Sledgehammer workout?

**Ryno** · Posted On: 7/19/2007 11:13am

Alright folks, I tried a quick search on this but didn't find anything on it. Has anyone worked out a nice sledgehammer workout?

Why I ask is because a couple of years back I decided to take out a large concrete patio in my backyard. (10 x 15', fucking eight inch pour). Being the masochist that I am I refused to rent a jackhammer, and just busted out my trusty 12 lb sledgehammer and went to town. And damn, if that wasn't just about the toughest workout I've ever done. The first day I couldn't go for more than about 10 minutes until my arms were shaking, my back felt wobbly, and legs felt like they were about to collapse.

Taking out the slab actually ended up taking me about 8 sessions on it, and by the last one I could go for about a half hour before failure, albeit the muscle failure wasn't nearly as catastrophic as the first round. Anyway, during this period of time I had been weight lifting a lot, but during the couple of weeks that I was sledgehammering, I had no extra energy to do so. Yet when I resumed lifting after the slab was thoroughly destroyed, my poundage went up quite substantially bench, cleans, and squats. In addition, my cardio was quite a bit improved as well as explosive power.

After this workout, I actually wanted to continue with it, but alas, had no more concrete to pulverize. So I kind of forgot about it until the other day. I'm watching Pride, and they're doing a special on Fedor, showing his training, etc. As I'm watching, I see him there with a sledgehammer, whacking on a large tire in the dirt. Apparently this is one of his common exercises. So I though, "Damn! If it's good enough for Fedor, it's good enough for me."

I'm looking to resume a sledgehammer routine, and was planning on getting a tire, but unfortunately don't have a nice dirt patch to whack it in. I'm a bit concerned about setting the tire on top the paving stones in our back yard, as if I miss, it'll cause a bit of destruction that the wife won't be too happy about. But I'd really prefer to not have to go somewhere else to do the workout, as it seems like it would be a quick and convenient one that I could do at home.

I was just wondering if anyone had played around with a sledgehammer workout, and if you all had any tips for targets/tires/whatever?

**SFGOON** · Posted On: 7/19/2007 11:56am

Yeah, just big ass tires. Chopping wood is also a good way to go. Kettlebells offer a similar kind of workout.

**Marrt** · Posted On: 7/19/2007 11:57am

As follows... use a sandpit. It'll be harder as you don't get the rebounding benefit of the tire but you don't have to worry about missing so much. A child's sandpit filled with a good eight inches of sand should do you. Then re-rake it flat every so often so you don't punch through in any craters.

Plus you get the benefit of hauling and pouring the bags of sand in the first place.

cheers

**Ryno** · Posted On: 7/19/2007 12:35pm

Hmmm... Sandpit, huh? My 8 month old might even be able to make use of that while I'm not sledgehammering it... ;)

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 7/19/2007 12:50pm

Another thing you could do is to make a plywood platform covered with rubber puzzle mats. That should be sufficient since the hit-and-miss will (should) be very few and far between. Or, if you are very concerned about missing and hitting the underlying concrete/stone, use a metallic baseball bat first, and once you get comfortable, then switch to the sledgehammer.

**doktorhook** · Posted On: 7/19/2007 1:08pm

Originally Posted by Ryno

Alright folks, I tried a quick search on this but didn't find anything on it. Has anyone worked out a nice sledgehammer workout?

Why I ask is because a couple of years back I decided to take out a large concrete patio in my backyard. (10 x 15', fucking eight inch pour). Being the masochist that I am I refused to rent a jackhammer, and just busted out my trusty 12 lb sledgehammer and went to town. And damn, if that wasn't just about the toughest workout I've ever done. The first day I couldn't go for more than about 10 minutes until my arms were shaking, my back felt wobbly, and legs felt like they were about to collapse.

Taking out the slab actually ended up taking me about 8 sessions on it, and by the last one I could go for about a half hour before failure, albeit the muscle failure wasn't nearly as catastrophic as the first round. Anyway, during this period of time I had been weight lifting a lot, but during the couple of weeks that I was sledgehammering, I had no extra energy to do so. Yet when I resumed lifting after the slab was thoroughly destroyed, my poundage went up quite substantially bench, cleans, and squats. In addition, my cardio was quite a bit improved as well as explosive power.

After this workout, I actually wanted to continue with it, but alas, had no more concrete to pulverize. So I kind of forgot about it until the other day. I'm watching Pride, and they're doing a special on Fedor, showing his training, etc. As I'm watching, I see him there with a sledgehammer, whacking on a large tire in the dirt. Apparently this is one of his common exercises. So I though, "Damn! If it's good enough for Fedor, it's good enough for me."

I'm looking to resume a sledgehammer routine, and was planning on getting a tire, but unfortunately don't have a nice dirt patch to whack it in. I'm a bit concerned about setting the tire on top the paving stones in our back yard, as if I miss, it'll cause a bit of destruction that the wife won't be too happy about. But I'd really prefer to not have to go somewhere else to do the workout, as it seems like it would be a quick and convenient one that I could do at home.

I was just wondering if anyone had played around with a sledgehammer workout, and if you all had any tips for targets/tires/whatever?

Yes teh sledgehammer will wear your ass out. You had it easy though LOL, About 15 years ago I was asked to do my friends, father's, back porch area. Not only was it concrete but it had an iron mesh in it & it was about 10' x 30'. The old man was in a wheelchair & even though I worked tirelessly for about 4 hours each day, he acted like I was being a *****.

I actually think there were two contributing factors to this though. One being that when he could walk he was one of those guys with freakish strength, the second was that I truly think he had forgot what it was like to have legs & do hard work. In any case I could barely bust the **** up with that mesh in it & the concrete was a good 4 or 5 inches thick.

I would like to note that I was using a regular 12lb. sledge the whole time. It took me nearly 3 weeks to bust the entire thing up if I remember correctly. But yes it will most definitely give you a hell of a work out.

**Ryno** · Posted On: 7/19/2007 2:13pm

Yeah, my slab had a bunch of metal reinforcement (scrap trash). It definitely makes it tougher.

Macho, that's not a bad idea with the plywood base, just in case. My targeting is actually pretty good, so it shouldn't happen too often. A bat would probably just be too light for my tastes. I'm starting to also think of putting a backing underneath the tire, and filling the middle with sand. I'm intrigued to try the whole bounceback/non-bounceback issue out to see which makes a better workout.

**kwoww** · Posted On: 7/19/2007 2:18pm

Wouldn't you need to switch hands regularly to avoid looking like a tennis player with one beast arm and one crap one?

And wouldn't the bouceback reduce your results because you don't have to work as hard with each whack?

**Shinkengata** · Posted On: 7/19/2007 3:06pm

Here's a good one.

Take a Tractor Tire, spray paint staggered circles all around where you're going to be hitting it...preferrably with white paint. In 3 minute rounds, go around it, and swing to hit every one of those circles as hard and as fast as you can. Rest. Do it again.

Aiming for the circles is a good hand-eye coordination exercise, as well as muscle control.