Me helping clear my mom's yard. Photos courtesy of my mom

Minimalist Fitness II: Yardwork Workouts, Prisoner Workout and Other Non-traditional Exercises

This morning at 6 a.m. I took a heavy brush-cutter tool (long, thick wooden axe handle with a big curved blade at the end) and began swinging it at tall, dense swordgrass and sugar cane stalks. Hacked away until I cut most of it down, then piled it on a tarp and hauled it away. One tarp-load at a time, for more than an hour.

Then I mowed my lawn for a couple hours.

That way my workout for the day.

In recent weeks I’ve been using yardwork as my workout (on days when I’m not doing any hard marathon training), and it’s been amazing. Swinging heavy tools and hauling heavy loads is a full-body workout that is functional and strenuous.

Try lifting logs and throwing them. Try chopping wood and pushing a lawnmower at a fast pace. Try digging into dirt with a pick and shovel, or hacking at jungle with a machete. It’s hard work, and you’ll get a great workout.

Functional Training

While my main focus recently has been my marathon training — I run 4-5 times a week, usually between 7-14 miles, sometimes with faster intervals and sometimes with hills — my other passion in the last couple of months has been “functional” strength training.

What’s functional training? It’s doing exercises that mimic real-life movements, instead of exercises designed simply to grow a muscle bigger or to look better. So instead of doing bicep curls to isolate the biceps, you would do chinups and get more muscles and joints involved, in coordination with each other. That’s because in real life, we almost never lift anything with just the bicep — we use our entire bodies to lift things.

Picking heavy things up, throwing them, jumping, squatting … these are functional exercises. Using a weight machine is rarely a functional exercise.

The benefits of functional training is that not only do you get stronger, but you do so in a way that will be useful in other life activities, such as work or sports. Your muscles will grow bigger but also will be coordinated and work together in balance. You’ll be able to translate your exercise to real-life strength.

The workouts I’ll talk about here, similar to the bodyweight exercises I talked about last time, will all be functional exercises.

Yardwork Workouts

I didn’t invent yardwork workouts — they’ve been around for awhile (here’s one article and here’s a great workout video). But I’ve been enjoying them recently because I’ve been helping my mom clear the jungle at her property while getting a great workout.

Yardwork workouts are functional, almost by definition. You’re doing real-world movements, with every exercise. You can invent a million different exercises, but here are some of my favorites (note: please be careful to lift with your legs so you don’t injure your back):

Swing an ax, sledgehammer or other tool. Use an ax to chop wood or a sledgehammer to drive in stakes or crush things or a brush-cutter to, well, cut down brush. This is a great workout because you’re swinging something heavy and using your entire body to do it. Here’s a sample sledgehammer workout and here’s another.
Lift heavy things and carry them. Pick up rocks, logs, cinder blocks, anything heavy … then carry them to another place. Lift with your legs!
Push or pull heavy loads. In my workout this morning, we loaded a big tarp with big piles of vegetable matter, and then I pulled the tarp and unloaded it. Great for the entire body. Pushing a heavy wheelbarrow or pulling a loaded sled works too.
Lift heavy things and throw them. Pick up a rock or log or whatever you have handy, and throw it.
Push a mower. I can attest that if your lawn is nice and thick, this is a great full-body exercise.
Dig. No, this doesn’t refer to Digging a story (although you can do that with this post of course!). Use a shovel and/or pick to digg dirt. Don’t forget to switch hands so you get a balanced workout.
Weed. While pulling weeds doesn’t often require too much strength, it is a good workout for your hands and forearms, and it involves lots of squatting, which is great for your legs.
Add running, jumping, and bodyweight exercises. While these aren’t things you would normally consider “yardwork”, they can be great additions to a workout. Do some quick sprints, stair-climbs, jumps, bounding, pushups, jumping squats, etc.

Prisoner Workouts

I learned about this workout recently from my sister Katrina, and tried out the workout from Mark’s Daily Apple. You’re trying to get a functional, full-body workout with limited space and equipment. Basically, here’s the workout:

Burpees. Do 20, rest, then do 19, rest, then do 18, rest … and so on, all the way down to 1 burpee. This alone is super tough. You might want to start with 10 and go down from there.
Pushups.
Tricep dips.
Pullups.
Squat jump.
Jump lunge.
Planks.

