Starting Out With Sledgehammer Training

            

          A friend of mine asked me the other day he was interested in working with Sledgehammers and wanted to know what exercises and weight to start with on the hammer? I gave him a little bit of it because that was what I could figure out to say at the time. To me, it’s a lot of fun and has many benefits in terms of muscle building, strengthening the tendons and building great lung power; but it’s also very demanding and when you start out too fast or too much weight it’ll hit you hard.

            To give you some ideas; I've worked with different types of hammers, the ones you get like at home depot, the Epic Sledge, Thor’s Hammer and others so each one has a different feel or a different set of ways to move with the hammer. Just the basic swing on a tire is crazy enough as it is but there are other exercises that don’t always require striking. When you work with a long implement, the leverage factor will be a bigger point to look at because the weight shifts and you have to move your body to where the weight is in order to move it.

            Some people like using the Mace and although it’s very useful in many ways, I like using a sledgehammer better because it has a better interest in what you can do in terms of lever work and working with weight at a more odd angle. The Mace has more of a rounded ball so it has a smoother way of moving, the Sledge has more of a 4 sided shape like a rectangle or square as the head of the hammer. When you start out, you want to feel how it works in your hands, how your body shifts with the weight and try different things and no matter what you try, your grip will be a factor. If you don’t have a good grip you won’t last too long.

            Start out with a good 7-10 hammer to get the feel for it. There’s a DVD you can get from Bud Jeffries that is part of his Monster Conditioning Program specific to Sledgehammer Training. If you don’t have a tire that’s fine you can still get great benefit from sledge training. The exercises you can do are nearly the same as if lifting a barbell or dumbbell but the weight is shifted to one side so you have to work the stabilizing muscles and your grip needs to be strong and tight. Here’s a website that shows certain exercises although done with a Mace you can do the same with a sledge. Play and experiment with various reps and sets.

            I highly recommend the Sledgehammers from Stronger Grip because if you want to add weight to the hammer; you can put in shot led or steel shot otherwise if you use a hammer like from home depot, it’s expensive to buy more hammers and prices vary depending on how heavy the hammer is. I also recommend you do get a tire because once you get the ground work for non-tire exercises you’ll eventually want to strike it. You can find tires at a junk yard that no one wants anymore or you can get Half Tires that take up less space and have better strikes to work on.

            When you work on getting good with the sledgehammer, your body will begin to change, your muscles will have more definition, your tendons will become stronger and your breathing will skyrocket because it takes strength to use the hammer the way these guys can show you and the heavier the hammer, the more your breathing becomes a factor. Your grip will become much stronger and have that crushing strength. Take your body and mind to Super Muscle level and watch your strength skyrocket in ways you haven’t had before.

Time For A Fresh Start

            Hope everyone had a great Christmas and had tons of fun, food and love from relatives and friends. To me this was one of the best holidays yet; got to spend time with the people I love and spend time with the most kick ass friends. The holidays is not always about finding gifts for the kids or getting something you've been wanting all year, it’s about connecting and giving back to the people in your life that gives a beautiful meaning. Now that it’s over and the New Year is just a couple days away, it’s time to reflect and build new chapters, learn different things.

            A common thread of the New Year is what people call Resolutions or better yet, change or create something huge that will only last you less than 2 weeks. To me, Resolutions is complete bullshit. In the fitness world, most really put it out there and believe just because they can jump into something it’s going to stick with them like going to Crossfit when you haven’t even done any technique yet nor do Insanity/P90X workouts instead of building up and progressing. I like to look at it as New Years Goals. Start small, if you’re new to exercise for example, do little things here and there. Start at 1 min. of exercise and build up to it, find exercises you’re interested in and have fun with them. Too many people want to jump in and try to lose 20 pounds like it was that easy.

