Often times, we focus so much on refining technique and developing specific skills and strengths, many of us forget about a very important aspect of fitness that monumentally effects our performance especially with the strength associated with many movements. Brute strength to me is simple. It is the ability to move large loads quickly over long distances, and the ability to move loads from virtually every awkward position imaginable. Coincidentally, this is also what many strong man movements are about. Things like yoke carries, atlas stone lifts, farmers carries, logs, and keg lifts are the core of functional movement, moving an object from a to b. The beauty in these movements lies in their simplicity, there is veery little technique or thought, just work, and they effect all of the strength movements we see, for instance yoke carries develop strength in the midline for vertical and frontal loads, therefore helping us support weight in our squats and dead lifts, farmers carries develop grip strength foot quickness, unilateral stability and core strength, and atlas stones develop lumbar strength in an awkward position, and violent hip extension in a front loaded position, helping with the Olympic lifts. As you can see their are huge benefits to the strong man lifts, and the topping on the cake is that the nature of the lifts allow you to move loads that are typically heavier than barbell movements. Although we will not see these lifts in the open, they are an integral part in becoming better cross fitters, so i highly recommend working them in. Here is a workout to try, this would be a good active recovery day or just a strong man/core day, just remember the point of these lifts is to move large loads, so load as heavy as you can do safely.
Workout: 20 min AMRAP
20 meter yoke carry (zercher or traditional)
1 banded deadlift ( as heavy as you can do safely for 1 rep)
20 meter sled push ( go as heavy as you can move, speed is not a variable here)