Strongman is the strength sport that's given me back the most out of my career. It's something I knew I always wanted to try from watching World's Strongest Man on television as a kid. After reading comic books and watching cartoons like Thunder Cats and He-man, I wanted to be big. I also wanted to be able to do some superhuman feats, which was strongman to me. However, when I wanted to get into competing, I had never heard of anything happening locally. 

At that time, I had recently started my gym, and buying strongman equipment just wasn't a thing. I decided to do my first powerlifting meet after reading an article right here on elitefts on how to get started. After doing my first meet, I absolutely loved it, and couldn't wait to compete again. The great thing about any strength sport (strongman or powerlifting) is that you meet some really awesome people that are willing to help and share their stories. I was quickly informed about a guy right here in Connecticut that was holding a local strongman show that also made atlas stones for sale! His name was Joe Mugovero, and I contacted him right away interested in picking up some atlas stones and signing up for his competition. Granted, I had never touched anything strongman before and didn't care. I knew I was going to have a great time, and learn about a sport I have been dying to try since I was a kid. 

Strongman Gear 101: Everything You Need for Your Strongman Competition

I drove to Joe's place a little less than an hour away to pick up a 225-pound stone. To this day it's the most excited I have ever been to get a new piece of equipment. Fourteen years later and that stone still sits in my gym. Pulling up to Joe's house, he had two giant atlas stones in his front yard like statues—I knew I was at the right place. Joe had a full gym right in his basement with everything you could want for strongman and some really cool old-school equipment like a Thomas Inch dumbbell. Joe immediately picked it up with ease with one hand, then said "You're pretty strong, you try." I could barely move it off the ground as the handle was so thick. I couldn't keep my grip. Keep in mind Joe was in his 60s at the time and got a kick out of out lifting the young guys in strongman. When it came time to put the stone in my car, I could barely budge the 225-pound stone off the ground. I also had no idea how to lift a stone. I quickly learned there is a lot of technique in picking up an atlas stone.

As soon as I got back to my gym, I immediately had to start training with it. I must have spent an hour straight just picking it up over and over. I vividly remember being so sore the next day that it hurt to breathe from my upper back being taxed so much. 

I was also able to find a log online, which was only an 8" diameter, but it was a start to becoming a strongman-equipped gym. 

So You Want to Compete in Strongman

Today you can get any piece of equipment you need for strongman, and it's also fairly easy to find a local competition. But how do you go about finding a competition, and how do you know if you're ready?

Get Access to Strongman Implements

First, if you are thinking about competing, you absolutely need to have access to the implements to some degree. Now you don't need the exact manufacturer, exact handle diameter, or height to do a show. Many pieces of equipment will feel different, and that is the beauty of the sport. Too many people today avoid competing if they don't have the exact same piece of equipment and that's really sad. The crew I trained with back then made due with what we had and jumped into different shows just to use a new piece of equipment like Conan's wheel, a car yoke, or a Hercules hold. If we bombed an event, we bombed an event. We learned something new and moved on. You just need to make sure you can get your hands on the basics. The basics in my opinion being a Log/axle/circus dumbbell for pressing, a yoke, farmer's handles, sandbags/kegs, and stones. I guarantee there is a gym within driving distance that has most or all of the basic strongman equipment. I know many strongman competitors that train at a local commercial gym during the week, then make a long drive on a weekend to train with a strongman crew to train events. If you want something bad enough you will make it work. 

Lose the "I'm Not Ready" Bullshit

The most common excuse I hear about not wanting to compete is "I'm not ready." Well, guess what? YOU WILL NEVER FEEL READY! I always felt like I needed more time, and I needed to be a little stronger. That being said, I always said "Screw it, I'll give it my best." If you always say you're going to compete when you do XYZ then trust me you will never compete, and continue to make excuses. Now if you have no interest in competing, that's totally cool, but if you really want to compete, you have to just dive in. There are set weights for strongman and no one wants to go in and zero every event. Shows can vastly differ in weights, so if you see one you want to do, but it's too heavy, just keep looking. Most shows also have a novice class with lighter weights for beginners. Just don't be that guy that does novice that kills every event that clearly could have gone open. Trust me, no one likes that guy. Pick a show that is doable for your strength level, and if you zero an event, IT'S OK! I've zeroed events, and it sucks, but it's going to happen from time to time. The best in the world zero events sometimes. 

Train with a Crew

Once you find a gym, or really anywhere that has the implements, I can't stress how important it is to have a crew to train with. You don't all have to be training for the same show, but you just need to be around like-minded people when first starting out. I honestly have had some of the best times of my life training with my friends talking trash and pushing each other to get better. Some of you may think that's crazy, and some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. Being around people that have more experience, and are stronger than you is one of the absolute best things you can do to get better. Every show I went to, I met new people that I could learn something from, whether it was technique, or even learning more about business from others that ran the shows. The old saying is "White belt mentality," meaning always be willing to learn and listen. 

Wear the Right Gear

Another big question I get is what kind of gear to wear in training and the competition. I have covered this previously here with what you'll need.

Choose a Federation to Join

For competing in your first show, there are two different federations to look into. I am the Connecticut state chair for Strongman Corporation, so you can check out their site to see what shows are being held in your area.  The other federation is United States Strongman where you can go and check their calendar to see what shows are available.  In both federations, you will need a membership too, so it is very similar to powerlifting. When you do find a show, please read the entry form carefully. The promoters take a lot of time putting those together, so you want to know all the rules, as shows can differ with how they are run. 

If you still have questions, I'm happy to point you in the right direction. You can also check the sites for your state chair where they are happy to help as well. 

Matt Mills is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Strength and Conditioning. He is also certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. As a strength athlete, he is an accomplished powerlifter with a best deadlift of 800 pounds. He is a middleweight pro strongman with best competition lifts of a 360-pound log press, 900-pound pound Hummer tire deadlift, and a 410-pound Farmers Walk. Matt is the owner of Lightning Fitness, located in South Windsor, Connecticut. He has worked with over a thousand athletes, helping them reach their fitness and nutrition goals.