Strongman is one of the most fun ways to get strong, but most beginner plans either skip the events or assume you already own a full strongman gym. This one does neither. It’s a free 8 week beginner strongman program from Cerberus Strength, the brand built around 10x World’s Strongest Man competitor Laurence “Big Loz” Shahlaei.
You train 3 days a week. Two gym days build your press, pull, and squat, and the third day is events, where you pick a couple of strongman movements and learn to handle them. The main lifts run on percentages of your one-rep max, so the weight climbs in a planned way across the 8 weeks.
We turned the free PDF into an interactive spreadsheet. Enter your maxes once and every working weight for all 8 weeks fills in for you, so you can skip the math and just lift.
Table of Contents
8 Week Beginner Strongman Program Spreadsheet
Spreadsheet via Cerberus Strength
On the Setup tab, set your rounding (5 for lb, 2.5 for kg) and enter your maxes for the deadlift, overhead press, front squat, bench, row, and Romanian deadlift. The Program tab then calculates every load for all 8 weeks. Use the Events & Carries tab to log your carries and your chosen events week to week.
How the Program Works
The program runs in four 2-week blocks. Each block adds 5% to your main lifts, so weeks 1 and 2 match, weeks 3 and 4 match, and so on up to weeks 7 and 8. Every gym lift is 4 sets of 5 reps, and you add a little each set when the bar is moving well and your form holds.
Day 1 (Gym)
- Deadlift: 4 x 5 (starts at 65% of your 1RM, up to 80%)
- Overhead press (log or axle): 4 x 5 (60% up to 75%)
- Front squat: 4 x 5 (55% up to 70%)
- Farmers walk: 3 sets of 50 feet / 15m at a moderate weight
Day 2 (Gym)
- Bench press or push press: 4 x 5 (65% up to 80%)
- Bent over row: 4 x 5 (60% up to 75%)
- Romanian deadlift: 4 x 5 (55% up to 70%)
- Yoke walk: 3 sets of 50 feet / 15m at a moderate weight
Day 3 (Events)
Pick 2 to 3 strongman events and stick with them for the whole program so you can track progress. Start with lighter weights or shorter distances and build from there. The program suggests atlas stone loading, tire flip, truck pull, frame carry, sandbag carry or load, Husafell carry, sandbag toss, sled drag or push, and stone carries. No farmers handles or yoke? Use a sandbag, stones, or a Zercher carry with a barbell.
FAQ
How many days per week is it?
Three. Two gym days and one events day. You can add light arm or core work if your recovery allows it.
Do I need a full strongman gym?
No. The two gym days only need a barbell and the usual plates. For events and carries you can substitute a sandbag, stones, a sled, or a Zercher carry with a barbell if you don’t have dedicated implements yet.
Is it actually free?
Yes. Cerberus publishes the full 8 week program for free, and our spreadsheet is free to copy. Open the sheet, then choose File then Make a Copy to save your own editable version.
