Strongman Atlas Stones Weightlifting Max

1. Stand over the stone with feet wide and the stone between your feet, slightly in front of your toes.
2. Bend over with a rounded upper back and wrap your arms around the stone, hands underneath, forearms pressing in.
3. Squeeze the stone hard and pull it off the floor by extending your hips and pulling your chest up.
4. Set the stone on your lap by sitting back so the thighs are close to parallel, re-gripping higher.
5. Drive the hips forward explosively while pulling the stone up your chest in a bear hug.
6. Extend fully to roll the stone onto the platform, then reset and walk back for the next rep.

Common Mistakes

• Pulling with straight arms: Lifting with arms extended and biceps exposed risks a biceps tear. Keep the forearms tucked under and squeeze the stone with the whole arm.
• Stone too far forward: Starting with the stone ahead of you makes the pull a long lever. Straddle it so it sits between your feet.
• Skipping the lap: Trying to go floor to platform in one pull fails with heavy stones. Lap the stone first and re-grip.
• Late hip drive: Leaning back instead of driving the hips forward leaves the stone short. Snap the hips through under the stone.

Programming Tips

Train atlas stones for 3 to 5 sets of 1 to 3 reps with heavy stones, or 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps with lighter stones for technique and conditioning. Place them early in a strongman or lower body session, after a thorough warm-up, when you are fresh enough to lift with good mechanics. Their purpose is total body strength, grip and strongman event skill.

Use tacky on the stone and forearms and wear forearm sleeves to protect the skin. A realistic start for a trained lifter is a 40 to 60 kg stone, moving up in jumps of 10 to 20 kg as lapping and extension become smooth. The most common fault is letting the arms straighten and the biceps take the load during the pick; fix it by keeping the forearms pinned under the stone and leading with the hips, not the arms.

Common Questions

What muscles do atlas stones work?

Atlas stones work the glutes, hamstrings and spinal erectors, plus the upper back, biceps, forearms and core. Very few lifts train as much of the body at once.

Are atlas stones bad for your back?

The rounded back position is safe for trained lifters because the load stays close and the spine stays braced. Build up slowly and avoid stones you cannot lap cleanly.

What weight atlas stone should a beginner use?

Most beginners with a solid deadlift should start with a 40 to 60 kg stone. Learn the lap and hip extension before moving heavier.

Can atlas stones replace deadlifts?

They train similar muscles but should not fully replace deadlifts. Deadlifts are easier to load progressively, while stones add grip and odd object strength.