Stone to Shoulder
Stone to shoulder is a strongman lift in which you pick a round Atlas stone from the floor, bring it to your lap and drive it up onto one shoulder. It works the glutes, hamstrings, back extensors, upper back and grip, and trains explosive hip extension through the longest travel of the stone lifts.
Also called: Atlas Stone to Shoulder, Stone Shoulder, Shoulder Stone, Stone Shouldering · Equipment: strongman · Pattern: compound
Step by step
- Stand over the stone with it between your feet, feet a little wider than hip width. Apply tacky or chalk to your forearms and hands if you use it.
- Hinge and bend your knees to reach over the stone. Place your fingertips under the far side of it, tuck your elbows against the sides of the stone and squeeze it with your forearms.
- Take a big breath and brace. Roll the stone up your shins by driving your hips back and up, keeping it hugged against your body.
- Sit your hips down and set the stone in your lap. Re-grip by sliding your arms further over the top of the stone so your hands meet or overlap.
- Brace again, then drive your hips forward and stand up hard, bringing the stone up your chest as you extend.
- As you reach full extension, shrug and turn slightly so the stone rolls up onto one shoulder. Let your knees bend a little to absorb it rather than catching it with straight legs.
- Stand tall with the stone settled on your shoulder, then let it roll off in front of you and step back to reset. Alternate shoulders between reps if you train both sides.
- Hips drive through before your back straightens
- Hug the stone tight to your body
- Big brace before the pick and again in the lap
- Stand up hard, then roll the stone onto your shoulder
- Soft knees to absorb the stone on the shoulder
- Elbows tucked against the stone, arms as straps
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Erector spinae | Prime mover | B |
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | B |
| Trapezius: upper | Secondary | C |
| Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head) | Secondary | C |
| Quadriceps | Secondary | C |
| Forearm flexors | Stabiliser | C |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | C |
| Biceps brachii | Dynamic stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Back straightening before the hips drive
Fix: Drive your hips forward first and let your torso come up with them.
Stone drifting away from the body
Fix: Keep the stone hugged against your thighs and chest from pick to shoulder.
Curling the stone up with the arms
Fix: Keep your elbows tucked against the stone and lift it with your hips and legs.
Catching the stone with locked knees
Fix: Let your knees bend slightly as the stone reaches your shoulder, then stand tall.
Rushing from lap to shoulder without a re-grip
Fix: Pause in the lap, slide your arms over the top of the stone and brace before standing.
What the research says
Power · first choiceStrength · first choiceSport performanceEnduranceFat loss & conditioning
- Load — Research comparing loads finds maximal strength favours heavier loads. Because the stone finishes on the body rather than over a bar, many athletes can shoulder a stone close to their heaviest lap load.
- Power — Research on power training describes maximal strength as the base for power, with high-velocity work becoming more important as athletes get stronger.
- Effort — Studies show strength gains are largely insensitive to how close to failure you train, and failure training adds no strength advantage. Stone-to-shoulder is also commonly trained for reps or for time as a strength-endurance event.
- Rest — In trained lifters, rests of about 3 minutes between sets have produced greater strength gains than 1-minute rests.
- Event research — A biomechanics study of the Atlas stone found the round shape means the stone is lifted with a rounded back rather than a flat one. There is no direct training research on the stone-to-shoulder event.
- Warm-up — Research finds heavier dynamic warm-ups improve strength and power performance. A common approach is to build through lighter stones before working reps.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the stone to shoulder in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.