Caber Toss: Well throw a different caber at each event Please elaborate. It made throws every week easier and I have already set a few practice PRs. Want to learn how to shot put? Brett McKay: It seems like theres a lot of camaraderie in that sport, in the Highland Games. Im curious why doing curls to work the biceps always seems to fall into the cosmetic category. He is now a Highland Games Athlete, and won the 2016 U.S. Highland Games Lightweight National Championship, and in 2019 he won a Masters World Championship. That gives a lot of direction, too. After that I think the hang clean is the second best for me. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. You know, Im tired, or, I need to rest, or, I deserve this or this and that, and the truth is, you dont. BC: How does one start learning more about The Highland Games if one is interested in training and competing? Matt Vincent: Yeah, McKim, Daniel McKim. I think its really important as an athlete that you knowing how to manipulate your own body weight is kind of key, how to adjust yourself in space and move quickly. What Ive been fighting for in my sport is, essentially, the same rules that the NCAA, IOC, SHGA, WADA, etc. Now you need to focus on stabilizing the body and you can always stand to be quicker. Dan McKim YouTube 28# Weight for Distance: 949.25 (North American Record) In the caber toss, a full length log, usually made of Scots pine, is stood upright and lifted by the competitor using both hands under the bottom of the caber to rest against their body. Look, its relatively bad, right. I feel like singles and heavy singles are more of a test than they are an actual strength building exercise. My programming is broken up into three phases: Volume, Hypertrophy and Strength/Power. I have a twin and we put my poor mother through hell, but you have 5 boys in total, I couldnt even imagine how much of a handful that is. BC: Glad Im not alone in my affinity for curls. And thats spelled hviii. Brett McKay: Thats an interesting question. Im not interested in him doing poorly so that I succeed. BC: You dont deadlift from the floor, correct? The Games are also noted for their unique sporting and athletic events many of which involve throwing and lifting. Im really glad I got on board with Heavy/Light lifting. These were used as counter balances at the feed market. You have quite the memory, my friend. Brett McKay: Got you. How many events are there? Its just measured for distance. How do you deal with that aspect? Ive since added the rounded back extension (love it) and hip thrusts more readily in my programming. This contest was followed by The Laurel Hill games in Ararat, VA. What I do is i keep conditioning in my program. Thats the gist of it. It doesnt pick you up and throw you on the ground. I do travel quite a bit, and I like enjoying myself. Podcast #172: Scottish Highland Games & Training for Performance You may have seen the Highland Games online or on television: guys in kilts throwing giant logs, tossing hammers over their heads, etc. You have two stones that you throw exactly like the shot put. Join Marisa Inda for some off-season powerlifting training, Check out a lower body training session on our Powerbuilding system in the JuggernautAI App, All 5 Parts of Chad's in-depth series on the foundational components of Sport Performance training. If youll notice, these exercises do a lot for stabilization of the body. What Ive found that works the best for me, and, you know, not just works the best for me, but is conducive to the life I live. For more manly tips and advice, make sure you check out the art of manliness website at the artofmanliness.com. You have an entertaining Instagram feed, but also some of your work in other places online. DM: Always an honor to chat with you, man. Welcome to the official website of Professional Scottish Highland Games Athlete Daniel McKim! You know, accumulating some implements, and starting to think about training for it. Really been looking forward to this one. I had a weird spot writing the program, because I knew there were a lot of similarities to it and at the end of the day, if it aint broke, Im not going to rewrite it just so I can say this is original. So many of us appreciate your work and expertise. BC: Yep, all of us lifters have to learn this lesson as we age. You probably didnt know they were called the Highland Games but youve seen the events in the Highland Games. Thats probably been the event that Ive been the best at over the last couple of years, as well as the weights for distance. Low back pain can make your lifting (and life) miserable, learn how to fix it! All Scottish Heavy Athletics games must have a minimum of five events. Post-college, I gave It a run at owning a bicycle shop, and that didnt work so well. Highland Games are as iconically Scottish as bagpipes, kilts and whisky all of which feature heavily at any gathering. For me, both mentally and physically, I have to have an off-season away from the sport. We are not weight lifters who throw, we are throwers and must train accordingly. That eliminates a lot of the ego. Like I said earlier, a strong posterior is critical for my events, so adding in the things you showed me has not only helped my training but also my back health. Do you have any idea about the history of the Highland Games? Dan is an amazing athlete. Brain Games are a new, "kernelized" approach to intervention, with simple and discrete stand-alone activities that can be easily integrated into routine operations at crches with a limited amount of training and supervision . When I first started, I was so addicted and excited about throwing that I practiced five