Sledgehammer training—wherein one exercises by lifting, swinging, and mashing an industrial-grade sledgehammer into an old, worn-out rubber tire—is really, really good for you. The movement strengthens your core, legs, shoulders, and forearms, and you get to pretend like you're Chris Hemsworth prepping for the next Thor movie.

The only drawback, really, is the whole "procuring an industrial-grade sledgehammer and worn-out tire" thing, two items that are neither aesthetically pleasing nor easily tucked away in a small space. Also, while doing the exercise, you live in fear that the head of the hammer is going to fly off and put a hole in your ceiling and/or maim someone you love. Other than that, it's great!

Luckily, an intrepid company called MostFit has rolled out the Core Hammer, claiming it to be a safe and more fitness-friendly sledgehammer alternative—one that you can whack directly into the ground, eliminating both the need to hit a bulky tire and the risks associated with—let's face it—missing said bulky tire. I set out to give it a try.

The contraption comes in 8- and 12-pound varieties—I opted for the 12-pounder, because I am STRONG—and consists of a rubber-gripped fiberglass handle with a urethane ball about the size of a volleyball at one end. Although the ball is firm, it has some give to it, so that it bounces back harmlessly when it hits the ground instead of, say, creating a miniature fissure in the Earth's crust. Which is still to say: I definitely wouldn't use it indoors on any surfaces you'd rather not crack. Also, God help you if try it with neighbors living underneath, you monster. But if you have concrete or pavement or any kind of rubber-matted gym floor? Go for it. I've been hacking away with it for a week now and haven't done anything to visibly compromise the structural integrity of my driveway.

After spending a few minutes learning the suggested swing technique, I let it fly. And...it's a good workout! The alternating lever push-up—which requires you to perform a push-up with your weight on only the ball end of the sledgehammer, lightly holding the handle in the air with the other hand—was tough as hell, while the slam jack—a burpee-like sequence that incorporates a swing, a squat, an overhead press, and a jumping jack—offered a pretty-efficient full-body movement. Plus, it made me feel like a badass hybrid of Jack LaLanne and Paul Bunyan.

At $250 for the small model and $270 for the larger one, the Core Hammer is...not a cheap piece of fitness equipment (especially because it doesn't serve the dual purpose of, you know, actually smashing through drywall). There are definitively other workout items to buy first if you're stocking a home gym, and if you live in a place where space and surface area to perform the workout are scarce, it's a tough investment to justify. But if your gym gets one you can use, or you've got some room to work with, then get after it. Just make sure you're totally cool being seen in public throwing around what looks like a giant toilet plunger.

Watch Now:Or Try This Three-Minute Boot Camp Leg WorkoutJay Willis is a staff writer at GQ covering news, law, and politics. Previously, he was an associate at law firms in Washington, D.C. and Seattle, where his practice focused on consumer financial services and environmental cleanup litigation. He studied social welfare at Berkeley and graduated from Harvard Law School... Read more