To mix it up, you could substitute other exercises as well, such as:

A Few Other Non-Traditional Workouts

Kettlebells. Kettlebells are the darling of the fitness world right now, mainly because they offer versatility and are very functional. They’re great workouts. Check out this video for some of the basics.
Crossfit. Several commenters in my last minimalist fitness post referred me to Crossfit, and I have to say, it’s awesome. Crossfit is all about functional exercise. The site gives you a Workout of the Day (WOD), which is usually short but very challenging. Warning: this is not for beginners. Even very fit people will have trouble with these workouts. I suggest scaling down the workouts (if they say to do 50 pullups, just do 5-10 or whatever you can handle; if they say 95 lbs., try 50) and slowly working up to the full workout (or “as Rx’d” in Crossfit terminology). The workouts incorporate bodyweight exercises, powerlifting, gymnastics, running and more, without a lot of equipment required.
Sandbags. Basically a bag full of sand, but the fancier ones have handles and are thick so they don’t break. The sandbag allows you to add weight to bodyweight exercises. Here’s one of many videos (with very dramatic music).

—
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Minimalist Fitness II: Yardwork Workouts, Prisoner Workout and Other Non-traditional Exercises

Then I mowed my lawn for a couple hours.

That way my workout for the day.

Functional Training

Picking heavy things up, throwing them, jumping, squatting … these are functional exercises. Using a weight machine is rarely a functional exercise.

The workouts I’ll talk about here, similar to the bodyweight exercises I talked about last time, will all be functional exercises.

Yardwork Workouts

Swing an ax, sledgehammer or other tool. Use an ax to chop wood or a sledgehammer to drive in stakes or crush things or a brush-cutter to, well, cut down brush. This is a great workout because you’re swinging something heavy and using your entire body to do it. Here’s a sample sledgehammer workout and here’s another.
Lift heavy things and carry them. Pick up rocks, logs, cinder blocks, anything heavy … then carry them to another place. Lift with your legs!
Push or pull heavy loads. In my workout this morning, we loaded a big tarp with big piles of vegetable matter, and then I pulled the tarp and unloaded it. Great for the entire body. Pushing a heavy wheelbarrow or pulling a loaded sled works too.
Lift heavy things and throw them. Pick up a rock or log or whatever you have handy, and throw it.
Push a mower. I can attest that if your lawn is nice and thick, this is a great full-body exercise.
Dig. No, this doesn’t refer to Digging a story (although you can do that with this post of course!). Use a shovel and/or pick to digg dirt. Don’t forget to switch hands so you get a balanced workout.
Weed. While pulling weeds doesn’t often require too much strength, it is a good workout for your hands and forearms, and it involves lots of squatting, which is great for your legs.
Add running, jumping, and bodyweight exercises. While these aren’t things you would normally consider “yardwork”, they can be great additions to a workout. Do some quick sprints, stair-climbs, jumps, bounding, pushups, jumping squats, etc.

Prisoner Workouts

Burpees. Do 20, rest, then do 19, rest, then do 18, rest … and so on, all the way down to 1 burpee. This alone is super tough. You might want to start with 10 and go down from there.
Pushups.
Tricep dips.
Pullups.
Squat jump.
Jump lunge.
Planks.

To mix it up, you could substitute other exercises as well, such as:

A Few Other Non-Traditional Workouts

Kettlebells. Kettlebells are the darling of the fitness world right now, mainly because they offer versatility and are very functional. They’re great workouts. Check out this video for some of the basics.
Crossfit. Several commenters in my last minimalist fitness post referred me to Crossfit, and I have to say, it’s awesome. Crossfit is all about functional exercise. The site gives you a Workout of the Day (WOD), which is usually short but very challenging. Warning: this is not for beginners. Even very fit people will have trouble with these workouts. I suggest scaling down the workouts (if they say to do 50 pullups, just do 5-10 or whatever you can handle; if they say 95 lbs., try 50) and slowly working up to the full workout (or “as Rx’d” in Crossfit terminology). The workouts incorporate bodyweight exercises, powerlifting, gymnastics, running and more, without a lot of equipment required.
Sandbags. Basically a bag full of sand, but the fancier ones have handles and are thick so they don’t break. The sandbag allows you to add weight to bodyweight exercises. Here’s one of many videos (with very dramatic music).

