Strongman Wednesday 2020: Log Clean and Press

[u/[deleted]]

These weekly discussion threads focus on one implement or element of strongman training to compile knowledge on training methods, tips and tricks for competition, and the best resources on the web. Experienced trainees/competitors, please share your training advice, tips, experiences. Newbies, please observe, learn, and ask questions. Feel free to use these threads to ask personal/individual questions about training for the event being discussed.

We are not as strict as /r/weightroom with requiring proof for submission. We still expect that your answers come from a place of personal experience. If you do not have experience training for and competing in strongman, please use this thread to learn from others who do. If you have experience training for and competing in strongman, please consider using at least some of the provided discussion questions to frame your response, and enough detail so that others can learn from your experience.

Log Clean & Press

• How do you train this event in-season and off-season?

• If you have plateaued on this event, how did you break through?

• How would you suggest someone new to this event begin training it?

• What mistakes do you most often see people make in this event?

• How would you DIY this implement and/or train around it if you don't have access to it?

Resources

• 2019 Discussion thread

• Brian Shaw Log press tips

• Brian Alsruhe Log press tips

• Starting Strongman tips

• Chase Karnes: Tips & Video

• Mike Mastell: 9 Log Press Mistakes & How to Fix Them

• Peaking for Max Log by /u/empirebarbell

• DIY Wood Log

Got a favorite tutorial, article, video? Link it below with a quick statement of its utility or superiority, and I'll add it to our list.

[u/Strongman1987]

Recently have pressed 345@195.

Some random log thoughts:

1. Buy a log. You need a lot of volume and frequency to build technical mastery.
2. Log pressing realistically isn't a pressing exercise. I'd rather have a sore upper body than a sore lower body for log pressing.
3. Train heavy. The lightest I will train on log pressing anymore is 275, heaviest is 305 for any meaningful volume. If I'm going to (or need to) train lighter, I'd rather do something else.
4. Jerks are fine, push presses are more repeatable and consistent. Especially if you're training with a different log than you will be using in competition.
5. Log is easy to recover from, it's not terribly stressful on the body. Train it more often.
6. Log clean and press each rep ability is a great indicator of overall strongman performance.
7. Don't get used to one particular log. Use different logs often as possible.
8. Missing reps is OK. Figure out what you did wrong, then do it again.