Does the tire need to be very heavy to be worth flipping?

No. In an eight-week study of physically active young men who had never flipped a tire, one group flipping a 43 kg tire and another flipping a 104 kg tire twice a week improved bench press strength, horizontal jumping, intermittent running endurance and agility by similar amounts. Pick a tire you can flip with clean technique for several reps.

How do I choose a tire?

Choose one no taller than you are standing, since a taller tire is harder to get under and has to travel farther. The tread should be easy to grip and free of cuts or exposed wire, and the tire should be light enough that your back stays flat and your arms never have to curl it.

How many reps of tire flips should I do?

With a heavy tire, keep sets short, around 2 to 5 flips, and stop at roughly 10 hard reps for the session, because grip and technique fade quickly. For conditioning, use a lighter tire in timed rounds, such as 60 seconds of flips followed by 60 seconds of rest.

Is the tire flip just a deadlift with a tire?

No. The start looks like a deadlift, but the tire moves forward as well as up, so the lift is a drive into the tire followed by a knee drive and a push rather than a straight vertical pull. That is why chest contact and leg drive matter more than how hard you pull with your arms.

What can I do if I don't have a tire?

Pair a hip-dominant lift such as the Trap Bar Deadlift or Barbell Power Clean with a forward drive like the Sled Push. Sandbag Shouldering is the closest awkward-object option for the pick and extension.

Tire Flip

What Is the Tire Flip?

Tire Flip is a compound exercise that primarily targets the glutes, quads and hamstrings and also engages the lower back, upper back, shoulders, triceps and core. It is an advanced-level movement in which you drive a large tire up off the ground, knee it upward and push it over, so a single rep combines a deadlift-style pick, a powerful jump-like extension of the ankles, knees and hips, and a forward press.

The tire flip is a staple event in strongman and one of the most common strongman implements in general strength and conditioning, where coaches use it for power, strength and conditioning work. Because the tire travels forward as well as up, it trains the ability to drive into a heavy object rather than just lift it, which is why it shows up in programs for rugby and American football players. It is also hard on the whole system: in a small study of experienced tire flippers using a 232 kg tire, two sets of six flips pushed heart rate to about 179 beats per minute and blood lactate to about 10 mmol/L, and the faster lifters were set apart mainly by a quicker second pull, the drive that carries the tire up from about knee height.

The legs and hips do most of the work. The start resembles a deadlift, with the glutes, hamstrings and back extensors lifting the edge of the tire off the ground, and the quads and calves then extend explosively to keep it rising. The shoulders, triceps and chest take over only at the end, when the hands switch and press the tire past vertical. Coaches teach two main setups: a wide, sumo-style stance with the hands inside the legs, and a closer stance with the hands outside the feet and the chest and shoulders pressed into the tire, which has become the more common choice. A lighter tire can be flipped in one continuous motion, while a heavy one needs a staged lift with a knee drive to keep it moving.

Tire flips suit athletes and experienced lifters who already squat and deadlift with sound technique, because the tire is heavy, awkward and unforgiving of a rounded back or bent arms. If you are new to it, build your base with the Barbell Deadlift, Trap Bar Deadlift and Barbell Power Clean, then learn the flip on a light tire before moving to a heavy one. The Sled Push builds the same forward leg drive with far less technical risk.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Biceps Femoris: Primary
Gluteus Maximus: Primary
Vastus Lateralis: Primary
Vastus Medialis: Primary
Deltoid: High
Erector Spinae: High
Rectus Femoris: High
Upper Trapezius: High
Gastrocnemius (Medial Head): Medium
Triceps Brachii (Lateral Head): Medium

Instructions

Stand facing the tire with your feet about hip to shoulder width apart and your toes close to its tread.
Squat down and press your chest and shoulders against the top edge of the tire.
Slide your fingers under the bottom of the tread, palms up, with your hands about shoulder width apart.
Flatten your back, brace your core and keep your arms long and relaxed.
Drive through your legs and hips to push the tire up and forward, leaning into it at an angle rather than standing straight up.
Follow the tire with short steps, keeping your chest and shoulders against it as it rises past your knees.
When the tire reaches about hip height, drive one knee into it to keep it moving.
Quickly turn your hands over so your palms face the tire at chest height.
Step in and extend your arms to push the tire forward until it tips past vertical and falls away from you.
Walk to the tire, reset your stance and repeat.

