Keg Toss
Strength
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The Keg Toss is a strongman event exercise where an athlete explosively lifts a weighted keg from the ground and tosses it up and over a raised bar, building tremendous full-body power and explosive hip drive. It primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and back through the initial lift, while engaging the shoulders, arms, and core to control and release the keg overhead. It requires an actual strongman keg (or filled keg-style implement) and a raised bar or crossbar to toss over, and is best suited to strongman competitors and advanced athletes training explosive power.
How to Perform Keg Toss
- 1Set up an actual weighted keg on the ground and position a raised bar or crossbar several feet in front of you at the target height.
- 2Stand facing the keg with feet shoulder-width apart, hinge at your hips and knees to squat down, and grip the keg firmly on both sides near its base.
- 3Brace your core and keep your back flat as you lift the keg off the ground into a loaded carry position against your body, using your legs and hips to do the lifting.
- 4Rock the keg back slightly to load momentum, then explosively extend your hips and knees while driving the keg upward and forward off your body.
- 5As the keg leaves your hands, extend through your shoulders and follow through with your arms to help launch it up and over the bar.
- 6Exhale forcefully at the moment of release, letting the keg arc up and clear the bar.
- 7Reset your stance, retrieve or reload the keg, and repeat for the prescribed number of tosses.
- 8Key form tips: Generate power from the hips and legs, not the lower back—the keg should be "thrown" with the whole body, not muscled up with the arms. Common mistakes: rounding the back during the initial lift, releasing the keg too early or too late in the drive, or standing too close to or far from the bar to clear it cleanly. Warm up the shoulders and hips before attempting heavy or max-height tosses.
