Sledgehammer Leverage

[gripuru]

My question is that by training a lot with sledgehammers, which parts of your arm are the most you strengthen?

Thanks and best of luck

[Starkmann]

you said levering in your title, the muscles that straighten the wrist when it heads the direction of your wrist, the ones straight in line with the pinky, not to mention tricep and shoulder. A little practice should have taught you that.

If you expand your topic beyond levering, then I'd say, about everything.

[TelegraphKey]

I'm just kind of obsessed here lately with levering for levering's sake, so I don't really need a reason other than it's cool to lever more than I did last time, etc.

However, the other day I was just screwing around & picked up a 25-lb plate & wrist curled it really easy, seemingly easier than it's been before. Maybe it was just in my head, but I mean it felt "real easy." I haven't been doing wrist curls, however, only focused levers, for couple months now. So I think my wrists, overall, are simply getting noticeably stronger. overall!

[Starkmann]

that would make sense. Your wrist is stablizing the hammer. The portion of hte exercise you are seeing the benefit from is just holding the hammer at arms length, and exercise in it's own right. You may find an even larger benefit in rotating your hand while holding the hammer. I will warn you, this can torque your wrist in a very bad way if you don't go slow with progressions. Start way choked up on the hammer and play the game of inches.

Additionally you would see some natural building of extraneous muscles, beyond those being exercised, for a variety of reasons. It's not all that different that people doing coplex exercises like squatting to build full body mass, not just legs.

You may want to see what else you are doing that could be effecting you wrists a lot: change from an EZ to straight bar, very heavy deadlifts, even block weights also make an impact.

Levering is a great deal of fun, combined with indian clubs I feel like I am doing a lot to stabalize my shoulders and arms.

Good luck with the fourteen lbs, you will make it.

[TelegraphKey]

Thank you, sir. I will try the rotating version I have tried it a bit but not very intensely yet. I saw your comment about the rear lever on gripuru's other thread (great job, gripuru!). I will have to try that some more too! Have a good one & good luck, all!