Sledgehammer Leveraging

[MEB Boy]

What's everyone's take on sledgehammer leveraging? I just started it the last 2-3 months and have progressed much faster than I thought. It seemed like 3 months ago I couldn't even do a complete 6 pound sledge leverage. I only trained it 2-3 times a week for 2 weeks and then the 6 pound sledge was pretty easy.

I quickly went up to a max of 11 pound (a 6 pound sledge w/ a 5 pound weight attatched) with my right hand and a "very shaky" 10 pound max with my left hand.

How come my sledge leveraging progressed so quickly, though I only trained 2-3 times a week for 2 months max? I thought it may have been due to my first time training w/ bending the IM bars. This was my first time trying it ever and I had sore wrists and lower forearms for days afterwards.

I was really amazed how much sledge work improved. Now i do sledge work just about every day. If only my grip could improve as fast. I've been stuck at the RB160 for a few months now.

Did anyone else notice quick gains in sledge poundages and what's a range all you gripmasters are leveraging?

thanks all,

MEB Boy

[Patrik_F]

I like leveraging a lot. It's my favourite wrist exercise. I use the Heavy Hammer II Leverage Bar from Ironmind. I have just started working it again. My record is 7 kgs, side to side leveraging to parallell for two reps. Leveraging hits many muscles in the forearm, I like it a lot.

[Digdogz]

I too love my levering...

I am up and up on my maximum leverages to the nose.

I have also been following Rick walkers, bending exercises with a sledge and they have seemed to help in that ROM.

Killer for the wrists but so much fun.

Digz.

[SqeezeMasterFlash]

My sledge poundages go in waves. They progress really quickly, then really slowly. If I take too much time off they seem to go down pretty fast. I've found the two most important things to keep the poundages increasing are the strictness of your levers and contrast baths. A little glucosamine doesn't hurt either. I wouldn't train more often with hammers than every other day, especially as you get closer to the 16lb mark. The wrist tendons need plenty of recovery time to prevent tendonitis, and overtraining with hammers can be really painful. My personal best to the rear and to the nose is 16lbs held 8" up from the bottom of the handle. I'm about half way down the handle of the 16 in the strict side to side lever, standing up, elbow at the side, forearm parallel to the floor. I think my current progression will get me to the bottom of the handle by the end of the year.

Keep levering!

[MEB Boy]

Thanks all,

I just think sledge work is very addicting and fun. But I'm going to try to cut back just a little and start working it every 2 days or so rather than everyday.

I also started using a 25lb block wieght this past week for the first time and my forearms have had a deep soreness that lets me know I've been working some key spots. I think it's this forearm soreness from the block weights that have caused my sledge work to be harder (more shaky) this past week.

I am planning to start alternating days between block weights and sledge work for the next few weeks and then see how I do on the RB160 (have only closed it twice) and the RB180.

Thanks guys,

long live sledge leveraging!

MEB Boy

[Vise]

i have a great deal of pain when i lever to my nose. it feels like the bones in my wrist are smashing together. i can handle the weight of an 8 lbs sledge, but i know that kind of pain is the kind that leads to injury. it may be b/c i have broken both wrists (mangling my left, the one that hurts the most) but i can't tell for sure. i do sledge twists and front and back levering (where the sledge passes parallel to the ground in the midpiont) w/o much pain and have seen quick gains from this.

any other people have similar pain/problems?

[SqeezeMasterFlash]

I get pain from overhead levering sometimes, but I usually find timed holds at lighter weights for a week or so will let me get past it.

[Anuwbius]

my bones also feel like they are getting crushed with nose levering, even on full 6 lber. I can do 8 pretty easy, but regardless, as said above, it just feels like bones and such mashing together. no broken wrists here. Personally, I think its due to me not nose levering as much, for the bone crushing reason, but when I do try it, its to "test" the waters to its always a pretty hard lever, and its always hurts a little, so I dont do em. I think squeeze is on with some solif time spent doing nose levering with lighter levers.

[foggymountainmuscle]

Is there a set or normal pattern of strength in the wrist? For instance my rear leveraging is much stronger than my front and side to side. This also accounts for my coice of bending style, but I was thinking since different people use different bending styles due to their strengths, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume their leveraging strength fits their bending profile?

[SqeezeMasterFlash]

I'm not aware of anyone who's front levers are higher than their rear levers. I've always thought it was just a matter of body mechanics and that movement isn't capable of the higher poundages levered to the rear. Not sure what Slim Farman could lever to the front, but I beleive John Grimek was credited with 11lbs on a weaver stick to the front. Where as Slim's world record levered to the rear was over 30lbs.