“Old-school”, “hard-core”—interesting terms that coaches sometimes use to support their decision to use certain methods. However, I have had a hard time with this:

1. Just because something is “old” doesn’t mean it is necessarily good. While certain ideas used many years ago are still very valid, others can be considered outdated. Coaches often forget that sometimes methods were used because there were no other options. Also, we have to look at the context in which some of these ideas are espoused.

Most of the old-time strongmen were very accomplished athletes that had a background in wrestling and gymnastics. In addition, they typically came from jobs that involved high levels of manual labor, such as farming. This is far from the case of our current situation.

In 1974, John Jesse wrote a landmark book called Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia. In this great book Jesse hits on a key problem that has escalated to an epidemic today! According to Jesse,

“In accepting the concept of progressive resistance training with weights, the coaching profession in the English speaking countries, particularly America and Canada, were faced with cultural problems. With machines doing most of the work the majority of young men entering athletics were not drawn from a background of labor work in the mines, on the farms, in the forests or on the docks. With increasing affluence, urbanization and mechanization, children were losing the philosophy of hard work and patience to attain a goal.” (Jesse, p. 65)

A problem that was recognized in 1974 is even more pronounced in today’s young athletes.

2. What does “hard-core” exactly mean? I have never been able to figure this out. Some coaches may say “hard-core” is performing exercise that is going to make you puke, for some it is an exercise that appears almost impossible to do, it may be a drill that is very heavy, and for others it revolves around an implement that the average commercial gym trainee would never use.

I wonder how any of these possible definitions fit into creating results for any physical training goal. We could even argue if any of these definitions are accurate that using such methods could be counterproductive in producing results.

This may seem surprising for some that know my background as a competitive strongman and the creator of a sandbag training system. However, I have never used a method or an implement that did not have a specific purpose. We need to be critical of why certain techniques/tools are implemented rather than have an emotional tie to our training ideals.

Then, the question needs to be answered: Why would I use odd objects such as stones, heavy medicine balls, kegs, tires, and sandbags? A more scientific answer exists than they are simply “hard.”

Improved Stabilizer Strength

In the famous book Dinosaur Training, Brooks Kubik states, “You feel sore as you do because the bags (sandbags) worked your body in ways you could not approach with a barbell alone. You got into the muscle areas you normally don’t work. You worked the “heck” out of the stabilizers.” (Kubik, p. 115)

Stabilizer training is not a new concept. Utilizing dumbbells, cables, kettlebells, and one-arm lifts have long been methods of improving the smaller stabilizers. Increasing the strength of the stabilizers can both decrease your risk of injury and improve performance.

Why are odd objects unique though? These tools can be thought of as the most “uncooperative” pieces of equipment. They are different because they will change their form as you lift them. Unlike many other training tools, it is almost impossible to develop a specific groove for any lift. This makes odd objects a constant challenge as every repetition will be vastly different.
Utilizing non-cooperative nature of odd objects makes using every muscle possible to lift it crucial. More stable and predictable implements can cause the body to find a particular groove. Once this groove is established, one becomes more efficient at performing the lift and the body actually decreases the amount of muscles utilized. This becomes especially true of explosive lifts such as cleans, throws, snatches, and shouldering. The trunk muscles (including those of the low back and abdominal area) have to work harder to stabilize the body against the awkward load while moving very quickly. This is very unique to odd object.

Those who have enjoyed kettlebells have also learned of the incredible benefit on loading only one side of the body. One-arm lifts place a torque on the body in both rotation and side bending that the trunk learns to stabilize against. This is a core reason one-arm lifting is so beneficial to building a solid trunk. Drills such as the many shouldering exercises and one-arm lifts can offer the same benefits. Incorporating different odd objects can vary the feeling of shouldering type drills.

Having such a load actually rest on the body forces the deep and superficial trunk muscles work to a greater degree to maintain proper postural alignment. End result? A rock hard torso that is very injury resistant.

With odd objects we can also create amazing rotational drills that place the body into ranges of motion that would normally occur during sport. Working through such ranges of motion with a load prepares the body more appropriately for the demands that sport produces. When we work in very predictable environments we don’t give our bodies the ability to work through extreme ranges of motions under duress. Exercises such as shoulder throws, half moon snatches, and full body twists just provide a small list of exercises that one can create.

Injury Prevention

We talk so much about moving in multiple planes, core strength, balance, and stability, but have we really looked at what our clients need? For example, when a parent picks up their child, we could see this as a form of deadlifting. However, is the parent going to be able to maintain a perfect arch in their back? Is the child going to be a still, balanced object or are they going to be moving without their weight perfectly balanced throughout their body? Chances are the second option. Where do we ever teach people how to handle such a situation?

