Fem Wrestlers: Should Tire Flipping Be In Your Workout Routine?

Heard of chick flicks, but is chick flips a good idea?

It only hurts when she grows.

Don’t try this before making brownies for the grand kids.

Our female submission wrestlers train as hard as any athletes. If you are a female sub grappler, have you ever tried tire flipping at the gym or wherever tires are flipped, to bolster your workout regime?

Is it a good idea? Just sayin.

Flipping houses is risky enough.

We love fads and trends as much as the next person. In our business, maybe more. But in regards to tire flipping, we have a few questions.

How does this add power to the move you are trying to execute?

This writer used to always wonder, when I would see beautiful lady pro wrestlers run and bounce off of the ropes, not once, but twice, sometimes three times, before they body splashed their opponent for a pin….why?

For example, if she stood in one spot and splashed her opponent, wouldn’t that hurt just as much and have the same effect as bouncing off the ropes first?

Some aspects in entertainment wrestling are obviously for show.

Can the same be said about some really cool looking strength and fitness training exercises?

For example, isn’t there another way of achieving the same muscle enhancement by utilizing more traditional body building methods besides flipping tires, which by the way looks waaaaay cool too?

We’ve noticed in our recent articles on the strong lady pros that some of them are into the cool tire flipping and demonstrate so on video.

Is tire flipping beneficial or just cool looking? As a female submission wrestler FBB or fitness warrior, should you even think about it, or don’t even think about it?

Let’s burn rubber and weigh in on what some experts have to say.

We’ve found it healthy to listen to livestrong.com. Regarding this contagious new workout they share, “There’s no doubt about it: Tire flips are one of the coolest-looking exercises you can possibly do. It’s also one of the most dangerous moves and a perfect example of a contest-specific exercise created for advanced-strength athletes that just got too popular.”

There’s a warning on the tire flipping label. It’s should be for advanced-strength athletes.

The educational and enjoyable site bodybuilding.com adds, “The tire flip is definitely best used early in a workout, after a thorough warm-up. View it as a max-effort exercise or a main lift, because it uses your legs and back primarily—and intensely. You don’t want to try a tire flip after heavily fatiguing yourself with squats and deadlifts.

As for when not to use a tire flip, well, if you have any doubt in your strength or ability—either in general or as you’re walking up to the tire itself—don’t attempt the flip. If I haven’t made it clear already, beginners have no business performing the tire flip.”

More info is coming in. So use it early in a workout. Nice to know.

We want to be well rounded, thus the more brand new and improved the information, the better. No retreads here.

Our articles have enough skid marks already.

So that we don’t come across as flippant, before this article comes to a screeching halt, let’s turn our attention to a guest writer and wrestling coach that we admire who will flat out speak to the subject.

It should get you pumped up. If that works well for you, please don’t let your ego get inflated.

Tire Flipping for Wrestler Strength
 by: Dickie White

There is a new trend in the strength and conditioning world- old school, hardcore training. And the movement leading it all? The tire flip! Naysayers argue that it’s primitive and that it’s “not functional” because you are never going to have to flip a tire in competition unless you are a professional strongman.

However, I believe those who argue against the tire flip have not had the pleasure of performing the exercise.

It is a fantastic, full-body strength and conditioning tool that trains the same low positioning and powerful leg drive that you definitely find yourself using many times each match. To not do it would be foolish, especially because it is something you can add to your strength and conditioning program for free. That’s right, you can get large training tires for free from your local commercial tire dealer. Most large tires you would select would cost the company at least $50 to properly dispose of it so you should be able to get any number of used flipping tires for free. In fact, if the commercial tire dealer tries to charge you something just leave and go to the next one.

Now, onto selecting a tire that will best suit you.

The first thing you need to look at is how high it sits off the ground. If you cannot get your chest on it in the bottom position of the lift you will not be able to flip a tire of any significant size. In fact, if you can’t drive your chest into it you’ll greatly increase your risk of a bicep tear as you’ll have the tendency to lift too much with your arms. Basically, whenever your chest escapes the tire you’re biceps are supporting a tremendous amount of weight. You wouldn’t try to curl 400lbs on a barbell would you? Then avoid doing it with a tire.

The second thing you need to check out on the tire is if you can get your hands under it. I know this may seem obvious, but the last time I went “tire shopping” I ended up getting a tire that was too low and too flat. Don’t let your pride get the better of you because you have a great deal of difficultly moving it at the tire dealer. I’m fortunate enough to know the owner of the place down the road from my gym so I can make mistakes when selecting my tires and he doesn’t charge me for taking them back if they aren’t working for the wrestlers I train. Unless you have a great relationship with the owner of your local commercial tire dealer, be sure you’ve made a selection that will work for you.

Alright, now that we’ve got the boring stuff out of the way here’s how you actually flip it. The big pointer to keep in mind is to get your chest on the tire as you take a grip on the treads. Take a stance that is comfortable for you. My wrestlers take an athletic stance with their feet slightly behind them allowing them to explode into the tire at an angle. Once you have it lifted, drive your knee under it and switch your grip from an underhand position to an overhand which will allow you to drive the tire over. Here’s an older link of a couple of my pee-wee studs flipping- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa24ndGRYyI&feature=channel_page

Finally, the last thing to consider before getting a tire is deciding where you’re going to store it. If you have a place at your house that’s probably the best option.

If that won’t work though, talk to your coach; there may be a place in the wrestling room for it. What’s good about storing it in the wrestling room is that everyone on the team can benefit by having it available. If those two options don’t work, considering talking to the owner(s) of the gym you are a member at. It can be stored outside and may help to attract new members. They’ve certainly helped my gym out, but then again, I cater to a very select crowd of hardcore workout fiends.

Now that you have all the info, stop sitting around and go get yourself a tire!

~ ~ ~

http://www.wrestlerstrength.com

http://www.livestrong.com/article/435124-5-most-overrated-exercises/

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/are-you-strong-enough-for-the-tire-flip.html

http://www.motherfitness.com/behind-the-scene-meet-kellie-davis/

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_8189.shtml

About The Author

Dickie White is the co-founder of Shamrock Strength and Conditioning, one of the nation’s top systems for training champion wrestlers. Dickie is a 2006 graduate of the Ithaca College Clinical Exercise Science program and holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).