool for Atlas Stone Loading
Main Accessory: The Zercher Squat
Simulating the Load
Following the main squat variation, the focus shifts from building general strength to applying it through movements that directly simulate the biomechanics of strongman loading events. The challenge of picking up and carrying Atlas stones or sandbags is addressed with one primary accessory movement: the Zercher Squat.
- Movement Simulation: Deadlifting the bar to the lap, securing it in the crooks of the arms, and extending through the hips and legs directly mimics the pattern of lifting a stone or sandbag from the floor.
- Targeted Development: The exercise specifically targets the upper back and quadriceps — the muscle groups critical for maintaining posture and driving up with a heavy, anteriorly loaded object.
- Philosophical Alignment: The Zercher is not a perfect substitute for a stone. It is the best way to train the target areas through a highly similar movement without the actual implement.
The Wool Row — Developing Squeezing Power for Strongman Pulls
Developing Squeezing Power: The Wool Row
A crucial component of success in strongman is the ability to generate a powerful back squeeze — taking firm hold of an implement, maintaining control, and pulling it through its full range of motion. This specialized rowing variation begins with the barbell on the ground for every repetition and integrates an explosive hip extension directly into the rowing motion, making the posterior chain the primary mover in getting the object into the stand.
- Posterior Chain Integration: The explosive hip drive from the floor trains the exact pattern of using the hips to break an implement off the ground and initiate its elevation — translating directly to event performance.
- Lat Focus: Use a wider-than-normal grip to increase activation of the latissimus dorsi. The lats are heavily involved when rowing a large, wide object into the lap for a load or carry.
- Dynamic Power: Execute with explosive intent. Push the hips through powerfully to develop the dynamic strength needed to break inertia and move heavy, awkward implements efficiently.
The Finisher: Upper Back Exhaustion
Weighted Pull-ups to Failure
After building foundational strength with squats and targeting the loading and pulling patterns with Zerchers and Wool Rows, the weighted pull-up serves to isolate and completely exhaust the lats and upper back, which have been acting as primary movers and stabilizers throughout the entire session. The objective is maximum metabolic stress, leaving no growth potential untapped.
No dip belt? No problem. Secure a dumbbell between your feet. The principle of progressive overload applies regardless of the training environment.
A Cohesive Strategy for the Modern Strongman
This is not a random collection of exercises. It is a logical, progressive sequence designed for maximum effect — moving from absolute strength to movement simulation to muscular exhaustion in a single cohesive training session.
- Foundation: Begin every workout with a heavy compound movement — Squat — to build a base of absolute strength in the posterior chain.
- Simulation: Transition to primary accessory lifts — Zercher Squat, Wool Row — carefully selected to mimic the specific biomechanics of strongman loading and pulling events.
- Exhaustion: Conclude with a high-intensity finisher — Weighted Pull-ups — to maximize muscle fatigue, stimulate hypertrophy, and ensure no growth potential is left untapped.
The fundamental drivers of strength are not the implements themselves. They are the dedication to hard work and a program that understands how to build it.
By adhering to this intelligent, adaptable framework, any strongman can bypass equipment limitations and forge a formidable posterior chain. The Atlas stone doesn't make you strong enough to lift the Atlas stone. The work does.
Watch: Russ Hamilton — Strongman Training in a Commercial Gym
Russ Hamilton | elitefts | Education | Strongman & Program Design
