Case Studies in Gainz: The Training Routines of Eddie Hall, Captain Kirk, and Ed Coan

There are many effective routines for getting big and strong. When examining the training routines of some of the strongest men in history, though, there are often clear commonalities. Eddie Hall, "Captain" Kirk Karwoski, and Ed Coan are 3 of the strongest individuals to ever live, and their training methodologies, which are all similar in structure, have had a tremendous impact on my own understanding of strength training.

Generally, the training programs of these 3 monsters exhibit the following structure:

• 3 main heavy days per week: one for the squat, one for the bench press, and one for the deadlift
• Bodybuilding-style auxiliary work performed after the heavy lifts
• 1-2 additional days for training the chest, shoulders, and/or arms, typically with higher reps

This tried-and-true format can form the basis of a solid strength program for just about anyone. It allows for steady gains in strength and muscle size, while also allowing plenty of time for recovery. This is the very same program structure I followed leading up to my squat record. It is simple, but when sufficient effort is applied, highly effective.

Eddie Hall
Eddie Hall should need no introduction, but for the few people who haven't heard of him, he is a World's Strongest Man winner, and the first and only man to deadlift 500 kg (1102 lbs).

This lift put so much strain on Eddie's body that he temporarily lost his vision. 

An outline of Eddie's WSM routine can be found here.

There are several noteworthy aspects of Eddie's training:

• Heavy work on the compound barbell movements
• Use of both free weights and machines for bodybuilding movements
• Heavy, high-rep dumbbell pressing on shoulder day

70 kg (154 lb) dumbbells

Kirk Karwoski
Captain Kirk was one of the most dominant powerlifters of the '90s, and is one of the greatest squatters of all time. He is well-known for his maniacal intensity and his 1000x2 squat.

"I WANNA HOLD IT!"

His training routine can be found here. He is also the subject of one of my favorite training articles about intensity.

While the movement selection differs slightly from Eddie's routine, the two programs are quite similar. Notably, Kirk emphasizes arms on his second pressing day, rather than shoulders as Eddie did. Eddie competes in Strongman where the overhead press is a contested event, so this makes sense. For Kirk, who competes in powerlifting, emphasizing the triceps with the close-grip bench press is more specific to his sport.

Ed Coan
I have written about Ed Coan before; though he is perhaps best known for his 901-pound deadlift, he was an extraordinarily well-rounded powerlifter and is considered by many to be the greatest powerlifter of all time.

Ed's training program can be found here, where it is notably very heavy on bodybuilding-style auxiliary work. Ed devoted an entire day for extra shoulder work, and also had a second day to hit the chest and arms with lighter weight and higher reps.

When Ed trained a high school kid, as documented by this very interesting forum thread, he combined the extra chest, shoulder, and arm assistance into one day.

Ed was all-around strong, seen here pressing 400 lb behind the neck.

I believe that there are three main reasons that these routines are so effective:

1. Emphasis on recovery: Heavy squats and deadlifts, in particular, take a toll on the joints and the body in general. It's not necessary to perform them more than once per week in order to get stronger. By waiting a full week to train the legs and back (particularly the lower back), tissues are given time to rebuild, so that they can perform at a high intensity in the next workout. The chest, shoulders, and arms, on the other hand, typically recover more quickly, probably due in part to the lighter weights used in pressing movements as compared to squats and deadlifts. They can be trained for a second session each week, to stimulate extra muscle growth without significantly impeding recovery.
2. Emphasis on muscle-building with extra bodybuilding work: If only the big 3 barbell lifts were done, and always for low reps, training volumes would likely be too low to stimulate significant muscle growth. Eventually, without muscle gain, strength gains stall. This is where the bodybuilding assistance work comes in. It allows for extra volume of work with minimal additional joint stress, particularly in slower-to-recover areas like the lower back. Machines like a chest-supported row or leg press are particularly useful in this regard. The strength and muscle gained from this kind of higher-rep training is absolutely functional and can translate to lower-rep strength quite well. Pressing strength, in particular, seems to respond very well to higher-rep bodybuilding work. Eric Spoto, who bench pressed 722 raw, regularly performs high reps with "light" weight (such as 315 for 62 reps). This also explains the utility of Eddie Hall's insane dumbbell pressing. Personally, I brought myself back to a 300 bench without going above 225 for several weeks, and gained chest and arm size in the process.
3. The intensity, focus, and unwavering belief of each of these lifters. If you lift scared, your results will be mediocre.

WTF

The routines of these strength legends could be used directly to great success, but one can just as readily develop a personalized routine founded upon the same principles: simplicity, recovery, intensity.