Odd object training.
Brian June 25th, 2009
Ever wonder how some of the old time strongmen and athletes got in such great shape? How about farmers, or railroad and construction workers? The old time strongmen and laborers were lean and strong before the advent of any supermyoexploding supplements. Their secret? Hard work! Machines just can’t simulate the type of movements and work the human body was designed to do.
Odd object lifting encompasses a range of different implements and movements. These movements work your core, synergist and accessory muscles. Try swinging a sledgehammer or ax for 10 minutes and you will see what I mean. These workouts are brutally effective, and best of all, fun. Mix in one of these training sessions every week, but make sure you cut back on your volume in the gym the rest of the week.
Try some of the following exercises for an intense workout. You will notice that most of the movements involve some kind of pull, press, grip or swinging movement.
Duffle Bag Carry and Press: Fill a military duffle bag with 80-100 lbs. of sand. Pick it up, shoulder it and press for 10 reps. You can also walk while pressing, bear hug or squat and press the bag. This can be done for distance or time.
Sledgehammer Work: Get an 8-10 lb. sledgehammer and an old tire. Hit the tire as hard as you can with the hammer for 20 reps each side. You can do these for reps or time. Be careful of the rebound after hitting the tire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DORUOzDengY
Farmers Walk: Fill two large paint buckets with sand (you can pick these up at Home Depot) or water. Grab the handles and fast walk upright while keeping your shoulders back. These can be done for time or distance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwvvnuL895w
Rock Drill: Find a pile of good sized rocks with some distance to throw them. Get in a semi squat position, pick up a rock and throw it explosively at a 45 degree angle behind you. These can be done for time or reps and make sure to switch sides to work the midsection evenly. If you have low back issues this exercise could exacerbate the condition so proceed cautiously.
Tire Flip/Log carry: Go to a tire place and see if you can have one of their old, worn out heavy equipment tires. These are great for tire flips and sledgehammer work. If a tire is not available find a thick log that you can get your arms around. You can bear hug it and walk, or pick it up explosively and place it in your shoulder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvC5wPbLVnM
Car Pull/Push: Set up a harness system with rope to pull the vehicle. If you can’t set this up then pushing is also a great workout. Go for time or distance.
Keep the rest period between sets to 30-120 seconds based on your individual conditioning level. Movements with more of a strength focus (tire flip) will need a longer rest period while endurance based movements (farmers walk, sledgehammer) may only need 30-45 seconds of rest between sets.
In Strength,
Brian