StrongMan Atlas Stones

How to do the StrongMan Atlas Stones

1. 1Stand behind the stone with your feet slightly wider than hip-width and toes pointed out slightly. Lower yourself into a deep squat position, wrapping your arms around the stone as low as possible.
2. 2Lock your hands together underneath the stone using a interlaced or overlapping grip, keeping the stone pulled tight against your torso.
3. 3Brace your core hard, flatten your back, and take a deep breath into your belly to create maximal intra-abdominal pressure before lifting.
4. 4Drive through your legs and hips to pull the stone off the ground and lap it onto your thighs, keeping it pressed against your body throughout the movement.
5. 5Once the stone is lapped, re-grip higher on the stone and adjust your foot position slightly closer to the platform or bar.
6. 6Extend your hips and drive the stone up your body in a powerful hip-extension movement, simultaneously extending your arms to push the stone upward and forward.
7. 7Load the stone onto the platform or over the bar by extending fully through your hips, knees, and ankles at the top.
8. 8Step back and reset before attempting the next repetition.

Form tips

• Chalk your hands and forearms before each attempt — grip is the most common limiting factor and chalk dramatically improves your hold on the stone.
• Use a tacky substance on your forearms (competition-legal versions are available) to help the stone adhere to your body during the lap and load phase.
• Keep the stone as close to your centre of gravity as possible throughout the entire lift; letting it drift away from your body multiplies the effective load on your lower back.
• Train the movement in phases — deadlift-style pulls from the ground and separate platform-loading drills — before combining them at full intensity.
• Never attempt near-maximal stone weights without a spotter or training partner present, as losing control of a stone can result in serious injury to your feet, knees, or back.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the lower back aggressively during the initial pull from the ground, which places dangerous shear force on the lumbar spine under heavy load.
• Failing to fully lap the stone onto the thighs before attempting to load it overhead, which forces the arms and lower back to do work the legs should handle.
• Using a grip that is too high on the stone at the start, preventing a low enough pulling position and reducing mechanical advantage.
• Rushing the transition from the lap to the load without resetting the grip, causing the stone to slip and the lift to fail.
• Neglecting to brace the core with a full breath before each phase of the lift, leaving the spine unsupported under maximal load.

Frequently asked questions