mutant Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Ok, so I'm taking a class in mid Feb with Alec Steele. It's a four day intense class making around 10 tools including a rounding hammer. Yes I'm super excited but I do have a serious concern, I haven't been to the gym in over 10 years. My days consist of a long commute and a desk job so the body isn't as... well...tight as is used to be. What exercises at home or at the gym would you recommend in the next month and a half? I just don't want to pull a back muscle or hurt my shoulder within the first few hours of a four day class. When I did my first bottle opener a month back, I could hardly hold onto the hammer after an hour. -m Mod Note: You may want to consult a doctor before you start a 6 week to get ready program for 4 days of intense blacksmithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin A King Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 I did a 3 day class with Robert Patrick here in Arkansas usa during November. I am in Really GOOD physical shape and this 68 year old gentleman worked me down during 8 hours of forging each day. I was able to hang with him, however I was really tired at the end of each day. Given the above, here is how I would specifically train, should I choose to do this class again. 1. Dips each day several sets until muscle failure (can do them off a hard bottom chair) - Triceps and lats 2. Pushups each day several sets until muscle failure. Triceps, chest and back 3. shoulder raises, would be ok with as little as 5 lbs. Front raises, side raises, until muscle failure 4. Chinups or any equivalent daily until failure, several sets. It amazes me how much my lats (latimus dorsi) back side muscles are engaged during hammering 5. Situps each day several sets until muscle failure. Everything starts with the core. 6. Planks a minimum of 3-5 times per day until complete muscle failure. CORE, CORE, CORE. core. During your classes, be sure and drink lots and lots of water. (Clear urine means you are properly hydrated) All the best, enjoy your class and post up some photos of the tools you make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubalcain2 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Chop a few cords of maple. that'll do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutant Posted December 29, 2016 Author Share Posted December 29, 2016 16 minutes ago, Tubalcain2 said: Chop a few cords of maple. that'll do it. I grew up in Brooklyn most of my life but spent my high school years living upstate NY. Wood was the main fuel for heating our drafty old house in the winter. I was half lumberjack during those years! That was 30 years ago and now I live in a fairly dense part of the suburbs. Closest I'll get to chopping wood would be doing those planks Kevin suggested! Heh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubalcain2 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 yeah, that will have to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 In addition to those ideas, why not just do some hammering? Take a 4 pounder and beat on a 2x4. It would give you zero rebound so it should be pretty intense. ...and you can't say it addresses the wrong muscles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubalcain2 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 true. or a tire. that would be better than a 2by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 If you need to ask, you will be much better off going to a gym and get an instructor. 10 years of desk work and then scramble together some mad exercises is a recipe for all sort of injuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 True as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo7 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 The best thing you could do for yourself is to make the time to walk an hour each morning as hard and fast as you can, use your arms not just your legs. 6 weeks you will be in a lot better shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutant Posted December 29, 2016 Author Share Posted December 29, 2016 Thanks all for your input and suggestions! I used to be a gym rat for years, but that was long ago. I'm still in ok(ish) shape but at 48, I just didn't want to jump in at swinging a sledgehammer after being sedentary for so long. I'm going to join the gym this weekend. I'm way over do and it's the new year soon anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Sounds like you have your new year resolutions all sorted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BattleBoar Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Can't give much advice for getting in shape but I also have a long work commute and spend most of my day in the truck when I'm at a rig. To strengthen my grip and forearms I keep a "Captain of crush" hand gripper and some "Iron mind" hand bands in my truck. I started doing it as something to keep me from smoking as much but it has really improved my grip. Its just like the little black grippers everyone used to have but a lot higher resistance. There are four sizes with one being the easiest. Buy a No.1 that's what I have and it burns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazer Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Best exercise to for hands besides the grip, work the extenders. A simple rubber band around each finger on a closed hand and open to strengthen the extender muscles. I helps to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome for me, and when I worked in a hospital they used a rubber pad with holes for the five fingers to give resistance when opening from closed position. These are the pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 I'll be absolutely honest here: Get a kettle bell. Blacksmithing isn't some oddball thing. It's not an isolated movement. Your whole body is involved in the operation. Kettle bells are awesome because they, first and foremost, build up your grip strength. Holding onto the kettle bell while you're swinging it around is no different than holding onto a hammer or set of tongs. I'm as far out of shape as you can get, but I'm working my way back to fighting form slowly and surely. Do a search for kettle bell exercises and you'll see a slew of simple movements that incorporate the entire body. It's quick and simple stuff, and you don't need to be a physician to understand how it's helping. All of the big box stores seem to carry the things in their exercise department because they're trendy. I like them because they're simple. There's something very Neanderthal about them. It's a lump of iron with a big ol' handle just begging to be grabbed up and thrown around. One of the biggest problems people face when exercising is not getting enough micro-nutrients and protein in their diets. Muscles are made from protein. When you