How to train for your first strongman competition.
Picking a show, building a 12-week plan around the events, and getting through comp day.
Your first strongman competition is less about winning and more about finishing every event, learning how a show runs, and leaving hungry for the next one. A focused 10–12 weeks of training is enough for most people who already lift.
Pick the right show
- Look for a novice or beginner division. The weights are lighter and the crowd is supportive.
- Choose a show 10–16 weeks out so you have time to train.
- Check the events and weights as soon as they're posted. Your whole plan is built around them.
- Pick your weight class honestly. Your first show isn't the time for a hard cut.
Build the plan around the events
Once the events are posted, list each one, the weight, and the format: max weight, max reps in 60 seconds, or a carry for time. Then sort them into what you're already good at and what scares you. The scary ones get the most practice.
- Weeks 1–4: build. Barbell strength 2–3 days a week, one event day. Practice every comp event at 60–75% of the comp weight and nail the technique.
- Weeks 5–8: get specific. Event work moves closer to the comp weights and formats. Train reps under a clock and carries over the real distance.
- Weeks 9–10: peak. Hit the comp weights for the comp format, once each, two to three weeks out. Volume comes down.
- Weeks 11–12: taper. Lighter, faster sessions. Rest more. Show up fresh, not sore.
Things that win you points
- Transitions: in medleys, time is lost between implements. Practice the pickups and set-downs.
- Strategy for max-rep events: know your pace and when to rest.
- Grip: carries and deadlifts are often lost to grip, not legs. Train it.
- Conditioning: a 60-second event is a sprint. Short medleys and sled work build it.
Comp day
- Pack the night before: belt, shoes, chalk, tacky, sleeves, wrist wraps, food and water.
- Arrive early for the athlete meeting. It explains the rules and how reps are judged.
- Warm up for each event, not just once at the start.
- Eat light and often between events.
- Have fun. Everyone remembers their first show.
Having a coach for your first comp helps more than any single training trick: someone to pick your opening weights, watch your technique, and adjust the plan when life gets in the way. Every coached Broward Strength athlete gets a comp countdown in the Training Portal, with the program built around the date.