Watch Rebel Wilson "Start the Week Off Right" with Some Impressive Tire Flips
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In January, Rebel Wilson dubbed 2020 her "year of health" and began dedicating more time to working out and improving her diet. Since then, the actress has been sticking to those goals, posting snippets of her progress on Instagram. Her intense gym sessions have been particularly inspiring; she's been crushing battle rope slams, TRX training, and resistance band abs workouts like they're NBD. Her latest sweat session: tire flips—which, BTW, will have you sore just watching.
In a recent Instagram video, Wilson showed off her strength by casually throwing around a hunk of rubber like a total badass. "Starting the week off right," she wrote alongside the video. "Look out @chrishemsworth and @liamhemsworth Australia's latest action hero is turning it up!"
Not only did Wilson flip the tire five times in a row, but she also let her goofball flag fly, completing her reps with a double-arm flex and a little victory dance.
Her trainer, Jono Castano, shared the same video to his Instagram page, writing that he was "so flippin' proud" of her progress. (Related: Rebel Wilson Says She "Can't Wait" to Get Back to Her Normal Workout Routine)
In case Wilson's undeniable effort in the video wasn't proof enough, Beau Burgau, C.S.C.S., a certified strength and conditioning specialist and founder of GRIT Training, says tire flips are a killer total-body strength exercise. The exercise targets your posterior chain muscles (aka the back of your body), including your back, glutes, and hamstrings, he explains. You also fire up your core and hit numerous stabilizing muscles in your body during tire flips, he adds. Altogether, the workout helps you build power while working on your strength and endurance, he says.
But before you try incorporating the move into your own workout routine, note that tire flips are not recommended for beginners, says Burgau. "Flipping a tire around might seem simple, but it's definitely a learned move," he explains. "It requires practice, and you really shouldn't be doing the exercise unless you've mastered the form." (Related: How to Fix Your Exercise Form for Better Results)
Before trying a tire flip, it's best to learn some fundamentals. For starters, to understand the mechanics of driving through your legs, try getting familiar with a leg press machine, suggests Burgau. Not only is the leg press generally safe for beginners, but it's also a powerful compound lower-body exercise that targets your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and more, thus preparing you to level up to something more advanced (such as a tire flip), explains Burgau.
It's also a good idea to get comfortable doing squats and deadlifts, which can further help you build the foundational strength needed to do a tire flip, adds Burgau. (Related: The Perfect Strength Training Workout for Beginners)
Focusing on the upper body is important too, says Burgau. Exercises such as the clean and press can help you understand the hand rotation required to finish the tire flip (more on that below), and pull-ups can help build the back strength needed to accomplish this type of lift, notes the trainer.
Once you feel confident with these fundamental moves, Burgau suggests starting with a light tire (most tires weigh between 400 and 600 pounds, so aim for the lighter end of that spectrum) and having a coach or spotter watch and correct your form as needed. From there, you can gradually start increasing the weight, beginning with shorter sets and reps before upping the intensity, he says. (Related: Light Weights vs. Heavy Weights—Which Should You Use?)
Ready to channel your inner BAMF like Wilson? Here are Burgau's tips on how to execute a tire flip with proper form.
How to Flip a Tire
A. Start with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
B. Lower hips and underhand-grip the tire.
C. Keep your back flat to avoid injury; maintain a neutral spine so that you're putting the load into your legs, not your back.
D. Press your chest up against the tire and drive forward with your legs, extending hips, knees, and ankles.
E. Once the tire is almost vertical, rotate your hands and push the tire through until the flip is complete.