Atlas Stone Training handles - January 2007

NEW!! Product Review – Atlas Stone Training Handle by Spud Inc.

Spud Inc., owned by Marc “Spud” Bartley, of South Carolina Barbell, has burst onto the equipment scene with a brand new line of strength training accessories.

I'm not going to list every product made, but I will say that every product that I have tested so far in the Spud Inc. line, is made from superior materials with the highest quality manufacturing I've seen yet.

I'm sure many of you are groaning right now thinking this is little more than infomercial hype and what the hell do we need an atlas stone training handle for anyway? I can assure you it's not hype and in answer to the question of do you really need one, I say read on my friends.

Strongman training is what you see on ESPN's World's Strongest Man contest. Tire flipping, stone lifting, sled dragging, and the like are among the various events you see in televised contests. And, make no mistake; they all require a high degree of athleticism.

First, the atlas stone training handle is made of very flamboyant, ‘like Spud himself', yellow rigging straps that is very sturdily stitched which in and of itself entirely new to the field of strongman training. So what the hell is it for anyway? To explain, I'll break down atlas stone lifting first. In order to lift an atlas stone, there are 3 basic techniques. Two are advanced, the scoop and the grab & rip. Unfortunately, this strap won't help you much with these two techniques. But it will help with the third and most basic of stone lifting techniques. The most basic technique involves gripping the stone (the wrap), pulling it to your lap, and then‘re-gripping' and exploding it up onto the platform. The training handle will help you here, especially beginners.

The atlas stone training handle (strap), was designed to help you get the stone to your lap. Many beginners have difficulty getting the stone off the ground to their lap. Using this strap builds confidence and helps the beginner learn the correct starting position. It also helps those with shorter arms get larger stones to their laps, again, building the starting position through repetition. Besides, having the confidence to know you can get a heavy stone off the ground will help you set new PR's when you attempt the bigger stones without it.

One thing we found while evaluating the strap was that it pretty much takes your chest out of the lift and places the load squarely on your upper back. This is good for two reasons. One, if your chest is injured, you can still train around it and lift the stones. Two, who doesn't need a bigger and stronger upper back?

Another great thing for those who train people is that it allows people who want to lift stones learn how to lift them and feel good about themselves in the process. I'm not talking about strongman competitors here; I'm referring to the average client who wants to take the next step in their training.

How many of you train clients who work in an office, or guys who used to be athletes, or even housewives? Using this strap, you can have them successfully lift atlas stone which will do several things for them. First, It will build strength in the upper back and posterior chain and it doesn't strain the biceps (which is very common problem in stone lifting).

Second, by having the “average” client use this strap, it ushers in a new training environment which adds variety to their workouts. This alone is worth the price of the strap. Adding variety to someone's straining is invaluable and really doesn't need to be explained here, I hope.

Finally, it also gives them a huge sense of accomplishment and pride in themselves. Can't you just hear the “average” person that you train, go back the their houses and offices eagerly talking to family, friends, and co-workers about how they were lifting the same stones that you see the guys lifting on the ESPN episodes of Strongman competitions. People love this and the straps help them learn how to do this.

I will admit that when I first saw it, I was skeptical and thought ‘who needs that'. But I am of a different mindset now. We use it at TPS frequently and I'll tell you this, when used appropriately, it is a great tool to have. The best way to find out if it will work for you is to get one.

For reviews on products in the Spud Inc. line, click here.

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If you have any questions on this type of training, stay tuned to this website for more informative articles, or contact us by email at, info@totalperformancesports.com .

 C.J. Murphy C.F.T., S.S.C.