Jeff Parker Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 I havent squatted latlely, but I have been doing my yolk a lot. My best run with the yolk is 524#s for 40 feet. Not sure on the time, but around 10 sec. My squat used to be a little bit higher but right now it is right around 300#. Today at the gym I did calf raises on a smith machine with 450 for 3 sets of 10. Do any of you guys that do the yolk see a correlation between how much you can squat or do calf raises with your yolk weight? Can anyone squat close to their yolk weight? Does anyone have a really high yolk run but can't really squat much? I would be real interested to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foggymountainmuscle Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 The yoke at nationals for me is 500#s. I thought this sounded heavy but I can squat 425+ and my claves are really strong, I'll let you know how it went. In general I think moving in strongman requires alot of shin strength because you walk on your heels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danegarreau Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 My best powerstyle unequipped squat is 345, but i do runs on the yoke with 450 for 50 feet in a fairly fast pace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Walker Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 I personally dont think the squat and the yoke are all that related. The yoke swings and sways so damn much that it takes tremendous core and low back strength that cant be aquired just by squatting. Before I tore my rotator I was preparing for an August strongman. I was strolling with 720 for 50 foot trips like a walk in the park, with no set-downs. I did this in the grass and on the concrete. I attribute this yoke strength to 2 movements: suitcase deadlifts with an olympic bar and high rep (8) heavy (450+) deadlifts. That, and A TON of practice with the yoke. I prefer to do the yoke first in my training session then again at the end. I am a firm believer in training when you are tired. Having to perform when you are wasted from a session will make you that much stronger when you are 100% Rick Walker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danegarreau Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 I agree with Rick, squats and calf raises don't have a DIRECT coorilation to the yoke. For the yoke you first need to practice with the yoke. If you dont' have a yoke i would tell you to practice your farmers walk, because your legs will basically be doing the same function. Or you can do heavy 1/4 squats and walk in place with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foggymountainmuscle Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 If I move an inch with my quatar squats I'll crumple. I like walking in place with my 1/3 squats though. I have been told by Rick though that these don't help with the yoke. The core strength you can get from them might help though, but I get more core work out of overhead lifting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slayer Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 I'm terrible at squats, but feel that yoke is one of my better events. I would say the only portion that would carry over would be partial squats for the initial stand up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Parker Posted July 30, 2004 Author Share Posted July 30, 2004 Slayer brought up something that I have been thinking about, but forgot to include in this post. With the yoke I made at home, I designed it so I only have to squat down about half way. This is fine for at home, but I didn't know if I could get away with it in a contest. I'm 6'5 and my friend that is 5'9 cant even pick the yoke up I made cause it is to tall for him. Will the yokes in a NASS contest be adjustable so that everyone squats down the same for the initial pickup, or do tall guys just have to be able to do a full squat with the weight they used? I have not competed in a strongman contest yet, my first is in Nov., but that won't have a yoke event in it. So maybe by the time I do one for real I could get good at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foggymountainmuscle Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Oh I am so mad. I got totally shut down by the yoke at Nationals. 425+ squat, 530+ half squat, 805 quater squat, DID NOT AMOUNT TO JACK SQUAT when I had to move a 500 pound yoke 60 feet. I have very good core strength but none of my training prepared me for the yoke. Even if I built one I would not have had enough weight to make it worth my time. I bombed on the yoke and placed 3rd when I should have gotten second had I not come in dead last in that event. That is my experience with the yoke gentlemen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossman Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 this is what i am afraid of. i have no yoke, so i use a bar at school. the weight i have to move is 600. so far i havent budged it in walking. i hav very similar numbers to foggy, so i thought i would be able to. im kinda scared to see what will happen. all in all, i have almost no equipment, so i been kinda lazy with my prep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Walker Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 I tried to warn you Foggy...... Rick