WoW - Workout of the Week

This week, I am working out first thing every day…I have so much work to do, if I don’t get my exercise in early morning then I just know that it won’t happen at all.

I am up sharp at 6am every morning this week, and straight out in the dark, jogging over to the rugby club near my home, which is just half a mile away, and then I run laps of the 2 fields near the entrance.

At the start of the lap, there is a high gate, and then at the other end, so halfway round the lap, I set up a big heavy tractor tyre sitting on the grass in my path. On each lap I flip the tyre 10 times over, then run on to the gate end, where I put my feet up on the gate (about chest high) and do 25 decline push-ups.

The workout

I run 8 laps, so the total workout is –
4 miles run (in the dark, and an icy cold wind this morning, slipping on the mud)
80 tyre flips (tyre is pretty heavy)
200 decline push ups
Then I jog home.

It takes about 60 to 65 mins out of the house, total, it’s a good workout. My whole body feels used, I try to do the tyre flips without stressing my lower back, so bend at the knee and use my legs to lift, and even my forearms and fingers (grip strength) get some workout (good for me as a rock climber) because the tyre tends to be wet, muddy and slippery to hold, so getting my fingers under it and getting each lift started is good grip training. Between that and the push ups, most of my upper body gets some training.

If you can set up something similar, try it!

Be creative

Creating a workout is just about creativity. If you can’t find a convenient field with a bunch of old tractor tyres in it, look for something else, be creative. I do chins on low branches of trees. I lift and shoulder press heavy rocks. Lift and carry rocks, logs, old sandbags, tyres, all kinds of things. Industrial estates and farms are full of heavy things to move and lift and carry. Try lifting a hay bale on to your back and walk 50 yards, turn round and walk back and put it down again, do shoulder presses holding one end of a telegraph pole, find an old gate or fence and do sets of bunny-hop jumps over it, vault low fences, throw rocks like shot put - really just be creative and see what you can make up.

Gyms are OK, they have their place, but REAL workouts should use the human body to do REAL things, lift and carry heavy irregular shaped objects. Real workouts should be outdoors in the wind, the rain, the sunshine, the fresh air.

See what you can come up with, then come on here and share…please, I am always looking for new ideas!

Better still - train with a friend and take pictures and share them here!

Update - I have finished this workout for the week now. I was up sharp at 6 each morning and out doing this, so by now, in total over the 5 days I ran 20 miles, flipped that heavy tractor tyre 400 times and completed 1000 steep decline push-ups. A good week’s exercise! Happy weekend!