- 1). Go to the local liquor store or pub and ask for a used or "expired" beer keg. These can be partially filled, or completely filled, with water or sand and used for a wide variety of weight lifting movements, such as power cleans, rows, overhead presses and squats. According to the book "Dinosaur Training" by Brooks Kubrik, performing the so-called "strongman lifts" like these provide additional athletic benefit over performing them with a standard barbell because the stabilizer muscles that are activated.
- 2). Visit your local hardware store and purchase a couple of sandbags. These can be filled with various amounts of sand to provide another "strongman lift" tool. Sandbags can weigh anywhere from 40 to 50 lbs., all the way to 200 lbs. In addition to the exercises listed above, sandbags also work well for various throwing exercises, in order to build the explosive strength that is often needed for sports.
- 3). Find a tractor tire and flip it from one point to another. These can often be procured from farm stores for free, so they won't have to pay for the disposal fees. Tire flips are considered a fundamental strength and power exercise by Martin Rooney, head of the Parisi Speed School and author of the mixed martial arts conditioning book "Warrior Training."
- 4). Cut a large diameter log, about 8 inches thick, into a section 5 or 6 feet long, depending on the weight of the wood and your strength. The log lift is another common strongman lift that can be very effective for building strength and fitness. You can use it to perform clean-and-presses, as well as the caber toss as a variation of the clean.