Good Afternoon Titans,
This is the fourth article in a 5-part series that I am writing in an effort to help prepare competitors for the Swamp Monster Shootout happening in Lafayette, LA on April 13
th. If you haven’t read the other parts and would like to catch up before reading this one then you can find
the axle clean and press here,
the Husafell carry here and the
Jefferson deadlift here. If you aren’t competing in the Swamp Monster Shootout and are just here to help improve your Yoke, then that’s cool too. Hope you enjoy it.
The Set Up.
The height of the cross member is going to be very important. Choose a similar height to your squat set up, maybe even a little higher. This is going to be heavier than your squat max (most likely) so you don’t want to spend too much energy picking the implement up from a deficit. At the same time if you set the bar too high then you stand a very good chance of bottoming out if your route has any change in elevation or if the weight shifts.
For most people a higher bar position is going to be best. This will help keep your skeleton supporting as much of the weight as possible. Make sure there your braced and pressing into your belt before taking the load onto your back.
What About and Placement?
There are three schools of thought as far as hand placement. The first one involves packing your lats (similar to the way you do when you squat) and placing your hands on the bar on either side of the shoulder. This seems to be the most effective method for athletes with a smaller frame.
The second method is to place your hands on the up rights and press out as hard as you can. This method is useful because it helps to prevent a lot of the swaying that may occur otherwise as well as tightening all the muscles involved in supporting the load.
The final method looks exactly like the second method except you pull the uprights in. This also helps to keep the yoke from swaying, and it activates the lats a little better than pressing outwards. With both methods however, you will want to press forward on the uprights to help keep the implement on your back during the walk.
The Walk.
Short choppy steps are going to be key to this movement. You’re going to have a lot of weight on your back so large strides just aren’t going to work. As you get heavier, you’ll also find that you won’t be able to bend your knees as much. Your legs will begin to act more like columns to support the weight.
When you breath be sure that you maintain your brace. If you let all your air out at once then this event is pretty much over for you so press your brace into your belt and take short choppy breaths behind the shield.
The Turn.
There is no turn. Don’t turn around with a yoke on your back. It’s a very bad idea. Don’t do it. If a contest promoter is telling you there is a turn then I personally would not do that contest.
If you want to find out more about the Swamp Monster Shootout you can find their
Facebook event page here and on the
Strongman Corporation website here. Also, please follow our
Facebook here and our
Instagram here. As always if you have any questions at all please feel free to email me at
cameron@atlasstrengthshop.com. Also check out the video below!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tsPb3WXBnA&t=273s
Release the Titan in You,
Cameron Ray
