Odin’s Boys. Your New Strongman Program
If you’re looking for the last Strongman Program you’ll ever need, you’ve come to the right place. I built this strongman training program to be a full blown Strongman system, ever expanding to encompass the needs of it’s members. The Odin’s Boys Strongman Program is ATR’s subscription Strongman Training Program and in this post I go into detail on all of the reasons why it is the last Strongman Training program you’ll ever need.
Why “Odin’s Boys”
I have friends very close to me that have grown up with a passion for norse mythology. The stories of these warrior gods have inspired them to power through hard times in their lives and sometimes even fed their willpower in the heat of battle with the weights. As a coach, I get a lot of joy and fullfillment when i see an athlete demonstrate that willpower. Watching champions show their work ethic and demonstrate why they’re the best right in front of me has always left me in awe.
My favorite aspect of the norse mythology that these friends shared with me is Valhalla, the “hall of the slain”. If deemed worthy upon their death, the vikings believed that they would be taken to a great hall called Valhalla where they would train and battle through the day, then feast and revel by night. Heaven to these warriors was the opportunity to train with the gods.
The entire religion was about training hard on earth so that you could have the opportunity to train with gods when you die. An entire culture built around hard work, where the promised reward for that hard work was more hard work. These people had such a love for the training and the battle, that they did it for the sake of it. Heaven meant that they’d be permitted to keep doing it in the afterlife.
This idea makes me smile. It makes me think that the vibe in valhalla was probably the same vibe you felt watching the boys playing baseball in “The Sandlot”. Everyday, chomping at the bit to get out there and do what they loved, just to be doing it. Originally we were going to name the team “Odin’s Warriors” but to me that sounds like people doing it for honor, or some purpose outside of themselves. I wanted my program to be for the Strongman Athletes who embodied the spirit of the boys in the Sandlot. The ones who train for Strongman because its what they love to do. Those athlete’s aren’t Odin’s Warriors… they’re Odin’s Boys.
Strongman Training Program
In this section I’ll cover how the program is constructed, from the weekly routine to the annual calendar plus all of the customizations you can make to the program.
Your Weekly Strongman Routine
Your training is built into a modified version of the classic Conjugate Template. Westside developed a training system that incorporated 4 different training days: Max Effort Upper, Max Effort Lower, Dynamic Effort Upper, and Dynamic Effort Lower. I love the Westside Conjugate system for Strongman because the variation inherent in that system really works well with unlimited number of possible events in the sport of Strongman.
That said, i’ve modified that original conjugate template to make it work better as a strongman training program. I combined the Dynamic Upper and the Dynamic Lower days together to make room for an event day at the end of the week. Therefore your weekly routine in the Odin’s Boys program looks like this:
Monday: Max Effort Upper Day
Tuesday: Max Effort Lower Day
Thursday: Dynamic Effort Day
Saturday: Strongman Event Day
Your Max Effort Upper day will have Max Effort exercises and protocols that are designed to build up one of the key strongman movements: the axle clean and press or the log clean and press. The exercises are built out into a schedule designed to build upon each other until you peak and set a new personal record in the competition movement.
Your Max Effort Lower days focus on the deadlift, targeting one of the key heights and implements that you’ll see in Strongman competition. We’ll describe the annual calendar later in the post, but each phase will focus on a different key variation. Consider that you might be pulling on a regular bar or an axle bar, and that you might be pulling from the floor, a wagon wheel height, or a silver dollar height.
Your Dynamic Effort days will target the other strength qualities needed to become an exceptional strongman, like strength endurance or explosiveness. You’ll hit both a press variation and a deadlift variation on this day, followed by protocols inspired by Westside’s repetition method.
Your Event Days will contain protocols that train your press events, your loading events, your carry events, and then a 4th protocol covering one of a number of unique strongman events you might see in a contest. Oftentimes the protocols that you’ll see on event days are pulled from actual competitions, so I’ll have them linked for you in the description so you can compare your working weight to that you’d see at an actual competition.
your Annual Calendar
Every year is 52 weeks. For Odin’s Boys I break that year up into four quarters, each 13 weeks long. With regard to your max effort exercises, each quarter has it’s own focus. The 13th week of each quarter is a testing week where you’ll max out on your Max Effort Day and test to see how much you’ve improved.
For the Max Effort Upper Days, here are a few examples of what we might focus on:
Axle Bar Clean and Press For Reps in 60 seconds
Max Log Clean and Press
Max Log Strict Press
For the Max Effort Lower Days, here are a few examples of what we might focus on:
Wagon Wheel Deadlift for Reps in 60 Seconds
Silver Dollar Deadlift Max
Deadlift Max on Deadlift Bar
Identifying a focus allows me to build out your max effort exercises in advance and publish the schedule to members. When you sign up for TrainHeroic there is a link at the start of each workout that takes you to a page of our website where you can download the current quarter’s max effort schedules. You’ll know exactly what we’re building towards, even if the program itself hasn’t been published to your calendar yet.
each quarter is further broken down into 3-week Waves. There are 4 of these waves in each quarter, and your dynamic effort work is built on those waves. These waves are designed to work in conjunction with the Max Effort schedule to help you to get better at the event the quarter is focused on. That said, you’ll also have access to the Dynamic Effort Schedule through the link I mentioned before, so you’ll know exactly what we’re working towards at all times.
