This full body workout with Robert Oberst will surely lead to big gains.
Strongmen have their own unique ways of working out to prepare to such grueling events that competitions require. Working to build full body strength yet also provide for functional movement can be challenging especially when we ask so much of our bodies to perform. Whether you are a beginner or more advanced lifter, or an aspiring strongman or not, these workouts from professional strongmen can really work to enhance your overall growth and performance for whatever your intended goals are.
In this piece, we detail Robert Oberst full body strongman workout. As a sport of brute strength but also aerobic capacity, the sport of Strongman has evolved to push competitors to their absolute limits. Requiring such strenuous movement like carrying heavy objects for set distances or time, pulling or pushing insane amounts of weight, and lifting often times cumbersome objects to grip, the ability to power through and be explosive is an absolute necessity.
Robert Oberst is an American professional strongman who began his professional journey in 2012. As a yearly competitor at World’s Strongest Man, he was a finalist in 2013 and 2018. With successful appearances at America’s Strongest Man and the Arnold Strongman Classic, he has made a name for himself in the world of Strongman as a tough competitor. With a strict training regiment, solid dietary routine, and sheer will to be the best in the field, Oberst is a force at nearly every event.
Oberst takes us through one of his full body lifts and explains how each of these three exercises really works to provide muscular strength and endurance while really promoting great gains. Consisting of the incline bench press, standing shoulder press, and trap bar deadlifts, this is a full body workout sure to fire up those muscles. With just three exercises, it is convenient and will save time while also really promoting huge growth.
The Workout
Incline Bench Press
The incline bench press is a solid exercise for strength and power and really works to stimulate gains in your upper body (1). Training with heavy loads and working to isolate the upper pecs can strengthen the chest and develop better range of motion. It can also increase pressing and overhead strength.
For Oberst, it is important to stay focused on control and to not be wild with the weights. Strength comes from control and this movement is most effective with a slow, controlled movement down, a slight touch at your chest, and then an explosive push up. Don’t cheat the weight and bounce it off your chest or bend your hips. He will typically do 4-10 sets while working with a pyramid to maximum effort, but not maximum weight. Towards the end, performing a lot of reps will increase blood flow for better muscle growth and recovery.
How to: Set the incline to around 30-45 degrees. Retract your scaps together and set your grip around shoulder-width apart. With your feet firmly on the ground and core engaged, un-rack the bar and gently lower to your chest. Once at the bottom, explode up until your arms are locked out.
Standing Shoulder Press
The standing shoulder press is a really great exercise to help strengthen the shoulders to prevent injuries by working to build up those smaller stabilizer muscles (2). A great full body exercise, it works for overall functional strength by including your back and core while also promoting balance.
Standing with this shoulder press as opposed to sitting works for full body engagement, something that Oberst relies on to power those competitive lifts. He does his best not to use his legs, but once later sets start to kick in, you can lift more weight with more engaged legs. Oberst performs a pyramid of reps and weight to maximum effort and, like the incline bench press, will perform higher reps at the end to really enhance growth. While this is a fantastic exercise to build up your shoulders, staying supported and stable is important to avoid any unwanted injury.
How to: Grab the bar with a grip slightly wide than shoulder width apart. Engage your core and glutes and press the bar overhead, maintain solid form. With really engaged core and glutes, your low back will not take a lot of that pressure. Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
Trap Bar Deadlifts
The trap bar deadlift is a complex movement that requires proper coordination, balance, and technique. It allows for more stability than a deadlift without sacrificing any gains (3). As a safe alternative to the deadlift, it is a great lower body builder and promotes explosive power so your overall output will increase.
Oberst finds the trap bar deadlift very effective as an exercise similar to competition-style events like farmer’s carries and frame walks. With a similar movement to the car deadlift, it offers great quad growth as opposed to the traditional deadlift as well as more ankle flexibility and less low back strain. He usually performs 2-3 sets of 80% maximum weight.
How to: Stand in the middle of the trap bar and engage your core while maintaining a neutral spine. Pull the bars upwards, extending through your hips and knees, and driving through your quads. Keep that same stable form and lower back to the ground.
Wrap Up
We all want the best advice when it comes to advancing our own goals in the gym. With pros like Oberst showing us the way, our gains are sure to come quicker than we may expect. This full body workout is great for improving muscle mass but also working on support and stabilization to stay safe, healthy, and effective. Really feel the burn with this workout and get to where you want your strength to be. Even if you are not a strongman or an aspiring strongman, these workouts will boost your performance to the next level.
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*Images courtesy of Robert Oberst Instagram
References
- Lauver, Jakob D.; Cayot, Trent E.; Scheuermann, Barry W. (2016). “Influence of bench angel on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise”. (source)
- Williams Jr., Martin R.; Hendricks, Dustin S.; Dannen, Michael J.; Arnold, Andrea M.; Lawrence, Michael A. (2020). “Activity of Shoulder Stabilizers and Prime Movers During an Unstable Overhead Press”. (source)
- Gentry, Mike; Pratt, David; Caterisano, Tony (1987). “Introducing the Trap Bar”. (source)
