Just for fun: Training pictures

[Arlen]

For those of you who follow the Athletics section, you'll know I've started training for Scottish Heavy Athletics after a break of a few years.
Well, I've been taking pictures so that I can look at my technique and make corrections. And I sta with a few of them on my screen today before deciding to post them for a bit of fun!


First, boxing in my shed. It's a good form of cardio and endurance. Great to do before or after lifting.
My punchbag is made from a chicken-feed sack and stuffed with straw.



Next come the tuck jumps. I basically jump up and down onto a raised bench. (About 2 feet high.)




Then there's the sack run. (As suggested by Highlander31)
It's a cat food sack filled with rocks till it weighed 45.5 lbs.
I run back and forth and up and down my three stairs with it until I simply can't hold on anymore.






Then comes THE LOG. This is basically a 7' long fence post with handholds chiseled into it. With a 10lbs weight fixed on there it comes to 32lbs. SO I can use it for shoulder presses and other overhead training...








...And I can use it to practice picking up, moving with and bailing a caber. (Since I have no truck nor money to arrange a real caber.)








Given time I hope to add more things to use. And even update with pictures of my throwing practice. (Braemar and free stone.)


What pictures do you all have?

[Dirk Skene]

You got me beat already. Good luck Games start back up in the spring, right

[OFCJAX]

Good job! Keep at it.

[Cynthia]

Ahhh, training for the Games... and in a kilt, too! Nice!

Seriously, looks like you've got a nice start for your training! I'm sure you'll keep adding to it and acquiring more to really give yourself an all-around workout and practice for the Games!

I'm looking forward to getting some stuff together as well although we're limited on how much stuff we can acquire due to lack of space... you've seen some of my photos already with the WFD. I'm hoping to find some good rocks for braemar in the near future. *crosses fingers*

Keep up the great work!

[Alan H]

You know, I remember reading somewhere that historically, the strongest men were the guys who did whole-body, hard work. This was, like, blackmsiths and ploughmen.

Having a mess of fancy-pants equipment is all well and good, but honestly, moving and throwing heavy, simple stuff, if you do it a lot, is going to get you strong. Bags of chicken food or sand...logs and big rocks....do squats, throw the things, heft them all up over your head until you're tired....do a bazillion push-ups and sit ups. THROW BIG ROCKS. It's all good.

Source for potential heavy, large objects to attach handles to and heave...

old brake drums from scrapped cars is my favorite.
Go to swap meets and garage sales and see if you can find somebody getting rid of an old anvil or a sledgehammer.

go down to the auto tire shop and see if the guys will give you their old tire balancing weights. Find a junker steel coffee can and a galvanized eye bolt. If you can find a totally cheap pot in which to melt the lead weights, all the better. Try thrift stores. Melt the lead tire weights in a pot, on the kitchen stove or better...on a camping stove (outside) and pour it into the coffee can. Stick the galvanized eye bolt in there before the lead cools and hardens...leave the nut and the washer on the eye bolt. When it hardens, voila...you have a weight for height and distance for the total cost of one galvanized eye bolt...about five dollars. Add a galvanized ring and a quick-link and you're good to go.

Probably the drop-dead easiest practice implement to make is a pud.

To make a pud, get about 2 1/2 feet of reasonably strong rope. Thread it through a 8-inch piece of galvanized pipe. The pipe is gonna be your handle. Now thread it through two ten-pound, or four five-pound weights and tie the loop closed. Go throw it around until you wear through the rope. Replace rope and repeat.

Can't find weights? use an old junker car brake drum. The flywheel off an old engine make a GREAT general "heave it around" weight.

Remember, lifting weights gets you strong, but throwing a LOT gets you throwing far.

for stones...drive down to the river in the summer and find a nice one. Go smash grass with it.

[ChattanCat]

There's nothing like a good log to keep you down to earth.

[CelticRanger66]

Great workout!!

[Tetley]

Man! I'm exhausted just looking at the photos. I've got to sit down for a few moments and catch my breath.

Whew!

Seriously, I applaud your dedication and determination. I look forward to hearing how it all oges.

Mark

[Arlen]

Well, thank you for all the great comments. It's nice to be getting somewhere with it. I just had some luck on Craigslist and, fingers crossed, I will shortly be picking up 110lbs of weights!!!
Now I just need to pick up a D-Lock to make this...


A nice wee easy-to-make WFD!!!


Alan, that's some great advice there, thank you. You've been a great help!!!

[Highlander31]

It's good to see how you are progressing with your training Arlen.

Another exercise that's good for upper body strength is the handstand pushup. Not only do you build upper body strength, but you will also develop increased balance and coordination. If you have not performed a handstand pushup before, you can work into it in three stages. Start by using a chair. This is done without shoes. With your hands on the floor, put your feet on the chair with your toenails resting on the seat. Then bring your upper body as close to the chair as you can. This should have your body folded at the hips. Start with ten eight second pushups (four seconds up then four seconds back to the starting position.) When you can do ten pushups comfortably, you switch to using a wall to help keep your balance. In this exercise you will do a handstand next to a wall, allowing your feet to rest against the wall. Now do the same as with the chair, ten eight second pushups. When you can do this comfortably, switch to a free standing handstand position. Work your way up to twenty-five eight second pushups. After you have mastered doing the handstand pushup on the floor. Move to doing the pushup between two chairs. Once you can do the exercise between two chairs you are ready for the pub (you should be able to make a tidy some betting the other patrons you can do it.)