Strongman Equipment: Best Training Gear For Strongman Workouts

In this post we introduce 9 essential pieces of strongman training equipment available to buy online.

Whether you compete in strongman events or just enjoy the training, the equipment you use needs to be of the highest quality. If the object you’re lifting breaks and lands 120LB of steel on your head, that just won’t do.

It also needs to provide an element of “chaotic training” to your workout – with an emphasis on instability, non-uniformity and unconventionality.

The 9 pieces of strongman equipment you’ll find in this guide are designed to add that extra dimension to your training so that, whether you’re getting ready for a competition or training just for fun, you’ll be ready for anything.

Table of Contents

Best Strongman Training Equipment

1. Log

Log lifts are common in strongman competition, making it a good choice of equipment for push events. It also closely mimics barrel lifts, which makes a log bar like the Happybuy Log Bar a surprisingly versatile piece of equipment for strongman training. It is compatible with Olympic weight plate sizes, holds up to 700lbs, and is strong and durable. It could do with more grip on the handles but is otherwise a very good buy.

2. Heavy Sled

A heavy sled, or pulling sled, is not only good for training sled pulls, but you can load it up with weight and then practice rope pulls, too. You won’t have to perform rope pulls in too many strongman competitions, but if you have one coming up, a sled is more convenient than pulling your car up and down the street. At the very least, it will enable you to practice the hand-over-hand pulling motion.

The Titan HD Power Speed Sled has a maximum weight capacity of 500lbs, which is a decent limit, and includes a harness and 10-foot leash. It works with iron Olympic weights but it doesn’t fold down easily for storage.

3. Axle Bar

Virtually every strongman competition has a deadlift event, and strongman deadlifts tend to use axle bars. Axle bars are thicker than standard barbells and if you’re not used to them, you’ll find them a lot more difficult. They not only require a different grip, the thickness of the bar changes the lifting motion and your stance.

The Titan Fitness Axle Bar is 84 inches long and has a diameter of 50mm and a maximum load of 662 pounds. It’s powder coated to protect against corrosion from sweat and rain, too. It is unmarked, but that’s common with axle bars and you can chalk your own marks, if necessary.

Fat Gripz can be used in an emergency but they don’t fully mimic the movements required with an axle bar.

4. Yoke

The yoke is a common piece of strongman equipment for carry events. The yoke itself is a frame, on which you load heavy weights. You then pick the frame up with your back and walk. The yoke needs to be strong while having a little give in the top bar.

The yoke is one of the more expensive pieces of equipment for strongman competition, but the Valor Fitness BD-21 Yoke Rack is a multipurpose piece of equipment that has a pull up bar and can be used to store your weights when not in use.

5. Farmers Handle

One of the ways in which strongman training really challenges you is in the movement of the weights that are used, and this is especially true in the farmer’s handle carry, which is another common event. Handles are attached to any of a variety of heavy objects and the user is challenged to walk those weights.

The object carried, and its weight and center of gravity, determines the motion of the weights. Farmers’ handles aren’t as expensive as a yoke and the LoGest Farmer Walk Handles include clips to hold weights in place so they don’t slide off completely and the rigid design of the handles means the weights won’t be banging your knees during training.

6. Sandbags

You won’t have to carry sandbags in every competition you enter but adding them to your training is beneficial. The weight of the sand shifts as you move and carry the bag, and this unpredictability is evident in a lot of the events you will face so training it is important. You can also use them for stones training and general workouts.

The Cerberus Strength Heavy Duty Sandbag V2 is a strongman workout tool that helps train push, pull, lift, and carry events while also improving your grip. You will need to get the sand yourself, but it does come with a liner kit to help prolong the life of the bag.

7. Wrist Wraps

Before you invest in yokes and logs, you need to look after your fitness and prevent injuries. Wrist wraps provide support and protection for the wrists. Because they help support the wrist joint, they enable you to perform to your best and lift extra weight. They are the least expensive piece of strongman training equipment you will buy and their ability to prevent injury means they are worth every dime.

Gymreapers Weightlifting Wrist Wraps are 18” wraps, which means you can achieve the desired level of thickness or slack but are still allowed in competition.

8. Knee Sleeves

In the same way wrist wraps provide support to the wrists, knee sleeves protect your knees, which are one of the most common areas for injuries during competition and training. Sleeves come in a variety of thicknesses with 7mm being the thickness most commonly used for weightlifting and powerlifting because they provide the most support.

Iron Bull Strength 7mm Knee Sleeves are contoured to fit without rolling or sliding but you do need to measure according to their sizing guide to ensure a good fit.

9. Resistance Bands

Bands might not be used in strongman events, but they are an excellent piece of supplementary training equipment because of the way they act differently on your muscles. The resistance level of elastics increases the further you stretch them, which is different to lifting ordinary weights. This ensures your muscles are challenged throughout their full range of motion, resulting in greater strength adaptations.

For strongman training, using bands with a very high level of resistance is obviously the way to go. Atemi Sports Resistance Loop Bands are available in extremely high resistance, for example the blue band pictured above. They are made of 100% pure natural latex and can safely be stretched up to 2.5X their length without breaking. See our resistance loop exercise guide for some workout ideas.

Best Strongman Training Equipment – Final Thought

There are many other pieces of training and competition equipment for strongman, but the 9 items listed above provide a good balance of training for different types of event, as well as protecting and supporting your limbs.

Variety is important in strongman training, so it’s a good idea to use equipment that will challenge you in many different ways. Read about more types of equipment you can use for strongman in our product review guides:

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Strongman Equipment: Best Training Gear For Strongman Workouts