ONE TO RULE THEM ALL

If you saw our last post, you know that we are going through a phase with the keg. We love this tool and we are trying to spread the word so that y’all can realize it’s value as well.

Look, if you didn’t see the last one, let me just catch you up. Kegs are awesome! They are cheap, weights are easy to adjust if you only have one, they are nearly indestructible, extremely versatile, great alternatives to atlas stones or strongman logs, and have a massive ROI.

One of the movements that can be done with a keg is called the Viper Press. We love this movement at TCS because it accomplishes several very valuable things in a short amount of time:

• It provides a stepping stone for how to deadlift properly.

• We can use this movement a a substitute for the strongman log, which tends to be more challenging for beginners.

• It teaches speed and power generation via the hips without having to discuss triple extension - it just happens.

• It is a full-body movement, but specifically builds the posterior chain and develops a lot of upper/mid back strength.

• It’s fun and easy to learn, allowing us as coaches to get people movin’n’groovin’ sooner!

In the video below, Coach Sean will walk you through the Viper Press while some handsome devil demos impeccable form. ; ) If after watching it, you still have technique questions, or you just need some help implementing this movement in your routine, please reach out to us! We would love to help you out.

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THE BIG 3: THREE FACTORS THAT MAKE STRONGMAN F*CKING AWESOME

I was thinking about what makes TCS different from other spots around town. One answer, and probably the most obvious, is that we implement strongman movements more than any other joint in town....at least that I'm aware of.

Why is this the case?

My best guess is that coaches are afraid of screwing it up. Afraid of failure. Strongman can be extremely intimidating to athletes and coaches that aren't up-to-speed on the techniques and how they can apply it to their current training protocols. These are legitimate concerns, but they can be easily settled with some proper education. Once you've learned the movements, their specific techniques and how to appropriately program, it's an instant realization that you've been missing out this whole time(FOMO much?).

A meathead's attempt at some "Beautiful Mind" shit. Hahahaha!

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The BIG 3
Three Factors That Make Strongman F*cking Awesome:

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1. Something that many people don't realize is that strongman movements are actually the closest thing to real-life, functional exercises out there. Think about it. Waaaaaaaaay back when, there weren't strength coaches roaming the wild teaching early humans how to pick up logs or stones. That shit was just part of our DNA. They knew how to get the job done in a way that minimized risk of injury while using the least amount of energy possible. (Did you pick up on that? Safety and efficiency.) This is still the case today!

We don't learn strongman techniques - we remember them.

2. As coaches, we must always provide the best service to our clients. That's how we build a successful business and maintain a solid reputation. In general, our athletes rarely need an over-complicated routine with super technical lifts that find the coach and athlete getting frustrated by failure and a lack of action.

Remember: People want to fucking move! If all you do is talk, your clientele will find someone else to make them sweat. It's really that simple.

The balancing act comes into play when you, as the coach, know your athlete needs to build certain positive characteristics that produce results. It's my contention that strongman movements and methods are some of the absolute best when it comes to getting a massive ROI (Return On Investment).

Basically, it boils down to how soon can you get a newb moving with quality and then add the appropriate dose of intensity? That's what will cause positive adaptation - movement and (appropriate) intensity. With strongman, the learning curve is nearly non-existent when compared to other modalities of training. It's simple, not easy. New athletes are able to get up and rolling sooner, which gets them the results they're looking for sooner!
ps. This doesn't make the others bad, wrong or any less important, but it should be a wake-up call as to how you get your people integrated. 

3. This shit is FUN! This is probably the most over-looked factor when training the general population. People want to have fun with their training. They also want to do shit that looks cool. And I challenge you to find anything more badass than picking up giant stones or flipping massive tires.

Look, it doesn't really matter if you're the world's best (technique/programming) coach, with all the coolest shit...If you are a Fun-Nazi, people will drop you like a bad habit and go where the fun is. Simple as that. You've got to make it fun!

I mean, doesn't Smitty look like he's having a BLAST with this well-designed workout incorporating the SM log? FUN!

All of this probably sounds amazing by now, right? You're probably just wondering when I'm going to shut up and tell you how to properly education yourself in the ways of Strongman so that you can get started. Well, here it is:

10/9/2016 CrossFit Strongman Trainer Course -- Austin, TX @ Travis County Strength

You'll learn all of this stuff and more during this course. The cool thing is that you will learn by DOING! This is not a sit-in-your-chair-and-listen type seminar. We will discuss the movements, the proper cues, the common faults and then you will practice...and practice....and practice. And when you're tired from all the practice, that's when we perform the movement with a dose of intensity.  

