The Most Functional Form Of Training: Strongman Training

Over the last decade, there has been a surge of interest in "functional training". Numerous trainers and online personalities began making claims that they have the most functional form of training.

However, when you look at it, it's hard to see what makes it functional without a 30-minute explanation full of jargon and nonsense. While everyone has been searching for the most functional form of training, it has been here all along: Strongman training.

The sport of Strongman is the single most effective form of functional training you could perform. And whether you're an advanced bodybuilder or 50+ worried about longevity, Strongman will build an indestructible body. 

What Is Functional Training?

"Functional training" is supposed to replicate real-world activities and prepare you for real-world situations, or at least that's the general understanding in the mainstream.

The problem with this definition is that a large portion of Strength and Conditioning falls under it. Anything that strengthens your muscles and improves fitness variables will improve your quality of life.

In reality, there is no agreed-upon definition. This makes it easy for anyone to twist the definition to fit their preferred training style.

What Is A Good Definition Of Functional Training?

Acknowledging the context above, this is the definition we're using;

Functional training is resistance training that directly transfers to real-world situations. It should train the body under load and teach it to work as a "moving machine".  Furthermore, functional training should be able to be used for all levels and age groups and improve their quality of life.

What Is Strongman Training?

Strongman training dates back to the 1800s, when "Strongmen" would perform for "feats of strength" for European Circuses. At the time, the Strongmen would lift weights to impress and entertain the crowds. 

To make a name for themselves, they would try to one-up each other by performing bombastic shows. This led to;

• Getting shot by cannons
• Play tug of war with horses.
• Pulling trolleys full of people
• Squatting barrels with women in them

Of course, these were heavy, but the wow factor is what made it so unique. 

Over time, the circus acts faded, but the sport continued to evolve. It wasn't until the 1970s that Strongman became more standardized, with formal leagues, rules, and defined standards.

What Are Strongman Exercises?

The best way to think of Strongman training is unconventional strength training, usually used with awkward objects (Santana & Fukuda, 2011).

As a whole, Strongman consists of several types of lifts.

1. Deadlifts

Deadlifts are a core part of Strongman, but they rarely look like what you see in the gym. Deadlifts are usually performed with the weights/bar elevated while using things like wagon wheel or axle bars.

This allows heavier loads but also unique challenges with grip.

Types of Deadlifts

• Wagon Wheel Deadlift
• Silver Dollar / 18" Deadlift
• Axle Deadlift

2. Carries

Carries can refer to any exercise that requires you to pick an object up and carry it, moving it from point A to point B. As a whole, these build:

• Back Strength
• Grip Strength
• Core 
• Anaerobic Conditioning

Front carries and farmers are some of the best core exercises you can do to stimulate the entire core (Decker, 2025).

Types of Carries

• Farmer Carry
• Yoke Walk
• Sandbag or Keg Front Carry

3. Pushing / Pulling

Pushing and pulling exercises refer to movements where you must move an object on the ground. The easiest example is a sled press.

Types of Pulling Events

• Truck Pull
• Chain Drag
• Hand Over Hand

4. Overhead Lifting

Unlike most other strength sports that emphasize bench pressing, Strongman prioritizes overhead pressing. An array of implements is used, but the idea is the same: lock out over your head.

Several of these events include a clean as well, requiring you to get the load from the ground up over your head.

Types of Overhead Lifts

• Log Press
• Circus Dumbbell
• Keg Overhead Lift

5. Loading

Loading events refer to picking up an object and raising it to an elevated platform. It uses a mixture of a deadlift and triple extension to propel the load upward.

Types of Loading Events

• Axle or Stone Loading
• Sandbag Over Bar
• Stone to Shoulder

What Are Different Events in Strongman?

While many people assume these lifts are performed only as one-rep max efforts, Strongman includes a wide variety of event formats.

1. Maximal Strength

These are traditional one-rep max–style events, where the goal is to lift the heaviest load possible.

2. Fastest Time

Events where the objective is to complete a task or movement in the shortest time possible.

• Regular lifts: Perform a set number of reps fastest
• Dynamic movements: Complete the event as fast as possible

3. AMRAPs (As Many Reps As Possible)

AMRAP events require competitors to complete as many repetitions as possible within a fixed time, usually one minute.

• Regular lifts: One minute to perform as many log presses as possible
• Dynamic movements: One minute to carry twice your bodyweight as far as possible

4. Medleys

Medleys are a sequence of events completed back-to-back in a set order. These can combine either similar or multiple movement patterns into a single challenge.

• Similar Movement Patterns- Deadlift, axle deadlift, wagon wheel deadlift, tire flips
• Multiple Movement Patterns- Yoke carry, sprint back, sandbag carry, lift over yoke 5 times

What Are the Benefits of Strongman Training?

Early strongmen likely didn't fully appreciate the physiological benefits of their training—they were focused on putting on a good show.

However, these events shared several key characteristics:

• Lifting unusual and awkward objects
• Pulling and carrying nonstandard loads
• Equipment that was not standardized
• Traditional lifts being altered (for example, an overhead press performed with a one-arm circus dumbbell)
• Performing repeated maximal loads for extended periods

Together, these elements create a unique training stimulus that trains multiple fitness qualities (Harris et al., 2016). Some of these include; 

• Maximal strength
• Muscular endurance
• Anaerobic conditioning
• Dynamic strength
• Power production
• Speed and agility

Here's a deeper look.

1. Produces True Dynamic Strength

Many strongman events are inherently dynamic. In this context, think of it as strength in motion.

There's nothing wrong with static lifts, but when we're talking about functionality, dynamic strength is a must.

Training the entire body under load can strengthen the neuromuscular system, but also identify weak spots. To truly have functional strength, your entire body must be strong and operate together (La Scala Teixeira et al., 2017).