The rest of the weekly routine is built upon a template. The protocols that fit those slots will change, but the slots won’t and that allows you to customize your training. That template makes it possible for you to customize the Odin’s Boys Program to fit your needs as a Strongman Athlete. Let me show you how:
Layerable
The biggest problem with subscription programs like Odin’s Boys is that they’re rigid and inflexible, designed to fit the “average person’s” needs, not the unique individuals. That can work for general fitness, bodybuilding, and powerlifting because the “average person’s” needs fairly represent the population that the average is derived from.
You can be a Strongman with goals that are dramatically different from another athlete that is also a strongman! One athlete might be working on their silver dollar max for a competition, while another might have a deadlift ladder coming up with a defifcit deadlift in it. You might need to train your circus dumbbell for an upcoming show while your training partner signed up for a contest with a last-man-standing log press! Our sport is all over the place!
Any program that claims to be a strongman training program needs to have this in mind and some way of working with it. My solution with Odin’s Boys was to make the program layerable. Here’s what i mean.
The Template I shared above has committed protocols to it every week of every quarter of every year. These protocols will vary, but the slot in the template stays the same. It was designed this way on purpose so that you as an athlete could layer a protocol over the published version of the Odin’s Boys program that fit your needs better.
For example, let’s say that in the current quarter of Odin’s Boys the Max Effort schedule is building towards a Max Axle Clean and Press at the end, but you really need to work on your log. You can go to the shop here at atrtrainingsystems.com and pick up a max effort schedule designed for the log that will layer right on top of the Odin’s Boys Program you’re already following.
I will even help you get that protocol on your calendar in TrainHeroic. If you need the schedule to get you peaked at a certain time for a competition, I will get it on your calendar at just the right time.
The shop currently has protocols to replace the Max Effort Schedule, the Dynamic Effort Schedule, and even the warm up slots on the template. I’m making more as we go on, prioritizing specific requests from Odin’s Boys Members.
This is how I make Odin’s Boys flexible. Layering protocols over the existing template means that anyone can use my Strongman Training Program to reach their specific goals and prepare for their specific competition.
FAQ: Do You Have to be a Member to Get the Protocols?
No! When you pick up one of my custom protocols from the shop, you can download it as a stand-alone PDF to fit into your own training however you’d like. But if you are one of Odin’s Boys and subscribe to the strongman training program, i’ll help you fit it into your calendar so that you have all of your training and records in a single place.
Other Benefits
I use TrainHeroic to facilitate Odin’s Boys and it does a remarkable job of bringing you your Strongman Training Program. All of your workouts are found on your training calendar, and that is also where you’ll be able to find your added protocols that you purchase in the shop here at atrtrainingsystems.com.
Odin’s Boys is set up as a team in TrainHeroic, so you’ll have access to the team chat to discuss preparing for competitions, talk about the training sessions, and look for cues that might make your performance in specific exercises better. As a coach I love this feature because it gives me another line of communication to the athletes and a means of adding value to your training.
If you sign up now, you’ll get a 1-week free trial of the program in TrainHeroic. You’ll get to see what it looks like when the max effort and dynamic effort schedules are published, and if you’re already purchased one of the add-on protocols I can work with you to get it added to your calendar.
You’ll also get three free E-books that I’ve written for the strongman competitor. They’ll be available to download once you’ve started the free trial. Even if you don’t ultimately subscribe to the program, you’ll be walking away with over 150 pages of strongman content sure to make you better at the sport.
Conclusion
In the spirit of Norse mythology, where the revered warriors trained endlessly for glory, Odin's Boys Strongman Training Program embodies the same relentless pursuit of excellence. This program isn't just a training schedule; it's a gateway to embodying the tenacity and passion of the legendary warriors of old. Here, the ethos of hard work and the pure joy of training are not just encouraged—they are celebrated.
With Odin's Boys, you're not signing up for a one-size-fits-all regimen. You're stepping into a flexible, dynamic system designed to cater to your unique strengths, challenges, and competitive goals. Whether you're preparing for a specific event or aiming to surpass your previous bests, this program adjusts to fit your needs. The ability to customize and layer your training ensures that no matter your starting point or end goal, you have the support and structure to excel.
The community aspect of Odin's Boys, supported by TrainHeroic, offers more than just training plans. It provides a space to connect with fellow athletes, share experiences, and grow together. This camaraderie, reminiscent of the halls of Valhalla, is a cornerstone of the program. Here, every lift, every press, and every pull is a step towards personal greatness.
Joining Odin's Boys means more than just training; it means adopting a lifestyle where every challenge is an opportunity for victory, and every workout is a step towards becoming a legend in your own right. Just as the Vikings sought their place in Valhalla, you can carve your path in the world of strongman competitions with the spirit of a warrior and the support of a program tailored just for you.
Embark on your journey with Odin's Boys today—where training meets passion, and legends are made. Sign up now, embrace the challenge, and transform your strength to mythical proportions. Let the spirit of the Norse gods guide you in every lift and every battle, and may your strength echo through the ages.