This seminar is honestly one of the highlights of my coaching experience. I'd have to say that my absolute favorite segment of the course is the programming lecture. We discuss several ways you can institute Strongman into the programming at your gym and how to do so appropriately.

I love everything about this course and I would love to share it with y'all! Hope to see you there! 

BUILD IT, AND THEY WILL COME.

Gainz. Build it, and they (the gainz) will come. 

I know. This was a stretch, but it's true. If you want an inexpensive, easy to make, highly effective training tool - all you need is a keg.

Kegs can be acquired in a number of ways. Often times, all you need to do is ask that friend of yours that works at the bar for any leftovers that could be purchased for the deposit amount. Another easy way to snag one is from Craigslist, which by the way, is a great place to pick up any equipment on the cheap.

In the video that I'm about to share with you, I go into the details on how to select the correct type of keg, depressurize the keg so that the spike can be safely removed, fill and cap the keg.

Once you've built your keg, you'll have an amazingly effective training implement that can be used in numerous ways to build strength, power and speed! And just in case you're not sure how to use that keg, we will go in to some specific keg movements in future posts, so be on the lookout for those!

For now, watch this video and then go hunting for your keg(s)!

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HEAVY METAL Saturdays

Given the success of the last TCS competition - Heavy Metal - Coach Nick Mounce has decided to give his Strongman-specific program a new look that I think many of you out there will really like.

Essentially, these new HEAVY METAL Saturdays will have an education/skill practice portion that will then be applied to a true Strongman workout(s). To put it simply.....you will learn - then apply. Needless to say, the variations are limitless so you'll have to be ready for anything.

Movements Include:

• Tire Flips
• Truck Pulls
• Heavy Drags & Pushes
• Farmers Carry
• Keg Cleans
• Strongman Log
• Stone Shouldering/Loading
• Yoke Walks & Carries
• Car Deadlifts
• Odd Object Carries
• Sandbag Fun
• Grip Strength Work
• And More!

HEAVY METAL Saturdays --- The Details: 

• Class runs from 10-11am two Saturdays each month
• Class is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
• Capped @ 8 Athletes
• Class Fee = $40 

Your first chance to get in on HEAVY METAL is this Saturday!

SIGNUP HERE!

HEAVY METAL RECAP

What an awesome night!

If you were there as an athlete, spectator, judge or volunteer I know you will agree that Friday night's Heavy Metal Team Strongman Competition was badass! 

Unfortunately, strongman events are kept pretty exclusive due to the crazy minimum requirements that athletes must meet in order to "play". With Heavy Metal we wanted to open the doors to anyone that was willing to take on a new challenge - and we could not have be more pleased with the final results of the evening.

Teams took on 5 demanding workouts that focused solely on strongman movements and characteristics. At the end of the night, it's fair to say, that everyone - even the top-level strongmen that participated in the event - were SMOKED! 

Needless to say, the energy and effort that each athlete brought to the competition was a major factor in the event's success. It should also be said that without the judges, volunteer, spectators and our sponsors(Rogue American Apparel, Survival Tactical Systems, Disciples Of Iron, ONNIT, Fringe Sport, 24 Diner, Easy Tiger and Blithe Salon & Spa).......Heavy Metal would not have run so smooth or had such a positive outcome. It was truly a group effort and everyone deserves a huge THANK YOU for their part.

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Here are the final standings:

WOMEN

1st - Brandlyn & Stacey
2nd - Natalie & Katie
3rd - Carrey & Bonnie
4th - Meghan & Taylor
5th - Michelle & Paige
6th - Genny & Allison

MEN

1st - Travis & David
2nd - Kevin & David
3rd - Josh & Andrew
4th - Dom & Andre
5th - Elliot & Elliot
6th - Tony & Jared

TCS Strongman Seminars Explained Through A Mathematic Equation

By: Nick Mounce (not a mathematician)

It has been awhile since my last contribution to the tcs blog. This post has been swimming around my head for six weeks or so. That normally means one of two things. Either I’ve finally figured out what I’m trying to say or it means I’ve spent way too much time with the circus in my head and this is going to a damn disaster. Fun thing is we get to find out together. Let’s go.

We have been holding Strongman seminars at TCS twice a month for about a year now. Some months more, some less, but that is about the average. Every one of them plays out the exact same way at their base. That is why and how I came up with this equation. There is no magic to this (it would be a lot cooler if there was). I’m going to write this out and then break it down the best I can. So let’s get to it.

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 P+C = K
K Δ SA
SA = $$$

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What does any of this mean and how does it relate to strongman lifts? Let’s define what each letter and symbol represent then how they relate to each other and the strongman lifts.

• P = practice
  • We spend about ½ an hour on each implement during the class. Cleaning up any flaws in positioning, technique, or approach to the lift / movement.
• C = coaching
  • Pretty self-explanatory. Although I should mention that we keep the seminars capped to 6. So you get individual attention.
• K = confidence
  • I know it starts with a C.
• Δ = (delta) change / change in
• SA = speed and aggression
  • This is the speed and aggressiveness that you use on the lifts / movements.
•  $$$ = the new piece of heavy shit you just moved.
  • (Just imagine something way more badass there.)

There it is in all of its glory. Some practice plus coaching will give you more confidence in the strongman lifts. With this newfound confidence you will see a change in the speed and aggression on these lifts (drum roll). With more speed and aggression you will move more weight… a lot more weight.  

So if you are stuck on a certain stone, keg, log, yoke, sandbag weight and feel like you could do more or want to just get your hands on this awesome equipment a little more I know a place.

This month we are hosting two seminars. The dates, times and what is being covered at each is listed just below.

1) Jan. 10th @ 10-1130am

• Kegs (loading, shouldering, pressing)

• Stones (loading, shouldering)

• Tire Flips

2) Jan 24th @ 10-1130am

• Log (clean, press, viper press)

• Yoke Walk

• Pinch Grip & Farmers Carry

• *Car Deadlift (our version of the movement)*

  • If time allows

HEAVY METAL - Team Strongman Competition

DATE: 
January 30 2015

TIME: 
6:30pm

PLACE:
Travis County Strength 
5501 N. Lamar Blvd #113 
ATX 78751

TEAMS:
6 teams of 2 males -- REGISTER HERE
6 teams of 2 females -- REGISTER HERE
*Only 1 Person from each team needs to register*

PRICE:
$50 per Team

NEED TO KNOW:
Each member of the team should be familiar with the following equipment: YOKES, ATLAS STONES, LOGS, FARMERS CARRIES, KEGS, SANDBAGS, TIRES, AND SLEDS. 

Workouts will be released at noon the day of the competition.

Be Ready! 

Logs, Stones & Kegs Oh My!

If you've been following us for a while you already know about the love and admiration we have for the Strongman methodology.  In fact, it would be extremely rare for the coaches at TCS to exclude some sort of Strongman element from their workout.

Why do we love these movements and this method so much?

That's easy.  It all boils down to ROI - Return On Investment.  

Yes.....just like the big boys on Wall Street, we look for the most efficient and effective ways to get our job done.....in our case, our job is to get people moving well and building strength.  And, as the name implies, Strongman is at the very top of that list.

You see, the time and energy it takes a coach to teach the barbell snatch(and the athlete to perform the movement safely and proficiently) is tremendous.  The snatch is an outstanding movement used to develop speed, coordination, and power.  But, if I can teach a new athlete a keg clean or a stone shoulder that develops those very same characteristics....and do so in less time.....well, the answer is pretty clear.

The Strongman movements are all derived from natural human movement.  As we like to say at the CrossFit Strongman Certifications, "These movements aren't learned, they are remembered." That's important to understand.  These movements are exactly how we moved objects when we very young.  

But sometimes you need some help remembering, right?

That's were Coach Nick Mounce makes his entrance.  Nick loves the Strongman stuff!  A LOT!  So much so that he wanted to create a Strongman Seminar to help others discover the awesomeness that is Strongman and the potential these movements have to build tons of power, strength and speed.

His first seminar is taking place this Sunday at Travis County Strength from 10am-1130am and is open to the public.  The goal of this initial session is to dig in to the details of the Strongman Log, the Atlas Stone and the Keg - all extremely effective tools that build silly amounts of strength!  Proper technique and safety will be a priority while working through the skills and drills associated with each implement.

This seminar is a great opportunity to learn about some new movements in a small class setting (capped at 6).  We hope to see you there! 

REGISTER HERE