How about an athlete? How about the running back that has been initially hit, is slightly off-balance and out of position and then is hit again at full force? Does he have an opportunity to be in perfect postural alignment with his core activated? Doubtful; his body has to be preprogrammed to handle such situations as effectively as possible.

What I am specifically referencing is the idea of imperfection training. This was a concept highly utilized by the former Eastern Bloc countries in the training of their athletes. The idea was to prepare the athlete for the worst case situations. Most injuries do not occur when we are moving slowly, in perfect posture, or lifting an equally distributed load. They more often occur during large eccentric actions and in end ranges of motion. It seems obvious that most orthopedic problems do happen when someone moves into a position that they are weak. This is of course why many promote multi-planar training.

This is one viable option; however, trying to lift objects that are unbalanced and awkward provides another important aspect of injury prevention. Allan Hedrick, Head Strength Coach for the Air Force Academy, has been using odd object lifting with his teams for several years. Coach Hedrick has written and lectured on the use of odd objects (often in the form of water filled kegs) to increase performance and decrease the risk for athletic injuries.

“But, applying the concept of specificity, it makes sense that training with a fluid resistance is a more sport-specific method of training as compared to lifting exclusively with a static resistance, because in most situations, athletes encounter a dynamic resistance (in the form of an opponent) as compared to the static resistance. Further, because the active fluid resistance enhances the need for stability and control, this type of training may reduce the opportunity for injury because of improved joint stability.” (NSCA Journal, Vol.25 Number 4)

While some may view odd object lifting as “dangerous”, in truth it offers many benefits to becoming resilient. Stabilizer strength and imperfection training are two excellent examples.

Grip Training

This leads us into the issue of grip strength. It is shocking how many people posses very poor hand strength. This use to be a staple of classic strongmen; in fact, the famous George Jowett credits iron bending in helping him build real 19 inch arms! Now, you don’t all have to go to the local iron shop and start bending metal (although it wouldn’t be a bad idea), but grip strength needs to be addressed in a more serious way.

It is my contention that many elbow, shoulder, neck, and upper back issues can be due to poor hand strength. Why? The old saying “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link” holds true to the body and when we think of most movements involving lifting I can’t help but notice the role of the hands. Many try to avoid such a weakness with the use of straps and other contraptions, but this will only provide a situation with a high risk of injury. It amazes me that so many people have gotten away from using weight belts, yet many still do the same to hands by using different equipment. Chances are if you work with the general population you have noticed the large amount of people that complain of finger, wrist, and general hand aches and pains. Training with odd implements goes a long way in helping such cases.

Using odd implements help train the wrists and crushing and pinching grip. Most people know of wrist strength, and most will also associate hand strength with only crushing grip strength. However, pinching grip strength is equally as important and possibly more as the fingers and thumb are rarely trained yet constantly we are placing great demands on them. Sandbags and stones are amazing for improving all three, but for different reasons. Sandbags constantly shift their weight and will alter their shape as you lift them. This causes the lifter to find new grip positions for the ever changing aspects of the bag. Stone lifting with the hands is a classic way to tell who has strong hands and who doesn’t. Being able to hold onto a round heavy object without the ability to wrap the fingers around is a huge challenge for most. The fingers and thumb will be challenged in a way most have never experienced.

Explosive Hip Development

Odd objects are also fantastic medium for training explosive work. Exercises such as Olympic lift variations and throws make odd objects such a valuable tool for training. What keeps coaches from using such great lifts such as the snatch, clean, and jerk is the realization that their client does not possess the flexibility to perform the lifts well. This is especially true in case of the wrists for cleans. With using sandbags and kegs, this problem is eliminated as anyone can quickly learn how to perform a safe and effective clean or snatch in just minutes.

Don’t be mistaken though, Olympic lifts are not just for athletes. Everyone needs to learn how to move fast, have a stronger posterior chain, and increase body coordination. As we get older it is not our cardiovascular system that causes the most problems for our quality of life. Rather, as experts such as Stephen Fleck have identified, it’s the decrease in our power development. This can result in more falls, lack of stability, and a readuced ability to perform daily activities.

An even more fun odd object method may be throwing. Such feats of strength are classically demonstrated in Highland Games all over the world. Throwing objects was a staple of athletic development and can still be seen in mainstream sports such as baseball, softball, discus, hammer, shot put, football, etc. Throwing is a full body activity that can be done in many different patterns and directions. It can be a wonderful conditioning tool as well as a strength building tool. You haven’t seen a great smile until you have seen a sixty-year-old woman throw a sandbag over her head!

Conclusion

It should be evident that odd object lifting has a serious place in a well-organized strength and conditioning program. Beyond the above mentioned reasons for using odd objects, the fact they can be easily implemented and taught to groups make them a perfect tool for team training from athletic teams to the military. Next time we will examine some of the most common and beneficial odd object drills.