Ultimate 12 Week Strongman Program for Max Strength and Endurance

Wanna get strong and build impressive endurance? You’ve come to the right place because our program is designed to do just that. 

This program includes different lifts and exercises that target all major muscle groups. Get ready for heavy lifts, dynamic movements, and functional exercises that mimic the demands of strongman competitions. Each week, you’ll crank the intensity up a little to keep your body challenged and make sure you continue to progress. 

You’ll see what your body is truly capable of and you’ll find out what pushing your limits really means.

Strongman Training Program 12 Weeks

This program is designed to help you get stronger and better at exercises and it will improve your power, coordination, speed, and balance. The main goal is to get you to perform better while still staying safe and considering your health. 

It’s suitable for people who don’t have any major injuries and who are in good physical and mental condition. It doesn’t matter if you’re a total beginner or you have some experience, everything can be tweaked to work for your fitness level. 

Its structure will keep you challenged, build your skills, and make sure you progress. 

Types of Programs 

There’s not just one single type of strongman program because that just wouldn’t work for most people. There are several of them; some of them are designed specifically for beginners who are just starting out with building a foundation of strength and endurance. Others are for people who want to develop their skills further and work on their power, endurance, and coordination. 

Then there are those that are competitive and want to participate in strongman competitions, and of course, there are programs designed particularly for them. There are also advanced programs that focus on maximizing strength, speed, and technique.

Basically, if you want to train this way, there’s a program meant for you, regardless of your goals and fitness level. 

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12 Week Strongman Program Example

1. General Description

This is a structured training program that will help you build strength, endurance, and technique. You’ll train 3 times per week and you’ll have rest days in between to allow your muscles to recover and grow. 

Each workout will start with a warm-up session, and this is something you should never skip because it preps your muscles and joints for the workout ahead. It will increase your heart rate, blood flow to the muscles, and reduce the chance of getting injured. 10-15 minutes of dynamic stretches and light cardio before a workout is enough. 

Each session ends with a cool-down, which is a big part of recovery because it helps with muscle soreness and promotes flexibility. A cool-down usually lasts for about 5-10 minutes and you’ll do static stretches and light cardio. 

You won’t see results overnight (but wouldn’t that be something?) – the program is made in a way that will build your fitness gradually. 

2. Training Phases

The program is broken up into phases and each of them is carefully tailored to support continuous progress and good recovery. 

During the first two weeks, you’ll do exercises in 3 sets of 5-6 reps to build foundational strength and get familiar with technique. The third week will have a deload phase, where the load is reduced to 60-75% of your max capacity, and you’ll do 2-6 reps. 

Weeks four and five is where the intensity increases and you’ll do exercises in 3 sets of 4-5 reps to push your strength and endurance. Week six is another deload phase, with a load of 70-80% and 2-5 reps.

Weeks seven and eight ramp up the intensity and the exercises are done in three sets and 3-4 reps. 

The ninth week is a deload phase, with a load of 75-80% and 2-4 reps. This is meant to give your body some time to recover. 

The final phase, meaning weeks ten to eleven, has the highest intensity and exercises are done in 3 sets of 2-3 reps. 

The end of the program, meaning week twelve, is a deload phase with a load of 85% and 2-3 reps. 

The last week is the thirteenth and this one is super fun because you get to test your results and measure your progress. That’s not to say that you should ever get too hung up on numbers but, man, seeing your progress in black and white sure is something. 

Program Detailed Example

Day 1: Maximal Strength Development

On the first day, you’ll focus on building maximal strength with heavy compound movements. It starts with a warm-up (as will every other day) to prepare your body for the workout. 

• Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching

Main Exercises: 

• Deadlift – targets the entire posterior chain
• Squat – targets your lower body and improves leg power and stability

Accessory Strength Exercises for Hypertrophy:

• Sled push – 3 sets of 20 meters to improve the strength of your legs and core
• Kettlebell swing – 3 sets of 10 reps to improve explosive power
• Leg press – 3 sets of 8 reps to target the lower body for muscle growth

Core Exercises:

• Band twists – 3 sets of 30 reps
• Band bends – 3 sets of 20 reps

Cool-Down: 5-10 minutes of light cardio and static stretching for recovery

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Day 2: Explosive Strength Development

The second day is about developing explosive power and you’ll do that with upper body power exercises. 

• Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching

Main Exercises: 

• Log lift – builds power and explosiveness in the upper body
• Dumbbell press – Improves strength in shoulders and chest
• Bench press – Important for developing power in the upper body

Accessory Strength Training Exercises for Hypertrophy: 

• Lateral dumbbell raises – 4 sets of 10 reps to strengthen the shoulders
• Tricep extensions (standing) – 4 sets of 8 reps to build strength in the arms
• Dumbbell bicep curls (standing) – 4 sets of 8 reps to develop overall arm muscles
• Dips – 3 sets of 5 reps to target the chest and triceps

Core Exercises:

• Hanging leg raise – 3 sets of 10-15 reps to build abdominal strength
• Weighted plank – 3 sets for 30 seconds for core stability

Cool-Down: 5-10 minutes of light cardio and static stretches

Day 3: Functional Strength, Endurance, and Cardio

The third day will focus on functional strength and endurance and you’ll do exercises that mimic real-life activities. 

• Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching

Main Exercises:

• Yoke walk: 3 sets of 20 meters to build overall functional strength
• Farmer’s walk: 3 sets of 20 meters for grip and core strength
• Sandbag carry: 3 sets of 20 meters to improve functional endurance

Accessory Strength Exercises for Hypertrophy:

• Backward sled drag: 3 sets of 20 meters to improve strength in the legs and core
• Calf raises: 3 sets of 15 reps to improve explosive power
• Box jumps: 3 sets of 4 reps to improve explosive power

Cool-Down: 5-10 minutes of light cardio and static stretching

Conclusion

Seems like a lot of information, right? But you don’t need to do it all at once because, remember, this is supposed to last for 12 weeks.

With this 12 week strongman workout plan, your strength and endurance will skyrocket, as will your overall fitness. You’ll develop the power and resilience you need for strongman exercises, and you’ll stay safe and healthy along the way. 

Are you excited to start? Is there anything that concerns you? Have you tried training programs like this one before? What challenges do you see coming and how do you plan to handle them?

There’s a lot to say about topics like these, so leave a comment, share your thoughts and let’s talk some more! 

References: 

1. Becks Shepherd “Why are rest days important?” LiveScience, https://www.livescience.com/why-are-rest-days-important (accessed July 4th, 2024)
2. Clifton J. Holmes  “Understanding the deadlift and its variations,” ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal 24, no. 3 (January 2019).
3. Daniel Plotkin, Max Coleman, Derrick Van Every, Jaime Maldonado, Douglas Oberlin, Michael Israetel, Jared Feather, Andrew Alto, Andrew D. Vigotsky, Brad J. Schoenfeld “Progressive Overload Without Progressing Load? The Effects of Load or Repetition Progression on Muscular Adaptations,” PeerJ 10 (2022): e14142
4. Hyoung-Kil Park, Min-Kyung Jung, Eunkyung Park, Chang-Young Lee, Yong-Seok Jee, Denny Eun, Jun-Youl Cha, and Jaehyun Yoo. “The effect of warm-ups with stretching on the isokinetic moments of collegiate men.” Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation 14, no. 1 (2018): 78–82.
5. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.