Training for Stonelifting
My Granite Pursuit
Looking to buy your own sandbags? Check out my preferred brand Project Kratus (@projectkratus). I have a one time discount code for you! Click PARKER15 at checkout for 15% off.
My initial plan for stonelifting revolved around heavy barbell deadlifts and back squats. I figured that training maximum power and strength would ultimately lead me to more mass, more power, and more strength for my granite pursuit.
But within a few weeks of training these tried-and-true exercises, I found that my recovery had slowed and that old aches and pains had returned. Truth be told, the barbell has a tendency to beat me up when employing its frequent use.
After two structured years of training for StrongFirst SFG II, StrongFirst Elite Status, and Beast Tamer, I have decided that it is time to rebalance my body and mind. With my passion for lifting coinciding with the splendor of the Earth’s bounties, stonelifting is a practice that challenges my physicality while uplifting my spirit.
Programming
Kettlebells
As things stand, I am training with kettlebells twice per week. I am keeping my approach as simple as possible through MED Kettlebell Chains:
Double Kettlebell Clean + Press + Front Squat
Double Kettlebell Clean + Push Press + Overspeed Front Squat
I don’t want to reveal too much about my current training because I will release my first course and ebook in April. I have partnered with the team at Original Strength to deliver a coaching platform for all of my worthy students.
MED Kettlebell Chains is a program based in simplicity. It is for those those with limited time to train, purists who train for maximal strength and power, and those that need a simple program that is devoid of fluff. This program is my pride and joy and I cannot wait to deliver it to you.
Sandbags
Along with my simple approach to kettlebell training, I have ditched the barbell in favor of sandbags. My good friend John Odden taught me the ins and outs of sandbag training in his course Ancient Strength.
Within the course, the student learns how to leverage a sandbag in key movements:
Rows
Laps (hoisting the sandbag to the lap)
Squats
Carries
Shouldering (hoisting the sandbag to the shoulder)
After the simple and effective programming in the course, I feel confident in programming for myself twice weekly. If done correctly, this SPP (sport specific practice) builds confidence in the key movements to lift heavy stones on the weekends.
During this week’s training, I performed:
10/3 Rows (150lbs)
8/3 Squats (150lbs)
1/3 Pick Ups (200lbs)
1+1/2 To Shoulder (150lbs)
On alternating training days with the heavy bag, I might add in shoulder carries for 60”/side, or simply push more volume in the selected exercises. Since I own 50lb, 100lb, 150lb, and 200lb sandbags, I have a full variety of sizes to mix and match.
In my next project, I will attempt to fill a 150lb sized bag with up to 225lbs using a mixture of metal shot, rocks, and sand. The size of the 150lb bag is more ideal to train with than the 200lb sized bag because of actual sizes of stones I lift on the weekends.
Connection
I consider lifting to be my art. Although the paragon of my artistry begins in the gym, my masterpiece comes to life in the hills. This is where I hone my technique, this is where I develop the inclined mind of strength and fortitude. When I venture outdoors, I become the canvas of the natural world..
It is less about conquering a heavy lift than it is about overcoming the tribulations of the stone. Even though my capabilities only encompass a sliver of the Earth’s bounties, I continually marvel in admiration that I coexist among Mother Nature’s powerful energy.
“Pig Pen Stone” ~ 300lbs+, Joshua Tree, California
“Training Stone” ~ 250lbs, Joshua Tree, California
Looking to buy your own sandbags? Check out my preferred brand Project Kratus (@projectkratus). I have a one time discount code for you! Click PARKER15 at checkout for 15% off.
John Parker
February 28, 2022