You could go to the forest. Alternatively, you can try these circuits at the gym.
Cut the wood, carry the water: it’s a sure-fire approach to sustainable fitness.
Bourdain has a great sneaky story – back to his work No reservations At the behest of fellow cinematographer Zach Zamboni, Tony heads north to Maine for the winter.
Zamboni introduces Tony to his “off-the-grid uncles” and takes him to a barbecue on his snowmobile, all the while preaching the region’s core beliefs. splitting wood, transporting water. The late chef ends up doing a little bit of both, but he especially struggles with the first part. The truth is, I was born to call the grocery store and say, ‘Hotter.”’ Eventually, he realized it was good for him and got hooked on the country’s eccentric ways. It will be.
Most of us can’t swing an ax with the stoic certainty of a mainer, but old-fashioned movement is good for the soul and has tangible benefits for the body. The activity of lumberjacking builds an attractive combination of strength and stamina, and has functional, crossover appeal across other lifestyle occupations, including home renovation, child care, sports, and zombie preparedness.
why it works
Cutting wood and carrying it, tossing it sideways, etc. is a full-body task that requires a rare combination of strength and endurance. Loggers have to mobilize almost every muscle in their body. Requires grip strength, balance, and a solid midsection. You may need to flip logs, load them onto a sled and drag them through the forest, or move them over uneven terrain. Performing these movements usually requires twisting and bending.
You can always get a crash course in old-fashioned logging by renting a cabin somewhere (perhaps teaming up with an old hermit), but try these moves out with unconventional equipment at your local gym. is also possible. Equipment like kettlebells, medicine balls, sandbags, truck tires, and sledgehammers allow you to simulate the task without actually going into the woods.
Some important movements to try include the “ax chop” with a medicine ball, the sledgehammer swing with a tire, the farmer’s walk with a kettlebell, and the drag with a weighted sled. (The easiest place to find this is in the grass section of the gym; it’s much more fun this way than doing the same routine in a mirrored dumbbell area anyway.)
Below we have created two different lumberjack circuits. Be sure to warm up for 10 minutes before doing any of the tasks. There’s a reason manual labor is considered “hard”. Also, remember to prioritize correct form.
“Johnny Appleseed” Workout
| Circuit A | Circuit B |
| Ax chop with medicine ball | kettlebell swing |
| 3 sets of 12 repetitions (both sides) | 3 sets of 15-20 swings |
| Clean up the log and press | tire flip |
| 3 sets of 8-10 reps | 2-3 sets of 5-6 flips |
| lumberjack squat | battle rope |
| 3 sets of 12 reps on each side | 3 sets of 30 second intervals |
| Farmer’s Walk | lumberjack lunge |
| 3 sets of 1 minute walking | 10 reps per leg x 3 sets |
| Stair climbing or hill sprint | bear crawling |
| 10 minutes continuous mountain climbing | 1-2 minutes or set distance |
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