Get Fit competitors get taste of Strongman stones
Christine Pocratsky
Randy Cantrell, Kathy Reed and Alexandra Griffith starts the workout with the 200 run with ball during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Jason Tungate shows the competitors a stone to shoulder lift during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Angela Vernet does the wall ball during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Zach Hixson does a stone to shoulder lift during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Donna Galderisi does a stone to shoulder lift during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Ray Newhouse Jr. does a stone to shoulder lift during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Shellie Cantrell does a stone to shoulder lift during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Kathy Reed does a stone to shoulder lift during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Shellie Cantrell does a stone squat during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Randy Cantrell does a stone to shoulder lift during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
Christine Pocratsky
Donna Galderisi is seen running a 200 with ball during week 9 of the Get Fit Challenge at CrossFit U-Town.
In Week 9 of the Get Fit competition, U-Town CrossFit gym owner Jason Tungate introduced contestants to the different Strongman competition movements, most specifically the Atlas Stones.
“You guys are familiar with the sled drag or push, and then there is the yolk carry, the stones, the tire flips and the kegs, which I really like using because they are infinitely loadable,” Tungate said. “You can make them as light or as heavy as you want. You could load them with water or with rocks or a combination of both for a completely different effect.”
He said the nontraditional movements really help to build core strength and there are benefits to each.
“What I really like about these movements is that the world’s not perfect, so when you go to the gym and every machine is perfectly set and controlled, it’s hard to transition that into real life,” Tungate said. “When you start using implements like these — the kegs and the tire flips and the stones — they’re not perfectly shaped, so you really have to work on your grip, your core stability and your power.
“It takes a different kind of strength to be successful at these movements,” he added. “I excel at picking up heavy stuff, so when I get to do this, it’s pretty cool,” Tungate said.
Technique is key when trying to do the Strongman movements.
“How we incorporate these movements into our workouts, you haven’t really seen up to this point, but in our CrossFit training, we do try to through the stones into the workouts at least once a month.”
So the focus for Week 9 was on the Atlas Stones, the technique in lifting them and some safety precautions.
“The Atlas Stones are solid balls of concrete, so if you do workout with the stones, it can tear up your forearms,” Tungate said. “The best thing I’ve found to take care of that is to go out and buy a cheap pair of long socks, cut off the foot part and pull those up over your forearms.”
When someone is working with the stones, he said he does not ever want to see someone trying to “save” the stones.
“There are a lot of things here at the gym that we don’t want to just drop on the floor, but these you can because I don’t want you hurting yourself,” Tungate said. “If you almost have the ball up on your shoulder but it’s starting to fall, don’t try to save it.”
Proper technique is also very important when trying to lift the Atlas Stones.
“Bicep injury is the biggest thing for this and for the tire flips,” Tungate said. “This is not a stone curl, so don’t try to curl it.”
There are two different ways to lift an Atlas Stone from the ground to your shoulder.
The first is a two-step technique where an individual places their feet on either side of the stone, with their ankles almost to the middle of the stone, but slightly back from the center.
From there, the individual bends down, cradles under the ball, picks it up and then walks their feet in together under the ball before squatting to rest the ball in their lap.
From there, the individuals needs to wrap their arms around the ball as tightly as they can before simultaneously standing and popping their hip forward to drive through the stone as they throw it up to one or the other shoulder.
“If you have boobs, then you want to get them under the stone,” he said. “You don’t want to try and pop it up and try to clear that hurdle. You’ll end up trying to roll the stone up your chest, which is not right.”
The second way to properly transfer the stone from the floor to your shoulder is a one-step move that has an individual getting the stone locked into a cradle position before using their shoulders and back to lift at an angle to throw it up on a shoulder.
“You scoop under it, throw your hips forward and lift the stone at an angle up to your shoulders,” Tungate said.
“Make sure you’re not pinching your knees in, but walking your feet in, and don’t lean forward when you drop the ball because it is cement and it will bounce up and could break your nose or knock out some teeth,” he added.
And then it was time for the contestants to try and lift the Atlas Stones to their shoulders.
Contestant Donna Galderisi said she was a bit nervous when she found out what they would be doing that evening.
“I thought maybe it was time to go, but even though it was challenging, it was easier than I thought it was going to be,” she said. “I actually really liked it because it’s so different.”
Contestant Randy Cantrell said he was excited for the challenge.
“That’s why I love CrossFit — there’s always something different,” he said. “It was challenging, but the way he explained it made it definitely doable.”
At one point, Tungate encouraged contestants to get the ball onto their lap in the squat position and then go a step further and do three or four squats.
Contests agreed that was very challenging because it made it very difficult to catch a breath with the heavy stone on their chest.
The contest continues through this month.