YESS Training (LLC): Teaching The Sledge Hammer II

Teaching The Sledge Hammer Part II, A Question & Answer From London, And A Three Legged Dog Named "Duke".

Look Close. We Use It 'Til We Bleed.

Watch This Video On The Sledge Hammer:

Skinny Joe. Health Coming Back Since Video.

Question:

Joe,

I saw the video clip about the sledge hammer technique.
I am a very active person and do a lot of exercise. My question is how heavy should the weight be for a beginner? What would be your advice about sets and reps to start with?
I don't know anyone to ask these questions here in London.

Gerard

Answer:

Gerard,

I have seen sledge hammers sold and used in 8 pounds, 10 pounds, 12 pounds, 16 pounds, and have come across many custom made sledge hammers that weighed up to 25 pounds. The custom made ones usually would have a welded pipe for a handle that could withstand the weight being used. The most practical weight to train with and the hammer we use at the YESS Training Barbell Club is an 8 pound hammer. I'm going to give a quick story and then make some pretty good points here so listen up!

From the age of 16-20 years old, I worked for my Uncle who owned a business in the worst section of Patterson New Jersey. His warehouse was located on a block that housed the worst of the worst. On this street were shootings, crack-heads, car jackings, prostitutes, and muggers (I'm Dead Serious). If you are from Bergen County New Jersey, you know where and what I'm talking about. As a kid, this was a license to either crap your pants on a daily basis or carry a sledge hammer in hand for protection whenever walking out side on to the street. We also had a three legged attack dog named Duke who I have seen protect the warehouse better than any four legged dog, but that is another story.

My uncle's business, at the time, was installing hydraulic car lifts in automotive shops and car dealerships. Most of the time we would have to break up concrete and pour new cement footings for the support needed for the car lift that would lift up the cars. At that time, we did not own a jack hammer to break up the existing concrete, so we would use a good old fashion 8 pound sledge hammer.

Being a kid who was in shape, my job was to smash the concrete up with a sledge hammer day in and day out. My hands would bleed, concrete would hit me in the face, and my forearms at the end of the day would be demolished. I would wake up the next day and do it all over again if I wanted to get paid. My Uncle always took care of me. Paying for my high protien meals (even at that time I would eat five times a day) and for the work I would perform. Amazing what you are willing to do in life with a little motivation. My motivation was my first car (1970 Dodge Charger, The Dukes of Hazzard Car) and my future wife. My point to this whole story is that I remember, to this very day, saying that if I were to one day open a gym, sledge hammer work would be a cornerstone in my training program. Do you know what? It now is! Here is why:

"Big Sexy's" Hand From The Sledge Hammer

Sledge Hammer work is a full body conditioner. It makes a fighter and a traditional sport athlete a more physical person. It increases muscular endurance, strength endurance, and power endurance. One will be developed more than the other depending upon how fast you hit the tire, how many time you hit the tire, how heavy the hammer is, and how long you hit the tire. Your grip, wrist, and forearms are directly affected and develop tremendously while using a sledge hammer over time. The cardio-respiratory (heart and lungs) system gets its ass kicked and then develops stronger after having adapted to the work performed with the sledge hammer. It develops, in a superior way, hand speed, hand eye coordination, and punching power. It can be used as an active warm-up, thrown into a circuit for its metabolic affect, or used as a finisher at the end of a weight training day or conditioning day.

Now, with that being said, I don't want to come across as the "Sledge Hammer Guy", because I use many other ways to increase the strength and conditioning of a fighter/athlete. Plus, I am not a label kind of guy. Just one of the many tools I use out of my tool box!

How do I validate this type of training at the Barbell Club besides what I have mentioned above??? Let me leave you and everyone else reading with this:

If you pick up an 8 pound sledge hammer and swing it for time, hitting the tire and find you can only perform 5 minutes of straight work. At this point, you could only perform those 5 minutes because your fingers were cramping, hands blistering, forearms burning, legs and low-back shot, and shoulders done. Then, within a few weeks/months (does it really matter how long it takes you? What matters is that you are doing work), you work your ass off and can now perform 10 minutes of straight work. You have now doubled your conditioning and everything mentioned above. Your body can do more. That's the point of training. To improve upon what you have done previously. Little by little, over time. My last point, and this is the best one yet!:

If you take two equally skilled fighters (this is fantasy here, but hope you get my point) and one fighter can beast on the hammer for 36 minutes of straight work, and the other only 15 minutes, I would put my money on the monster who can do the 36. Why? Simple. He can endure more!

Amateur Boxer "Big Mike" Performing Sledge Work.

Sledge Hammer Training:

At the end of an upper or lower body weight training day, perform Sledge Hammer Tire Hits for time. If you can only go for 2 minutes your first week, shoot for three minutes the following week. Start with 8-10 hits per side. You can also perform tire hits for rounds in either 2 minute, 3 minute, or five minute rounds. Shoot for a short term goal of 3 rounds and the following training day, try and break a record. A little more every week adds up.

Check this video out:

A Side Note:

Certain things in training are not going anywhere. Barbells and Dumbbells is one of them. Hitting heavy things against heavy things is another. Roberto Duran use to train and prepare for fights lifting the ends of small cars and hitting scrap metal with a sledge hammer at junk yards. Didn't we see that in a movie once?

Another Side Note: