Pumping Minimal Iron: Unorthodox Edition
So you want to go down a different route now?
You think this will work after watching a few videos of the great bloat-lord?
While you might not need to do what this behemoth of a being does, there are many routes you can take outside of the norm. It doesn’t always have to be bench, squat, deadlift or cable machine everyday until you look like a bodybuilder.
Let’s start with some good sources of odd lifts: Strongman, the king of odd lift competitions
Pick up stones and put them on a platform or throw them over your shoulder. Carry a hefty rack on your shoulders for a certain distance. Throw a weight over a certain height. Drag a train behind your back with only a rope and harness. There’s nothing quite like strongman.
So you want to do unorthodox lifts but don’t know where to start? First you must always remember that you need to have a good base before doing anything out of the norm. Don’t start picking up 150 lb. sandbags and stones if you can’t even deadlift 300 lbs., overhead press 150 lbs., and have a decent grip to pick up the weight itself. The boring base-building should last up to a minimum of 8 weeks; if you already had a good base and need to catch up to where you were again that is. A solid base for beginners and novices should take months long to build. I didn’t have a strong enough base to even begin odd lifts until about 11 months into a powerlifting program.
Once you are done with working up to where you want to be strength wise, now you can begin your odd lift journey.
Remember the first pumping minimal iron post? That can be a good start with odd lifts if you don’t know where to begin. From there it should give you ideas on what to do.
First you need to know which odd lifts you want to focus on. You can’t just do unconventional everyday and expect to not get injured unless you’re this guy.
Find a movement that you want to focus on and create your program from there.
Carries? Sure. Farmer’s Carries, Bear Hug Carries, Shoulder/Yoke Carries, Overhead Carries.
Throwing? Sure. Alternate days between over the shoulder exercises like On Platforms and Over the Shoulders and under the shoulders like side tosses and bear crawl pull throughs
Sleds? Sure. Alternate days between pushing and pulling.
Now to create the program.
Let’s focus on carries. This can be done with either sandbags or stones. Between each carry day will be a rest day. After the 4th carry day, there will be a 2 day rest period. Intensive days consist of heavy loads and sprints while Extensive days consist of lighter loads and longer distances. Weights, percentages, sets, and reps are only an example. Carries will switch every week on which will be extensive days and which will be intensive days.
Farmer’s Carries - Intensive
Sprint Carries @ #200. 3 sets. 10 yards distance.
Drop Set Carries @ #200, #150, #100. 2 sets. 10 yards distance each load.
Step-Up / Lunge Super Set. 3 sets. 5 reps each side.
Hanging Leg Raises / Bird Dog Super Set. 3 sets. 10 reps each side.
Bear Hug Carries - Extensive
Distance Carries @ #100. 5 sets. 20 yards distance.
EMOM Carries @ #100. 5 yards distance followed by 10 burpees each minute. 10 minutes.
Over the Shoulders / Turkish Get Ups Super Set. 5 sets. 10 reps each side. Over the Shoulders @ #75. Turkish Get Ups at #15.
Ab Wheel Roll-Out / Side Plank Dips. 5 sets. 10 reps each side.
Shoulder/Yoke Carries - Intensive
Sprint Carries @ #200. 3 sets. 10 yards distance.
Drop Set Carries @ #200, #150, #100. 2 sets. 10 yards distance each load.
Step Up / Lunge Super Set. 3 sets. 5 reps each side.
Hanging Leg Raises / Bird Dog Super Set. 3 sets. 10 reps each side.
Overhead Carries - Extensive
Distance Carries @ #200. 3 sets. 10 yards distance.
EMOM Carries @ #100. 5 yards distance followed by 10 burpees each minute. 10 minutes.
Over the Shoulders / Turkish Get Ups Super Set. 5 sets. 10 reps each side. Over the Shoulders @ #75. Turkish Get Ups at #15.
Hanging Leg Raises / Bird Dog Super Set. 5 sets. 10 reps each side.
After each workout, a cooldown will consist of: 2 sets of 20 reps each side.
Band Face pull
Band Pull Apart
Band Side Leg Lift
Band Clamshell
Band Fire Hydrant
Now that you have an example of what an unorthodox program looks like, the creativity and programming is in your hands.
Remember. Keep it minimal. Keep it simple. Keep the pump going.
