Starting Scottish

[ithryn]

Any books or training programs you would look at for Highland Games shenanigans? Totally unprofessionally minded here. I guess you'd just practice, practice, practice? You can't really incrementally load this stuff, it seems.

A buddy of mine procured some equipment:

• a hammer (just a heavy metal ball attached to a PVC pipe, this is apparently what you train with)
  a 21 lb ball and chain (I forget what this is called, it has some name)
  a lumpy rock with a good handspace for doing a shot-put type throw

I have no idea how you'd train the caber toss. Buy 4x4's of increasing length? Lol. My friend did a game (that allowed amateurs) and he could manage all the throws except the damn caber, the balance you need to do that seems pretty nuts.

On his free weekends we'll probably throw some more at the local park and hopefully not pockmark their field too much to where the soccer players break an ankle. I am a motor moron and suck at all of it, but it's been fun. Some kids asked us if we were filming for Youtube.

[fishwife]

You've probably done this already, but in case not: have you thought about starting here: http://www.nasgaweb.com/getstart.asp finding the appropriate regional office and getting some info from them, visiting forums on the various sites, etc.?

[Mkgillman]

Have you looked around IronMind at all? They have a bunch of more esoteric training information and do a lot strongman, highland games, odd lifts, gripper stuff. Their magazine, Milo, does programming sometimes as well.

[Chebass88]

+1 to MILO. It almost always has Scottish Games athletes featured. If nothing else, it can be motivational.

You might also want to ask Hanley & Herbison as they were both throwers IIRC. They might be able to point you to some decent resources.

[tdood]

I haven't don't a games, but I have done some training of the events with some relatively high level guys and will eventually compete. I think practicing the throws is far more important than what you do in the gym(provided you're pretty strong and powerful), although I would say that oly lifts and push presses should be part of your training. The guys around here are literally always looking for fallen trees to make cabres from, apparently they break frequently.

[ithryn]

You've probably done this already, but in case not: have you thought about starting here: http://www.nasgaweb.com/getstart.asp finding the appropriate regional office and getting some info from them, visiting forums on the various sites, etc.?

Oh thanks. No, I have not done that and wasn't aware of that.

I'm checking out that site and Ironmind right now. Thanks guys!

[acelticmonk]

Training LAB: Strength Training for the Highland Games by Matt Vincent seems to be THE book... it's thin, but helpful.