Wood splitting instead of gym

[forby]

I'm going thru withdrawal I guess.....

I have split 15 cords of wood (at least) since last July. I'm set for this winter and next. I'm a bit tired of scrounging and miss the split time if I go a few weeks between finds.

I'm thinking about buying pole wood at $600 for 8 cords. I want to cut and split it for exercise instead of going to the gym. Then, I figured I would stack some of the aged stuff by the road with a sign that says "$75 this pile" I figure that I can sell a third of a cord at a time to weekend burners, make $150 per cord, get exercise and not have to pay a gym membership!!

Anyone else ever do this?

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Not a bad idea at all. I fool myself that I'll get all the exercise I nees from wood processing, but even at the many cord a year that I process, there are months that I don't do any. Your scheme may even it out and give more incentive.

 

[LLigetfa]

by the road with a sign that says "$75 this pile"

I figure someone will steal it.

 

[Vic99]

I cancelled my gym membership a year and a half ago because I split wood 3-4 times a week. Just like any workout schedule, sometimes it's important to take a couple of weeks off. I don't need to plan that, it just happens a few times a year.

I never really thought seriously of selling wood. Too much effort goes into scrounging, splitting, stacking, and moving. Couldn't really set a price that I think is fair, but that others would actually pay.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I'm going thru withdrawal I guess.....

I have split 15 cords of wood (at least) since last July. I'm set for this winter and next. I'm a bit tired of scrounging and miss the split time if I go a few weeks between finds.

I'm thinking about buying pole wood at $600 for 8 cords. I want to cut and split it for exercise instead of going to the gym. Then, I figured I would stack some of the aged stuff by the road with a sign that says "$75 this pile" I figure that I can sell a third of a cord at a time to weekend burners, make $150 per cord, get exercise and not have to pay a gym membership!!

Anyone else ever do this?

There's no reason your plan won't work, but why not just volunteer to split wood for free or cheap?

 

[savageactor7]

Not that I'm an exercise nut but but it's only exercise if you maintain your target heart rate for a minimum of 20 minutes...and do that daily. Working around wood when your tired can be a dangerous proposition. But I like your idea about selling wood ... be content that processing wood daily will keep you 'flexable'. Flexible is good and will save you any muscle pulls when you do work out at the gym.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I say go for it. You'll get the exercise you want and need, you'll be making a few dollars and you won't be spending dollars at a gym. Add up those benefits and you have a winner.

 

[smokinj]

I'm going thru withdrawal I guess.....

I have split 15 cords of wood (at least) since last July. I'm set for this winter and next. I'm a bit tired of scrounging and miss the split time if I go a few weeks between finds.

I'm thinking about buying pole wood at $600 for 8 cords. I want to cut and split it for exercise instead of going to the gym. Then, I figured I would stack some of the aged stuff by the road with a sign that says "$75 this pile" I figure that I can sell a third of a cord at a time to weekend burners, make $150 per cord, get exercise and not have to pay a gym membership!!

Anyone else ever do this?

much smaller stacks work very well for the weekend camper at 5-10 bucks

 

[forby]

by the road with a sign that says "$75 this pile"

I figure someone will steal it.

Maybe I should put a note on the sign that says "58 yards to house- no correction for windage or drop needed"

 

[forby]

Not that I'm an exercise nut but but it's only exercise if you maintain your target heart rate for a minimum of 20 minutes...and do that daily. Working around wood when your tired can be a dangerous proposition. But I like your idea about selling wood ... be content that processing wood daily will keep you 'flexable'. Flexible is good and will save you any muscle pulls when you do work out at the gym.

This made me wonder........

When I split wood, I really consider it exercise. I move quickly and deliberately. All lifting is typically done with arms unless I'm lifting a 150 pounder- then I use my legs. I throw the ax pretty hard and quickly pick up the splits for further reduction. Then I throw the finished splits about 10-15 yards to the pile. Repeat without stopping for 1- 2 hours. I'm sure my rate is pretty high. I usually return to the house when my t-shirt and shorts are completely saturated and need a wringing!

I have never had such a sense of accomplishment from any other form of exercise.

My only fear is that I won't want to part with the splits!!

 

[LLigetfa]

by the road with a sign that says "$75 this pile"

I figure someone will steal it.

Maybe I should put a note on the sign that says "58 yards to house- no correction for windage or drop needed"

No words needed, just a target with a few holes in it.

(broken image removed)

 

[backpack09]

Good luck convincing your doctor that cutting wood is exercise... Mine laughed when I said I cut split and stack wood for exercise.

 

[maplewood]

I think it is a great idea. Sell at a profit, exercise at the same time, cash on the barrel head, feeding the need to work with wood - it all sounds like win-win to me.
Try the 1/3 cord piles, try the smaller piles. Experience will tell you what works in your area.
Happy Burning!

 

[northwinds]

Good luck convincing your doctor that cutting wood is exercise... Mine laughed when I said I cut split and stack wood for exercise.

That's a doctor who hasn't cut, hand split and stacked wood.

Here's a fun little calorie calculator for splitting wood. I would imagine its accuracy would depend
on how fast one works.

http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/burned/calories_burned_Chopping_wood_splitting_logs.html

 

[Jimxj2000]

I have been doing the cutting (from a truck load) and splitting for almost two years. I know I was loosing weight while splitting a few times a week. Once the splitting stopped (~12 cord over the winter and early spring) my weight started to go up. Now I am running instead - splitting is more fun.

 

[jj3500]

Splitting wood manually is definitely like going to a gym. I can get my heart rate up and maintain it there as long as I'm continually working. If you move fast enough and with "purpose" as said in an earlier post...you can get your heart rate in a cardio burn status. There is also resistance training with the swinging of the maul and the heavy short burst required to move the larger rounds.

 

[forby]

Yes....

It depends on how fast you move. It's actually like cross training for me- cardio and strength.

I'm a fast mover naturally. I work up a sweat shopping! I take 2 stairs at a time going up and 3 down. I polish & wax my car by hand for about 5 hours non-stop.

Now..... I know people who stroll casually to the rounds and carefully choose the one they want. They roll it over to the block and up the sides to the top. Time to rest on the ax Lets eye this bad boy up for the best angle------ isn't it pretty outside.. look at the robin! 5 minutes later they have it split! THAT MAKES ME CRAZY

Someone asked me why I don't get a log splitter. I said "it takes too long"

I'm just sayin'

The bottom line is heart rate. I've seen people "run" with heart rates that barely break 100. Now, the ultimate test is the resting heart rate. I've got 57....

 

[LLigetfa]

THAT MAKES ME CRAZY

LOL

I read a sign once that said "I only have two speeds. If you don't like the speed I'm working now, I'm pretty sure you won't like the other one."

Having said that, I'm pretty sure you won't like the speed I work on my firewood now. I consider my wood processing to be a leisure activity and strive never to work up a sweat. I worked in heavy construction much of my life and do know hard work but consider myself retired from hard work now.

 

[TreePapa]

Wood splitting, at least w/ax and maul, is also excellent stress release. Much better to drive the ax into a round of pine (or whatever) than ... well, enough said.

I resplit a few splits yesterday 'cuz I didn't have any rounds ready. Gotta keep my eyes out for nice, bucked freshly cut trees like sometimes show up on curbs 'round here. Beats therapy.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[SolarAndWood]

I resplit a few splits yesterday 'cuz I didn't have any rounds ready.

I run out of stress to relieve long before I run out of rounds to split.