Sledgehammer exercise: what is the purpose of hitting a tire with a hammer in CrossFit?

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Sooner or later, exercises with traditional equipment get boring even for the most fanatically devoted adherent of “iron” sports. On the one hand, the soul asks for tough strength work, on the other hand, I don’t feel like going to the gym at all. It is at such a moment in life that exercises with available equipment come to the rescue. In this article we will look at exercises with a tire - they are very popular in CrossFit.

History of the exercise

It is not known exactly when sledgehammer exercises first appeared. When analyzing the motor pattern, it becomes clear that it has existed for thousands of years. This is the simplest movement that imitates the blows of an ax when chopping wood, working with a hammer in a forge, and even fighting with different types of weapons.

The history of its appearance in the sports field starts with the training of old-school strongmen and circus athletes. They were the ones who actively used the hammer in their practice, but without a tire. However, a significant difference in the development of the “old school” was the weight of the projectile. That is, instead of long sessions, athletes tried to impress with short series of blows, but with incredibly large and heavy sledgehammers.

In modern sports, working with a sledgehammer has become massively popular thanks to CrossFit.

Farmer's Walk and Rocker

The most popular, in my opinion, extreme strength exercise. Direct application in life - shopping. To perform this you will need 5-10 m of straight space and 2 identically shaped projectiles that can be held in your hand. This could be weights, dumbbells, barbells, discs, sandbags, or anything else you can find.

Perfectly develops stabilizers and extensors of the body. There are 2 options for execution: for grip and for general load. In the first case, the weight is small, but the object is inconvenient - discs from a barbell, a bar (can be supplemented with extenders). In short, the goal is to walk in such a way that your forearms tire first. Try to choose a weight so that you can hold it for 30-60 seconds in one approach.

In the second case, the weight of the projectiles should be as heavy as possible; a sure sign will be the dropping of the shoulders down and a burning sensation between the shoulder blades. It is important to keep your chest up. The standard distance of 15 m works well here, try to go through it as quickly and smoothly as possible. Rocker

can be replaced by walking with a barbell on your shoulders. The weight of the barbell should be at least 120% of your squat.

What muscles work

Even after the first approaches, there is no misunderstanding among the athletes as to why the athletes hit the tire. The movement loads almost all the muscles of the body. The main emphasis is on:

• Back muscles (latissimus, trapezius, lower back).
• Shoulders (all delta bundles).
• Biceps and triceps.
• Forearms.
• Core muscles (responsible for stabilizing the body and transmitting impulses from the legs to the upper limbs).
• Pectoral muscles (with emphasis on the upper, lower and outer areas).

Benefit: what does hitting a tire with a sledgehammer develop?

Training with a hammer and tire is considered perhaps the best way to develop maximum muscle contraction speed. The main advantages of the crossfit hammer:

• Development of explosive power.
• The ability to recruit the maximum number of muscle fibers in working muscles.
• Development of stability (balance), greater load on the core muscles.
• Express grip strength training.
• Development of strength endurance.
• Training coordination and speed.
• Building impressive muscles, with an emphasis on the upper body.

Another benefit of the movement is that it can be used to work the entire body.

How to properly hit a tire with a sledgehammer

In training with a sledgehammer and a tire, the most important role is played by the correct swing and transfer of the projectile for the subsequent swing , that is, the creation of a continuous series of movements.

Least important technical factors:

• Where to hit - you can hit both in the center of the tire and along the edges. The shock absorption of the projectile and the recoil will be the same (but if you want to add rigidity, then hit the very edge).
• Which side to hit - you can hit with the head of a hammer (as with a regular hand hammer), you can hit flat, that is, the striking part of the projectile lies horizontally. This is not essential for this exercise.
• How far to stand from the tire - the distance depends on the length of your arms, handle, technique and other conditions. It is important to stand in such a way as not to create an excessive bend in the lower back (in attempts to reach the projectile), but also not to have the risk of hitting your leg if the sledgehammer comes off the tire.

