Author Archives: Thom Van Vleck

Sledge Hammer Levering: Part 1

by Thom Van Vleck

Slim "The Hammer man" Farman doing a sledge hammer leverage exercise with added weight.

Slim “The Hammer man” Farman doing a sledge hammer leverage exercise with added weight.  Slim did a total of 56lbs on 31″ handles

Some of the old timers may have heard of Slim “The Hammerman Farman”.  He was famous for being able to lever very heavy sledge hammers.  He had incredible forearm development.

I always wanted big muscles and big arms were at the top of my list.  My Uncle Wayne had 20 inch arms and did a standing press of 370 pounds back when it was still one of the Olympic lifts.  My Uncle Phil was a bodybuilder and a great arm wrestler. He had huge forearms.  I wanted to be like them.

But my arms are long and spindly.  I started out with 12″ arms when I first started lifting.  My forearms were even smaller.  I started my quest then to find exercises to develop the forearms and I came across Sledge Hammer Levering in an article in the old Peary Radar IronMan magazine.

The photo above of Slim illustrates the first exercise.   The arms are held straight.  You can do one arm with one sledge or two arms with two sledges.  The arms are kept straight and the sledges are lowered only bending the wrists until you touch the face.  Then the wrists are straightened lifting the sledges back up. I used this exercise regularly.

hammer man

The second exercise I call the “Crucifix.  It is similar to the basic lever but with the arms out to the side.  Like the first exercise it could be performed with one or two hammers. Slim had several other feats he performed with sledge hammers.  Over the years I did leverage wrist work off and on.  Including Weaver Stick type exercises.

Then about 20 years ago, me and some friends started a “Strongman Evangelism” show along the lines of what Paul Anderson used to do.  Performing feats of strength while delivering a Christian message.  Paul learned early on that the average person wasn’t impressed with just lifting weights.  They had no context.  So he started performing strongman stunts.  We did the same and one of the first “feats of strength” I thought about was the sledge hammer lever.

Another feat of strength done with a sledge hammer.

Another feat of strength done with a sledge hammer.

I had a splitting maul that weighed 16lbs.  A splitting maul is a sledge hammer on one side and an ax handle on the other.  At the time I could lever a 12lb sledge hammer.  But I wanted to be able to do the 16lber with the ax blade pointed down!  How do you train for that!

Part 2:  How I trained for the Sledge Hammer Lever.

Tedd Van Vleck: Getting Strong After 40

Article Submitted by Thom Van Vleck

Tedd holding the sheaf with which he broke the master's world record. The sheaf is tossed over a crossbar for height with a pitchfork.

Tedd holding the sheaf with which he broke the master’s world record. The sheaf is tossed over a crossbar for height with a pitchfork.

Off the Clock: Highland Games Champion Tedd Van Vleck

An incredible fitness journey and a world record! The Jackson Weightlifting Club strikes again!

Many of us make resolutions to lose weight and get in shape, but life sometimes gets in the way. Meeting those goals is difficult, but not impossible, as BNSF Business Analyst Tedd Van Vleck has learned. Over the past several years, Tedd has surpassed his fitness goals, losing 85 lbs. and becoming a world record-holder in one of the most challenging sporting events in the world: The Scottish Highland Games.

Ted’s fitness journey began with inspiration from his older brother, Thom, who always stayed in good shape.

“When I turned 40, my brother told me, ‘You can be in the best shape of your life when you’re 45 if you get started now.’ He advised that it’s much easier to stay healthy when you get older if you begin early and stick with it,” said Tedd.

Around the same time, Tedd got sick with the flu. On a visit to a nearby clinic, he weighed himself and discovered that he’d need to be more than 7 foot tall for his weight to be considered healthy. Tedd is 6’1”. The clinic visit was a wake-up call. And, with his brother’s encouragement, Tedd began to change his lifestyle.

Even small things, like giving up the Mountain Dew he used to drink at work, cut hundreds of calories from his diet each week. He began making healthier switches, like opting for a cauliflower crust pizza from the store over just ordering delivery pizza. Over time Tedd got into the habit of eating lower calorie foods that he could still enjoy.

“It’s easy to lose track of the calories you consume, even when you think you’re eating healthy snacks,” he said.

He started using a fitness app to track the foods he was eating and found that many foods marketed as being “healthy” were actually misleading. Doing his own research and consulting a nutritionist allowed Tedd to discover what foods worked best to keep his calories and nutrients on target.

Thom and Tedd Van Vleck both winning in their class at the Wichita Highland Games

Thom and Tedd Van Vleck both winning in their class at the Wichita Highland Games

Changing his mindset allowed Tedd to lose weight and keep it off.

“I used to celebrate special events by going out to eat, but it’s dangerous to use food as a reward,” Tedd explained. “Now I celebrate by doing something like bowling or rock climbing with friends instead.”

