Issue 034

February 2008

Lots of good information is available on the subject of ‘old school’ training. While recently playing around with a routine I happened upon a nice conditioning workout that mixes sledgehammer work with kettlebell training. 

Sledgehammer work has long been lauded by boxing trainers and wrestlers alike for enhancing the conditioning of a fighter and the improvements to grip, core and upper body strength. The wrestlers and boxers of yesteryear would chop wood; nowadays it’s more environmentally friendly to use a sledgehammer on a tire (it leaves less of a carbon footprint!) 

Certain cynics would refer to this as ‘work’. In this day and age of Playstations and sedentary jobs, this has become almost obsolete as a type of labour for the majority. More and more athletes are using this as a method of increasing their fitness as it provides an excellent means of improving the lung efficiency as well as bringing about changes in the strength of muscles predominantly used in fighting. So, for combat athletes, this exercise is a must.

How is this relevant? I’m getting there… Combine this exercise drill with your kettlebell routine and you have a truly gut-wrenching experience ahead of you!

Pick a kettlebell (choose a sensible weight, as this will be taxing) that you can comfortably snatch at least for ten reps. Have a station set up for your sledgehammer work; a tire from a tractor would be perfect. Ensure you warm up thoroughly in a manner that is suitable for you.

THE ROUTINE

Perform 10 snatches left and right, move to your hammer and perform 50 smashes into the tire left and right (you must work evenly with the hammer training also). Rest as necessary before going back to the kettlebell and performing 9 snatches left and right. Once done go straight back and do 50 sledgehammer smashes each side. Continue dropping a rep from the snatches each time but keep the hammer work the same (50 reps) until you reach 1 snatch left and right. You can change the exercise and start again if you like or go back up the pyramid. 

What this does for you is give you great anaerobic endurance – as a mixed martial artist, your workload is concentrated on shorter burst activities. Also your grip will be fried from the combined effort of the sledgehammer and kettlebell.

Try to keep your rest periods active and under 30 seconds, preferably around 10-20 seconds. By active rest I mean shadow boxing and so on.

The old-timers knew what they were doing when chopping wood so incorporate this into a routine and I guarantee you’ll get a shock! If you feel your motivation dropping just sing a few bars of the ‘Lumberjack Song’ from Monty Python.

If you have any questions or queries you can contact Barry by emailing at [email protected]. He is also available for seminars and workshops. For more exercise inspiration check out his DVD, Train Hard, Fight Easy and Win, available at grapplefit.com.