This Sledgehammer Exercise Will Improve Your Hitting and Throwing Power
Sledgehammers aren’t just for construction workers or for breaking stuff. They’re also a great tool for training your core.
In particular, I like to use Sledgehammer Rotational Swings with my athletes. Swinging the weighted sledgehammer challenges your legs, hips, core, upper body and even grip.
Typically, rotational skills are developed with med ball drills. Although they are effective, holding the heavy sledgehammer adds an element of raw strength that cannot be duplicated by throwing a ball against a wall. Everything from your feet to your hands have to work to power and control the sledgehammer, just like hold a bat. In your sport, this exercise will help you rotate with more force, which will increase your power in skills such as swinging a bat, throwing a ball or even driving someone off you with one arm.
Sledgehammer Rotational Swings — Tips
- You can stand with an open, square or closed stance. Ideally, use the same stance that you use for rotational skills in your sport.
- Make sure your weight is evenly distributed on both feet.
- Place your top hand about halfway up the shaft of the sledgehammer.
- Swing powerfully using your lower-body musculature (primarily your hips), which will generate force through the external limbs to generate power.
- Control the bounce off the tire.
- Perform on both sides to balance the two sides of your body.
- Return to the starting position and perform again.
- Perform for fewer reps to focus on power and more reps to improve conditioning.
Sets/Reps: 2-7×10 each side READ MORE:
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This Sledgehammer Exercise Will Improve Your Hitting and Throwing Power
Sledgehammers aren’t just for construction workers or for breaking stuff. They’re also a great tool for training your core.
In particular, I like to use Sledgehammer Rotational Swings with my athletes. Swinging the weighted sledgehammer challenges your legs, hips, core, upper body and even grip.
Typically, rotational skills are developed with med ball drills. Although they are effective, holding the heavy sledgehammer adds an element of raw strength that cannot be duplicated by throwing a ball against a wall. Everything from your feet to your hands have to work to power and control the sledgehammer, just like hold a bat. In your sport, this exercise will help you rotate with more force, which will increase your power in skills such as swinging a bat, throwing a ball or even driving someone off you with one arm.
Sledgehammer Rotational Swings — Tips
- You can stand with an open, square or closed stance. Ideally, use the same stance that you use for rotational skills in your sport.
- Make sure your weight is evenly distributed on both feet.
- Place your top hand about halfway up the shaft of the sledgehammer.
- Swing powerfully using your lower-body musculature (primarily your hips), which will generate force through the external limbs to generate power.
- Control the bounce off the tire.
- Perform on both sides to balance the two sides of your body.
- Return to the starting position and perform again.
- Perform for fewer reps to focus on power and more reps to improve conditioning.
Sets/Reps: 2-7×10 each side READ MORE:
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