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I chop wood from time to time but now I have a huge pile of wood I cut down a couple years ago, and thought it would be a good challenge over the winter to chop it all up instead of using a wood splitter.
Cardio on the treadmill gets old and this will work more upper body. I just don't want it to interfere with my workouts since I do push/pull splits now.
It is winter here now (snow). So that should make it even more fun. Yes, I actually do enjoy chopping wood. Still have all my toes too.. lol
I have in the past, now I let my in-laws farm workers do it for me!:D
shoveled snow for 2 1/2 hours yesterday. That count?
[QUOTE=snoack;425183491]shoveled snow for 2 1/2 hours yesterday. That count?[/QUOTE]
same here.
kept switching sides while i shoveled.
feeling it all day today on both sides.
I've always liked splitting wood. It splits easy when it is frozen.
Didnt split wood but helped unload and stack 120 bales of hay
[QUOTE=Legbuh;425165151]I chop wood from time to time but now I have a huge pile of wood I cut down a couple years ago, and thought it would be a good challenge over the winter to chop it all up instead of using a wood splitter.
Cardio on the treadmill gets old and this will work more upper body. I just don't want it to interfere with my workouts since I do push/pull splits now.
It is winter here now (snow). So that should make it even more fun. Yes, I actually do enjoy chopping wood. Still have all my toes too.. lol[/QUOTE]
Legbuh and Bob45,
I have a bunch of wood to split on my property (an acre of woods in Minnesota), but I just suck at splitting wood.
What is your method? Axe? Sledgehammer/axe? Sledgehammer with wedge?
And what do you put the log on? A tall stump?
I'm going to test Bob45 method of doing it when the wood is frozen. Perhaps I will have better luck.
I wouldn't say it's for exercise but it sure makes the house warm and cozy.
But I think getting the wood is more exercise than splitting it.
Answer to above...
[IMG]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e3/gixxer06g/axe.jpg[/IMG]
the past 4 weeks ive come home after the gym saturday mornings and split 1 or 2 truckloads each time. great exercise
It definitely does the trick. I had to dig a trench earlier this year and it was the best back workout I've ever had (probably because it took me close to three hours). I have a large garden area in the back yard so I've been using my pickaxe to till the soil every couple of weeks. I have a tiller but this replaces weights and cardio for that day and gets me out of the house. Never thought I'd be doing something like this on purpose but I actually look forward to it.
[QUOTE=Legbuh;425165151]I chop wood from time to time but now I have a huge pile of wood I cut down a couple years ago, and thought it would be a good challenge over the winter to chop it all up instead of using a wood splitter.
Cardio on the treadmill gets old and this will work more upper body. I just don't want it to interfere with my workouts since I do push/pull splits now.
It is winter here now (snow). So that should make it even more fun. Yes, I actually do enjoy chopping wood. Still have all my toes too.. lol[/QUOTE]
Yeah for sure.. Anyhting to get the heart rate up. cardio the normal way is boring as hell. Plus I actually enjoy chopping wood.
There's a MLB pitcher (Dave Bush, Milwaukee Brewers) who lives in Maine in the winter...and only uses wood to heat his house...so chops a lot of wood, and that's about the only exercise he does off season. He's pitched 200 plus innings I think 4 years in a row now...which seems rare these days.
I spend the winter getting wood,as that is our main source of heat. I do this because I don't like the big chore of doing it in the fall. I use a Chopper II maul type spliter, I don't think they sell them anymore, the thing sure works well have had it for 20 years.
Makes for a good work out for sure, cut, load, unload, split, stack, take in house, repeat.
4 months of cardio breaking a sweat at -20 can't beat it!
[QUOTE=snoack;425183491]shoveled snow for 2 1/2 hours yesterday. That count?[/QUOTE]
I'll see your 2.5 and raise you to 4.5.
chopping wood is very good exercise. especially if its thick wood. it builds up your arms and your lats (depending on your form)
No, but I beat a semi-truck tire with a sledgehammer...does that count, sir?
[QUOTE=older2533;425207371]Legbuh and Bob45,
I have a bunch of wood to split on my property (an acre of woods in Minnesota), but I just suck at splitting wood.
What is your method? Axe? Sledgehammer/axe? Sledgehammer with wedge?
And what do you put the log on? A tall stump?
I'm going to test Bob45 method of doing it when the wood is frozen. Perhaps I will have better luck.[/QUOTE]It really depends on the size of each log and the hardness/cure of it. Aged wood is much easier. Pine is much easier. Cherry and other types of fruit bearing woods are harder, but they do burn longer.
I found that the best method is to stand square to the log, set on end on a big flat piece of wood or stump, bring the axe directly overhead, and come straight down with it. It if sticks and doesn't split, you can try again, but slamming on the axe with a sledge will work if 2 tries fail axe alone.
[QUOTE=Legbuh;425165151]I chop wood from time to time but now I have a huge pile of wood I cut down a couple years ago, and thought it would be a good challenge over the winter to chop it all up instead of using a wood splitter.
Cardio on the treadmill gets old and this will work more upper body. I just don't want it to interfere with my workouts since I do push/pull splits now.
It is winter here now (snow). So that should make it even more fun. Yes, I actually do enjoy chopping wood. Still have all my toes too.. lol[/QUOTE]
Yup.. I get 2 cords of wood for the winter 1 is split the other is unsplit
to be honest sometimes it's hard to go out in the cold but you get warm right away
and its fun.
I just use an axe and try to keep it sharp
I use a cheap sledge/axe I got at a hardware store. It's a lot heavier but it works. I also have a wedge (called a grenade or something..). Yesterday I got it all the way into a log and thought crap, it's not gonna split.. then finally it did. some big old cedar or pine I had cut down a couple years ago.
I did 1.5 hours of chopping/stacking and still ended up doing Intervals on the treadmill... lol