Tedd says that along with your diet, focusing on your long-term results and performance is important to getting fit. That’s where the Highland Games come in. The Highland Games are Olympic-like sporting events similar to modern track and field that take place all over the world. True to the Scottish heritage of the competition, all participants wear kilts.

Tedd got into the Highland Games in 1994, once again with the support of his older brother Thom. A few years before Thom had traced the Van Vleck family lineage to Scotland and became interested in the Highland Games. Initially Tedd made fun of his brother for his involvement in the kilt-wearing sporting event, but then he tried it himself. To date, Tedd estimates he’s been to around 500 Highland Game competitions.

“It started out as a fun thing to do with my brother,” Tedd said. “I didn’t start seriously training until a few years ago.”

In June of this year Tedd participated in the U.S. Nationals in Glasgow, Ky. While there, Tedd broke the World Record in the Masters 40-49 Lightweight Division for the Sheaf Toss. The previous record of 30’0” was set in 2009. Not only did Tedd break the record initially with a throw of 30’1”, he bested his own new record with a throw of 32’1”. He placed 3rd overall at these games and qualified for the World Championships to be held this November in Tucson, Ariz.

Earlier this year Tedd had his first international win in Santiago, Chile, where he set the field record in the sheaf toss for all weight classes. For an American to hold a world record in a Scottish sport is a big deal and was a goal of Tedd’s since he began his fitness journey in 2015. Now that he’s achieved that, he’s focusing on becoming a well-rounded thrower, and hopefully making it to the podium during the World Championship this year.

Tedd Van Vleck in Germany for the Master's World Championships of Highland Games in 2018

Tedd Van Vleck in Germany for the Master’s World Championships of Highland Games in 2018

Tedd keeps up with his competition workouts and his healthy eating habits throughout the year. Even when he’s traveling for work, he manages to keep up his workout schedule and opt for healthier meals when eating at restaurants. When he doesn’t have access to good gym facilities, he makes the best with what he has, like running up and down flights of stairs at the hotel or doing lunges across hallways.

“People think they need to join a gym to get in shape,” Tedd explained, “But there’s so much you can do with nothing at all, or even just a chair!”

When asked what advice he has for people trying to get in shape, Tedd says there are five key things:

  1. Sleep: You want eight hours of sleep, or seven at the minimum. When we’re sleep deprived our mental strength is weakened and we act differently. Tedd says it’s more important to him to get enough sleep than to get a workout in.
  2. Water: Being hydrated is extremely important for our health and should be a priority. Tedd drinks a gallon of water each day and starts his day with a drink of water as soon as he wakes up.
  3. Nutrition: Making sure we get the nutrients we need is important to helping our bodies function at full capacity. Tedd says to think of what we’re eating as fuel in a car. We need to put in good-quality fuel for it to drive and function properly. That being said, everyone has different nutrition and dietary needs based on our body type and genetic factors.
  4. Stretching: Stretching can help stimulate circulation, increase flexibility and reduce lactic acid buildup, the cause of sore muscles, after working out. Tedd does light stretching every morning, and often stretches while watching TV in the evenings instead of just sitting on the couch.
  5. Working out: Cardio and weight training are both important to losing weight and becoming more fit. Gaining muscle makes it easier to burn more calories when working out, Tedd says.

Even though Tedd has achieved a lot since he turned 40, he acknowledges that there are always ups and downs when it comes to his fitness and weight loss. Tedd credits the support of others in helping him reach his goals.

“My brother Thom is my biggest fan,” Tedd said. “He’s very supportive of me.”

Thom and Tedd. Best friends who happen to be brothers.

Thom and Tedd. Best friends who happen to be brothers.

BNSF Regional Wellness Manager Adrienne Davis has also been a huge encouragement to him. He said Adrienne helped him initially establish a work/life balance, and that she continues to keep in touch.

Next up for Tedd is training for the Highland Games World Championship that will take place this November. His supporters and fellow employees at BNSF are sure that with his focus and determination, Tedd will continue to achieve great things.

Exercise and Mental Health

by Thom Van Vleck

This is your brain on barbells!

This is your brain on barbells!

As many of you know I work as a Counselor at A.T. Still University.  We have several programs all related to the healthcare field and all graduate level.  My job it to make sure our students are taken care of from a mental health standpoint.

A long time ago I realized there was a connection between mental health and exercise.  My first test subject was myself!  When I was a teen I had a heavy dose of angst, depression, and anxiety.  I found that lifting weights and exercise did me a world of good.

So when I came to ATSU I started a weightlifting club.  They go by the Osteoblasters Weightlifting Club because our school is the founding school of Osteopathic Medicine.  I did it because of my interest in weightlifting but also I realized the importance of exercise and mental health.

So why does exercise impact mental health positively?  For one thing exercise stimulates the production of endorphins and enkephalins.  These are the body’s natural “feel good” hormones.  But it goes beyond that.  Exercise requires focus.  That focus takes us away from the negative self talk that often dominates our thoughts.  The things we worry about and obsess about are pushed out as we focus in the moment on the exercise we are doing.  Exercise also gives us a place where we belong.  A positive social group and interactions.  Like the USAWA!

