Tom Stoltman: “I’ll Be the First British To Win the Arnold”
In early December 2024, three-time reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Tom Stoltman vlogged his first workout to prepare for the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC).
After a string of subpar performances and injuries in late 2024, Stoltman parted with his title-winning coach, Dan Hipkiss, and hired MSc Osteopath Aaron Caseley to oversee his training.
“I’m much more muscular, much more conditioned,” Stoltman said during a high-rep hypertrophy session.
Stoltman starts contest prep on Dec. 17, 2024, and says, “Next year, I’ll be the first British to win the Arnold.” Here’s a look at how he plans to do it.
[Related: 2024 World’s Strongest Woman Results]
Let the Gains Begin
“Warm-up is so important. I didn’t [warm up properly] before Aaron came,” Stoltman confessed. His warm-ups are a mandatory 20 to 25 minutes. “It’s the difference between [winning and not winning]. I learned that the hard way.”
Stoltman credits Caseley with his recent second-place finish at the 2024 Rogue Strongman Invitational, where he tied with 2018 WSM champion Hafthor Björnsson.
Revamped Routine
The warm-up regime consisted of needle threading, standing wall foam rolls, behind-the-back banded external rotations, and I-Y-T raises. Then, a few sets of straight-arm cable pushdowns fired his lats for overhead presses.
The main exercises were:
- Log Press: 4 Sets x 12 Reps
- Machine Shoulder Press: 2 Sets x 12 reps
- Cable Lateral Raise/Rear Delt Flye
- Leg Extension
- Hinge Squat
The focus was on light weights and strict form to ease into heavy training.
Log Press & Longer Breaks
One major improvement to Stoltman’s training is resting longer between sets to optimize his strength potential. “I used to do an exercise then have 30 seconds [interset breaks],” he noted.
Strength is the ability to move a weight, making one-rep max a key measure of peak force output. Fully recovering between sets helps to lift more weight, and research shows that two to five-minute breaks optimize strength performance (1).
Stoltman noted his log press adjustments, “Keep the form with my knees pushing out of the way instead of down to keep that nice-looking log press.”
Single-Leg Squat for Bulletproof Knees
Stoltman stood with one foot on a weight plate with his heels elevated. He hinged at the hips, pushed his butt back, and squatted in short motions. “It’s very good for bulletproofing the knees and coordination,” Stoltman said. “[The goal] is to feel your glutes.”
Stoltman’s Plans for 2025
“I’m focusing on big competitions.” Stoltman is also the three-time reigning Britain’s Strongest Man champion, but he’ll sit out of next year’s event on Feb. 1, 2025, to instead prioritize the 2025 ASC. “My body would be battered,” Stoltman predicted. “I’m not the only guy representing Britain at Arnold’s. It’s a lot of pressure.”
More Strongman Content
- 2024 Official Strongman Games Men’s Open Results
- 2024 U105 World’s Strongest Man Results
- 2024 Masters World’s Strongest Man
Reference
- Suchomel, T. J., Nimphius, S., Bellon, C. R., & Stone, M. H. (2018). The Importance of Muscular Strength: Training Considerations. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 48(4), 765–785. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0862-z
Featured image: @tomstoltmanofficial on Instagram
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