—
If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us or StumbleUpon. I’d appreciate it. :)

Posted on 17 September 2008 in Fitness, Health Tip Day |
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Comments (39)

Jim Says:

September 17th, 2008, 18:46 pm

Leo, That is not easy work!

kenneth Says:

September 17th, 2008, 18:49 pm

just reading the word “burpee” makes my pulse rate skyrocket . . . good post!

M. Says:

September 17th, 2008, 19:03 pm

Wow, that explains all those buff Mexican yard crews here in L.A.

Myrko | AwakeBlogger Says:

September 17th, 2008, 19:06 pm

Top 10 Ways to torture yourself? J/K ;)

As I come to thing about it, I really like sandbags. :)

Leo Says:

September 17th, 2008, 19:09 pm

Yeah, this is probably not beginner stuff. But these are pretty cool ways to put some variety into your fitness routine and shake things up!

"Motivate Thyself" Says:

September 17th, 2008, 19:10 pm

I often miss just being outside and getting a good, natural workout. Sometimes I find that just running or biking feels a little too manufactured when that’s the only physical activity I ever get.

I’ll have to try some of these out. It’s just nice to get outside and ‘throw some logs’. :-)

JapanDave Says:

September 17th, 2008, 19:17 pm

I suddenly hear the rocky theme…

Since you mention the sledge workout. I always wanted to try the “junkyard” part of his (Rocky’s) training, that is when he swings that huge sledge repeatedly at the junk.

Never have tho. I should get around to trying one of these days… (famous last words)

Roger Says:

September 17th, 2008, 19:34 pm

Leo, I like your blog more every day. You write about things that I think about too. It’s good to connect with like minded people. I’m big into Functional Fitness too. Not so much on marathon running though. I posted to del.icio.us.

Ryan McLean Says:

September 17th, 2008, 19:49 pm

These are pretty cool workouts. I just watched Run Fatboy Run and I thought it was an awesome movie. It inspired me to get fit and to start running. I like running on the sand though and not on the concrete because I want to have good knees in 30 years time.

Dane Says:

September 17th, 2008, 20:16 pm

I’d like to second Crossfit. After four years in high school athletics, several wasted gym memberships and a lot of frustration later, I finally found an exercise regiment (other than Brazillian Jiu Jitsu) that I like. I agree that the WODs as they stand can be overwhelming, but have they can be scaled down (shortened, abbreviated, simplified …). There’s a Crossfit affiliate website called Brandx (http://www.crossfitbrandx.com/index.php/forums/viewforum/16/?f=16&sid=74059d7b82f8aa7e7fa9cdcec3157228) that posts scaled variations for every WOD. Currently, I’m using those and I wouldn’t say I’m COMPLETELY out of shape.

Success Professor Says:

September 17th, 2008, 21:19 pm

What a great workout! And a great yard. I don’t have most of those workout options in my yard. I did just mow the lawn today, but that was a rather lite workout - plus winter is coming…… oh yeah, then I get to shovel snow from my driveway!

The Daily Minder Says:

September 17th, 2008, 21:21 pm

When I was in India we used to run the mountain every morning. After a while we added backpacks with rocks in them and then carried them back down in our arms. After a few weeks we were the fittest people in the city and were built like brick sh$t houses!

Old school, simple, cheap, etc. workouts are the best there are. Natural. Be careful of injuries though!

TDM

Rob Says:

September 17th, 2008, 21:25 pm

This is how people stayed fit back when they had to work so hard on their farms - no need then for fancy gyms and trainers.

I have Zen Fever! Says:

September 17th, 2008, 22:02 pm

Leo - nice picture! Fitness in the garden. Good article.How about Beginner stuff.

