Do you find your fitness routine becoming increasingly monotonous? Tired of the same old jogging, push-ups, and weight training? Get ready to transform your workout regime by incorporating sledgehammers to develop incredible power throughout your body. Today, learn two fantastic ways to use sledgehammers to switch up your routine and make exercising fun again.
Sledgehammers 1 – Swing to Squat
The “swing to squat” exercise works your shoulder complex, forearms, legs, and core all at the same time. To begin, stand with your feet apart and arms by your side. You can hold the hammers at their ends if you prefer. The lower you hold them, the more difficult the exercise, and the more intense the effort of the grip and forearms. If you do not have strong hands, forearms, and shoulders, you may want to choke-up a bit and hold the hammers closer to their functional ends.
Next, swing the sledgehammers up with both arms, stopping at shoulder height with hammers pointing upward. From here, squat down and stand back up. Now, drop the hammers down to the starting position, raise them, squat, and repeat. Be sure to perform each part in sequence, with a brief pause between movements to ensure proper posture. Aim for 20 or 30 reps and notice dramatic changes in how your body handles weight, opens up, and expands.
Sledgehammers 2 – The Iron-T
The Iron-T exercise is excellent for shoulder conditioning, endurance, strength, and really opening up the shoulder complex. The shoulder and upper back get locked down by stress and limited range of motion usage daily. This exercise moves the shoulders in several directions while opening up the joints and developing the musculature of the upper body.
In this variation, you will be adding a lunge to the familiar dumbbell exercise. Anytime you add more muscle mass to an exercise, you increase your heart rate and burn more calories. In this case, with the addition of the lunge, stability training and developing leg strength are incorporated.
To begin, stand upright with sledgehammers over your shoulders and behind your back. Now, take a long lung step forward with your right leg, making sure not to allow your knee to bend forward of your toes. This will place too much strain on the knee and may cause injury. As your leg lunges forward, bend your rear (left) leg to allow a lower bend and better balance. At the same time, separate your arms out to their respective sides, forming a letter T.
Then, withdraw your lead foot and stand back up, returning to the starting position with hammers behind your back. Now, step out and lunge forward with your left leg, bending your right knee while extending your arms out to their respective sides. The hammers will be held upright, and your arms and body will make a letter T. Return to a standing start position again. The more times you lunge out, the harder the exercise gets. One lunging T with each leg is considered one repetition. Try to start with one set of 10 reps and build up from there. Remember, 20 or 30 of these will rock your fitness world.
Wrapping It Up
These sledgehammer exercises can be a fantastic addition to your workout, providing new challenges that engage multiple muscle groups and help increase overall strength. By incorporating these unique exercises into your fitness routine, not only will you fend off boredom, but you’ll also reap the benefits of improved muscle tone and cardiovascular health.
Good luck, have fun, and hammer your way to awesome power!
