Leading with the video I do apologize for the low quality/darkness, but I train in my garage with the doors closed so as to not be an a-hole neighbor, and my camera is from 2011.
This was a pretty big milestone for me, as it's technically the most weight I've ever strict pressed overhead in any capacity, so to do it on a keg was even crazier. Wanted to share some info in case other folks wanted to get in on keg lifting.
WHY KEGS?
Lifting kegs has a pretty long history in the world of strength athletics. It was featured in the very first world's strongest man, and prior to that was a feature of circus strongmen. Kegs have also been used in carry medleys, loading events and tossing
Kegs are similar to sandbags, in the sense that you can do a LOT of stuff with them, which makes them a fantastic and versatile training tool. In addition, because they're an awkward implement, they can develop strength at different angles. Unlike sandbags, they have a hard shell, which tends to make them less messy, but the cost is that they can take up a greater footprint in your training space.
HOW TO GET A KEG
So here's what's interesting about kegs (at least for our American readers: don't know how it works intentionally): whenever you "buy" a keg of beer, you are actually ONLY buying the beer IN the keg. The keg is being rented to you, with an expectation to return it once you consumed the beer. You pay a security deposit in case the keg gets lost/damaged beyond repair. As such, the common strategy of "buy a keg, keep the keg and lose the deposit" is TECHNICALLY theft, as no bill of sale ever occurred. It'd be akin to checking out a book from the library, never returning it, and paying the fine to have it restocked: the library still owns the book, just like how the brewery still owns that keg. So, that said, I can't endorse theft as a means to get a keg.
You can buy a keg directly from here. I've done it before, and it's nice, because it's completely fresh with no old/stale beer in it to deal with. The keg I'm using in the video is a Mike Bartos loadable keg, which you can get here It's a solid product, but unless you're super into strongman, I'd just get a regular keg.
Kegs can be loaded with all sorts of material, from water to sand to peagravel to pretty much whatever you can fit in there. To learn how to load a keg, check this out
MY KEG TRAINING
To build up to this 250lb press, I've been employing 1 day a week in my training (which consists of 4 other days with a press, squat, bench and deadlift day) where I work up to a topset of clean and press. My first 3-4 sets are purely keg cleans, as that tends to be where I struggle the most on the movement (as evidenced in the video). I start with an unloaded power keg, then add 25lbs each set, and go from 3 reps on the first set to 2 on the set to singles through out. I take about 2-3 minutes of rest between the heavier cleans, to ensure I'm fully recovered.
For developing pressing strength on the keg, I've done a lot of neutral grip pressing in my training, pressing a trap bar and a strongman log. The cleaning of the log is also similar to cleaning a keg, which has been helpful.
QUESTIONS?
Let me know if you have any questions about keg training. I think kegs are some of the best additional training tools a trainee can have. They're very inexpensive compared to many products out there and can really transform your training.
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* This article was originally published here
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