to seven days a week for 18 months straight; rain, snow, cold it didnt matter. I really save that for the platform. Im sure its not looking like a body builders diet, Im sure youre eating for performance. Im curious what does your strength training program when youre also competing in Highland Games? My plan is to put 3 implements (14 pound stone, 16 pound hammer, and 42 weight for distance)in the Hyudai and throw at lunch. The competitor then runs forward, building momentum, before tossing the caber into the air so that it turns end over end with the upper end landing before the end originally held by the competitor follows through and hits the ground. Brett McKay: Right, exactly, thats something Ive learned. bench press. Hes done a couple of those with us, and I think, actually has the world record for standing weight over bar, not technically as a Highland Game weight over bar, but he has thrown it higher than anyone else in history. The Brain Games package consists of a series of games and exercises designed for young children in classroom settings. Use these drills to warmup before your next Clean workout. All of our best Nutrition content in one convenient place. Brett McKay: Matt Vincent, thanks so much for your time, its been a pleasure. View the video below: The tug o'war is one of the most fiercely contestedcompetitions at the Highland Games. It looks like the telephone pole. Dont go nuts. I'd love to hear from you! Matt Vincent: Its definitely one way to do it. When Im done competing, Ill still program like this, as I simply love to work out. I do Olympic variations twice a week and get my posterior chain work through lots of back hypers, glute ham raises, curl work, and modified deads such as RDLs and straight leg deads. Okay, Ive always noticed that Im pretty good at rotational actions such as throwing, swinging, and striking. Its pretty simple. Its the guys who are wearing the kilts, theyre throwing the giant telephone pole looking thing, theyre throwing hammers over their head, theyre throwing big, burlap sacks over their head with a pitchfork. BC: Perfect! So, I went to a game and had a great time and the got a hold of some people and located some more games and traveled and did that for about a year and a half as an amateur, and then got invited because I won an amateur world championship to the professional world championship in 2011, and I took second place at that, and Ive been doing it ever since. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Doing that is going to allow you to be a little bit smarter in training and think which one actually makes more progress. With each successful attempt, the bar is raised higher and higher, eliminating the contestants one by one. Goodness, that will be quick. Its amazing to me that the logic of, If I want my biceps bigger, right, I can do, say, curls, and do a bunch of sets of curls. No one is going to make it out of this thing all the way without scars. In the article which I take this program from, Dan even suggests going with Single Arm DB Clean and Press. Dan McKim Facebook Fan Page Jim has been a huge influence and a really good friend for the last five or six years. except the caber but it probably wont be more than 90lbs. Then, the caber The caber has a lot of I think it was used for this, but it was crossing a stream, you would you know, flip it, so it would lay at one end and fall on the other side, directly across the stream, and you could get across. John has gone from an average gym guy with no throwing background to a Pro-Heavyweight, and eventually reinventing himself as a Lightweight world record holder and National Champion. I think weightlifting is the most transferrable but there have been many a successful thrower from strongman and powerlifting backgrounds. Go home. Because I love to lift, this allows me to get five days of lifting in each week, pushing it hard every day. As always, I appreciate your support, and until next time, this is Brett McKay telling you to stay manly. It is sad, but any strength sport will have guys who feel they need to cheat and destroy their bodies to throw far. The aim is for the caber to land in line with the original run. That being said, strength is only a part of being a successful competitor. If you did, you probably lived a really boring life. That doesnt translate well me throwing something that weighs 16 pounds. The thing about the Highland Games is that the weight really isnt that heavy. Brett McKay: Boredom probably was the impetus. "The Iron never lies to you. Those guys that were willing to get up and do the work and push themselves harder. Is it for anyone, like even someone who doesnt compete. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. 1.) Youve written some books on strength training, youve got content online about strength training. Other than that, YouTube is a huge asset in training and competition development. Im a performance athlete, so since the amount of weight on the bar doesnt do me a lot of good in a contest, because were not lifting bars. As Dan John said, "throwers throw". I was a collegiate thrower and always loved throwing, so this was a great transition for me. Whatever I can do to stay in that. BC: Awesome. Like I said, you are probably already strong enough to handle the weight. What that allows me to do is like I said, never miss a rep during training. Martin Jancsics is an exceptional athlete and stone lifting instructor from Scotland. Dan is currently one of the best Highland Games competitors in the world, having won the National Championship from 2010-2013 and the World Championship in 2011 & 2013. 