+44 1463418185
Following on from having had the honour of participating as a guest lifter at Scotland’s Strongest Man 2024, at the Glasgow SEC, this blog post covers the outline of my training for the attempt, in addition to some of my top tips for training and accessory work for stones, equipment I use, and the tacky I personally recommend, to maximise your atlas stone performance!
My 152kg Atlas Stone attempt constitutes a new Scottish u73, u82 & Open, British u73 & u82 and World u73 Atlas Stone record. The stones for this attempt were very kindly produced by the finest Atlas Stone manufacturer, Atlas Endurance (@atlasendurance_ on Instagram).
How I prepared for the u73 World Record Attempt
Having had the benefit of atlas stone runs in a number of competitions so far this year, the preparation cycle for this world record attempt was only around six weeks,
The first two weeks saw me reintroduce light stones to heights of around 50-52” at the end of my events sessions, in order to implement some new technique adjustments to make my stone loading more efficient. After OSG Europe, with the benefit of around four weeks before Scotland’s Strongest Man, I began training stones three times per week.
These three sessions were structured as below:
- Lighter stone volume
(Monday; after my deadlift and back session)
This session was trained to a height above that of the attempt, with a lighter stone, in order to focus on dialling in technique, having patience with the stone higher on my chest in the extension, and ensuring the height of the extension itself. Volume is key here, though do note that as the weights increased week-on-week in this session, the volume did reduce.
The last session in this prep of this type was: 3 x 2 at 130kg
- Stone extensions
(Thursday; after my squat and legs session)
This session was not trained to a platform. This session was to focus on the triple extension and controlling the stone on the chest, focussing on engaging the lats and pulling the stone in. To perform a stone extension, lap the stone as normal, gather it high on the chest, pull the stone in tight with the lats and explode up, into an extension, lifting onto the toes lastly in the movement, chin high and pulling the arms up. The aim of this is to pull the stone as high as possible. Return to the lap position and repeat.
The last session in this prep of this type was: 5 x 5 120kg
- Heavy stone session
(Saturday; the first event of my events session)
The approach to the main stone session of the week was linear over the weeks and performed in straight sets. Sets and reps reduced week on week as weight increased, building up to a stone weight which was within 95% of the attempt weight and left me in a confident place going into the attempt at Scotland’s Strongest Man.
In addition to the above, I used the final session as an opportunity to warm up as closely to the conditions on the day as I could, using timings, warmups and weight jumps that I planned to administer on the day.
The last session in this prep of this type was: 1 x 1 150kg, preceded by 1 x 1 140kg
Training Tips
There is plenty that can be done in the gym to maximise stone performance, without touching any atlas stones!
My favourite accessories for stones include:
- Front Squats
Front squats effectively replicate the extension portion of the atlas stone load, with the benefit of being an anterior-loaded movement. I rotate my squat and leg sessions between front and safety bar squats respectively. Front squats have the best carry over to the competitions for which I have any heavy anterior events, such as atlas stones or sandbag loading.
- Sandbag Pendlay Rows
Sandbag pendlay rows offer great carry-over to the pickup or deadlift portion of the stone load, these are most beneficial as a volume movement. I would tend to incorporate these on my deadlift and back day, in a set and rep range around 4 x 10, increasing weight in a linear fashion while reducing rep ranges in line with this.
As part of my warm-ups, after any mobility work that I incorporate, I like to include plyometric work for all sessions, to engage my CNS and maximise power output.
Some examples of the plyometric movements that I will rotate in my warm-up routine include:
- Box jumps
- Depth jumps
- Kettlebell swings
Tacky Recommendation
For the entirety of this prep and for the world record attempt itself, I used the Cerberus Atlas Tacky Grade II - Standard Blend for Cool Weather. It is my go-to tacky for training in the Scottish climate and has never let me down. I use it sparingly, webbed on the stone, across the breadth of my forearms, across my palms, with a blob on the back of my wrist for hasty reapplications, especially in the context of a stone run.
I have used Cerberus Atlas Tacky Grade III - Firm Blend for Warm Weather when we travelled to Baltimore in July for the Professional Strongman League Cerberus Super Series, where I was one of two in the u73 who completed the stone run (the other being our current World’s Strongest Woman u73 and u82 WR Atlas Stone holder, Nancy Johnson).
Equipment
Everyone has their own preferences as to what equipment that they like to use for stones, some prefer the minimal approach and utilise skin contact, but I prefer to be covered up! I also prefer to wear my belts for atlas stone loading, for maximal support, without impeding movement.
- Cerberus 7mm Neoprene Back Support Belt v3
I use my neoprene underbelt for a lot of my lifting and strongman events and lifts, as it provides support, warmth and intra-abdominal pressure.
- Cerberus EVA-LUTION Weightlifting Belt
This permits extra support, with a low profile, no pinching or snagging and little bulk which might threaten to impede the positioning and movement of the stone through the load.
I hope that you can implement something new to your atlas stone training to take it to the next level!
