Meet Helga

Helga is a svelte 8 lb. sledgehammer with a wooden handle. She has an old-school flair to her, and despite only weighing 8 lbs., she has a knack for puttin' a hurtin' on an old tire -- she showed me today. We found an old tire on the side of the canal by a bridge, and She immediately hated that tire. It wasn't long after we rolled the guy home, that she was hammering the crap out of said tire. Bayou tires suck. We hate them. We punish them with brute force and become stronger and meaner.

So, with less personification, I had a good workout today. I picked up a sledgehammer last night from wallyworld for $19, and during a run this afternoon, I found Stumpy the swamp tire by the side of the canal under the bridge. No mosquitoes in sight.

My workout started with an after flight run that was supposed to be 3 miles, but I couldn't overcome the mental block and run the whole time. While walking (feeling like a wuss), I found the tire, and my running partner and I rolled it back to the trailer I sleep in while on the job. With no gym facilities to speak of here, a good workout is a nice treat that breaks up the day, and gives a beautiful rush of endorphins. I decided to use the Tabata Protocol to get my fix of power and pain.

The workout consisted of: 32 rounds of 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest each. The first round is Sledgehammers alternating L/R, second round is squats, and third round is push-ups. The sledgehammer may never leave your hands, and may not rest on the ground during squats. Push-ups are performed holding the sledgehammer under your hands on the ground.

Now I attempted to do all the squats Over-head, but I had to let it down on my shoulders sometimes, so I didn't put it in the total. Likewise, some push-ups were with the feet on the tire, but since it's only 10 inches and I was inconsistent, I left that out as well. Basically, it equates to one hell of a 16 minute workout that sneaks up on you. By alternating the rounds in threes, I didn't burn out completely with every exercise. I suppose it can't be considered a true Tabata protocol without hitting each exercise for 8 rounds consecutively, but it still works. I feel it now over 4 hours later, and I am going to venture a guess that I will be hurting tomorrow. Helga will be a cursed name in the morning. For now, I will keep riding this endorphin wave, and eat my mushroom and leek soup with pork waiting for the beeper to go off for a call to save the day.

Helga and I will play again tomorrow. She's great stress relief.