Like this:

This Post’s Author: Joe

It’s about time I relay my belated report on a North Woods installment of Pain in the Park.  After a long stretch of unusually cold and rainy days in October, we had an amazingly beautiful two days of warm and sunny weather over the first full weekend in November.  Four intrepid Painers headed out into Nicolet National Forest for a totally sweet workout!

We started out the morning on an interpretive trail along a lake and through some leaf-blanketed oak and birch woods.  As we came upon some benches, birthday boy James, Tracy, Jenny and I thought up some ideas for our first circuit:

Warm-up Circuit (25 count then rotate)

• Push ups w/ bench
• Log lifts
• Run 30 yards to another bench
• Step ups
• Run back to shore
• Burpees

From there we found the call of the wild too strong to resist, so we tramped into the woods for our second circuit.  We made use of everything we encountered, just like the strongmen of yore:

Lumberjack Circuit I

• Rock throw
  - We found a boombox-sized granite boulder to hurl about.  We did a combination of chest and overhead throws. 15 – 20 per person.
• Break the Bat
  - We selected some fine fallen timber and “batted against some dead trees (don’t bully live trees by hitting them) until our branches were too short to continue.
• Tree Pushing
  - Though not as sweet as felling a tree with a single punch, pushing against a tree until it gives way and crashes to the forest floor is very satisfying.

After a short jog back to the lakeshore, we came across a line of pommel horse-looking logs (each about 15 feet long) lined up on the very edge of the water.  We skipped a few rocks as we thought up the following:

Pommel Horse Circuit

• Plank Walk
• Single Leg Swat Side Steps
• Push Up Side Steps
• Dip Side Steps
• Walking w/ dipping a leg on each step
  - If done slowly it’s like doing a one-legged squat.
• Table Kicks – 15x each leg
• Squat and Jump – Back and forth over the log.
• Inchworms (hand walkouts)

We did this in a line along all the logs, turned and repeated everything on the way back.  The best part of this circuit was the added risk of falling in the lake if you lost your balance.  Then we jogged back into the woods, did another round of rock throws, found another path to explore, and continued with a second Lumberjack Circuit:

Lumberjack Circuit II

• Rock Throws
  - 15 per person, shadow box then run to where the rock lands on your turn.
• Brawny Battle
  - The opposite of tug-o-war.  We stood on opposite sides of the trail holding a log between us.  We tried to push the other team off the trail.  First round was Jenny and I vs. James.  Round 2 was Tracy and I vs. James and Jenny.  I think this would be even more fun with a larger group.
• Zen Stump Balancing
  - We climbed up onto a tall stump and tried balancing on one leg for as long as possible while bending forward and lifting the other leg back like an ice skater.
• Leaping High Grab
  - We called out branches hanging across the trail and took turns running and jumping in an attempt to tag or grab them.
• Fallen Tree Beam Walk
  - We spotted an unstable fallen tree that looked perfect for a balance challenge.  It was still attached to the stump, but the other end hovered above the ground. We took turns trying to keep our balance while walking out as close to the end of the tree as we could.
• Log Throw Run – As if we didn’t get enough throwing in after 2 rounds of rock throws, James and I started hurling a log as high and far along the trail as we could and the other sprinted up to it and chucked it again.  We continued this for some distance.  After a while part of it broke off and then we could hurl it farther and extend our sprints.  Somewhere along the line this involved throwing James’ water bottle as well.  After many throws and runs, the trail dropped down to a road and I gave the log a final toss across it.
• Outrun the Arrows
  - Despite it being bow hunting season, we didn’t get shot at, but it makes a good title for the final step of the workout.  It was getting late, so James and I ran back to the car, sprinting the final stretch.

I loved this workout because we got to play in the woods and perform feats of strength against granite boulders and trees.  We got a solid mix of upper body and running.  If I lived up here I would have Pain in the Woods every day!  We were so lucky to get such warm, sunny, and dry weather.  Although we did almost get attacked by some wolf-dogs, we didn’t regret our failure to wear blaze orange clothing.

While I highly recommend these woodland exercises, make sure you are not damaging the forest, or breaking any park rules.  Be sure to stay out of revegetation areas and don’t bully live trees!

Advertisement