Author Archives: Anthony Grokaitis

Sledgehammer + Truck Tire = Hours of Fun

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Sledgehammers Can Add To Your Functional Strength

An old fire captain once said to me, “the hardest thing you will ever do as a firefighter , is chop a hole in a roof”. Of course, I never gave it much thought until I actually had to do it. Then all I heard was his voice in my head… over and over and over… For anyone who has done it, you know what I’m talking about. It’s a miserably difficult task. Fire axes are dulled for a reason, so they don’t stick into things when you hit them. The ax is mostly for destroying things. So, imagine trying to cut through a couple courses of asphalt shingles, a water and ice barrier, and finally 5/8” plywood… all while balancing on a pitched roof. This is truly a “functional” task. You use every muscle in your body to complete this task.

“the hardest thing you will ever do as a firefighter, is chop a hole in a roof”

Now you are probably asking yourself, “don’t they have power saws for that?” The answer is: yes we do; a couple actually; one is a quick vent saw, which is like a chain saw on steroids, and another saw called the K-12, which is another beast the cuts just about everything. But sometimes there aren’t enough saws to go around, and a lot of ventilation holes need to be opened. So we improvise, adapt and overcome. This is where your fitness training plays a big role.

For anyone who has done it, you know what I’m talking about. It’s a miserably difficult task…

Hammering Out A Workout.

Hammering Out A Workout.

So I came up with a fairly simple drill , that addresses this. You won’t need any fancy equipment, or shiny machines. All you need is a sledgehammer and a truck tire. A car tire will work as well, but a truck tire gives you a little more to work with, plus it wont move around when you hit it. The nice part about this is, it can apply to homeowner or firefighter. The home owner (standing aside of the tire) is simulating any swinging type activity, from chopping or splitting wood to digging a trench in his yard. The firefighter (standing atop the tire, balancing) it simulates chopping that vent hole in a roof.

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Rewriting The Software

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Sometimes, All You Need Is A Little Reboot For Your Workout

A wise man once said to me, “The body is like a computer… the skeleton and the muscles are the hardware, and the brain and central nervous system is the software”. Though I have much respect for this man and all that he says, he must have seen the “here we go” look on my face as well as the eye roll, so he continued. “Think about this…whenever you learn a new skill, it’s like installing a new program into your computer. Sometimes that new program runs correctly the first time; other times, it conflicts with existing software, and the bugs have to be worked out.

I train new kettlebell “victims” all the time, so I can draw on personal experiences with this, that even with no weight in their hand, most people have a very difficult time with the muscular coordination aspect of the Turkish get up. There is a lot going on there. Most people can’t get their body and brain on the “same page of music”. They flounder around like a wounded animal.

So I thought about what he said for a while, and, just like that, I had an epiphany (that is a 10 dollar word for “it just dawned on me”, but with a little more drama). Skill…software. Body… hardware. It was all starting to make sense. As we all know, strength is a skill that can be taught and learned…or, perhaps, installed.

I am writing this article because I have seen and experienced this theory first hand. Anyone who has trained with any type of conventional resistance programs, and then has tried kettlebells, knows exactly what I am talking about.

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Don’t Get Burned… Kettlebells To The Rescue

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Firefighters, Insure Your Career And Life With Kettlebells

Well, I’m here to attest to you, fellow brothers and sisters of the fire service, that the answer to these problems facing you is a lot simpler than you think. It’s nothing new. In fact, its “old school”. It’s nothing fancy, and to say it comes with no fluff would be an understatement. If you are not familiar or heard of Russian kettlebells and Pavel Tsatouline, the time is now.

If you, like just about every other department out there, are strapped for available space, cash, and time, your answer is here. The Russian kettlebell is the perfect solution.

If you have room in your firehouse to lay down a standard piece of plywood (4’x8’), then you have a decent size space to work out in. The space has to be clear of clutter and have overhead clearance, but you don’t need hundreds of square feet.

As for price, the money you will spend on, say, three kettlebells of various sizes, will be a mere fraction of what any of the new “infomercial” driven exercise gadgets that are out there that make promises as empty as your pockets.

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