Hello everyone and happy new year! First of all, I am not a SG purist as I use dumbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, sandbags, etc., in my ever-varying routine. But since discovering the SG site and this very informative discussion group, I have now have a new workout tool and some 20+ exercises to go with my new 12# hammer. As a way of thanks to you all, I wanted to share some other movements and links I have found in my surfing. I apologize for duplicating any previous posts. I also realize a lot of these exercises are grip- or strength orientated so they may not appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, they are there for you to try if you wish and even if you only add a single exercise to your routine, I feel like I've given something back.
John Brookfield is a well-known strongman/author and uses a sledgehammer in many ways. Though he may not look like a finely-honed athlete, this man is insanely strong so us mere mortals may have a hard time with these four exercises:
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... ip20.html
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... ptip8.html
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... ptip5.html
IronMind.com is a great resource should you decide to become serious about strength training!
Three sledgehammer exercises from Elite Fitness System's site:
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp? ... 20&tid=105
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp? ... 58&tid=105
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp? ... 83&tid=105
This was previously posted but it's worth repeating for those who may have missed it. It's how a guy named Eric uses sledgehammers to train to bend nails & bolts.
http://www.geocities.com/ltgodfrey/lever.html
Another hammer-fan is strongman/martial artist/motivational speaker/author Bud Jeffries. Here's why he likes them:
http://www.strongerman.com/17_reasons_hammers.html
Here is a link to Bud's DVD devoted to conditioning with hammers and maces and he lists some of the 90 exercises from the DVD on this page. Some sound familiar and maybe someone more resourceful than myself can figure out what some of the other movements are by name alone.
http://strongerman.com/alternative_cond ... maces.html
I do own Bud's Twisted Conditioning books 1 &2 in which he demonstrates a few sledgehammer exercises. Incidentally, he also uses a barbell loaded at one end only for his "shoveling" workouts so he can easily adjust the weight (he's another scarily strong individual). Three of his movements some of you may want to try are described below. CAUTION: Be careful not to strain your back on 2 & 3 so keep those abs tight! Go slow at first or just use a broom until you get the motion down.
1. The Alphabet - Simply draw an imaginary alphabet in the air in front of you with the hammer. Square letters work the shoulders more and round letters allow you to swing your whole body.
2. The Sheaf Toss - The same motion as throwing a sheaf or bale of hay with a pitchfork into a barn loft. Start bent over in a shoveling position. Back swing to the opposite side of the body and then explode upward shooting the imaginary bale straight up. Finish with the hammer head held over head.
3. Over the Back Throw - This is a shoveling motion where you throw the dirt over your head and behind you. Pick up the shovel with the head slightly forward of your body. Back swing and explode it up over your forehand shoulder.
Want to add weight to your hammer?
http://www.bigsteel.iwarp.com/Articles2 ... Ideas.html
Clubbells have a lot in common with using hammers but since they have a knob at one end (like a baseball bat) as well as an attached line to prevent you from losing the weight, they are much better for swing-type movements. See link below for a picture of clubbells as well as a site to order that 100lb. "war hammer" you didn't get for Christmas (jeez):
http://www.clubbells.co.uk/
You can also make your own clubbell:
http://www.geocities.com/fightraining/klub.html
One clubbell movement that can be modified to use with a hammer would be a leverage press. This one is a little risky and will challenge your grip something fierce so start with a low weight initially to get a feel for it. Again, you will have to be squeezing the handle VERY hard in order to maintain control of the weight.
Leverage press - Grab your hammer near the middle, holding it vertically with the head on top. Bring your arm to your side with your forearm parallel to the floor. Maintaining a firm grip, slowly let the head fall back (and the bottom handle move forward) about six inches. The hammer head will be near your shoulder but not on it. This is the starting and stopping position of the movement. Now, slowly press up and away from your body. Not straight up or straight out; it's an angular push, meaning, keep that same head and bottom handle angle throughout the entire motion. Keep your eyes on the weight at all times and a death grip on the handle as you finish extending your arm, pausing for a second or two and slowly bringing it back to the starting position. Obviously, the further your hand is from the head, the more challenging it will be so experiment to find what is the right hand placement for you. Keep the reps low and maybe save this for the last exercise of your routine as it really fatigues your grip.