            It’s about progressing and building a mindset where it’s not a punishment, it’s an adventure and exciting with knowing how to set your limits and challenges. When people jump into advanced type training, it’s exciting that they get to do all these cool things but when they actually do them, it will hit them like a strike of lightning and they’ll realize how crazy it is and that it can cause pain or even worse an injury. Think of it this way, in math would you jump from arithmetic to calculus just like that? No, you need to go through certain steps, like climbing a ladder; you don’t just climb 4-5 steps at once, its one thing at a time. It’s the little things that create the biggest gains. Sure it’s fun to be hardcore but you got to earn it and experience a small struggle to get to where you want to go.

            For some, exercise may not always be a priority, you might want to add something to your business as a goal, make little changes in your household and find what you can improve on as a family. I have a few goals but it’s important for me to not jinx them, I’ll tell you this though; A goal of mine is to save money and buy an Epic Sledgehammer because as an athlete and a Physical Culturist, I’m always looking for ways to improve my body by conditioning it in different ways using something heavy or light or even just my own bodyweight. I find things that interest me and create new ways to have fun with those interests, it keeps my mind sharp and it helps me focus on what I want. Another would be to increase my intuitive powers through meditation and being aware of what’s around me by feel and more.

            You may not get any of my goals and nor will I mostly get yours but one thing is for certain and that we strive to be better at certain things in our lives and it could mean anything. Make this New Year your bitch, take it one day at a time and before you know, you will have accomplished something you've never one before. Find things that interest you, experiment, have fun and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. 

A Powerful Grip Goes A Long Way

         The joy of having a strong grip is a lot to have. Many opportunities arise when your grip can handle many things like carrying groceries, helping someone move, twisting off a tough jar, climbing, carry someone and holding onto them so why not develop a mighty grip? It’s a lot of fun because our hands were meant to be strong for the things we need to have in our lives. The stronger our lower arm is, essentially the stronger our whole body is. It’s not just a pump you get in the gym or squeezing someone’s hand.

            Most people who start out with developing anything, get all excited and can’t wait to jump in but as they move along, most of the time get really bored and don’t want to progress any further or they just keep up the same old crappy routine and never make any headway. It’s all about the three P’s; Pacing, Progressing and Patience. We start out weak in some area or another so we begin with the simplest things plays around with them, we progress in order to advance ourselves. Don’t just push yourself all the time, pace yourself; do a little more each time. It’s the journey, not the destination that is the key; the smallest things can have the biggest impact. Be patient, if you get stuck somehow, find a solution, change things up and use your imagination to get better. We all have different ways of progressing, some are faster than others but we share a common goal and that’s getting better. It’s like math; you don’t start out with calculus right? We start with Arithmetic and work our way up, same thing developing your grip strength.

            One of the greatest modern Physical Culture authors Brooks Kubik said to Master your exercises. Doesn't matter what you’re shooting for but to progress with the best intentions, you must master what you want to develop. For grip strength, you don’t need to master a million things; you just need to focus on a few things. Do no more than 3-4 things to master because this helps you focus on what you can do to progress to a higher level whether it’s adding sets/reps or advance to a more difficult exercise. For me as an example with my Thor Hammer, I started out just lifting up, down and side to side. Next progression, slamming it with a tire 1000+ times often, next one was pressing it up using only the ball of the hammer, after that was juggling and flipping it. There’s more to progress to but you get my drift. It doesn't have to be a hammer, you can add in Fat Gripz onto your barbells and dumbbells to make your exercises harder, the effect is much different when you curl a 40 lb. dumbbell the regular way, slap on a Fat Grip, you’re in a whole new world of lifting my friend.

            Some of the strongest men in the world don’t always have the biggest hands. Yes big hands give a distinct advantage and that’s awesome if you have them but there are some of us who don’t have that luxury. Don’t fret though, there’s still hope and don’t ever let it stop you from chasing your dream from having strong hands. Want an example; Dennis Rogers is one of the strongest men pound for pound ever yet he’s no more than 5’8 and weighs no more than 170 yet he’s been able to do things most men twice his size can’t even fathom. He was also a champion arm wrestler at a point in his life and took down some of the best there was and some of them were far bigger than he was. So you see, there’s no excuse for you, you have the power to have some mighty mitts and you can have them if you want them bad enough. Train with intent, think big, think powerful, use your imagination and make it happen for you. Grip strength is very important, it can even save someone’s life, think about that. Don’t ever give up chasing your dream, don’t just chase it, thrust through and take a chance. It’s within reach, go get 

Superhuman Fitness

            Training has a meaning for different people and most of the time; they never take action to drive for what they really want. They want results fast but never put in the effort to put in the work it takes to get fit and strong. Some use aerobics as a workout and if that’s what they like more power to them but that’s not the kind of fitness I’m talking about. Others have used Crossfit to get in awesome shape; I’m all for pushing yourself but again not the kind of fitness I’m talking about. So what kind of fitness am I talking about?

            Taking fitness to a superhuman level requires not just effort but the will to progress by mastery. When you go to the gym, how many people do you see going from exercise to exercise like it’s a supermarket? They pick exercises and throw them in without looking at the big picture. Like a grocery list, you want to get what’s on it and not subject yourself to getting more than you have to. Take that concept and put it into training. Find the exercises you want to master. The fewer you want to master the better because it teaches you how to focus on what you’re doing and progress to a higher level of the exercise whether it’s more sets/reps, a more advanced version, changing the speed and tempo whatever. Mastery is a key to reaching superhuman potential.

            The biggest key is your imagination. Without it, you’ll just strolling along, not making any real progress, you might get some results but no where near the results you’re looking for. When you’re training, think into your exercises, picture yourself in a certain situation. Lifting Odd Objects like a keg or log for example; picture as if you’re in a place where it’s crucial for those things to be lifted. You’re in a big warehouse and those kegs of beer or whatever you see in them need to be carried onto a truck and sent out, time is of the essence and if you don’t make your quota you’re going to lose your job. Random I know but if it’s your job to make a certain quota wouldn't you want to keep it?

            You can use your imagination for anything you wish. Got a Sledgehammer and a tire, picture yourself in the woods, chopping down some lumber to take home and either built your home or bring in firewood to help keep you and your family warm so they don’t freeze to death. Each time you hit that tire, there’s more wood to put on the fire place, more wood to build something. Like Isometrics, push against the wall and picture yourself as if you’re in ancient Egypt and you’re moving blocks of heavy stone to help build the pyramids, or picture yourself in a secret chamber where gravity really takes you down (for you Dragonball Z fans) and the only way to stay up and move is by Muscle Control that gives you the strength to do any exercise you wish. 

            These are just examples but whatever you’d like to come up with be sure to focus and never let go of it. It’s like being able to fly like Peter Pan; sprinkle some pixie dust and think happy thoughts so in real life it be your feeling and energy as your pixie dust and your imagination is your happy thoughts, bring them together and magic happens.

            A food for thought if you want to become superhuman is to be challenge yourself at the right time and know when to back off but never being satisfied. When will you know to challenge yourself? It’ll come when you feel the need for a challenge, push yourself a little harder, do a few extra sets and reps, and test a new variation whatever it might be but sooner or later it’ll happen. Stepping back after a challenge doesn't mean you’re giving up, it means you want to get better and you need to rest up but again it doesn't mean you’re done. 

         Progress your way up, take a step back if you need to and challenge yourself often. A Superhuman doesn't prance around like a pretty boy, he challenges himself, he rises above those who don’t have the drive but also help those find that drive and show them how they can rise themselves. Want to be Superhuman; you have the power to be. It’s within you.

A Workout That’ll Take Your Breath Away

           

             Before I tell you a great workout I have discovered I wanted to give you an important asset in your training and that’s conditioning. I know you've probably read and heard me say it pretty damn often but yet it bears repeating. When you’re really good at something and you can go for a quite a period of time while having plenty left in the tank you’re in great condition. Karl Gotch couldn't have said it better “Conditioning is your greatest hold.” It takes mental toughness to be in superior condition, sure you can have great physical attributes but if your mind isn't in the right place it’s all worth nothing.

            This workout is based on an inspiration from the recent events that Bud Jeffries has demonstrated with the use of a sledgehammer and how you can perform different variations and combinations with that hammer to other exercises. Because of this, I like to practice certain things one at a time and sometimes just one exercise the entire workout because it hits everything in the entire body. This workout is fun, interesting, gives you a little time to breathe and best yet, you never know what reps you’ll come up with next.

            To make this workout possible you’ll need 5 important things…..A good sharp pencil or pen, paper to write own (trust me this comes in handy), a 20 sided die, either a sledgehammer or a mighty Thor Hammer (my personal favorite) and a nice solid tire to hit. Each of this is as equally important as the workout itself. The reason why is because when you roll the die, you come up with a set of reps that you can either leave as is or double even triple the amount but because it be hard to remember them its best to write them down which should be your rest period. If you really want to add anything I suggest a watch so you can time yourself and keep track of your progress.

            Why did I choose the 20-sided die? Because I like variety and not knowing what can come up next, it keeps things fresh and it makes not have the same workout twice. You can use the reps anyway you want, you can leave them as is like I said earlier, or make it more interesting by doubling or tripling the amount of reps. You can go as high as 10 reps or maybe 100 who knows. I use the die at times when I do my Animal Training and play around with it kind of like a game.

            How does this workout go?

-Well, you roll the die, whatever number comes up you do that many reps hitting the tire using both hands and switching the top and bottom hands to make it even. Say you rolled a 20 for example, you can do 10 reps left over right and switch to right over left to make it 20 or do 20 reps L/R then 20 R/L to make it 40.

-Write own the number of reps to keep track so you don’t lose how many you’d like to do. In the beginning do about 10 rolls to get the idea, build it up to however you want and then you can time yourself, 5 minutes, 10 min. whatever and be sure to keep moving, roll the die, write the reps and get back to it.

-Make a goal to how many reps you want to hit in a certain amount of time but also keep good form (its important believe me).

            This builds cardio in ways that just blows many things out of the water; it’s a step closer to how the old-time laborers worked the mines, quarries and construction, breaking down concrete, stone and rock. To do this workout for an hour is a hell of a way to build up your conditioning and stamina while also building crazy strength in the arms, back, legs, your grip, your abs, your lung power and your coordination.

            Build up slowly and start with a amount of time that’s comfortable, then challenge it, make the reps less or more, if you start to get tired after doing a high level of reps, lower the amount but keep going. I once went 30 min. doing this workout and hit just nearly 1500 reps. Once your conditioning is at a certain level keep it consistent so you can challenge it and keep a good rhythm and don’t forget to breathe. This is no cake walk and your mental training is tested a great deal once you get past certain times like 20 min. or 30 min. Make it fun and interesting and try different combinations to amp up your training even more. Have fun and enjoy. 

Let The Hammer Fall

As of late because of the influence from Super Strongman Bud Jeffries, Sledgehammer Training has been going like hot cakes and why is that? We all realize a hammer is just a hammer or is it, what’s the significance of having this monstrous looking object? It is actually one of the most important tools that can be used to jack up your conditioning like burgers to a grill. You don’t need to look like pretty boy Chris Hemsworth of Thor fame or the folk legend John Henry, hell you don’t need massive muscles to be able to handle it but yet if you want to take a hold of that Hammer, you need a slice of mind power to even take a few exercises on.

            When you bring that powerful hammer down and hit a good solid tire, picture that tire as if it was someone trying to kill you or you have to dig the biggest hole or better yet, picture in your mind, that you’re taking down a building or structure say a pyramid or knocking holes as if you were in the Temple Of Doom alongside Indiana Jones, he’ got the whip, you got the hammer. Training with a different mindset can change your body’s movement within the snap of your fingers, if you just picture hitting a tire that’s cool and all but where the passion in that is, it’s pretty dull. Your tire is your enemy, make it your bitch.

            One of the coolest hammers there is, is Thor’s Hammer. Just being able to hold that thing has something special, something that gives you power and strength the moment you use it. When you train with it, it’s almost like you’re striking fear into those who can’t do it or handle it. For having that Thor mindset, you want to make that Hammer feel worthy only to you, nobody else and picture as if someone else tried to use your hammer but can’t move it like you, swing it like you or even strike terror into a tire like. It’s a feeling like in the movie; nobody can move the Hammer except Thor, in the Legend of King Arthur pulling the Sword From The Stone only one is worthy to take hold of the sword. I love shit like that, kind of reminds me of another reference, in Highlander there can be only one. Might as well be you.

            The sound of striking a hammer is powerful, thunderous even mystical that even the great God himself can be proud of and hearing the sound of Odin cheering your way to victory. Victory isn't always a winning title but victory is the inner power within that fights even when he’s struck down in the face of battle and keeps going until his dying breath. Thunder & Lightning are at your feet; just waiting for you to take what’s yours and pass that knowledge onto those who deserve its power and its secrets. You are powerful, strong and cunning and within you is a soul that is waiting to unleash hell and give everything you have to make everything worth while. Let the hammer fall and make that hammer apart of you as the sword is to the Samurai. Feel it, see it and hear the power of the gods giving you the power you deserve. 

The Strike That Will Always Be Heard

           Training with a sledgehammer gives you a sense of power and strength in your hands. The feel of the old-time laborers who smashed their way through granite, rock and stone in quarries, mines and other manual labor jobs that were back breaking and built on mental toughness with the strength of your own body. No one in the strongman world knows this better than Slim The Hammerman. Swinging a hammer just has that Raw, Uncanny strength that can only be applied by practice. The sound hitting stone or hitting a tire is quite the sound and can be heard from a good distance if you do it right.

            Lately I've been testing with my Thor Hammers, the high rep levels of conditioning hitting the tires with as little rest as possible. The only rest I take is when I roll a 20-sided dice and whatever comes up I do that many reps sometimes doubled or tripled the amount that comes up and just go after it as hard as I can. I've hit over 300, 600 and even got up over 1100+ reps and it feels incredible. To get great benefit it takes mindful practice and sometimes a bit of an imagination to really get the feel of that much power and endurance. For optimal results you can combine different elements such as Barbells, Dumbbells, Cables or whatever you decide and build a Monstrous Foundation to get the best results you can possibly imagine.

            One of the biggest challenges as of late is how one would handle a sledgehammer like Ryan Pitts’ Epic Sledgehammer which starts at 26lb. empty and can go up to 70 lb. using Shot Lead. Now some might say that’s not a lot of weight, some say that’s too much to handle but then there are those who just say “screw it.” Very few guys can have a workout with that much hammer. John Brookfield of Strongman Legend has swung sledgehammers for as long as an hour with the hammer weighing 50 lb. and striking it up to 28 times a minute, that’s insane. When you have that Epic hammer in your hands a part of you might have that fear that it will fight you and break you but yet if you let it work for you, it’ll give you strength in your whole body you never thought you'd be able to achieve. Think about it.

            Every time you strike the hammer, your whole body comes into play, stabilizing muscles, the tendons, legs are good, your arms are connected and ready to go and your breathing becomes a factor. What many people don't realize is how much your breath uses up your power. If you're a shallow breather, you won’t last very long and even a few strikes at first will get huffing and puffing. With practice and finding that rhythm, your lung power will skyrocket and your endurance becomes greater. You won't just be strong and enduring but you'll get stronger mentally as well.

            My boy Bud Jeffries always had a philosophy of combining strength training & endurance training in the same workout and he’s proving it many times over that if you put these two elements in the same session, you'll gain results faster than if you did one or the other. Conditioning in this manner can be used in different ways but the principles still apply. Using a heavy sledgehammer and doing high reps is one example of this, it already takes great strength just to hold up one of those bad boys but to do high reps with them is something that you can only find in experience and seeing for yourself how that is done. If any other piece of equipment that can take you into the stratosphere it’s the power of the hammer. If you have one, treat it as if it was a Samurai sword, its beauty can be deceitful if you don't use it properly and it can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It’s special and sacred and when you train hard with it, it gives you that love and respect that nothing else might give you. It’s not just an object; it’s a part of you.