Before we get into talking about what Highland Games are, because I think very few people are theyve probably seen it, they dont know its called Highland Games. Ill find something else to do to you know, care more about diet, and try to figure out that when I dont have to worry about being strong. Sorinex sells a glute ham roller, a new piece, that I love doing leg curls and glute ham bridges with. Brett McKay: You talk about you wear kilts when you do this. BC: I met Matt Vincent the year before at the Sorinex Summer Strong conference, and hes another strange combination in that hes a humble, gentle giant just like you. Matt Vincent: Im really bad at the hammers. Powerlifting Training for Everything 210kg Snatch, 250kg Clean and Jerk, 920lb raw deadlift, 2,221 raw total, 3rd at 2010 World's Strongest Man and 19' . My program, the Hviii was really basically a condensed version of my program, the long program with strength lab or training lab, that Heres five weeks, quick rotation, and just allows you to, you dont want to think about a whole lot or reprogram every five weeks. Without rules against it, nothing would stop a guy from taking a full year off the sport and getting completely gassed on steroids. They have an amateur class and they have a novice class. The North American Scottish Games Athletics (NASGA) website has a great database of Highland Games where you can search for upcoming events and see current stats and rankings. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that youre a god or a total bastard. What aspect does quickness or athleticism come into the .. Like throwing a sheaf over your head. Brett McKay: Do you have any idea how the Scots invented this stuff? How do you work around this? Brett McKay: Matt Vincent, thanks so much for your time, its been a pleasure. What keeps you going, right? Work is Join Chad for some fun with the boys from Massenomics, Matt Sharafinski has added over 300 pounds to his total with JuggernautAI, Huge numbers for elite powerlifter Carlos Moran. I also dont focus on the split like I should: I just try to eat more protein! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I have coached complete novices that have never set foot on the field, the top pros in the world, and every level in between. A Day in the Like of a Strongman - and we thought we had it bad. We are not weight lifters who throw, we are throwers and must train accordingly. Brett McKay: It seems like theres a lot of camaraderie in that sport, in the Highland Games. What I do is i keep conditioning in my program. Thats why Ive always said that a good thrower is both strong and athletic. The Hviii is kind of a personal mantra, right. Abs are cool and all, but I wouldnt skip some delicious dinners with my wife to have abs. You throw twice a week and you lift twice a week. Youve never used them. All things being equal, the stronger thrower wins. 28# Weight for Distance: 949.25 (North American Record) We did a lot of Olympic lifts, but dead lifting really wasnt I dont think I honestly dead lifted until after college. Add in 2 lifting sessions, one reppy, one snappy. Do you know how many calories you typically throw down per day? Whenever Im not willing to do what it takes to train for it. I try to vlog and document and kind of do everything Im doing. We live in Kansas City, Missouri where I work as the Midwest Rep for Sorinex. Its the guys who are wearing the kilts, theyre throwing the giant telephone pole looking thing, theyre throwing hammers over their head, theyre throwing big, burlap sacks over their head with a pitchfork. Your email address will not be published. Highland Outlaw Workout This is a predominantly sandbag based highlander workout with the incorporation of stability exercises and speed drills. The competitor then runs forward, building momentum, before tossing the caber into the air so that it turns end over end with the upper end landing before the end originally held by the competitor follows through and hits the ground. It doesnt pick you up and throw you on the ground. Once I get below that I really start feeling weak. 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Two days of lifting should be sufficient but one more probably wont hurt recovery. How are muscle damage and muscle growth related? Its one of those fringe strength sports along the lines of Strong Men or power lifting. Liberty or Death: SCBC goes all in at the LibertyOpen. Id say that, along with the volume of work I do each week. Really been looking forward to this one. Doing that is going to allow you to be a little bit smarter in training and think which one actually makes more progress. Participants use the handle to whirl the hammer around their head and then throw it as far as they can. Its exactly the same rules as throwing the Olympic shot put. From left to right: Richard Sorin, Bert Sorin, Dan McKim, Bret Contreras (hint: being closest to the camera gives the illusion that yourethe most jacked!). Ive been following you on Instagram. Youve got to do all of it to make the good days good. Bailey became involved in the Highland Games in 1988. Im curious This is something I want to do. While I got a lot of volume in, I wound up inured as my body never fully recovered for either throwing or lifting, as I was still lifting five days a week. Matt Vincent: Of course. If youre doing a bodybuilding routine, this probably isnt for you. Hes of the move, plus, people in Iceland seem to know how to move heavy stuff. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. BC: Good point. Its okay Dan, we all want a biceps pump. Whatever I can do to stay in that. Im trying not to focus so much on it other than just using it as an indicator of progress in the guy. Some calisthenics. "It's more of a test of athleticism than most sports." Vincent travels the world for 20 weeks a year to participate in the Games, doing event training followed by weightlifting three to fours days per week during the season. Competitors are judged on how closely their toss lands to 12 o'clock. BC: Twins oh no!!! I like long walks in the rain, my favorite color is red okay, thats probably enough. We also throw a 56 pound weight up over a bar, for height, with one hand. Some days arent going to be great and some days are. It was always something we looked at athletes, right. Ive really enjoyed the online coaching and stuff, the little bit that Ive done of it. My programming is broken up into three phases: Volume, Hypertrophy and Strength/Power. If I want to stay around 300 pounds, I have to consciously eat all the time. Check out the Training Tuesdays Google Sheet that includes upcoming topics, links to discussions dating back to mid-2013 (many of which aren't . 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We also throw the lighter stone, which is 16 pounds and it can go up to 18. Even the UFC, now, disallows TRT as an acceptable medical treatment. Yes, I believe it is unfair. The shot put is a favourite at all good Highland Games. I noticed an increased awareness of my bodys athleticism and increased explosiveness within the first few weeks. We really didnt dead lift much in college. Matt Vincent: Yes, which is very 531. If youre moderately fit and youre working out and youre athletic, yeah, just go give it a shot and see if its any fun before you start investing a bunch of time and energy. Im going stuff at 75, 85, and 95% weight. knowing they do hip thrusts well that takes it to another levelthanks. Former Highland Games World Champion, Matt Vincent, and former thrower, Chad Wesley Smith have both said that training in the gym only gets you so far. Brett McKay: If youre concerned about six-pack abs and being chiseled . Brett McKay: You said you need quickness for the Highland Games. Youre saying youre chasing Daniel, right, in the competition. Given the movements I do in my sport, I was very posterior dominant. You spin twice and throw it as far as you can. This is going to build strength and power. With the help of Joe and Adrianne Wilson, he competed in his first and second ever, Highland Games competitions. Dr. Clinton Lee helps you deal with hip pain that's holding your strength back. With other 1400 articles, we're confident we have what you need. BC: Not too shabby my friend. That doesnt translate well me throwing something that weighs 16 pounds. Ive always wanted to get involved with it somehow, get in touch with my Scottish ancestry. (Brets note: below is my friend Jim Kielbaso showing off the glute ham roller). Youve written a lot of books. He is a Highland Games champion and competitor, and you can find more information about his work at MattVincent.net. What I mean by saying that is Im really not that concerned with, say, my gym Prs., or maxes or my power lifting total. Im not 19 years old and 20, and Im not in college to where Im just, you know, eating and sleeping, and going to track practice. 16# Hammer: 1577.25 (World Record) (LogOut/ A stone is 14 pounds, a two stone is a 28 and four stones is 56. Hes very good with the hammers, and hes got world records in both of them. What I aim to provide is a program that optimizes your time spent in the weight room and enhances your Heavy/Light throwing practices and, by extension your games results. Theyre similar type of battle things, like throwing rocks to defend yourself or the weights, actually were The old 56 and old 28, these are all part stone weights, right. And on a serious note, is there anything about your training that other competitors find surprising? Brett McKay: How does it differ from 531? Brett January 27, 2016 Last updated: September 28, 2021. There are a couple of real basics, that we can start with. Two Dumbbell Clean and Press: start light and go up to max. TRT should be in place for older men with hormone function issues, not men in their 20s and 30s in strength sports. You know, accumulating some implements, and starting to think about training for it. In that window is really where I perform my best. Even though he looks like Goliath, hes a wonderful guy. I always enjoy going to my local gamesThere is nothing sexier to this Glasgow Gran than strong men in kilts. "The Iron never lies to you. American Dan Williams broke the record in 2014 with a throw of 6.17m (20ft 3in). Theyre not always the most fun, but its for the greater good. 20# Sheaf Toss: 352. Matt Vincent: Sure. The sub-maximal aspect of that is what I do to build my program is I take my true max, and then I multiply that times 90%, and I treat that as my training max. Training Highland Games, throwing Maybe you sleep with a Captains of Crush gripper under your pillow or lift stones for fun and think 20-rep squats are the key to enlightenment, as well as to gains in muscular size, strength and fitness. Chad has lost over 50 pounds since October, learn how he's done it. Build power with these Clean tips from Max Aita. It was my answer to my version of 531, basically. Matt Vincent: No, thats correct. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. You know, the hammer was, actually, like a sledgehammer and then Im sure it developed into I think I can do this better than you.. How does someone If they want to get started with Highland Games, how do they do it? Then, when they were ready to compete again, since they now have low T from their steroid use, they could get prescribed TRT to keep their levels high. Curlz are admissible, too, as they may have some carry over in flipping the caber, if you are so inclined. I imagine your posterior chain gets plenty of stimuli with all the Olympic variations and throwing you do, would you agree? My body hurts. Every time I go to a contest, you know, 17 or 18 times a year, its some 12 of us out of that 20 guys, so you see the same guys every weekend. Matt Vincent: Thats what novice is for, right, youre brand new to this. I think the mountain from Game of Thrones does this sort of stuff as well, youve competed against him. Dan McKim Twitter Im definitely not an endurance athlete, but I like spending time on the bike. Its a little bit of self motivation through self loathing and its not listening to your own brain trying to get in your own way. Find out more about participating in a Highland games on visitscotland.com. BC: Perfect! Matt Vincent: Yeah, for me, I really like, throwing the stones. Hes done a couple of those with us, and I think, actually has the world record for standing weight over bar, not technically as a Highland Game weight over bar, but he has thrown it higher than anyone else in history. Brett McKay: How do you battle with our programming? It never freaks out on me, never runs. Brett McKay: What keeps you Is it like trying to beat yourself or do you really want to beat him one day? Does this theory still hold water? If you did, you probably lived a really boring life. I pretty much will just save my carbs for bourbon, whenever the time is right. Competitors throw a large stone of around 20 - 26lbs in weight as far as they can. Im guessing, but most likely its 3 4-week meso-cycles with a dropback/contrast week in week 5 10. Whats your advice for someone who wants to start throwing cabers and hammers around? I'd love to hear from you! DM: My money is on you, bud. Or, Im going to take a big, giant burlap bag and hoist it over with a pitchfork, whats going on there? I feel super confident going into to games this year. The object thrown isa 25.4kg (56lb) weight with a handle at the end of a short bar whichmust be thrown using just one hand. When its no longer fun. Heavy/Light: Periodized Throwing for the Highland Games. Matt Vincent: No clue what thats like, anyway, all of that happens in the kitchen anyway, it has nothing to do with your gym time. With each successful attempt, the bar is raised higher and higher, eliminating the contestants one by one. Yes, I believe the hang snatch to be my favorite explosive and most transferable lift for my sport. Matt Vincent: After I hang up the kilt, huh? Its pretty simple. As a thrower, like, in college, you kind of always know about the Highland Games. Sound too good to be true? Brett McKay: Were the same age, then. Matt Vincent:Best place to find me would be mattvincent.net, or the hviii.com. Can you give us a brief background of what the Highland Games are and the specific events of them. Great interview Dan. I cant just get as absolutely as strong as possible. Most of you have probably never heard of Dan McKim. Great interview, Bret. Weve been going at each other for a few years now, and it doesnt look to be slowing up anytime soon! A novice class is basically just like anything else, you just sign up and go. All Scottish Heavy Athletics games must have a minimum of five events. Other competitors find the bodybuilding split I build my workouts around to be surprising. For me, they fit in nicely with my upper back work, which is important for events such as the caber and hammer. Subscribe to the podcast in the media player of your choice. No one is going to make it out of this thing all the way without scars. DM: In the past four seasons, Ive won two World Championships and Matt has won the other two. How many events are there? I couldnt ignore the results of athletes training in methods beyond classic block periodization. What we need is stability work in which the core is a part but not the whole. Nothing is over 56lbs. Theres a Highland Game usually every weekend. Price: $97 Buy Now Highland games Online Clinic: Weight For Distance 56# Weight for Height: 18 Your leverages all change on the events How far I have to lean or how hard I have to sprint. Id like to expound on this. Please elaborate. Listen to the episode on a separate page. I met Dan at the CSCCA Conference in Salt Lake City this year, where we were both working the Sorinex booth (I was promoting my Hip Thruster to the various strength coaches). 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As possible the greater good basics, that we can start with age, then well me throwing something weighs. Calories you typically throw down per day a personal mantra, right place to find me be.