How Ironic...

[avalancher]

Last December my wife pestered me to join a local health club with her, and after much thought I said okay.
Yesterday we stopped at the counter to pay our monthly dues.While the wife wrote out the check, I happened to glance at the amount she was writing it out for(Up to this point, I had no idea what we were paying,its her deal, not mine)
I was at first horrified, then started laughing hysterically. My wife, the girl at the counter, and a few innocent bystanders wondered if I had lost my mind.
The amount for our monthly family dues was exactly what I get for a cord of wood, split and delivered.$165!
My wife asked what was so funny, and after catching my breath and wiping the tears from my eyes, I explained it this way.
"Well, I was just noting the amount. I go out to the woods, knock down a tree, load the trailer, haul it back home. Unload, split and pile the wood. Then later on I load the trailer and deliver it to the customer.All so I can turn right around and hand the same money to a gal that will allow me to get on a treadmill and run my guts out going nowhere."
The really sad part of it is, the gal behind the counter didnt think any of this was funny.She printed out our receipt, handed it over, and gave me a look that said, "I hope you arent as crazy as you look right now"

 

[Zodiac45]

Ha,ha,ha oh yeah, I'm right with you. You're getting a better workout on the woods (and getting something more for it) than you get at the gym I'll bet! Only thing missing is the pool for the after workout swim, but for me, all my wood spots are close too a river or lakes. Nothing like a cold dip after a workout!

 

[clawmute]

Maybe you should start a "woodsplitting spa" and charge customers (a splinter group) half of what the "fitness centers" do to split a face cord or so of wood on each visit. Like Tom Sawyer with a splitting maul instead of a paint brush.

"Theraputic wood division" is a good politically correct name for the health benefits. You could call it the "Splinter SPA".

 

[CentaurG2]

Best exercise I have ever found is hauling brush and feeding a disk chipper. Good 12-14 hours day of that and you wont go anywhere near a gym. You just go home, take a shower and crawl into bed.

 

[Coldfront]

The only thing you don't get out in the woods is looking at all the other woman at the gym.

opcorn:

 

[Laird]

Irony at its best.....keep cutting that wood so you can stay healthy!:lifter:

 

[avalancher]

Yeah but have you ever tried to play racquetball in the woods!

My membership is limited to just the courts and it's a fraction of the cost of full membership. Cardio and eye hand coordination mean a lot more than pumping iron to me. As for running on a tread mill.....LOL.....what a joke!

I like the heavy iron myself, but put in the time on the treadmill along with it. I figure it will get me in shape so that the next time I run into a log full of wasps I will be in shape enough to outrun the little devils.

 

[AOD]

I thought about starting a "Destruction Ranch" for city slickers to relieve stress at. There would be an area for them to cut and split wood, screw around with chainsaws, an range for shooting at stuff, old beater cars they can drive around and crash into stuff, a place where they can drive a bulldozer and smash stuff and the end of each day there is a barbecue and a bonfire. Groups can bring their own stuff to smash if they want. I think it'd be an awesome idea.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

A real man's workout...drive in a demolition derby one time...That'll cure 'ya!

 

[Metals406]

Yup... Three jobs that I've done that keep your butt in shape!.. Lean and mean.

1) Logging (especially highline hooking)

2) Iron work... Whether delivering steel, or working with it.

3) Framing... Carrying studs and hefting sheeting all day, will beat any gym.

 

[bump_r]

"splinter group"... You just ain't right.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

I have a friend who leases his farm for deer hunting...charges $1500/head. for 2 weeks of gun season...pays his liability premiums and a small profit.

 

[avalancher]

I have a friend who leases his farm for deer hunting...charges $1500/head. for 2 weeks of gun season...pays his liability premiums and a small profit.

$1500 a head?For two weeks?Holly carp batman! We paid that for the entire year a few years ago for a 200 acre tract a ways from the house. We hunted,fished, and rode atv's for that kind of cash. I cant imagine paying that for two weeks.
Did he manage to hook some rich doctors or something from the city?

 

[bigjake]

I thought about starting a "Destruction Ranch" for city slickers to relieve stress at. There would be an area for them to cut and split wood, screw around with chainsaws, an range for shooting at stuff, old beater cars they can drive around and crash into stuff, a place where they can drive a bulldozer and smash stuff and the end of each day there is a barbecue and a bonfire. Groups can bring their own stuff to smash if they want. I think it'd be an awesome idea.

You sir would make a fortune .Although insurance night be a problem.
They could be made to pay there own??

 

[Metals406]

The Japanese have something like that... You pay big bucks to go into a room full of furniture, tv's, etc... And you get to smash it all.

 

[Upidstay]

At your "Lumberjack Gym" you should hook people up to a harness attached to a log and have thm drag it through the woods. Great cardio workout.

 

[logbutcher]

Stump to Stove: The Ultimate Workout. Walk the skid trails, fell a tree, buck and limb ( 2, 3, 4 ), hump butts ( 5, 6 ) , split butts , stack and stack and stack and stack ( develops buns )........, carry into stove and load, and load, and load.......
Intro fees: $ 199.99/ cord delivered by Mr. Goodbody.
PM for details

 

[blakey]

Saw this ad on Kijiji:

free firewood services

Ad ID: 100358457
Visits: 10
Address: Guelph View map
Date Listed: 17-Jan-09

willing to split/pile firewood for free, just supply tools and gas and I will do the rest. Just willing to get into shape and this is much cheaper than gym membership.

 

[turnkey4099]

Yep, working firewood (or logging) works every muscle in your body. I find, though, that it doesn't do much for cardio. Yes, it gets your heart rate up but only for short periods and rarely sustains it for long. Winters I go for walks aiming for 2 miles day, weather permitting. By pushing the pace I am beat by the time I get back and have had a good 40 minute workout. No, I will NOT EVER get into jogging.

Harry K

 

[logbutcher]

Yep, working firewood (or logging) works every muscle in your body. I find, though, that it doesn't do much for cardio. Yes, it gets your heart rate up but only for short periods and rarely sustains it for long. Winters I go for walks aiming for 2 miles day, weather permitting. By pushing the pace I am beat by the time I get back and have had a good 40 minute workout. No, I will NOT EVER get into jogging.Harry K

Jogbra may help.:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

We do both the harvesting and walk/running. The harvesting does do both, not just for bursts of cardio Harry. I swear.
Felling, limbing, bucking, humping, loading, unloading. Later on: splitting, stacking. Check your pulse sometime say in the middle of working the felled tree. The brush slicing and dicing, and pickup alone does a fine job on Mr. Goodbody's valves. opcorn:
Now, with the dirt road under ice and snow, there's a 21" DBH Birch to buck up, quarter or 1/2 the bigger butts, then bring it to next winter's pile. My heart is excited just writing about it. :monkey: