Control Center

Great Quotes

When I first got the [Atomic Athletic Oak Barrel]. it took me several days to shoulder it, but soon enough I worked up to sets of ten and it had a powerful developmental effect. I will say that, like most things, intense barrel lifting should be cycled with periods of rest and alternative training methods as it is VERY demanding.
- Makena White

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Barrel Liftin' with Yassir

by Roger LaPointe

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from Yasser Haq, a foreign exchange student who is also a Pakistani Barrel Lifter, Weightlifter and competitive Powerlifter. This amazing young man is in the United States completing his Masters Degree, and needed coaching and training. When he told me his competitive background and the feats of strength he had witnessed in his home country, I was couldn't pass up this opportunity. Here was a champion in Barrel Lifting, called يتلببشزرو. Varzesh-e Balti, in Farsi. This was a great chance to coach a unique athlete and in turn learn some arcane skills from him. He said that I was uniquely qualified to turn someone like him into a great competitor in his other sports. This may be exaggeration, but I will accept it.

It was an overcast day in Detroit today, when Yasser showed up for his workout. We began with a great warm-up: يتلببشزرو. Varzesh-e Balti squats, light stretching and some quick hang cleans with the bar.

Yasser grabbed the light barrel and began a series of intricate upper body movements. Here, you can see the Barrel Side Curls, followed by Overhead Presses, and Shouldering. Though the barrel only weighed 50 pounds, the shifting shot and scrap metal required fantastic balance and precision. The core stability and small ancillary muscle strength was awesome.

I was even more amazed as Yasser moved on to the Bent Presses. This guy did it all. Following with One Arm Overhead Squats. Trust me, these were full squats, like an Olympic lifter.

Filled vs. Empty Balti

Barrels (Balti) are a traditional strongman lift in most parts of the world, but in the mountain country of Pakistan it is a matter of survival of the fittest. Yasser became involved in the Balti competitions much in the same way as boxing, wrestling or strongman sport in Pakistan. The young boys are literally thrown in a pit, not unlike the ones that Schwarzenegger fought in during the filming of Conan, and told to fight. The ones who survive the first few matches are then allowed to train to become Pehlwan (a universal word for wrestler or strongman in Farsi and Urdu). From there, the young boys gravitate toward their specialty, which is whatever specific sport in which they show the greatest inherent talent.

Of course, the Pehlwan will eventually lift a completely filled barrel, if he is to be successful. The question is how to get there. Yasser says, “Only little crying babies run away from a shot loaded, half filled barrel. That is the best!” Yasser is the easiest guy to train that I have ever worked with. Yasser only cares about being strong, and never makes excuses. He says that the kids will add old rags to the inside of the barrel, so the shot doesn’t shift, but no real man would ever do that.

Now the honeymoon was over and we moved on to the big barrel. Bear hugs were next on the menu. This exercise is one that should not be missed if you have any interest in football, wrestling or other combat sports. Wrestling with a barrel is like wrestling with a live opponent. We will have more on this exercise in future courses.

We tied the previous partial movements together with Clean & Presses with the big barrel. Grab onto the end chines and pull/roll it up to the chest, somewhat like using a log bar. Get your balance, both with the feet and hands and press like you have a gun to your head. This is very similar to stone lifting, where the implement is trying to pull forward. Gravity is not your friend here!

Bear Hug & Shoulder! Don't pass up this king of Barrel Lifts! If you have ever tried to give a Suplex then you know what I am talking about.

Yasser says, “Don’t be a crying baby!”

Want your own Barrel? Click here.

To Training Articles Archive