Let’s talk about tires—but not your ordinary tires, like the ones commonly found on high school football fields or swinging from trees in many-a backyard. We’re talking about the super-sized, super-tough, industrial strength or truck tire, weighing upward of 200 pounds a piece. And if you exercise with them? A high intensity cardio workout two to three times a week with this massive yet responsive weight, and in no time, you’ll have that ultra muscular and fantastically fit body you’ve working toward.
What it is …
There’s not an incredible amount of exercise technology behind this piece of equipment—it’s a large tire. Simple as that. But sometimes, the simplest of exercises can yield the greatest results. With routines that can be designed to include practically every muscle group while providing an intense cardiovascular and interval training workout, tires can be flipped, rolled, dragged, jumped on, jumped off, and used for pushups—to name but a few of the exercises that can be performed. And available is weights from a couple hundred pounds, all the way up to seven and eight hundred pounds for the professional weightlifter or Strongman competitor, tires provide great variety and difficulty for the novice and the expert. And for the novices, no need to be intimidated by their weight and size—despite their massive size and weight, these tires are also surprising nimble.
Why they work …
First and foremost, tire training adds a layer of difficulty to your normal strength training routine because most exercises require you to work more than simply the isolated group of muscles selected as the focus. For example, flipping tires end- over-end can provide one of the most intense shoulder and arm workouts out there; at the same time, it’s also giving your back and your abs a killer burn as you need to maintain your core strength and support in order to successfully perform the flip. Not to mention, each and every time you squat down to get your hands under the base, you’re working your quads and glutes. From just this one exercise—to work your arms and shoulders—you’re managing to work all of the major muscle groups in your body. Now combine this with two or three other exercises in a continuous circuit, and you’ve just gotten a killer workout. Before you know it, you’ll be dripping with sweat and burning fat.
What we say …
Don’t be discouraged by the stigma that only body builders and serious athletes use these mega tires as part of their workout. The fact is, tires provide anyone a great total body and conditioning workout regardless of their fitness level or goal. By working some fun, variety and definitely a challenging routine into your workout, tires can really help you take your fitness to the next level.
