Be Stronger - How do I workout with a tractor tire?

by Personal Fitness Coach, Kate Zuser

“Help, I don’t know how to use this stuff!”

A newly renovated gym space results in new equipment. New equipment is intimidating if you have never used it before, or never even seen it before. By avoiding the new stuff you could be missing out on a great new exercise. Despite what you may have thought, new equipment is meant to bring out enthusiasm and a desire to come use it in its particular space, not scare and intimidate you. In this post, I want to introduce you to the tractor tire, currently found at the Prospector location of Silver Mountain Sports Club.

My enthusiasm for the tire comes from its ability to give us a dynamic total body workout. I am talking about moving in all three planes of motion, and using every muscle in the body. Yes, the tire is large and scary looking, but once you involve your entire body in moving it, you realize your own body strength and the capacity of working multiple muscle groups.

Try the exercises listed below to become familiar with the tire:

Warm-Up

• Boxer Jumps [Start by standing with both legs on the tire, jump as you twist your hips so that the feet move from front to back of the tire]
• Push-Ups [Start in a push up position on top of the tire, keep feet wider than shoulder width but hands shoulder width apart. Complete a push up with chin to tire.

Total Body

• Tire Flip [Deeply squat down, using both hands grip under the tire, using your leg strength pick up the tire and quickly flip it over letting it drop to the floor]
• Decline Push-Ups [Place both feet on the edge of the tire, place both hands on the turf or floor, lower the chest and chin to the floor]
• Tire Pull [Wrap one end of a rope around one end of the tire, fasten the other end of the rope around your waist. Walk briskly pulling the tire behind you. Try this for time like 1 minute, or for distance like to the end of the turf strip.

Embrace new equipment, don’t be afraid to try a new move. Chances are there will be others who are also unfamiliar and intimidated, and you may just give them the confidence boost to also try it once they have seen you do it.