Do Strongman Do Cardio?

With their sheer size and huge weights, strongman don’t look they do any cardio. Their massive need for calories to put on size and the lack of demand for endurance for some of their lifts, the question remains asked. Do strongman do cardio?

For many gym goers let alone strongman, cardio is massively looked down on. The infamous saying of ‘cardio kills your gains’, but is that really the case? Lets dive into this topic more.

What is Cardio?

To get things started, lets look at what cardio really is. Any rhythmic activity that raises your heart rate is known as cardio. The most common type of cardio can be running, riding a bike or even swimming!

Now cardio is totally different to strength training as it relies on the body’s ability to use oxygen during the workout session. With cardio, you normally don’t take any interval breaks as you do with strength training.

Cardio burns fat and calories, making it easier to lose weight. This is why people think it kills gains. If you plan to put on size, cardio can kill your gains as you will be burning more calories. If you want to lose weight, then cardio is perfect as it can put you in a calorie deficit.

Do Strongman Do Cardio?

Strongman has a high physical demand there is no doubt about it. There is a need for cardio, but it is not in the normal form. Carrying kegs, doing farmer walks, or even a shield lift has an extreme demand for oxygen. This can be seen as a form of cardio.

Despite this, strongman don’t have the need for long periods of cardio. Most of their movements require more of an explosive start for a short period of time. Tom Stoltman once said he trains the ‘start to full speed’ of a race. Strongman events like atlas stones require you to be quick to win the event. A training routine would focus on the explosiveness power, rather than the endurance like you may see in marathon training.

There is no doubt that the majority of strongman are actually quite fit. Many strongman before they became professional succeeded in different sports. Eddie Hall was an accomplished swimmer in his teenage years, whereas Brian Shaw and Hafthor Bjornsson excelled in basketball before strongman.

To answer the question. Strongman don’t focus on cardio but there is still a demand for explosive short weight related cardio sessions.

Strongman consume a lot of calories per day, well over 7,000 to keep the size that is needed to lift heavy. If they did too much cardio, they would lose some of their size which can evidently be the difference to winning the title. The biggest example of this was Eddie Hall prior to his win, who put a on a considerable amount of weight to achieve his dream.

What many have noticed is the breathing difficulties strongman have because of their large size. This may also be a contributing factor in why they minimalize their cardio. Being big has its consequences.

What Cardio Can I Do For Strongman Training?

Everyone has a different training routine, but if you want to include cardio in your strongman training, we have a few suggestions. You can do all the farmers walks you like, but that will put a great strain on your muscles and you will get fatigued quickly. Remember, rest and recovery is just as important.

When it comes to including cardio in your weekly workout routine, we need to consider a few things:

• It is easy to track – we need to know exactly what we are doing and how many calories it burns. Remember if you want to put on weight, you should know your surplus.
• Keeps you interested – who wants to do boring cardio?!
• Fits in with your workout routine – make sure its hitting the body parts you want to train on so you can plan your recovery and not hinder any future workouts

With this in mind, there are two types of cardio that is applicable to anybody who is looking to add cardio into their routine. The rowing machine is great for focusing on the upper body/core and bike for legs and more core.

In terms of frequency, that is up to you! Like when training a specific movement or body part, make sure you have appropriate amount of rest in between.

In my personal routine, I tend to use the bike machine a lot for warm downs and even just when I have a bit more left in the tank to push. It is a great way to build up your cardiovascular health and keep yourself occupied. When I was a regular in the physiotherapy department, the bike was always a part of any workout. The injury risks are next to nothing.

Final Thoughts

Cardio is just as important for strongman but they don’t prioritise it. They want that explosive power rather than have the ability to endure something for long periods of time. With the demand for strength and the high consumption of calories needed, their cardio as kept at a minimum.

However, cardio is great for those want to cut as it burns calories and has multiple health benefits. Adding cardio to your workout routine can improve your oxygen levels and can improve your endurance.

For me personally, I am not a professional, so a bit of cardio doesn’t hurt! It can be enjoyable and it is a nice break from all the strain that weights can put on your body.