Written By: Katie Purcell
Welcome to Part 2 of our Heavy Tire saga!
In case you are just joining us, here's a little background info to get you all caught up...
After months of coronavirus keeping fitness facilities closed nationwide, many of us caved and started embracing the #AtHomeWorkout concept...and frantically scouring the internet for any kettlebells, Wreck Bags, or jump ropes we could find. One of the cheapest options, and one of the most versatile pieces of Home Gym "equipment" is a Heavy Tire...and yet a majority of people don't have one - or even know where to begin to find one.
...How do I know? I know because I was one of those people, and it was a huge bummer. So I compiled all the info I found into one place (this blog), in hopes that it will save someone else some major Google search time. Because less time Googling = more time fire flipping!
Part 1 of this micro-mini series covers the actual sourcing of the tire, including stuff like:
💪 Where to even look for a Heavy Tire
💪 How to figure out what size of tire you want...and how to read the specs on a tire itself to help determine if it will work for you
💪 How to (maybe, hopefully) convince someone to just give you the tire...for free
💪 Where/How to find a place that will weigh it for you (because that's helpful information to have, and it never hurts to double check!)
💪 And finally, once you've sealed the deal: how to transport your newly-acquired (relatively gigantic) tire back to your house
If you missed it or want a refresher on any of the above (or if you want to access the super helpful links that are sprinkled throughout the article), check it out here: "Where / How To Find A Heavy Tire For Your Home Gym."
But of course, the fun doesn't stop once you get your new tire back home. Now in Part 2, as promised, we will do a general overview of alllll the types of fun stuff you can do with your Heavy Tire...including:
💪 What different muscles/muscle groups you can work
💪 How to improve your form to complete the perfect Tire Flip (including insights/tips directly from Spartan Race!)
💪 A couple of fun WODs built around the Heavy Tire to get you moving (including 3 of my personal favorites, and some really unique/challenging ideas I think you'll dig.)
💪 BONUS: 1 DIY backyard obstacle course/home gym add-on that you definitely won't want to miss (including links to full tutorial!)
Easy there, Tiger: just like you've gotta crawl if you wanna be able to walk, you've gotta make sure your form is on point before you'll be able to reap all the benefits that come from training with this majestic piece of equipment.
At the time of this writing I am not a licensed fitness professional, and because I always aim to bring you the most accurate/relevant/helpful information, I figured it would be best to give you a step-by-step walkthrough on tire flip form that is straight from the source.
So, this nifty How-To clip (entitled, "You Can Do It Put Your Hips Into It") gives you the lowdown...on how to *get* low down...and flip that tire like a pro. It is pulled directly from the Spartan Race YouTube Channel, as part of their obstacle training tutorial series called, "Ring The Bell."
...Thanks, Joe DI!
Before we move on, there's one more tip on Tire Flip form/best practices that I think lots of you will appreciate. It's a little nugget of advice that is also directly from Spartan Race: on how to give yourself the best advantage at the Tire Flip obstacle on Race Day...when conditions may be a little bit *muddier* than ideal:
When used properly, Heavy Tires can be a massively helpful tool to level up your training in a ton of ways. With a Heavy Tire and the right set of exercises the sky is pretty much the limit: you can work on your fast twitch muscles...your slow twitch muscles...and everything in between.
Check out the list of exercises below for some inspiration. They illustrate just how varied Heavy Tire exercises can be: both in terms of the body parts you're working, and the types of benefits you can gain. No matter what your current goal is, a Heavy Tire WOD can help you get there!
(Any of these exercises looking unfamiliar? Check out the Men's Health article here, or the Bodybuilding.com article here for tips on form, or a general refresher!)
I'm so glad you asked! Here are a few workouts/Tire WOD resources that caught my eye while searching....as well as a couple of my personal favorites. (*And remember: if you decide to try any of these yourself, use your judgement to scale it to your ability level!)
A Few Tire WOD Ideas To Get Ya Started:
Heavy Tire Exercise Demos -- Additional Resources:
And...as promised...some of my own personal favorites. Enjoy!
Someday, you may start to *tire* of the exercises/suggestions above...and be looking for something new.
OR...maybe you'll find out that you totally LOVE everything about tire training...and want to find out even more ways to incorporate them into your routine.
Either way, the Tire Drag is an awesome addition to any Home Gym/home workout; and if you've already got the tire, you're basically halfway there.
The following links are a mix of blog articles and YouTube videos, and all give instructions for how to DIY your own Tire Drag. There are slight variations between them (as there are lots of different ways to approach the project)...so take a look and see which one works best for how you wanna train.
DIY Tire Drag Tutorials...Take Your Pick!
Congratulations...you are now officially extremely *well-equipped* to launch into some Heavy Tire training: armed with both the actual tire (that you learned how to acquire in Part 1 of this micro-mini Heavy Tire series), and your extensive knowledge of WHAT it's actually good for, and HOW to get the most out of your tire -- based on your training needs. Whether you want a WOD that's focused on cardio-centric explosive power and strength or core stability and endurance, the Heavy Tire is down for the ride.
...So go out there and get to flippin!!
(PS: Got a heavy tire exercise or WOD that you think should be added to this article?? Shoot us a message or add it to the comments section below!)
