Let’s get one thing straight: You cannot peak year-round.
That’s not weakness — that’s physiology.
Strongman is brutal. Heavy carries. Awkward implements. Max-effort pulls and presses. If you’re always chasing PRs, eventually your nervous system will hit a wall, your joints will scream, and your performance will stall out.
That’s why I take my offseason seriously.
And if you want longevity in this sport — so should you.
The Ceiling of Your Strength Is Muscle
Here’s the truth most lifters ignore:
Your 1-rep max is only as high as your muscle mass allows.
You can grind out form tweaks, cluster sets, smelling salts, whatever — but if your cross-sectional muscle area isn’t growing, you’re limited. That’s the ceiling. And offseason training is where you raise the ceiling.
In the offseason, I shift gears:
-
More reps, less max effort
-
Hypertrophy-focused blocks
-
Emphasis on volume, time under tension, and recovery
-
Reinforcing movement quality and joint health
You don’t build a skyscraper on a cracked foundation. So every year, I go back to base-building.
Why You Burn Out Without One
If you train like every week is contest prep, here’s what happens:
-
Central nervous system gets smoked
-
Soft tissue wears down (goodbye elbows, knees, hips)
-
Progress flatlines
-
And worst of all — your body starts rejecting food and recovery
You know that feeling where nothing moves and your appetite’s dead? That’s burnout.
This is what makes a well-structured offseason phase so important. It’s not “taking it easy” — it’s training with purpose while giving your body a break from overload.
My Offseason Program (The One I Use Myself)
I built the 12-Week Offseason Strongman Program to solve this exact problem.
It’s based on what I use after comp season, when the goal shifts from “peak performance” to “build the next level.” And if you run it properly, you’ll come out stronger than ever.
What’s inside:
✅ 12 full weeks of training — broken into 3 progressive blocks
✅ Volume work to grow muscle without trashing your CNS
✅ Strategic deloading to allow recovery without losing momentum
✅ Accessory work to bulletproof your joints
✅ Implement-specific movements (yoke, farmers, stones) tailored for off-season loads
This isn’t cookie-cutter. It’s built for strongmen — not powerlifters, not bodybuilders — with real-world structure that works with your lifestyle, not against it.
Results That Actually Stick
Here’s what I’ve seen (and experienced):
-
Athletes PR by 5–10% across major lifts after the offseason
-
Chronic aches disappear
-
They actually feel hungry again — because they’re recovering
-
Most importantly: they’re excited to train again
Too many guys try to chase tiny 1% gains year-round… and stay stuck in the same spot. But if you step back and rebuild? That’s where the next 100 lbs on your deadlift comes from. That’s where the next comp win is born.
Play the Long Game
You don’t get to stay at the top by grinding every week. You stay at the top by training smart and periodizing your year.
So if you’re serious about strongman — not just looking big, but being strong under any implement — then it’s time to get your offseason right.
👉 Get the 12-Week Strongman Offseason Program Here
I’ve used it myself. It works.
You’ll thank yourself when comp season rolls around.
– Mitchell Hooper