3 sets of 8 with a minute rest OR 55 OR 53 OR Pyramids OR multiple Pyramids, aka Waves. Im assuming that you have somewhere to train locally where you can perform the various competitive lifts. Matt Vincent: Its trying to be the best I can be. I cant see myself becoming a guy thats finishing tenth in the world and still grinding at that. Daniel McKim, who is also a multiple time Games World Champion said he believed in maintaining his training intensity throughout the season. I like long walks in the rain, my favorite color is red okay, thats probably enough. How can you best recovery from your Hypertrophy training? BC: I met Matt Vincent the year before at the Sorinex Summer Strong conference, and hes another strange combination in that hes a humble, gentle giant just like you. Bench is one of the most common exercises used in every gym in the world. You know, so I follow a more keto approach, which is high fat, high protein, and very limited carbs. Go train by myself in the garage, or, you know, get up when its cold and do those necessary things. Then, we have another distance event where we throw the hammer, which is a steel or a lead ball on the end of a stick. Athletes that had that different drive than your normal people. Clearly you have deep hip sockets and cant squat deep due to your anatomy. Open Stone: 567 Give about a 75% effort. Matt Vincent: Im really bad at the hammers. Matt Vincent: Yeah, so the history of the Highland Games, the way it really started was it was a test between the clans, Im sure which developed just from farmers, basically, coming up with being bored, and not having nearly the distractions that we do no, you know, I bet I can throw this rock further than you. This continued to grow as men tend to find challenges and things like that to do against each other. Then, I build all of my program off of that number. Having someone structure my lifting program that knows the demands of highland games and how to support throwing with the lifting really takes away the guesswork and allows you to focus on getting better instead of what to do next. Dan McKim eBook: Behemoth: Power Training for Strength Athletes As far as how long do I see myself doing this, I mean, Ive seen guys be competitive on the world scale at almost 40. Im curious This is something I want to do. The exercise selections were challenging, but felt great. Strength, power, body control, and conditioning are required for any athlete that wants to make progress in the Highland Games. But most will not be able to do this. Brett McKay: What keeps you Is it like trying to beat yourself or do you really want to beat him one day? Dan is big on simplicity and treating the body as one piece.. This involves eight men pulling against another team of eight, coached by an additional member of the team whoshouts encouragement and instructions to spur them on topull their opposite number across the line. Its a little bit of self motivation through self loathing and its not listening to your own brain trying to get in your own way. Youve got to do all of it to make the good days good. Ill probably work on losing weight and doing some body composition stuff. 03-19-09 05:30 PM - Post# 537024. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. Personally, it makes it fun when I beat them, knowing the things they are doing. I hurt my back years ago moving weight from the floor, so I decided I couldnt risk it any longer if I wanted to continue in my sport. All things being equal, the stronger thrower wins. Heavy/Light: Periodized Throwing for the Highland Games. His name is Matt Vincent. Thankfully, its still considered a PED in mainstream sports, but my sport has been soft on it. Theyre similar type of battle things, like throwing rocks to defend yourself or the weights, actually were The old 56 and old 28, these are all part stone weights, right. Dan McKim Twitter DM: The best tool is www.nasgaweb.com. On throwing days we work to perfect technique. We at JTS strive to bring the best powerlifting, weightlifting, training and strength content in the world. Now lets talk eating. Focused hypertrophy training is often overlooked by coaches and athletes in competitive CrossFit. What about macronutrient split? (LogOut/ Can you give us a brief background of what the Highland Games are and the specific events of them. Powerlifting Benching for Big Throws Bench is one of the most common exercises used in every gym in the world. I like being able to move. Im a meathead. Brett McKay: In one of your books, you talk about your program. Props to you. Core work is important but it is not the whole of the answer. DM: Taller guys do have leverage advantages as well as release point perks, but Id say your success in those actions is due to your athleticism. An 832# Deadlift by a JuggernautAI Athlete! Or, Im going to take a big, giant burlap bag and hoist it over with a pitchfork, whats going on there? around your body. pole held vertically is a challenge. Muscles dont react that way, they grow. You could also do, Overhead Squat 3-5 x 3 go deep and stay tight, 1 Arm DB Clean and press go to a heavy single, then a few back off sets, Throw A different two or three events if you have the implements. Then, when they were ready to compete again, since they now have low T from their steroid use, they could get prescribed TRT to keep their levels high. The shot put is a favourite at all good Highland Games. 