I realize this article from the Jowett Institute was previously posted and most of these work better (at least for me) with the clubbell, though several movements transition fine to the hammer:
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition ... extra.htm
Lastly and in keeping with the theme of old-time strongman, check out John Wood's Functional Hand Strength site. Mainly grip training products and old-school references but you can also buy a manual to learn how to do handstands (I'm a newbie at it and practicing these is a workout in itself!), buy thick ropes, sand bags or log bars to train with, discover how to tear phone books in half (a nice parlor trick) and there's even a DVD about...hammer feats of strength! It's another "must see" site for strength training.
http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/index.html
Enjoy should you wish to try any of the above exercises but please remember to train safe and smart to avoid personal injury AND property damage. Have fun and take care.--Mike
New Movements and some useful links
Sorry about that!
I hope the links come through this way. I'm not too computer savvy.
John Brookfield is a well-known strongman/author and uses a sledgehammer in many ways. Though he may not look like a finely-honed athlete, this man is insanely strong so us mere mortals may have a hard time with these four exercises:
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... tip20.html
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... ptip8.html
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... ptip7.html
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... ptip5.html
IronMind.com is a great resource should you decide to become serious about strength training!
Three sledgehammer exercises from Elite Fitness System's site:
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp? ... 20&tid=105
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp? ... 58&tid=105
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp? ... 83&tid=105
Hmmm...the around the head movement takes a little getting used to.
This was previously posted but it's worth repeating for those who may have missed it. It's how a guy named Eric uses sledgehammers to train to bend nails & bolts.
http://www.geocities.com/ltgodfrey/lever.html
Another hammer-fan is strongman/martial artist/motivational speaker/author Bud Jeffries. Here's why he likes them:
http://www.strongerman.com/17_reasons_hammers.html
Here is a link to Bud's DVD devoted to conditioning with hammers and maces and he lists some of the 90 exercises from the DVD on this page. Some sound familiar and maybe someone more resourceful than myself can figure out what some of the other movements are by name alone.
http://strongerman.com/alternative_cond ... maces.html
I do own Bud's Twisted Conditioning books 1 &2 in which he demonstrates a few sledgehammer exercises. Incidentally, he also uses a barbell loaded at one end only for his "shoveling" workouts so he can easily adjust the weight (he's another scarily strong individual). Three of his movements some of you may want to try are described below. CAUTION: Be careful not to strain your back on 2 & 3 so keep those abs tight! Go slow at first or just use a broom until you get the motion down.
1. The Alphabet - Simply draw an imaginary alphabet in the air in front of you with the hammer. Square letters work the shoulders more and round letters allow you to swing your whole body.
2. The Sheaf Toss - The same motion as throwing a sheaf or bale of hay with a pitchfork into a barn loft. Start bent over in a shoveling position. Back swing to the opposite side of the body and then explode upward shooting the imaginary bale straight up. Finish with the hammer head held over head.
3. Over the Back Throw - This is a shoveling motion where you throw the dirt over your head and behind you. Pick up the shovel with the head slightly forward of your body. Back swing and explode it up over your forehand shoulder.
Want to add weight to your hammer?
http://www.bigsteel.iwarp.com/Articles2 ... Ideas.html
Clubbells have a lot in common with using hammers but since they have a knob at one end (like a baseball bat) as well as an attached line to prevent you from losing the weight, they are much better for swing-type movements. See link below for a picture of clubbells as well as a site to order that 100lb. "war hammer" you didn't get for Christmas (jeez):
http://www.clubbells.co.uk/
You can also make your own clubbell:
http://www.geocities.com/fightraining/klub.html
One clubbell movement that can be modified to use with a hammer would be a leverage press. This one is a little risky and will challenge your grip something fierce so start with a low weight initially to get a feel for it. Again, you will have to be squeezing the handle VERY hard in order to maintain control of the weight.
Leverage press - Grab your hammer near the middle, holding it vertically with the head on top. Bring your arm to your side with your forearm parallel to the floor. Maintaining a firm grip, slowly let the head fall back (and the bottom handle move forward) about six inches. The hammer head will be near your shoulder but not on it. This is the starting and stopping position of the movement. Now, slowly press up and away from your body. Not straight up or straight out; it's an angular push, meaning, keep that same head and bottom handle angle throughout the entire motion. Keep your eyes on the weight at all times and a death grip on the handle as you finish extending your arm, pausing for a second or two and slowly bringing it back to the starting position. Obviously, the further your hand is from the head, the more challenging it will be so experiment to find what is the right hand placement for you. Keep the reps low and maybe save this for the last exercise of your routine as it really fatigues your grip.