Key and most important points in technology:

• Foot position – feet should be shoulder-width apart, in a half-extended position (that is, a neutral position between the straight and side stances). One foot is always in front of the other for stability.
• The back is always straight , bending is performed only in the lower back.
• One hand (for example, for a right-handed stance - the left) is always firmly fixed on the lower part of the handle . The second hand “slides” , depending on the position of the projectile. During the lower phase of the swing, it is closer to the head of the sledgehammer. After the projectile falls, the hand “rolls” down the handle to create maximum force.

also important to remember that even if you use a front stance (standing directly to the tire without turning), you need to alternate your swings from different sides. This will force all muscles to work evenly and will not lead to imbalanced development.

Threat to disks[edit | edit code]

The mechanism of intervertebral hernia
Those who have pain or have had pain in their back are best able to get into the correct position for lifting heavy objects. Indeed, when there is pain, we have no choice: we need to control the anterior tilt of the hips all the time, especially with hidden kyphosis of the back, keep the spine straight, and the muscles that surround and support it in the plank.

Wrong movement

To avoid mistakes, you need to be a “techie” obsessed with back position

, and take the technical aspects of the squat, deadlift, clean, snatch, and standing row very seriously.
The main danger is intervertebral hernia
: intervertebral discs are “gel pads” placed between the vertebrae, absorbing shock and ensuring their stability and mobility.
In the center of each disc there is a core, which, during twisting (“rounding”) of the back, is pushed back due to compression of the front part of the disc and relaxation of the back part. If the tension in the front increases - in particular, under the pressure of a significant peripheral load, the nucleus runs the risk of being squeezed out of the disc
: this is an intervertebral hernia. Repeating movements with an incorrect position of the spine can, among other things, cause inflammation of local muscles, harm the discs (accelerate their aging), provoke arthrosis, etc.

Recommendations

Given the benefits of using a sledgehammer, the approach to training depends entirely on the athlete's goals. To develop explosive power, it is recommended to choose a heavy implement with a long handle, performing short sessions (9-15 repetitions). For moderate weights, a regime of 21 repetitions per round is suitable.

For endurance training and metcons, the range of repetitions can be from 10 to 50, depending on the combination with other exercises. If you do pure work with a sledgehammer without other movements, then the 10*10 option is also often used (that is, 100 repetitions in 10 series).

Reverse dragging of the load or dead pull of the rope

A great exercise for strengthening the back muscles, which can also replace. To perform this you will need a cable and the load itself, or a fixed support. As a load, you can use a tire (both with and without a load) and anything else that can be dragged.

I recommend performing this exercise in long sleeves. Wrap the cable around the forearm of the hand that will be closest to you, keep your arms bent and push your legs forward. Make sure that the body does not tip towards the load. Try dragging a load 5-10 meters in one go. If it's easy, add weight or distance.

CrossFit complexes with a sledgehammer

The sledgehammer is rarely seen in professional and competitive settings. However, it is great for explosiveness training, metcons, and off-season training.

Examples of effective complexes.

Tabata

Performing 8 series of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest at maximum intensity.

Bundle for beginners

Series from:

• Right hand strokes – 4*15.
• Backhand strokes – 4*15.
• Overhand strikes with two hands – 4*15.

You can do all the movements one by one, or each one separately.

Power complex

• Hammer blows – 21.
• Swings with a kettlebell to the chest – 15.
• Pulling a tire - 20 meters (pulling it with the head of a sledgehammer).

TOOLS

With the help of our recommendations and these fairly easy-to-use tools, you can make your shot even more powerful.

You need to do the following:

• Get a car tire (don’t even look in the direction of your car) that you don’t mind damaging, and bury it securely halfway into the ground. She will receive many blows, and therefore must be static.
• Get a sledgehammer. You determine the weight yourself - strikers use light sledgehammers (8-10 kg), to develop a punch, wrestlers use heavy sledgehammers (10-32 kg) to improve functionality in throws.