exercise those muscles, you damage them and they need to be repaired. That requires more protein in your diet than usual. Protein is also a fuel for your body in other regards, so it's good to make sure you have plenty of the stuff coming in. I'm a huge proponent of GNC's Ultra Mega Gold for Men multi-vitamin and EAS-brand ready-to-drink protein shakes. The shakes are delicious and are manufactured properly so you are getting quality protein and nutrients that your body can actually break down and use. You should be getting at least 100 grams of protein in your daily diet. But, sadly, if you look at the ingredients on what you normally eat, you get hardly any protein at all. That's why the protein shakes are so important. All the exercise in the world doesn't help if you're not eating right. It's not rocket science. Give your body the building blocks it needs to repair the damage caused by exercise, and you won't be nearly as sore the next day. You can't beat the kettle bell for simplicity and fun. For the price, you can keep one in the shop and one in the house. Whenever you walk by it, pick it up and do something with it. With a month to go, you can make great strides and show all those young whippersnappers just how tough an ol' timer can be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 8 hours ago, turbo7 said: The best thing you could do for yourself is to make the time to walk an hour each morning as hard and fast as you can, use your arms not just your legs. 6 weeks you will be in a lot better shape. Just how far will you be from home by then? once you are "walking fit" that would be about 5miles/8 kilometers per day. And whilst this is good cardiovascular exercise I think it's probably not going to do much for the hammering strain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicodimas Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Run! Stop drinking alcohol and soda...cut SUGARS!! sugar is poison. Find a HIIT gym and have fun... Run in your 30s, so you will in your 40's, so you can in your 50's...think about it...its true.. you can do it..and just make the lifestyle changes. You will be happier for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin A King Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 None of my suggestions above require a GYM. I'm not saying "Do not Join". Best wishes to your trip across the pond to the "MOTHER COUNTRY" I hope to see your work posted up and maybe even a video from Alex with you in it. All the Best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald Boggs Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 My two cents and it's based on the fact that by doing this program I'm stronger now at 56 then I was at 30, and remember when I was 30, I was a paratrooper: Do the Starting Strength novice program. When I did it, I went from squatting 115 to 315 in less then nine months. There's a lot more to it the just this, but here's the bones of the program: http://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 23 minutes ago, Kevin A King said: Best wishes to your trip across the pond to the "MOTHER COUNTRY" I'm thinking it is the class that Alec is doing up in Canada that he is talking about maybe. I did a day class (not with Alec) twice were I was the one striking with a 12lb sledge. What I did to get "in shape" was I took a 10lb sledge (that was the heaviest sledge I had at the time) and found a stump that was at a similar height as the striking anvil was at. then I took that 10lb'er and beat that stump for about 40 minutes in the evening for a week. At the end of the class I took, I was fine. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutant Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share Posted December 30, 2016 Wow! Thank you all for the fantastic response! Lots of simple, great ideas that I would never have thought of. I guess it's why I posted for advice on a blacksmithing forum! Even though I'm still going to join the gym for my general health, sanity and the class, I'm going to try out some of the suggestions that I can do at home and in the office. Infact, I did my first set of sit ups this morning. Littleblacksmith is correct, the class I'm participating in is the February Canada class. I would love to take the one at his shop but I live in NY and this seemed much more doable. I'll try and take as many photos/videos as I can and post when the time comes. Once again, thank you all for the great advise! Have a great New Year! -m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 On December 29, 2016 at 3:45 PM, mutant said: Thanks all for your input and suggestions! I used to be a gym rat for years, but that was long ago. I'm still in ok(ish) shape but at 48, I just didn't want to jump in at swinging a sledgehammer after being sedentary for so long. I'm going to join the gym this weekend. I'm way over do and it's the new year soon anyways. Alec does this every day, and is half your age. That said, you can certainly get a 6 week head start on things. Just pace yourself, drink lots of fluids, eat lots of small snacks, and rest when you need to. In my opinion, you can only accomplished so much in 6 weeks. Speeding up the process, or pushing the time frame, can cause problems, as the body needs time to adjust to the new routine of getting ready. 4 days of intense blacksmithing can be fun. Just remember that you need to survive all 4 days to make day 5 worth while. (grin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDarkNebulah Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 This is the workout that I started doing. https://stronglifts.com/5x5/ The guy goes into a lot of depth on why the exercises are chosen and the benefit to each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 On December 29, 2016 at 0:26 PM, mutant said: My days consist of a long commute and a desk job so the body isn't as... well...tight as is used to be. I'm still in ok(ish) shape at 48, DISCLAIMER: We are blacksmiths with opinions.You may want to consult a doctor before you start a 6 week to get ready program for 4 days of intense blacksmithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wroughton Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Admittedly, I can go weeks without stepping up to the anvil. I loose strength AND coordination (I don't always hit the mark) rather quickly. A general workout is good to provide stamina but I would focus on actually swinging a forging hammer and sledge. Get the mechanics into play and you'll be able to last longer even if you're not ready to run a marathon. Yes, do the other workouts too but you'll get your work at your class done faster, with more precision, if you actually work out the muscles you'll need the most. Don't forget to send pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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