Using a sledgehammer

[Frieza_force_soldier_100]

What Lifting Strength rating would be appropriate for running while carrying a sledgehammer one-handed?

 

[AThe1412]

Average Human

 

[Frieza_force_soldier_100]

Thanks.

 

[Flashlight237]

That is a tough question. If you want the simple version, a slegehammer if used properly requires two hands typically and is generally hard to swing. By comparing it to one-handed weapons that you can carry around while running, like machetes, scimitars, and cutlasses, I've gotten various results for them, ranging from about 0.5 kg for a 22-inch machete to about 1.4 kg for a replica cutlass, you can proportionally compare the weapons to a sledgehammer itself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sledgehammer

At the lowest, the strength ratio would be 3.214285714x (comparing a 4.5-kilogram sledgehammer to a 1.4 kg cutlass). Assuming a weight range of 135 to 175 lbs for human lifting capabilities (https://www.livestrong.com/article/380767-how-much-weight-can-the-average-man-lift/ ), my guess on the proportional lifting strength for the feat are as such:

(4.5/1.4)*135=433.9285714 lbs

(4.5/1.4)*175=562.5 lbs

You're looking at an approximate lifting strength range from 433.9285714 to 562.5 lbs, or 196.82668911204 to 255.14571 kilograms, which should put the person at Athletic Human to Peak Human strength, all based on proportional lifting strength alone. That's assuming you're holding the damn hammer with like a sword.

The actual answer is more complicated than that, since a long weapon like a sledgehammer is going to exert torque on your hand, plus weapon skill is a factor that could offset things like weight and such. Even things like where you hold the hammer will affect the strength needed. Personally, I'd just stick with assuming twice normal human lifting capabilities since you're still easily handling a two-handed entity with one hand. In a human's case, that's 122.47 to 158.76 kg (270 to 350 lbs), or Athletic Human.