Everyday Systems

So I am new as well... my friend pointed me in this direction after listening to me lament about the cost of a gym membership....so i decided to give it a go. First off, i over paid for the sledge, 31 for a 10lb sledge...can't say it looks like a sturdy one either. But that taken into consideration, and the lack of hammering that will actually be occurring, construction matters little. More importantly i kept the receipt- so if all else fails....i can return this genuine piece of junk.

I have a goal- I want to pass a firefighters physical fitness test in May. I am a little skeptical if this can get me to my goal-only because the weights required to lift....but if all else fails...i hit the gym. Main strength-related obstacles to passing this test:
1. caring (2) 35lb rolls of hose over my shoulder and caring up the 4 stories (one on each shoulder).
2. Lift 70lbs of weight on a pully an unlisted height (can actually practice this elsewhere....)
3. With one other attendant carry 190lbs of weight on an ambulance stretcher down one flight of stairs
4. Perhaps the one that scares me the most: lifting a 50lb fan over my head in one fell swoop and hanging it on hooks mounted 6 feet off the ground.

Step 1: Acquire the sledge hammer. Walked into Home Depot at 755pm, caught up looking at cordless drills i had been eyeing....5mins to closing....oh crap...there i am running around like an idiot trying to find the sledge hammers that are not over with the rest of tools, but instead on the other side of the store with the garden tools.

Step 2: wrap something around the sledge. Well- while trying to wrap a towel and a rope around the sledge to protect the cat from it, i accidently nail her in the chin with the handle. I heard that....5 mins later of begging for forgiveness i am ready to begin.

Step 3: Using it without killing yourself, taking yourself to seriously, or wondering just how transparent your blinds are. 14 mins later.....feeling pretty good...i am impressed.

Any tips or advice are welcome!

I'd say you definitely over paid.. That's how much a sixteen pound sledge might cost, I'd guess.
Good luck!
Hope you pass your test!
Sounds really challenging!
Debs

First off, i over paid for the sledge, 31 for a 10lb sledge...can't say it looks like a sturdy one either

The going rate for a ten pounder on amazon is $24.99 (free shipping if you spend 1 cent more on something else!)

http://astore.amazon.com/shovelglove-20 ... B000ELWH5G

But I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you like the sledge, what's a measly extra 6 dollars compared with the cost of a gym membership?

I have a goal- I want to pass a firefighters physical fitness test in May.

Good luck! Let us know how this goes. I think some of these tests actually involve sledgehammer work.

Well- while trying to wrap a towel and a rope around the sledge to protect the cat from it, i accidently nail her in the chin with the handle.

Poor thing! Zippy and Gingi send their condolences. I've whacked myself in the chin once, but the cats have been lucky so far.

Reinhard