Strongman Medley Fitness

The Power of Strongman Medley Training

Strongman medley style training is a unique and challenging approach to building strength and athleticism. By incorporating a variety of functional movements with minimal rest between exercises, strongman medleys challenge your body in ways that traditional workouts can’t.

The Power of Strongman Medley Training

Strongman mixed medley workouts typically involve stringing together several different exercises into one continuous, grueling circuit. Each movement in the medley targets different muscle groups, requiring your body to adapt quickly as you transition from one exercise to the next.

Minimal Rest, Maximum Gains

With strongman mixed-medley style training, rest periods are short—sometimes non-existent. This high-intensity approach pushes your cardiovascular system to its limits, improving conditioning while torching calories. The combination of strength and endurance work ensures that you’re not just lifting heavy but doing so in a way that translates to functional fitness and fat loss.

Benefits of Strongman Medley Training

The beauty of strongman medley training lies in its diversity. According to Erin "The Monster" Murray, a pro strongwoman and multi-title holder across various weight classes, "Not only does this require proficiency in multiple disciplines, it requires an ability to transition quickly between techniques and pace the ‘event’ appropriately."

Functional Strength

The variety of movements ensures that you’re building strength that’s applicable in everyday life, not just in the gym.

Enhanced Conditioning

The constant movement and minimal rest improve cardiovascular fitness, allowing you to work harder for longer periods.

Fat Loss

The intensity of the medley, coupled with the use of compound movements, accelerates fat loss by keeping your heart rate elevated and burning more calories.

Mental Toughness

Strongman training is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. Pushing through the discomfort of a grueling medley develops grit and determination.

How to Integrate Strongman Medleys into Your Conditioning Regimen

Start by selecting two to four exercises that target different muscle groups. For example, a simple medley might include:

• Pull-ups: Engages your back, shoulders, and arms while also improving grip strength—an essential component in any strongman event.
• Squat Variation: Whether it’s a front squat or a back squat, this movement targets the lower body, building foundational strength in the quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
• Overhead Press Variation: Involving the shoulders, triceps, and upper chest, this movement is crucial for developing upper body strength and stability.
• Farmer’s Carry: This simple yet brutally effective exercise improves grip strength, core stability, and overall endurance as you carry heavy weights over a distance.

The goal is to complete each exercise back-to-back with minimal rest, then rest for 2-3 minutes or as needed before repeating the circuit 3-5 times or for a specific duration of time. Adjust the weight and intensity according to your fitness level, and gradually increase the difficulty as you become more conditioned.

Strongman Medleys Training Guidelines

Full Body Warmup

Before jumping into the medley, it’s essential to prime your body with a comprehensive warm-up. This should include:

• Foam Rolling: Loosen up tight areas and improve tissue pliability by rolling out major muscle groups.
• Dynamic Stretching: Incorporate stretches that actively move joints through their range of motion, enhancing mobility and flexibility.
• Corrective Movements: Focus on exercises that address any muscular imbalances, ensuring your body is balanced and ready to perform.
• Core and Stability Activation: Engage your core and stabilize your joints with drills like planks, resistance band work, or stability ball exercises.
• CNS Activation: Prepare your nervous system for the intense workout ahead by adding in explosive movements like jumps, skips, or light plyometrics.

Medley Setup and Warmup

Station Organization: Arrange your workout area so all equipment is in place and easily accessible, minimizing rest time between exercises.

Gradual Warmup: Perform 2-4 progressive warm-up sets per exercise, increasing weight or intensity gradually. This allows your body to adjust to the load, reducing injury risk. Aim for a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) that aligns with your workout goals.

Executing the Strongman Medley

Timer and Rounds: Set a timer for the entire session. Your goal is to complete as many rounds as possible, maintaining a brisk pace. Stick to the prescribed sets, reps, and rest periods for each movement, but listen to your body—take breaks as needed to maintain form and prevent overexertion.

Tips and Variations

• Rest as needed between movements but aim to keep your heart rate up.
• Change the exercises every 3-6 weeks to avoid plateaus and prevent overuse injuries.
• Scale the weights and reps according to your fitness level.
• Incorporate different grip positions, stances, and movement variations to keep things interesting.

How to Progress With Strongman Medley Training

Initial Setup and RPE Guideline

Starting Point: Begin your first session by targeting a Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) of 6 out of 10. This moderate intensity ensures you have ample room to progress as your fitness improves.

Beginner Duration: If you are new to Strongman Medley Training or just starting out, begin with an easy to moderate 10-minute medley. Gradually increase the duration each week to build endurance and strength:

• Week 1: 10 minutes
• Week 2: 15 minutes
• Week 3: 20 minutes

Duration-Based Progression

One way to progress is by extending the duration of your medley over time. This gradual increase allows your body to adapt and become more resilient, enhancing your overall cardiovascular and muscular endurance.

Load-Based Progression

Alternatively, you can maintain the same duration for a set period (typically 3-4 weeks) and progressively increase the load on each lift. This method focuses on strength gains and muscle hypertrophy.

Pro Strongwoman Erin Murray’s Favorite Medleys

Here are a few medleys favored by Erin "The Monster" Murray:

Week 1

• Yoke Run x 50 feet: 405 lbs
• Sandbag Run x 50 feet: 200 lbs
• Log Press x 1 rep: 185 lbs

Week 2

• Yoke Run x 50 feet: 455 lbs
• Sandbag Run x 50 feet: 252 lbs
• Log Press x 1 rep: 205 lbs

Week 3

• Yoke Run x 50 feet: 505 lbs
• Sandbag Run x 50 feet: 250 lbs
• Log Press x 1 rep: 225 lbs

Erin Murray Medley Plan

Here is a medley plan designed by Erin Murray:

Week 1

• Farmers Carry x 30 feet: 200 lbs/hand
• Truck/ Sled Pull x 30 feet: Heavy

Week 2

• Farmers Carry x 40 feet: 200 lbs/hand
• Truck/ Sled Pull x 40 feet: Heavy

Week 3

• Farmers Carry x 50 feet: 200 lbs/hand
• Truck/ Sled Pull x 50 feet: Heavy