Results matching “log”

Via The Adventure Blog : ExWeb posts an interview with climber Danielle Fisher. A good read.

Via The Adventure Blog : ExWeb posts an interview with climber Danielle Fisher. A good read.

Beyond Strong's Nick McKinless demonstrates the Hip Belt Squat. Nice one.

Beyond Strong's Nick McKinless demonstrates the Hip Belt Squat. Nice one.

Gina Carano.

Via American Gladiators Blog : MMA athlete Gina Carano is set to compete as the gladiator 'Crush' in the new series. Should be interesting.

Via American Gladiators Blog : MMA athlete Gina Carano is set to compete as the gladiator 'Crush' in the new series. Should be interesting.

Looking for a quick protein hit? Jen points to Icelandic yoghurt, Skyr.

Looking for a quick protein hit? Jen points to Icelandic yoghurt, Skyr.

Ross Enamait.

To kick things off, I'll be taking a peek at something which many of us can put to good use - a bit of outdoor space.


In 2005 I moved from Glasgow, Scotland to Sydney, Australia. I've done a fair bit of travelling over the years, so the logistics of shifting from one place to another weren't much of a problem (aside from the paperwork at customs, but that's another story).

What did stand out, however, was the big difference in the way I worked out. This consisted of :

• A tiny garage gym in Glasgow, without lights or heating - very much at the mercy of the elements
• During the trip itself there was very little exercise - aside from the stretching on the plane, and the mad running between flights
• In Sydney (before I set the main gym up) I used my father's all-in-one home gym - a large machine that covered most of the basic exercises
• Once the rack and free-weights were in place, it was back to business-as-usual (without the extreme cold, that is)
• As the weather in Sydney grew warmer, I gradually added outdoor training elements such as kettlebells, sandbags, a sledgehammer and odd objects (I just happened to find an old anvil lying around)

Through this experience I noted many things (including the fact that it would've been cheaper, quicker and easier to sell everything first and buy it again in Sydney). Today, however, I'll just be looking at one of them - the things you can do with a yard.

How big is the yard?

When I first arrived in Sydney, I stayed at my parents' house whilst looking for something a little more permanent. The house sits on a 1/4 acre block, which was pretty typical here at the time it was built (early 1970s).

This is roughly broken up into thirds, with a third each for front, house and back yards. Easily enough for a bit of football, a game of cricket and a dip in the kidney-shaped swimming pool. It's a great set-up.

Time for some serious outdoor workouts

This space immediately lends itself to outdoor training. This has included :

Plenty of kettlebell training : although there's no real reason why kettlebell training can't be performed indoors, the ceiling height here means it's definitely an outdoor pursuit. Especially when it comes to kettlebell snatches.

NB : I haven't yet tried this, but the idea of kettlebell training in the pool is definitely on the cards. Once summer really gets underway, of course.

Sandbag work : again, this could be done indoors. However, there's always the feeling that one of these days a sandbag will burst, and, well, I'd rather be outside when it does.

Farmers' walks : I usually perform these with heavily-laden dumbbells, although I'm tempted to construct something a little more like this. The hardest part? Carrying them back into the house following a dumbbell Inman Mile. Love it.

Odd objects : no matter how hard you try, there's no way to drop something like an anvil without making a dent in the ground. I'd rather have a hole in the dirt than broken floorboards.

I also like lifting things that are already outside, such as the various stones, bags and machinery around the yard. Good fun.

In this series Blaine and I will be looking at just some of the ways to take advantage of your location when it comes to working out. No matter what your idea of 'working out' is, there are several things you can do right where you are.

To kick things off, I'll be taking a peek at something which many of us can put to good use - a bit of outdoor space.


In 2005 I moved from Glasgow, Scotland to Sydney, Australia. I've done a fair bit of travelling over the years, so the logistics of shifting from one place to another weren't much of a problem (aside from the paperwork at customs, but that's another story).

What did stand out, however, was the big difference in the way I worked out. This consisted of :

• A tiny garage gym in Glasgow, without lights or heating - very much at the mercy of the elements
• During the trip itself there was very little exercise - aside from the stretching on the plane, and the mad running between flights
• In Sydney (before I set the main gym up) I used my father's all-in-one home gym - a large machine that covered most of the basic exercises
• Once the rack and free-weights were in place, it was back to business-as-usual (without the extreme cold, that is)
• As the weather in Sydney grew warmer, I gradually added outdoor training elements such as kettlebells, sandbags, a sledgehammer and odd objects (I just happened to find an old anvil lying around)

Through this experience I noted many things (including the fact that it would've been cheaper, quicker and easier to sell everything first and buy it again in Sydney). Today, however, I'll just be looking at one of them - the things you can do with a yard.

How big is the yard?

When I first arrived in Sydney, I stayed at my parents' house whilst looking for something a little more permanent. The house sits on a 1/4 acre block, which was pretty typical here at the time it was built (early 1970s).

This is roughly broken up into thirds, with a third each for front, house and back yards. Easily enough for a bit of football, a game of cricket and a dip in the kidney-shaped swimming pool. It's a great set-up.

Time for some serious outdoor workouts

This space immediately lends itself to outdoor training. This has included :

Plenty of kettlebell training : although there's no real reason why kettlebell training can't be performed indoors, the ceiling height here means it's definitely an outdoor pursuit. Especially when it comes to kettlebell snatches.

NB : I haven't yet tried this, but the idea of kettlebell training in the pool is definitely on the cards. Once summer really gets underway, of course.

Sandbag work : again, this could be done indoors. However, there's always the feeling that one of these days a sandbag will burst, and, well, I'd rather be outside when it does.

Farmers' walks : I usually perform these with heavily-laden dumbbells, although I'm tempted to construct something a little more like this. The hardest part? Carrying them back into the house following a dumbbell Inman Mile. Love it.

Odd objects : no matter how hard you try, there's no way to drop something like an anvil without making a dent in the ground. I'd rather have a hole in the dirt than broken floorboards.

I also like lifting things that are already outside, such as the various stones, bags and machinery around the yard. Good fun.