Walker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danegarreau Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Well i guess you proved Ricks theory true. The yoke is my worst event, i still kinda think it is because of my lack of hamstrings strength. I have a huge deadlift but my squat sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Walker Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 I am very serious when I say this: You fellas that are going into contests with little to no yoke training are risking serious injury. The yoke is perhaps the most dangerous of the events-especially if it is a yoke that shakes and sways. I practiced with a super yoke 2 times before my contest, but I did not use contest weight. Come the contest, I only had to walk 630? or so in the light weights. I hyper extended my knee pretty good and damn near hurt it bad enough to end my day. I had no idea about technique, and it cost me. I finished the course, but only out of sheer determination and will. Now, I can handle the super yoke with relative ease. The key is short, quick steps. Dont spend too much time on one leg! DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT attempt to walk a loaded Olympic bar around. If something should happen, the weight has no where to go but straight down-which means it will crush you and worse case senario-KILL YOU. IMO, squat poundages have very little to do with the yoke. There have been big guys with big squats that cant budge the thing, and there have been decent guys with decent squats fly with the thing. Core strength is key-and no, not just sit-up strength. CORE. This means: lots of high rep deadlifts (8-10 reps) suit case deadlifts, 1-arm farmers, regular farmers, super heavy side bends, keg and sand bag work, calf work (especially work on wobble boards!) and of course, YOKE WORK! If you do not have access to a yoke, I have found a good way to mimic one. You will need a couple 5-8 foot pieces of heavy duty chain, and a number of clamps. Attach the chain to the Olympic bar, then slide on a collar to keep the chain from coming off. Next, attach some weight plates to the other end of the chain, so they are hanging off the bar and free to swing. Pick the bar up, and start walking. You wont need much weight, I would start with 1-45 on each side first. It will swing and sway MUCH MUCH more then an actual yoke, but it will prepare your body for the shock. Also, since the weight is close to the ground, it is pretty safe. If you do go down, the only thing that will land on you is an empty 45 pound bar-that wont cause any damage-or at least very minimal damage. Work up to a couple 45s on each side and you will strengthen the core muscles to handle heavy yokes, as well as teaching your boy to counter the swing and still keep walking. Good luck- Rick Walker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danegarreau Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 For anyone else that wants to make a yoke for cheap check out my gallery, i made one a few months back that only cost about $50. It is very effective. I have also found that short quick steps are the best thing to do. And also don't try to go too fast too soon, because then the yoke will become out of control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foggymountainmuscle Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Rick, I know you tried to warn me, and you were absolutely right about the yoke, but I have nothing to train with the yoke for. The plans you guys gave to train the yoke are good ideas and I wish I could do them but I don't have enough weights to load pipe yoke like Dane's, and I don't have a bar that could support enough weight for Rick's yoke idea (There isn't even enough room in the university gym to do a yoke run even if they'd let me.). And I have no where near enough money to buy a good bar or enough weight plates. I've even thought of other ways to make a yoke but they've all been dead ends due to lack of resources. Anyone have anymore ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tspinillo Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 Use Rick's idea with the chains. If you need a bar, make a few calls to some steel suppliers, you may get lucky and find what you need cheap. Instead of weights, get some of those big buckets from a supermarket bakery (they usually give them away for free, ask). Get the chains attached to the bottom of the bucket. Just pop a hole in the bottom and run the chain through and bolt it to a strong wood block etc on the bottom outside of the bucket. Now dump cement in. If you can get it, augment the cement with steel chunks etc. Just be sure to get both buckets close to the same weight. The cement will set around the chain. As your core gets stronger, add more cement etc. Now Kick ass. T! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foggymountainmuscle Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 Thank you, tspinillo, now that I think I can make happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danegarreau Posted August 6, 2004 Share Posted August 6, 2004 Hey guys check out this guys training. This could really benifit you if you dont' have access to the implements. Obvioulsy it won't be the same, but it is a good start. http://www.joker47.com/Training/ME%20Lower/043004/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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