How did you form your training crew?

[Zach Snyder]

I train with a good crew now, but i have to travel a long distance to do so. I don't really mind it, because it's worth it. But, i'm just wondering how a lot of you have managed to recruit members to train with you? None of my friends have any interest in this, so i'm stuck training at home the days i don't train events.

So, how did you guys form your crews? Move near them?

[Scott Markowitz]

I've been part of three different crews, all of which formed somewhat differently.
Crew#1 I joined after it had formed. It was based at a local high school, where one of the guys was a football coach. The other guys he'd met at a coaching clinic. I'd competed against him about a year earlier, and happened to run into his wife at Home Depot one day when they were training. I recognized the NAS shirt she was wearing and went to talk to her, and she told me they were at the school then. I went home and changed and went up there.

Crew#2 Has kind of grown and shrunk. I had been training by myself after I moved to Florida. One day a guy sent me a message via myspace - he was looking to start doing strongman and ran a search and my name came up. So he and I did a bit of training together, but we were still a bit limited because the bulk of my stuff was in my shed an hour away. I went to a contest last February (I didn't compete since I was doing a PL meet the next day) and one of the novices lived here. He and I talked and realized that I had stuff and he had room, so a new crew was born. We've had some additions and subtractions, but Matt and I are constants and there are several who show up when their schedules/motivations permit.

Crew#3 was a temporary crew when I was in OKC. It mostly arranged through here (me, Nik Rao and Chatnz Wilson), with the occasional addition of my neighbor and a PL guy who found me through the Anvil before I moved. The PL has since gathered some implements - stones, tires, FW handles, and some kegs that I know of - and has a regular crew from what I understand.

I guess the only advice I can offer is to keep putting it out there. You may or may not get any takers.

[Matt Brouse]

Threw out an announcement in my sig lines some time ago to any and all strongman/grip guys in Fargo to hit me up. That's how I hooked up with Mike Caruso (I had met him before but fell out of contact) and Dave and Reese and Darin. A few other joined, now there is like 8 guys up here.

The other day I got a call from a guy who got my number from a guy that will be training with us as well.

That's how it usually goes.

Unfortunately I'll be leaving the area sometime this summer so the process with restart for me at least. :disgust:

[MarkBrasier]

I'm working on this right now in Tucson. So far I've just walked up to the strongest guys in the gym (usually around the squat rack) and see if they'd be interested in training for strongman. I'm still gathering equipment for the crew but have had positive responses from everyone I've talked to so far. I'm going to post flyers at local gyms as well and look into posting an ad in the weekly town paper too. Guess it just takes time and word of mouth.