Hello everyone, it’s Karl Ortmanns writing again this week to discuss another form of strongman training for football players. Now when I am talking about keg training, there are SEVERAL ways to using a keg. I will touch on some of the exercises and the relation to football. The first thing that you need to realize is that it is a keg that is filled with water, different levels of water equal different weights, and will stress your entire body. The keg will move however you want it to move, but the water inside does not stay still, which makes it all the more challenging! The reason why I like the kegs is for the reason just stated; nothing stays still. When you are on a football field, does someone just let you block them, tackle them, or even stand still as you run by them? Not if the player is any good will they do that. Keg training is like fighting with someone. I will explain further.

The first exercise I like to do with the keg is a clean and press. There are 3 different grips that I like to show to people. These grips start from the easiest and get harder. Keg clean and press if difficult because you have to use your grip strength to move the keg in the desired motion. Next, you have to use your legs and hips to drive the keg upwards to get it over your head. If you do not get a good hip drive, the keg will not move upwards in a smooth motion. The same rule applies on the football field. If you do not shoot your hips at the right moment, you have no power in your desired movement, which results in potentially getting beat.

Once you get the keg to your chest, you then have to press it over your head. This will use your shoulders, arms, core and legs to do so. Once you get the keg over your head you hold the keg at full arm extension for at least a full second. The keg will want to shift around, as the water is moving, but hold it and then lower it to your chest and repeat this same motion for desired number of reps.
This does sound easy; however it is very challenging on the body. At SST we have a 50 lb keg and an 80 lb keg. These are just the beginning, because the weights of the kegs can only get heavier after these two. The other exercises you can do with them are keg throws, which are VERY hip dependant and VERY good for hip extension and explosion, keg squats, keg walks, and keg bench press to name a few.

Like I have previously stated, doing keg training is like doing a 1-on-1 for lineman. Neither person stays still and is constantly moving in different directions. I’m using lineman as my main example because of my history, but it can relate to anyone that is interested no matter of age or sport.

That is all for this instalment. I hope that I have sparked the interest in many of you to give strongman training a try. SST will also be holding a Lineman Camp in December that will work on the skills that are needed to succeed as a lineman, as well as help with their training. Stay tuned for more details on both the Lineman camp and articles about strongman training for football players!

Karl Ortmanns