One reason that you might be thinking about getting into blacksmithing is to become a bit more physically active. It would be great if you could find a hobby that you enjoy that’s practical and also offers a workout or exercise that’s good for your health!
Is blacksmithing a good workout? Blacksmithing is an activity that’s more about stamina and endurance than raw strength. It’s not a serious form of cardio like jogging. But it can help build muscle strength and it’s definitely still better than sitting on the couch!
In this article I’ll discuss if blacksmithing is a good workout, what muscle groups it works, and some injuries to avoid.
Is Blacksmithing A Good Workout?
Blacksmithing definitely looks like a good form of exercise from a distance! You’re constantly swinging a hammer so hard that you’re able to bend and shape metal with it!
But when you think of a stereotypical blacksmith, what do you picture?
Probably a guy with a big beard and soot-covered clothes. He might have big arms, but he also probably has a huge belly!
To be a great blacksmith, you don’t really need to be able to curl 200 lb weights. Most of the time, blacksmiths are using hammers as light as 2 to 3 pounds.
Blacksmithing is more of an activity than a workout in my opinion. But it really depends on how you define a workout.
What Parts Of Your Body Does Blacksmithing Work Out?
Blacksmiths will often get toned arms, stronger grip strength, as well as larger shoulders and biceps. But blacksmithing rarely gets your heart rate to the same level that you’d experience if you were running or cycling. It might slightly elevate your heart rate, but it won’t get it into the same “fat burning zone” that cardio exercise does.
It takes more than just hammering to stay fit! Blacksmithing might be able to replace some of your arm workouts, but it doesn’t necessarily offer a full body exercise routine.
Blacksmithing isn’t necessarily about how heavy of a hammer you can lift. It’s about being able to repeatedly land your hammer exactly where you want it, with the exact amount of power that you want to use, as consistently as possible.
So for that reason, I’d say blacksmithing is more of an activity or perhaps a low-level workout. Of course there are spikes in activity while blacksmithing where you work really hard and get sweaty.
And of course, those who use power hammers definitely can’t claim blacksmithing as part of their exercise routine!
Is Blacksmithing A Form Of Exercise? – What The Experts Say
I went ahead and tried to consult a few experts on whether blacksmithing would be considered a good workout or exercise.
I started by asking my family doctor. His opinion was that I still needed to work out and that blacksmithing wouldn’t really count much as a form of exercise.
I also got my wife to ask the woman who runs her weight watchers meeting to see what she would say. That woman said that it could be considered a low level workout, similar to going for a slow walk.
So overall it doesn’t seem like blacksmithing could be considered a high intensity workout, which is what’s really needed to burn fat and get your heart rate up.
Blacksmithing is better than doing nothing, but it definitely falls quite short of an actual aerobic workout. If you have to ask yourself whether you’ve had a workout after you’re done smithing for the day, then you probably already know the true answer deep down inside.
Blacksmith Injuries
What kind of injuries do blacksmiths most commonly get?
Aside from things like tinnitus or burns that can be largely prevented by wearing safety equipment, the next biggest culprits are repetitive strain injuries.
New blacksmiths can commonly experience “blacksmith elbow” or damage to the rotator cuff in their shoulder, particularly if they go from doing no smithing to a whole lot of it overnight.
It doesn’t help that most of your blacksmithing work is only done by one arm. So don’t be surprised if you end up with a massive right arm and a tiny left one after years of smithing. (Or the opposite if you’re left-handed like me!)
A lot of potential blacksmith injuries can be avoided by making sure you’re using the right technique. Everything from how you grip the hammer to how you swing can help to reduce the chance of injuring yourself while you’re smithing.
Gripping the hammer too strongly is a mistake that many beginner blacksmiths make. Largely out of fear that the hammer might fly out of your hand if you aren’t holding well enough!
But experienced blacksmiths often let the hammer float in their hand between the joints of their index finger and thumb. This gives an extra bit of pivot to the hammer blow that adds extra strength to each hit. It also prevents your bones and muscles from taking most of the shock.
Why Don’t Professional Blacksmiths Have Giant Muscles?
A large reason why most professional blacksmiths don’t look like a young Arnold Schwarzenegger is that nowadays we have access to a lot more power tools that make the work a lot more convenient.
A couple hundred years ago, most blacksmiths probably were as buff as a bodybuilder! Same with farm workers, mechanics, railroad workers, and plenty of other jobs.
But now we have power hammers and all kinds of other electric or gas-powered tools that make work in general a lot easier.
If you want to go for a more “old fashioned” style of blacksmithing and work the bellows for eight hours a day, then you probably will end up with shredded muscles. But that’s also true of a farmer who gives up his tractor to plow his field by hand or a pipefitter who gives up all his modern machinery!
So unless you’re really putting in the manual work, don’t expect to end up with arms like Popeye from your blacksmith hobby!
What Exercises Make You A Better Blacksmith?
If you’re new to blacksmithing and want to do some exercises to help build up strength in the areas you’ll need for your new craft, then I’d recommend looking into calisthenics and static hold exercises.
Calisthenics are things like pushups, chin ups, dips, and squats.
Static holds are things like wall sits, planks, and dumbbell holds.
But rather than worrying about finding exercises to build endurance, I’d start by working on your hammer technique first. If you talk to a roofer, a framer, or anybody who uses a hammer for hours every day, they’ll tell you that it’s essential to let the hammer do the work for you. That means using momentum and leverage to your advantage instead of just brute force.
Using a hammer isn’t like hitting a baseball or golf ball where you need follow-through on your swing. Think of it more like a catapult where you use a whipping action and then let the weight of your hammer do the work.
Don’t Forget To Drink Water While Blacksmithing!
Whether you consider blacksmithing a workout or not, it’s critical to keep drinking water throughout your smithing.
Forges and being around hot pieces of metal are like being in a sauna, and they’ll dry you out faster than you’d expect. So make sure that you keep a bottle of water nearby and stop for frequent drinks.