3 sets of 8 with a minute rest OR 55 OR 53 OR Pyramids OR multiple Pyramids, aka "Waves". Easy throws focusing on form. BC: When we were training together, you were doing hang power snatches, and I believe you worked up to 315 lbs for a set of 3 reps. What are your favorite explosive lifts in the weightroom? The key is accumulation of work with the lighter weight instead of putting something on the bar and saying, Oh, shit, I think I can go for a PR, and add 15 pounds and risk the injury. Without rules against it, nothing would stop a guy from taking a full year off the sport and getting completely gassed on steroids. This program, for me, is any athlete looking to perform better. Heavy/Light is the first manual to create a full-season block periodization approach for athletes competing in the Scottish Highland Games. The Highland Games, like Powerlifting, Strongman, and Weightlifting, are a niche strength sport. A stone is 14 pounds, a two stone is a 28 and four stones is 56. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. How do you split it up, and how many exercises, sets, and reps do you typically perform? BC: Great points. Some calisthenics. Repeat two days later." How should you setup your Deadlift training? Add in 2 lifting sessions, one reppy, one snappy. Dr. Clinton Lee helps you improve your shoulder health. What are your current bests in the various Highland Games events? In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Hes done the weight over bar, which is of all the ones with any like, I guess, if youre just going to be a brute and give it a go, that one is your best bet of being able to figure out. In the day and age of information overload it is nice to have a way to simplify my efforts and put my energy into lifting and throwing instead of planning what to do next. The North American Scottish Games Athletics (NASGA) website has a great database of Highland Games where you can search for upcoming events and see current stats and rankings. I dont ever want to look back and question like Maybe I should have done this, or, what if I had trained harder, or what if I would have done this? I know Im doing everything I can to give it a go. This means that one must train consistently within the nine events of the Highland Games. What we need is stability work in which the core is a part but not the whole. Tell us more about your training. Matt Vincent: Five, three, one doesnt focus on any Olympic lifts, and with a three day program, my Hviii, day three is Olympic lift, and youre going to snatch and clean. Brett McKay: How does it differ from 531? But, its the combination of strength, athleticism and explosive ability that makes you a formidable and successful thrower. So, for me to get the most done in a week that I can, safely, I split my workouts into muscle groups so I can turn around and train hard the next day. Dan McKim Website Brett McKay: It seems like your approach is also like sub-maximal loading. (Questions not related to today's topic should be directed towards the daily thread.) Join us in the first-ever JuggernautAI Powerbuilding contest! Somebody who I was strength training with at the time said, you know they have a Highland Game coming up about an hour from here. I was like, Oh, no kidding, we should look into going to do that. Matt Vincent: Poor mass, a lot of times can lead to some impingement and movement, things like that that are going to keep you from hitting positions that will be better. Im working with a few of the bigger competitions in this sport to help eradicate that. Get to know a coach with a decade plus of experience. We throw two weights for distance. You spin twice and throw it as far as you can. These do well to work the stabilizing muscles. This Highland Games Training Camp will be a true 3 day immersion in all things lifting, throwing, and overall health related with John Odden. Subscribe to the podcast in the media player of your choice. Every time I go to a contest, you know, 17 or 18 times a year, its some 12 of us out of that 20 guys, so you see the same guys every weekend. Man, life gets in the way. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Matt Vincent: Yeah, Im 32, Ill be 33 in April. You are an athletic guy, Bret, which translates well, I believe, into those movements which are more athletic than a static box squat or deadlift. 20# Sheaf Toss: 352. Pleasetell us a bit about yourself, and be sure to include your height, weight, and age. What aspect does quickness or athleticism come into the .. Like throwing a sheaf over your head. Thats a really bad idea. How should you setup your program to Bench Press the most? Im going to get up and do what I can to make myself better. One can easily see the connections between points one and two. MILO articles on Highland Games heavy events technique for weight for height, caber toss, weight for distance, putting the stone, hammer throw, seasonal weight training and more, from Jim McGoldrick and others. My program, the Hviii was really basically a condensed version of my program, the long program with strength lab or training lab, that Heres five weeks, quick rotation, and just allows you to, you dont want to think about a whole lot or reprogram every five weeks. 75 % effort as one piece minimum of five events off the sport ( love it ) and thrusts. Is one of the answer in my program that being said, never miss a rep during.! Influence and a really boring life, we are throwers and must train accordingly people! It hard every day so that I think the hang Clean is great! Instagram feed, but any strength sport will have guys who feel need! Content online about strength training points one and two gassed on steroids into three phases: Volume, and. What the Highland Games is that the weight really isnt that heavy need is stability work which! Various Highland Games learning more about the history of the answer like your approach is also sub-maximal! 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