Leo Says:

September 17th, 2008, 22:51 pm

@Zen Fever: Thanks … for beginner workouts, you can still do yardwork, but just scale it back a bit. You don’t have to work for several hours — just do 30 minutes. You don’t have to throw and lift and carry and swing heavy things … do the same thing with light things instead, and do them less vigorously.

Same thing with the prisoner workout or any other exercises mentioned — scale back so you’re doing them with less weight, less intensity, less repetitions, less duration, less force. Start out lightly and gradually increase over time. No need to kill yourself at first (or ever).

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

September 17th, 2008, 23:57 pm

It seems like Levin from Anna Karenina really has been quite an inspiration!

Mike Smith Says:

September 18th, 2008, 1:49 am

I love chopping wood. The overhand swings is great for your shoulders and arms. Non-conventional ways of doing things always gets me more interested then the normal stuff. Good post here.

Christoph Dollis Says:

September 18th, 2008, 2:25 am

Leo, this article costs $5, but it’s worth it. It goes with this post like gangbusters and you might get material for an update or a whole new post out of it.

You’ll find the information it contains totally relevant to your life and so will your readers.

Take the $5 out of the money I spent on your first eBook!

Ben Says:

September 18th, 2008, 3:02 am

Dude you’re doing it all wrong. That’s why God made made bushcutters. Every respectable Chamorro has at least 2 of them.

J.D. Meier Says:

September 18th, 2008, 4:20 am

I like the compactness and practicality of the prisoner workout.

Leo Says:

September 18th, 2008, 5:34 am

@Ben: Lol … I have a bushcutter too but it’s hard to cut through that tall, thick swordgrass, even if you put the blade attachment on the bushcutter.

Plus, if I used a bushcutter, I wouldn’t get a workout! :)

Doggie Sensei Says:

September 18th, 2008, 7:01 am

Body weight workouts are great as they require no equipment and you can do them anywhere. That’s good for setting minimum goals as you do not have to travel to the gym or worry about the weather interfering with your schedule.

Dive bombers or Hundu pushups are my favorite as you get the benefit of traditional pushups plus flexibility for your back.

Eric Says:

September 18th, 2008, 8:59 am

Leo:

I agree. It seems insane to me to ride a gas lawnmower, then pay to go to a gym.

Years ago, we gave up on most of our gas tools. We mow nearly an acre of lawn with a push-reel mower and scythe. Between that and heating with wood (lots of chopping and hauling of wood), I feel better than when I was going to a gym.

Thanks for the article Leo.

-Eric

HealingSelf_Warrior Says:

September 18th, 2008, 9:10 am

I currently live in downtown with very limited house work but enjoy some of the exercises in the prisoner workout although tough. I’ve started the 100 pushup challenge this week and its amazing how much I lost not doing pushups for years. ;)

jackmo Says:

September 18th, 2008, 11:09 am

hmmm interesting, I have been putting off exercise with the good ole excuse no gym - but I guess that dosnt really count eh

DR Says:

September 18th, 2008, 11:09 am

Leo,

There was a study released recently that looked at how the lifestyle of the Old Order Amish was effective in reversing the effects of the FTO (or FATSO - scientific terminology - not mine) gene.

The Amish live a life like our great-great grandparents used to.

No spinning classes or personal trainers or Lulu Lemon.

They worked, and they stayed lean and healthy.

And their daily activities sound a lot like the workouts you described.

Info on the study - http://healthhabits.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/genetics-isnt-destiny/

Christoph Dollis Says:

September 18th, 2008, 16:24 pm

“Dive bombers or Hundu pushups are my favorite as you get the benefit of traditional pushups plus flexibility for your back.”

Plus shoulder damage.

Christoph Dollis Says:

September 18th, 2008, 17:56 pm

DR, then you must read the article I linked to above. You’ll find it fascinating and relevant.

