Pick the 5 best exercise to get STRONG!

Top 5 Max Effort Lifts for Strongman – Lower Body
By CJ Murphy, MFS for EliteFTS.com
This is the first in a 2 part series on our favorite max effort exercises for Strongman ( notice the Americanized spelling of “favorite”, not the pansy Euro-Trash “Favourite” spelling). This article will focus on those lifts for the lower body while the next one will focus on the upper body.
One thing to keep in mind is that Strongman requires different types of strength, so vary your reps. Sometimes you will keep them low, 1-3, and sometimes they will be higher, 3-5. You might also want to pick a weight and do a maximum amount of reps for a predetermined amount of time (60-75 seconds). These choices will be made by you and based on your weaknesses and any upcoming contests. For example, if you have a contest coming up with a Viking Squat for max reps, doing box squats for a 1 RM might not be the most beneficial exercise to choose.
Here are our top 5 in no particular order:
Safety Bar Box Squats
As a reader of this site, the benefits of this exercise should be well known. SSB Box Squats are a top choice for all athletes.
Zercher Squats
The Zercher Squat has a tremendous carryover to many Strongman events, especially things like the Conan’s Wheel and Husafeld Stones. Use this one a lot! The SSB is great for Zerchers, as well as a thick bar.
1-Arm Farmer’s Walk Deadlift (Suitcase Deadlift)
This exercise not only works grip and posterior chain, but also your torso like almost nothing else . For a real treat, try a 2” FW handle. I’m getting Yoda like by telling you this hits the Quadratus Lumborum, and Glute Medius hard.
Rack Pull
Many Strongman events incorporate some sort of pull from the ground, so the Rack Pull (Pin Pull) fits the bill. Vary the height you will pull from as you will pull from different heights at contests. You might see an 18” Deadlift, or an Axle Deadlift with big tires on the axle. Try to mimic your events in training.
Suspended Good Mornings
Bill Starr once said, ‘nothing makes you strong like good mornings’, or something to that effect, and I agree. The Suspended Good Mornings builds raw strength from a dead stop. The fact that you are starting at the bottom of the lift makes it much harder than a traditional Good Morning. Hang those chains from your power rack and get strong!
There are many other max effort exercises to choose from, but we feel these are the best. Find out what works for you.
I’m fat old and broken now, someday you will be too,
CJ Murphy MFS