2. Strongman Movements Directly Replicate Real Life

Strongman training closely mirrors real-world physical tasks, such as lifting, carrying, dragging, and pushing heavy objects.

And you don't need a 30-min video full of jargon to explain the connection.

• Farmer Carries → Carrying groceries or luggage
• Loading (Sandbag or Atlas Stones) → Loading heavy luggage or a TV into your trunk
• Front Carries (Sandbags or Stones) → Carrying mulch for gardening or your child
• Sled Pushes → Pushing a lawnmower or a broken-down car

For many, the loads in Strongman are likely going to be much heavier than these exercises. However, it demonstrates the reality of these movements and how natural they are.

At the same time, older populations can easily use these exercises to maintain their independence.

Having that direct transfer to real-world activities is crucial for functional training (La Scala Teixeira et al., 2017).

3. Builds Maximal Core Stability

The forces placed on the core during strongman training are immense. Nearly every movement challenges the core to stabilize the body under load. And while many people think of crunches, stabilization to protect the spine and organs is the core's primary function (McGill et al., 2009).

Carrying and dynamic movements require constant core engagement and adjustment, often placing the body in awkward or asymmetrical positions.

This is seen when lifting stones or sandbags. It's also why farmer carries are such effective core exercises, as the load exaggerates the natural sway.

Core strength is a central talking point when it comes to functional training, and Strongman delivers.

4. Easy To Perform 

Many of the Strongman exercises are quite simple to perform due to their simplicity. For example;

• Sled work can easily be used with maximal loads, but the load isn't directly on the body.
• The log press is significantly easier to learn than the clean and press
• Carries are as basic as they come.
• Deadlifts are performed at elevated heights, mitigating mobility issues.

Even though Strongman sounds intimidating, many of the movements are actually very simple. At the same time, research comparing Strongman training to traditional training has found a similar outcome (Winwood et al., 2015).

Same results with easier exercises.

5. Build Anaerobic Conditioning 

Strongman can be brutal, but in a fun way.

Endurance training is rough mentally, while maximal effort lifts demand it all for a few seconds. However, performing maximal loads for extended periods can make a minute feel like hours, at least when you first start training.

Anaerobic conditioning demands the body perform maximal intensity for extended periods (farmer carries) or repeat with minimal rest (medleys or atlas stone loading).

This is built into Strongman exercises and is very effective at improving these fitness variables (Ratamess et al., 2018). 

6. Strongman Training Is Fun

This is objective, but most probably agree that pushing sleds and flipping tires is fun. We like to joke that you never have to encourage people to push the sled faster because they always go 100%.

Strongman delivers goal-oriented training that can be more engaging for lifters. At the same time, it incorporates friendly competition; this is what has made CrossFit so popular. 

What's The Most Functional Form Of Training?

As you can see above, Strongman is actually a very strong contender, and it's not just us that thinks so. Consider that Strongman training is already used to train:

• Combat sports
• Police forces
• Military

Recently, the Army revamped its fitness test for combat readiness. Many of the events are adapted from Strongman:

• 3RM Trap Bar Deadlift 
• Sled Drags 
• Farmer Carry

If you look at Hyrox, which claims to be "functional fitness racing", many of the events also come from Strongman:

• Sled Push
• Sled Pull
• Farmer Carry
• Sangbag Lunges

This style of lifting is finally gaining ground in mainstream fitness circles, and it's for the betterment of the population. If you're interested in this training, reach out to us!

References

1. Decker, A. (2025). Žs and Zercher carry exercises [Conference abstract]. International Journal of Exercise Science Conference Proceedings. Western Kentucky University Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8595&context=ijesab
2. Harris, N. K., Woulfe, C. J., Wood, M. R., Dulson, D. K., Gluchowski, A. K., & Keogh, J. B. (2016). Acute physiological responses to strongman training compared to traditional strength training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(5), 1397–1408. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001217
3. Hindle, B. R., Lorimer, A., Winwood, P., & Keogh, J. W. L. (2019). The biomechanics and applications of strongman exercises: A systematic review. Sports Medicine – Open, 5(1), 49. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-019-0222-z
4. La Scala Teixeira, C. V., Evangelista, A. L., Novaes, J. S., Da Silva Grigoletto, M. E., & Behm, D. G. (2017). "You're Only as Strong as Your Weakest Link": A Current Opinion about the Concepts and Characteristics of Functional Training. Frontiers in physiology, 8, 643. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00643 
5. López-Bueno, R., Andersen, L. L., Koyanagi, A., Núñez-Cortés, R., Calatayud, J., Casaña, J., & del Pozo Cruz, B. (2022). Thresholds of handgrip strength for all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality: A systematic review with dose–response meta-analysis. Ageing Research Reviews, 82, 101778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2022.101778
6. McGill, S. M., McDermott, A., & Fenwick, C. M. J. (2009). Comparison of different strongman events: Trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(4), 1148–1161. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e318198f8f7 
7. Santana, J. C., & Fukuda, D. H. (2011). Unconventional methods, techniques, and equipment for strength and conditioning in combat sports. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 33(6), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0b013e318230ff5d 
8. Ratamess, N. A., Kang, J., Kuper, J. D., OʼGrady, E. A., Ellis, N. L., Vought, I. T., Culleton, E., Bush, J. A., & Faigenbaum, A. D. (2018). Acute Cardiorespiratory and Metabolic Effects of a Sandbag Resistance Exercise Protocol. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 32(6), 1491–1502. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002415 
9. Winwood, P. W., Cronin, J. B., Posthumus, L. R., Finlayson, S. J., Gill, N. D., & Keogh, J. W. L. (2015). Strongman vs. traditional resistance training effects on muscular function and performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29(2), 429–439. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000629