Hammer Critique

Was that your 16# hammer that broke?

Teresa Merrick
Bellevue, NE

what size handle are you using? it doesn't look like 3/4 inch.

I'm just an idiot, pretending to be smart.

JSiau10, it's only 1/2 inch. The hammer head that I have won't take anything bigger.

Matt, are you saying the hammer should have a higher "high point" when it's behind me?

"Big ain't Strong...Strong is Strong."
Visit our training page at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Get-U-Fit-Training-Systems/ 119414814828174

That video of Matt was very helpful! I see what is being said about the hammer being to flat in the back now. I feel like I can come closer to mirroring that "technique" as opposed to the one that Alistar Gunn uses.

I'll work on keeping my arms straighter. I'm concentrating so hard on holding my left shoulder in socket that I think I'm bending my arms. Between working on that and strengthening my midsection I hope to see improvement.

If I can add 8' by adding an 1" in arm length then I hope I can get that down! Thank you all so much for your advice both here and through the PM's. I'm still open for more as I feel I am far from my potential in this event.

"Big ain't Strong...Strong is Strong."
Visit our training page at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Get-U-Fit-Training-Systems/ 119414814828174

Tim Pinkerton wrote:

I'm concentrating so hard on holding my left shoulder in socket that I think I'm bending my arms.

If you are doing this maybe you need to strengthen the muscles that hold your shoulders in socket? Many people forget to strengthen the opposing muscle group because they think 'If I make XXX stronger then I can push/pull faster'. In addition to needing a strong positive accelerator you also need a strong negative accelerator (a brake). Your body will let the contracting muscles only go as fast as the 'brake' can handle, otherwise things rip. You may have the strongest triceps in the world but your arm will straighten only as fast as the biceps can slow it down. Balance.

You are right on with the core strength. The stronger your core is the more 'weight' you can handle at a greater distance from your body. You may be bending your arms because holding the weight at X distance and Y speed is all you can handle right now. If so and you want to get your arms straight you should notice that you have to slow down.

People throw around this word 'technique' like it has nothing to do with strength, it does. It has everything to do with strength, it's just a different type of strength.

I've come to free you from your complicated lives! Free you from the complicated part I mean, not the lives part.

Flexibility is going to be a key Tim and not in the
shoulder. Many of my joint issues have been from
hyperflexibility so I understand.

I would really work on back, quad, hammy and hip
flexibility. Make sure you are getting good knee bend on
the winds.

Worse comes to worse make sure you switch hands on the
sheaf (tore a labrum at the 01' games in KC we were at on
my left one) to take stress off that bad left shoulder.
and MAYBE learn to toss the hammer in reverse as well.
always a way to work around my friend

I figured that was what you meant after seeing that video of you.

"Big ain't Strong...Strong is Strong."
Visit our training page at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Get-U-Fit-Training-Systems/ 119414814828174