Christopher Bailey
From the second I returned from the 2016 World’s Strongest Man to the second I set off for the 2017 occasion, I gave 100%. I didn’t miss one coaching session, one meal, or one bodily remedy or cardio session. I used to be obsessed.
I educated at my regular fitness center, Energy Asylum in Stoke, England, with my regular coaching companion, Luke Fulbrook. We didn’t periodize or again off at any level. We simply educated heavy all 12 months. The best way I practice hasn’t modified a lot over time. I persistently practice heavy however by no means one-rep max. I work at 80 to 90% of my one-rep max for as much as six reps. If I can do greater than six reps, I add extra weight subsequent time. I’ve adopted this six-rep rule since I began coaching. If I really feel good at a weight, I would do greater than six reps, however normally, you’ll by no means see me do greater than six.
The one factor I modified was that I reduce down on help workout routines for smaller muscle tissues like biceps, calves, and abs. I simply didn’t really feel they had been making any distinction. I used to be placing an excessive amount of vitality and restoration into repairing these muscle tissues after I wanted to be specializing in the large, key muscle tissues, like quads and glutes, that do the brunt of the work.
Some strongmen have separate days for fitness center and occasion coaching, however I discover it more practical to mix the 2. If you will practice yoke, you need to thrash your legs first to get them burned out. You aren’t solely warming up correctly but in addition simulating a contest state of affairs as a result of it’s extremely unlikely you’ll begin an occasion recent.
Right here’s how a typical week broke down. As you’ll see, it’s fairly fundamental—it’s what I did out of the fitness center to get well that gave me an edge over my rivals.
One thing else I modified from final 12 months, which was very costly, was that after I educated a muscle group, I had it labored on the subsequent morning by my bodily therapist, Richard Sale, for 1½ hours. For instance, after I educated legs on Monday, he’d work on my legs on Tuesday morning. I had common remedy 4 or 5 instances per week, plus extra classes to deal with any niggles.
On common I used to be having six bodily remedy classes per week, which simply price over $250. Add up the fee over 52 weeks, and it’s fairly expensive. However bodily remedy is essential. I even took Richard with me to the World’s Strongest Man.
I even have a number of restoration gear at residence, so after each coaching session, I’d do hot-cold therapies for not less than an hour after which eat. If I had time afterward, I’d go into my hyperbaric chamber for 1½ hours.
That’s how I lived for a 12 months. I didn’t have any alcohol, holidays, or nights out with my spouse or days out with the youngsters as a result of they might tire me out an excessive amount of. My household understood it was what I wanted to do to be the most effective and left me to it. It was 100% dedication. Wanting again, I don’t understand how I did it. It was an enormous obsession to turn into the World’s Strongest Man.
Rise of the Beast
Christopher Bailey
How Eddie Corridor grew to become the World’s Strongest Man
2011: Wins the primary of six U.Ok.’s Strongest Man titles.
2012: Finishes eighth in his first look at Europe’s Strongest Man.
2013: Misses out on the ultimate of World’s Strongest Man by one level.
2014: Finishes sixth on the World’s Strongest Man.
2015: Units a deadlift world file of 462kg (1,019 lbs) in entrance of Arnold Schwarzenegger on the Arnold Basic Australia.
2016: Turns into first man in historical past to deadlift 500kg (1,102 lbs).
2017: Wins the World’s Strongest Man at age 29.
Christopher Bailey
The Routine
Monday: Legs
I simply did squats, leg press, and yoke. Easy. However to do these three workout routines might take 4 hours. That could be onerous to imagine, however if you’re doing stupid-heavy units you want a number of relaxation.
Bear in mind, I could possibly be squatting 350kg-plus (772 lbs.), so I wanted a superb 10 to fifteen minutes to get well between units. Doing three or 4 units at that weight can simply take an hour if you’re resting that a lot.
I did the identical on leg press, working as much as enormous quantities of weight and having loads of relaxation between units. That might take one other hour, then I’d spend an hour or so on the yoke.
Tuesday: Chest
Today was about constructing my urgent energy. There’s all the time a urgent occasion on the World’s Strongest Man. Once more, I stored it easy and had lengthy rests between units. I’d do flat bench and incline bench, then do triceps.
I took it good and straightforward, working as much as a megaheavy weight on the presses after which simply doing one set on triceps.’
Wednesday: Full-recovery Day
My concept of a restoration day is completely different from most others’. I had one thing small to eat very first thing, then did an hour of cardio, which could possibly be tire flipping, sled pushing, or boxing. Straight after that, I’d have an everyday train session, then I’d go residence and eat.
I’d have a full English breakfast, plus cereal, beef jerky, yogurt, and I’d hold consuming till my private coach arrived at 10:30 a.m. for 1½ hours of intense train. Then I’d eat dinner, which might be one thing like an enormous steak or hen and pasta.
Then I’d go to one other therapist for shock wave remedy, which helps the muscle tissues get well by breaking them down.
Then I’d eat once more, one thing like hen and rice, and have one other 1½-hour train session within the afternoon, doing full hip mobility and breaking down the glutes.
I then stretched within the pool for 1½ hours and did a superb 1½ hours of hot-cold therapies, which consisted of a sauna adopted by an ice bathtub a number of instances.
Then I’d go residence, eat, and go to mattress. That was my time off! It was nonstop.
Thursday: Again
Once more, I stored issues easy. I did deadlifts first, adopted by two help workout routines, like lat pulldowns and a rowing train. With the weights I used, that might simply take three or 4 hours, no downside.
Friday: Shoulders
I warmed up on dumbbell presses, working as much as 30 to 40 reps utilizing 132-pound dumbbells simply to get some blood into the shoulders. Then I went straight right into a log press and completed with some facet delts.
Two months earlier than the World’s Strongest Man, I heard viking press can be included within the occasions, so I switched to that. Happily, it requires the same approach to log press.
Saturday: Full-recovery Day
I adopted the identical routine as Wednesday. I additionally did private appearances and media interviews on this present day.
Sunday: Gentle-recovery Day
I swam for an hour within the afternoon, then stretched for 1½ hours, adopted by hot-cold therapies for an additional 1½ hours. I didn’t do any bodily remedy.