Let’s take this a step further.  We have for a long time separated mental health from physical health.  We even call physicians who deal with mental health a whole different name!  Psychiatrists!  But I’ve preached for a long time that mental health is physical health.  The brain is an organ attached to the rest of the body.  It suffers illness just like any other organ but the symptoms are behaviors not pains.  The brain has no pain receptors so often the only way you can tell something is wrong is through behaviors.

There is now research that shows that mental health conditions are associated with reduced neurogenesis in the hippocampus.  Guess what increases neurogenesis in the brain?  You guessed it.  Exercise. Anti depressants also increase neurogenesis and that is why they are believed to work.  I think a good workout would be the preferred method.  Then if that doesn’t work try the anti-depressants.

So it’s not just muscles you’re building.  It’s mental health!  And don’t forget, Mental Health is Physical Health that involves the brain as an organ.  It’s not “All in your head….it’s all in your brain!”

Work vs a Workout

by Thom Van Vleck

Farm Boy Strong!

Farm Boy Strong!

My first workout instruction book was given to me by my Uncle Wayne.  It was written by Doug Hepburn and my uncle bought it in 1957 and I still have it.  It was the first workout routine I followed.  There was a chapter in there on rest.  It said work was not rest and should be avoided if the lifter wanted to make maximum gains.  I tried telling my mom the yard work she wanted me to do was cutting into my gains.  She wasn’t having none of that!  I still had to do the yard work!

My grandfather was an avid weightlifter.  His collar was also as blue as they come and grew up on the farm before tractors were common.  He worked hard his whole life.  Sometimes holding down three jobs to take care of his family.  He also rarely missed a workout!  I recall him teaching me how to turn work into a workout.  We were shoveling after a deep snow.  He said to shovel 5 times to the left and 5 times to the right.  Always keep balanced.  Whatever I did one way I should do an equal amount to the other side.  Squat down to pick things up and equal number of time to bending over to pick things up.  Find ways to get in exercise while you work.  He would do calf raises while standing at his work bench.  That way work became a workout.  Because a workout, like work, tears the body down.   The difference is that workouts are balanced.

Then when I was a teen I had a manual labor job.  I hated it but I liked having money.  I dreaded going to work and watched the clock for quitting time.  I worked with a guy that had a great attitude.  He made everything a game.  If we had to stack up sacks of flour he would say, “Race ya!” and we would race to see who could fill a pallet the fastest.  When I started looking at work that way the clock disappeared and it was quitting time before I knew it.

When I first started working out I honestly hated it.  It was a means to an end.  I wanted to be and look strong and this was the way to do it.  After awhile, when I saw results, I started to enjoy workouts.  They gained intrinsic value to me.  I think that’s why over 40 years later I’m still doing it.  I took the work out of my work outs.

A few years back I had to cut down a very large dead elm tree on my property.  I went after it like a workout.  I did sets and reps and varied how I carried the wood keeping things balanced. I made a game out of it.  It was a really good workout in the end.

So my point is that the difference between work and a work out is balance and attitude.  Bring both to your work and your workouts and you’ll be better off in the end!

Jerk Blocks or Boxes

By Thom Van Vleck

Jerk boxes in the JWC gym. Made by Al Myers.

Jerk boxes in the JWC gym. Made by Al Myers.

I own several pieces of equipment that you won’t find in most gyms yet I find them invaluable in my training.  One of these are my Jerk Boxes.  I use them all the time and credit them with saving my shoulders as I age.

I first acquired my Jerk Boxes from my good friend Al Myers.  I told Al what I wanted and we worked out a trade and he made me the beautiful Jerk boxes you see in the photo above. There are dozens of designs and you can buy them or make your own.  But basically they are a table that catches the weight after you drop it after an overhead movement instead of dropping it all the way to the floor or catching the weight on your shoulders or collar bone.

The reason I wanted them was I work overhead presses and push presses a lot and had injured my shoulder catching the weight as I lowered it to my shoulders.  The Jerk Boxes allow me to just drop the weight saving my shoulders wear and tear.  And as I get older I don’t know how much wear and tear my shoulders have left!  If I missed the weight they fell directly on the jerk boxes and didn’t fall all the way to the floor….or worse yet, on ME!

Your only other choice if you don’t want to “catch” the weight every time you do jerks, push presses, or presses is to drop the weight all the way to the ground.  I did that for a while after injuring my shoulder catching the weight on the way down and believe me….it became a real chore unloading the bar and returning it to the rack.

I use my jerk boxes all the time.  I will even use them as squat racks from time to time.  They even make dandy saw horses!  So if you don’t have a set of jerk boxes I would recommend getting them.  They are the second most used piece of equipment in my gym after the power rack (and weights themselves).

 

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