Maura Says:

September 18th, 2008, 21:00 pm

Lotta manliness going on here :) I don’t see any ladies chiming in, so just let me say that you can also have a “Housework Workout”… just be sure to alternate to the non-dominate hand regularly for some of these. Vacuming the house, scouring the bathtub (bend over, don’t squat), mopping, cooking with a cast iron skillet, flipping the mattress, rearranging the furniture, hauling groceries up a flight of stairs, lifting and chasing children…

kdor Says:

September 18th, 2008, 21:35 pm

Years ago, because I hated mowing, I started cutting the lawn at a trot. I’m sure the neighbors thought I was crazy. Good workout, though. Heh, my teenage son cuts it now, but occasionally I get to trot it out. Your mom’s yard is like none I’ve ever seen. Our first house had a back yard covered with brush, cedar trees and honeysuckle that took days to clear.

Julie Says:

September 19th, 2008, 10:41 am

Great post! Here’s another site that is all about the fitness:

http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/index.php

A big lover of the weights, Krista is also a proponent of bodyweight exercises, sandbags and “Shovelglove” workouts. It’s geared towards women, but has great advice for anyone of the human persuasion.

Camilla Says:

September 19th, 2008, 11:01 am

Looks like great fun! Here’s the original shovelglove website, for people’s reference: http://www.shovelglove.com
I’ve been meaning to give it a go, as i love this kind of stuff. Need a bigger back garden, can’t swing a cat in ours, let alone a mallet! :P

DL Says:

September 20th, 2008, 10:25 am

just wanted to put my 2 cents in on crossfit. Ive been doing it for about a year and a half and it is amazing the results you can ge from a 20 minute workout a few days a week. Heres another site for those looking to really push themselves: http://www.gymjones.com. crossfit on steroids. These are the guys responsible for how the cast and crew of the film “300″ looked. They dont fool around but most of their worouts are bodyweight or use sandbags etc.

deine mudda Says:

September 20th, 2008, 12:27 pm

Recommendation: http://www.rosstraining.com

-good articles and videos
-check the forum

Tommy Says:

September 20th, 2008, 12:53 pm

I’ve been biking to work every day (7.5 miles each way) and I feel great. I’m rather overweight and diabetic, but biking to work kills many birds with one stone:

1. Commute - I have to drive anyway (about 15-20 minutes each way). Biking takes 35-40 minutes.

2. Exercise - I don’t have to spend money or time on a gym. I’m losing weight and getting stronger. For just 30-40 minutes more each day in my commute, I get a full 70-80 minutes of cardio exercise.

Unfortunately, it looks like I’m going to need to find some yard work to do since I’m not gaining much muscle at this time. Any one need some free labor in the Bay Area? I’ll work for water, a meal, and gas money :)

Josh Henkin Says:

September 21st, 2008, 11:27 am

Leo,
Very cool that you are espousing the benefits of such training. Far too many people don’t exercise because they think they have to be stuck in stuffy gym performing boring exercises.

Such training as the one you mentioned really does improve overall fitness; strength, endurance, and flexibility while keeping you athletic. Great post, keep up the great work!

Sam Says:

September 21st, 2008, 16:03 pm

Good stuff Leo. A website that is crying out for your perusal is http://www.rossboxing.com. It’s written by a former amateur boxer turned boxing / conditioning trainer called Ross Enamait and is full of great bodyweight exercises and complete workouts just like the stuff you have here.

Ross seems like a good guy; he is well up on sports science and the hows and whys of all of the exercises on the site (check out his books Never Gymless, and Ultimate Intensity). But if you’re lazy like me, check out his video demos on YouTube. He’s an awesome dude!

(Please note: despite my glowing praise for the guy, I don’t actually know Ross nor am I in any way associated with his products/ site/ exercises! So check it out!)

beth Says:

September 23rd, 2008, 8:36 am

Leo,

I liked the Burpees, which incorporate the “sprawl” that I learned in Krav Maga. In fact, in my two years of Krav Maga we did a lot of similar exercise. The benefit it that they get your body moving in ways it doesn’t usually move in a traditional cardio and machine workout.

Joanne Butler Says:

September 24th, 2008, 6:58 am

Great workout ideas. My clients and I train like this all the time. We sometimes incorporate available items like stairs, benches and the like and can do the training anywhere which is great for variety. Every client loses weight and most importantly keeps it off and enjoys it!!
There are no excuses for not looking after your body. If you are unfit and overweight, it is your fault.

For heaps of great training ideas from beginner onwards, visit http://www.fitterfasteronline.com

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