Every strongman athlete wants to get stronger, faster, and more resilient. But even the most dedicated lifters stumble into common mistakes that can stall progress or lead to injury. Here are the top five mistakes I see—and how you can sidestep them to keep getting stronger.
1. Neglecting Technique in the Pursuit of Heavier Weights
Chasing bigger numbers is part of the sport, but poor form under heavy loads is a shortcut to injury. Whether it’s a log press, deadlift, or yoke carry, focus on mastering technique before piling on plates. Video your lifts and review them or ask a coach for feedback.
2. Ignoring Recovery and Overtraining
More isn’t always better. Training hard is important, but so is rest. Skipping recovery days or cutting sleep short can lead to plateaus or nagging injuries. Make recovery a priority—get 7 to 9 hours of sleep and schedule rest days into your program. For more on this, check out this guide to recovery routines.
3. Overusing Lifting Straps and Support Gear
Support gear has its place, but relying on straps for every pull or wraps for every press can leave weak points in your grip and joints. Use them strategically—train raw when you can to build real-world strength and resilience.
4. Skipping Event-Specific Conditioning
Strongman isn’t just about brute strength. If you’re not training for carries, loading, and moving events, you’re missing out on a big part of the sport. Even if you don’t have specialty equipment, you can adapt your training with sandbags, dumbbells, or loaded carries. The Train Strongman in a Regular Gym program is built for this—giving you a 12-week plan you can do with basic gym equipment.
How To Train Strongman In A Regular Gym
5. Failing to Track Progress and Adjust Programming
Guesswork doesn’t cut it if you want to get stronger. Keep a training log, track your lifts, and make small adjustments to your programming every few weeks. This keeps you moving forward and helps you spot trends before they become problems.
Ready for a proven program? Built By Mike delivers strongman-focused coaching and structured routines from one of the sport’s top minds. Whether you’re looking to break through a plateau or start your first strongman cycle, this program is designed to help you get the most out of every session. Learn more about Built By Mike and take your training up a notch.
BUILT BY MIKE 2.0: Proven programming for the strongman athlete-2nd edition revised and expanded
If you’re serious about making progress in strongman, avoid these pitfalls and build your foundation the right way. For more training tips, product guides, and competition news, visit StartingStrongman.com and take your training to the next level.
