Monster Sledges

[austinslater]

I came across this website for those who are looking for bigger sledges.

http://www.torqueathletic.com

They offer anywhere from 8 lbs. up to 30lb. sledges.

[Rick Walker]

Thanks Austin!

Rick Walker

[Roark]

A very large truck driver came into where I worked several years ago and realized we were talking about strength, so he offered what he could do, and I guess he thought we each had endured repeated lobotomies so that we would believe him:

He could, he said, take a 100 pound (yes, one hundred pound) sledgehammer, put the heavy end straight up, and balance the end of the handle on his middle finger only as his forearm was parallel to the floor.

I did not misunderstand him because we asked multiple questions, but he insisted he had done it.

Smokin' !

[OldGuy]

100 lb sledges being almost a household item.

[AP]

The logging industry must be in bad shape if Paul Bunyon has drive a truck these days...

[Roark]

I was working in a toolroom so we checked to see if 100 lb sledges even existed!

They do.

[Bearcat 74]

Joe, I know that it is hard to get a feel for a person's tone over the net, but I almost get the feeling from your first post that you don't believe this gentleman?

[John Wood]

How do you know he didn't do it?

[Roark]

I do not know that he did not do what no other living man is capable of doing

The extreme difficulty he had in trying to manuver a 16 lb sledge was my first hint, though, and his inability to perform the feat with that 16 lb sledge made me ever-so-suspicious that maybe when adding another 84 lbs he might fail again.

To be clear, here is what he claimed:

Curl your empty hand so that the forearm is parallel to the floor. Keep your hand and fingers straightened out. Now, upon the middle finger of that hand, place a 100 lb sledgehammer and hold it steady there so that control is acknowledged.

Is there anyone here who can do this with a 16 lb sledge? Other than me, I mean

How many men can one arm curl a 100 lb dumbell and stop parallel tothe floor for a few seconds- and that's using the whole hand in a regular grip position?

[Davekline]

100 lb sledges being almost a household item.

One of the reasons I stopped working out at the local YMCA was because their sledge hammers only went up to 80 lbs.

Edited May 27, 2004 by Davekline

[smp76]

I came across this website for those who are looking for bigger sledges.

They offer anywhere from 8 lbs. up to 30lb. sledges.

This could go great in the Sledge Hammer exercises Top Five list. It would greatly improve the Hulk Smash. Thanks for the list.

-SMP

[John Beatty]

I was rather surprised at the site's softball with a hook for $24.95! Does that seem nutty to anyone else? I have a cast iron version for $10 more.

[raziel]

I have an old softball with an eyehook for less than a buck. I'm not sure why you'd spend that kind of money for something you can easily make yourself.

[foggymountainmuscle]

Similiarly along the lines of the softball. Why not just weld weights onto the sledge hammer? Just wanted to throw that out there before anyone settled on the decision to get a sledge hammer specifically for training. Same thing with those clubells, fill a plastic bat with concrete. (thanks whoever originally suggested that on these boards.)

I thinks it's kinda funny, as it hurts their sales I'd imagine, how they explicitly state that they provide no information on how to use any of their equipment.

Edited May 28, 2004 by foggymountainmuscle

[foggymountainmuscle]

Double post, oh no!

I just was looking through the FBBC topic and low and behold:

http://www.fatbastardbarbellco.com/SLAMMER.html

A 100 pound sledge could easily be made!

[austinslater]

I agree, I will buy Johns adjustable sledge as soon as money allows. Some collect odd pieces of equipment and a 30lb. sledge would be cool to have. Johns would be much better for training purposes though.

[John Beatty]

Thanks guys for all the positive stuff about FBBC. I'm one of the guys that collect iron oddities. Got a really ancient cast globe DB off Ebay recently, also a pair of old York Health Shoes. Plus my Inch bells, all my Strongman stuff (will be getting a 420lb round stone soon), all my grip stuff, and my regular weights.

[Davekline]

York Health Shoes, now that's a piece of iron game history.

[Meat Loaf]

I have heard that ancient medeival swords got as heavy as like 115 pounds or more. That's like swinging a 115 pound barbell around! Anybody know about this?

Clay? you should know this cause i know you are into medeival weapons and armor

MEAT

[Davekline]

I believe you are thinking of some of the training weaponry the Chinese and Japanese invented.

The Chinese warriors would train with a two-handed version of the Wu Jian. This is a strait bladed sword, very plain, minimal hand guard, and made to be long and heavy.

The Japanese had two types of training implements. The boken which is made of wood in the shape of a katana or wakazashi and is slightly heavy than the actual sword would be. The Japanese also made a two-handed katana in both batle and training versions. The training versions would be made plainer than the batle version and typically alot heavier. The Japanese did not adopt the shield as extensively as western societies did, for this reason Japanese swords were either meant to be wielded with both hands, or wielded in pairs.

[foggymountainmuscle]

I recall seeing a massive two handed sword in the armor section of the Chicago Art Museum. I'd imagine it was about 6 feet in length. This sword however was European and had a massive hand gaurd. I don't know how much swordmanship would be involved, seeing as the thing looked like it could just smash anyone trying to strike with a single handed sword. Kind of an oddity, I'm not sure where two handed swordsmen fit into battle. Seems too big to used on horseback, and too big to give to your standard soldier. I'd take a Polish battle hammer anyday though.

[Octogen]

The Japanese had two types of training implements. The boken which is made of wood in the shape of a katana or wakazashi and is slightly heavy than the actual sword would be. The Japanese also made a two-handed katana in both batle and training versions. The training versions would be made plainer than the batle version and typically alot heavier. The Japanese did not adopt the shield as extensively as western societies did, for this reason Japanese swords were either meant to be wielded with both hands, or wielded in pairs.

Bokken were used because you can smack two bokken together without damaging them and without hurting each other. Most bokken are actually lighter than a real katana and given the nature of Japanese swordsmanship it wouldn't help much to train with a heavier weapon. These days most Iaidoka (those that practice Japanese swordsmanship) practice with an Iaito (blunt training blade) and move up to a live blade when they get their black belt.

The two handed sword you described is called a No-Dachi and some of them were very long. I believe they were used by foot troops to counter cavalry as the blades were long enough to attack a horses legs or rider while staying out of reach of a shorter weapon such as a katana.

There were some Japanese that used two swords at once (most notably Miyamoto Musashi, Author of the the book of five rings) but generally the shorter sword was worn for two reasons, firstly as a backup weapon and secondly because the two swords were a symbol of Samurai status. Trying to wield a Katana and a Wakizashi at the same time would be pretty awkward because the Katana is designed to be used two handed and doing a full cut with one hand tends to be pretty weak. Two Wakizashi would be feasible but again the long and short swords were a very prominent Samurai status symbol.

[Meat Loaf]

Ninjas kick ass

OH YEAH

Edited May 29, 2004 by Meat Loaf