I realize this article from the Jowett Institute was previously posted and most of these work better (at least for me) with the clubbell, though several movements transition fine to the hammer:
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition ... wextra.htm
Lastly and in keeping with the theme of old-time strongman, check out John Wood's Functional Hand Strength site. Mainly grip training products and old-school references but you can also buy a manual to learn how to do handstands (I'm a newbie at it and practicing these is a workout in itself!), buy thick ropes, sand bags or log bars to train with, discover how to tear phone books in half (a nice parlor trick) and there's even a DVD about...hammer feats of strength! It's another "must see" site for strength training.
http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/index.html
John Brookfield is a well-known strongman/author and uses a sledgehammer in many ways. Though he may not look like a finely-honed athlete, this man is insanely strong so us mere mortals may have a hard time with these four exercises:
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... tip20.html
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... ptip8.html
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... ptip7.html
http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/ ... ptip5.html
IronMind.com is a great resource should you decide to become serious about strength training!
Three sledgehammer exercises from Elite Fitness System's site:
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp? ... 20&tid=105
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp? ... 58&tid=105
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp? ... 83&tid=105
Hmmm...the around the head movement takes a little getting used to.
This was previously posted but it's worth repeating for those who may have missed it. It's how a guy named Eric uses sledgehammers to train to bend nails & bolts.
http://www.geocities.com/ltgodfrey/lever.html
Another hammer-fan is strongman/martial artist/motivational speaker/author Bud Jeffries. Here's why he likes them:
http://www.strongerman.com/17_reasons_hammers.html
Here is a link to Bud's DVD devoted to conditioning with hammers and maces and he lists some of the 90 exercises from the DVD on this page. Some sound familiar and maybe someone more resourceful than myself can figure out what some of the other movements are by name alone.
http://strongerman.com/alternative_cond ... maces.html
I do own Bud's Twisted Conditioning books 1 &2 in which he demonstrates a few sledgehammer exercises. Incidentally, he also uses a barbell loaded at one end only for his "shoveling" workouts so he can easily adjust the weight (he's another scarily strong individual). Three of his movements some of you may want to try are described below. CAUTION: Be careful not to strain your back on 2 & 3 so keep those abs tight! Go slow at first or just use a broom until you get the motion down.
1. The Alphabet - Simply draw an imaginary alphabet in the air in front of you with the hammer. Square letters work the shoulders more and round letters allow you to swing your whole body.
2. The Sheaf Toss - The same motion as throwing a sheaf or bale of hay with a pitchfork into a barn loft. Start bent over in a shoveling position. Back swing to the opposite side of the body and then explode upward shooting the imaginary bale straight up. Finish with the hammer head held over head.
3. Over the Back Throw - This is a shoveling motion where you throw the dirt over your head and behind you. Pick up the shovel with the head slightly forward of your body. Back swing and explode it up over your forehand shoulder.
Want to add weight to your hammer?
http://www.bigsteel.iwarp.com/Articles2 ... Ideas.html
Clubbells have a lot in common with using hammers but since they have a knob at one end (like a baseball bat) as well as an attached line to prevent you from losing the weight, they are much better for swing-type movements. See link below for a picture of clubbells as well as a site to order that 100lb. "war hammer" you didn't get for Christmas (jeez):
http://www.clubbells.co.uk/
You can also make your own clubbell:
http://www.geocities.com/fightraining/klub.html
One clubbell movement that can be modified to use with a hammer would be a leverage press. This one is a little risky and will challenge your grip something fierce so start with a low weight initially to get a feel for it. Again, you will have to be squeezing the handle VERY hard in order to maintain control of the weight.
Leverage press - Grab your hammer near the middle, holding it vertically with the head on top. Bring your arm to your side with your forearm parallel to the floor. Maintaining a firm grip, slowly let the head fall back (and the bottom handle move forward) about six inches. The hammer head will be near your shoulder but not on it. This is the starting and stopping position of the movement. Now, slowly press up and away from your body. Not straight up or straight out; it's an angular push, meaning, keep that same head and bottom handle angle throughout the entire motion. Keep your eyes on the weight at all times and a death grip on the handle as you finish extending your arm, pausing for a second or two and slowly bringing it back to the starting position. Obviously, the further your hand is from the head, the more challenging it will be so experiment to find what is the right hand placement for you. Keep the reps low and maybe save this for the last exercise of your routine as it really fatigues your grip.
I realize this article from the Jowett Institute was previously posted and most of these work better (at least for me) with the clubbell, though several movements transition fine to the hammer:
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition ... wextra.htm
Lastly and in keeping with the theme of old-time strongman, check out John Wood's Functional Hand Strength site. Mainly grip training products and old-school references but you can also buy a manual to learn how to do handstands (I'm a newbie at it and practicing these is a workout in itself!), buy thick ropes, sand bags or log bars to train with, discover how to tear phone books in half (a nice parlor trick) and there's even a DVD about...hammer feats of strength! It's another "must see" site for strength training.
http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/index.html
Mike23