Common Mistakes

Curling the tire
Bending the elbows to pull the tire up moves the load onto the biceps, which is how most tire flip biceps tears happen.
Losing chest contact
Standing up while the chest and shoulders peel away from the tire leaves the arms holding the load and stalls the forward drive.
Rounded back at the start
Squatting low with a rounded spine and then hoisting the tire puts the lower back in a weak position under a load that is also moving away from you.
Lifting straight up
Driving the tire vertically instead of up and forward into it makes the tire stall and leaves you standing under its weight.
Skipping the knee drive
Letting the tire stop at hip height without a knee drive makes the hand switch slow and leaves the arms to finish the job alone.
Fighting a failed rep
Trying to save a tire that is falling back toward you puts the biceps and back at risk, so let it go and step away.

Injuries

Tire Flip is a high risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The tire is heavy, awkward to grip and moves forward as well as up, so the lower back and the biceps take most of the strain, and a tire that stalls partway can fall back toward the lifter.

The most common serious tire flip injury is a torn biceps tendon at the elbow. It usually happens when the lifter bends the elbows and curls the tire, or stands up so that the chest and shoulders peel away from the tire and the arms are left holding the load. Keep the arms long and relaxed during the lift, keep the chest and shoulders in contact with the tire until the hands switch, and let the legs and hips do the lifting. Protect the lower back by setting a flat, braced back before the tire leaves the ground rather than squatting low and hoisting it with a rounded spine. Check the tire before you use it: worn tread is hard to hold, and damaged tread can hide cuts or exposed wire. Chalk helps the grip.

Build a solid squat and deadlift before flipping heavy tires. The Trap Bar Deadlift, Barbell Power Clean and Sandbag Shouldering train the same pick and extension with a load that is easier to control, and the Sled Push trains the forward drive. Start with a light tire and low reps, then progress to a heavier tire once every rep looks the same.

Stop immediately if you feel a pop or sharp pain at the front of the elbow, or sharp pain in the lower back. If the tire stalls and starts to come back toward you, let go and step out of its path instead of fighting it. End the set when you can no longer keep your chest on the tire or your back flat.

Overview

Primary Focus: Full body
Equipment: Other
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Advanced

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the tire need to be very heavy to be worth flipping?: No. In an eight-week study of physically active young men who had never flipped a tire, one group flipping a 43 kg tire and another flipping a 104 kg tire twice a week improved bench press strength, horizontal jumping, intermittent running endurance and agility by similar amounts. Pick a tire you can flip with clean technique for several reps.
Q: How do I choose a tire?: Choose one no taller than you are standing, since a taller tire is harder to get under and has to travel farther. The tread should be easy to grip and free of cuts or exposed wire, and the tire should be light enough that your back stays flat and your arms never have to curl it.
Q: How many reps of tire flips should I do?: With a heavy tire, keep sets short, around 2 to 5 flips, and stop at roughly 10 hard reps for the session, because grip and technique fade quickly. For conditioning, use a lighter tire in timed rounds, such as 60 seconds of flips followed by 60 seconds of rest.
Q: Is the tire flip just a deadlift with a tire?: No. The start looks like a deadlift, but the tire moves forward as well as up, so the lift is a drive into the tire followed by a knee drive and a push rather than a straight vertical pull. That is why chest contact and leg drive matter more than how hard you pull with your arms.
Q: What can I do if I don't have a tire?: Pair a hip-dominant lift such as the Trap Bar Deadlift or Barbell Power Clean with a forward drive like the Sled Push. Sandbag Shouldering is the closest awkward-object option for the pick and extension.