Initial hand position

• Boxers keep their hands away from each other
• Wrestlers hold onto the end of the handle with their hands

This position of the hands is due to the fact that in boxing punches are delivered with one hand, and not with two. Therefore, a wide grip creates conditions as similar as possible to a real blow.

What does such training give?

Working with a sledgehammer develops crazy-powerful blows for boxers, and powerful throws for wrestlers. At the same time, the overall endurance of the body develops, which is not neglected in any sport.

But why exactly does a sledgehammer develop a strong blow so well? Because it is so heavy that it forces you to make your work easier by sequentially connecting large muscles. You begin to “help” yourself with large muscles, and gradually get closer to mastering the technique. In this exercise, it is easier to follow the technique than to strain yourself.

If you work only with your hands, soon you won’t even be able to swing them. And it’s inconvenient to work exclusively with them - the muscles of the arms are much weaker than the muscles of the legs and torso. To remove some of the load from your arms, you will resort to using your legs and body. What does this mean for you? These are exactly the factors that will help you achieve a strong punch! You are starting to develop your striking technique! The impulse goes from the leg, through the back, arms, and straight to the tire! This is the whole secret of working with a sledgehammer and a tire.

Oh once, and again, and many, many times!

Again, it all depends on your individual training. For beginners, a 10 kg sledgehammer for 10 repetitions may seem like hellish torture. And an experienced athlete will swing a sledgehammer with a weight of 20 kg 200 times, and will not even get tired. So judge for yourself. But in our opinion, you should aim for a hundred repetitions in one approach. A workout can contain from two to four such approaches.

The main thing is to follow the technique!

How to choose a sledgehammer for CrossFit

This is a very non-standard exercise, because it is important not only to understand how to correctly hit a tire with a sledgehammer (which is important for all movements), but also to choose the right implement. With the wrong hammer, it will be impossible to maintain the correct technique, which ultimately can lead not only to a deterioration in efficiency, but also to an increased risk of injury.

The first thing to start with is understanding that you need a sports sledgehammer. Technical hammers (for example, railway hammers) are most often not suitable because they have offset balancing.

• When choosing a weight, it is recommended to start with 4 kg shells. This is optimal for athletes with low and average levels of physical fitness. To use a 16-kg sledgehammer and hit a tire technically correctly, you need very serious training and experience.

• The length of the handle should depend on the weight of the hammer, the height of the athlete and the training style. The absolute minimum is 30-35 cm; such models are not used for crossfit, but are sometimes used to work in series with one hand (Donkey Kongs).

Standard dimensions for a regular CrossFit hammer made of steel in centimeters:

It is also highly recommended to use models with non-slip handles made of rubber or other material. They increase the chances that the projectile will not fly out of your hands when hitting the wheel.

Types of crossfit hammers

• Rubber projectiles are mainly used by girls, as they allow you to combine standard sizes and light weight (which is unattainable for metal alloys).
• With adjustable weight - the head has a special hole for pouring metal balls. Allows you to adjust the weight, but has a drawback - the ball makes a lot of noise during operation.
• One-handed hammer - for performing exercises with one hand. Has a shorter handle length and weight.
• The standard sledgehammer is the most popular and widespread projectile.

Side dumbbell hold (Crucifix)

An excellent exercise for strengthening the shoulder girdle. In this movement, the rhomboid minor and major muscles take on the active part of the work (they bring the scapula to the spine and rotate it inward). They play a very important role in keeping the barbell overhead during the snatch. So, Crucifix can be used as an aid to the snatch.

Execution: lift two dumbbells to your chest and begin to press them up, at the same time spreading them to the sides so that at the top point there is an angle of approximately 90 degrees between your hands (Y-press). For better stabilization, externally rotate your shoulder (turn your elbows forward) and place your palms with the back of your hands facing the floor.

Recommendations for implementation: find the maximum weight in the overhead press with a snatch grip. Calculate 30% - this will be your working weight. Take 2 dumbbells, the total weight of which is this 30%. Perform exercises in 3-5 approaches to the maximum with a rest of 30 seconds. As soon as you last more than a minute in the first approach, feel free to increase the weight.