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View Full Version : So, I built a Caveman gym with my pocket Knife today.



Royal Dragon
06-02-2007, 06:30 PM
:p

I was hiking in the local woods, check'n out the Cicada's, when I decided to sit on a log and rest a bit. Now, this log happens to be in a secluded portion of our local forest preserve, and also where I like to do stance work and Qi Gong and stuff like that in the mornings.

As I was sitt'n there, I saw a long vine, and thought it would make a good rope to tie a fallen tree limb (laying next to me) between two trees to make a pull up bar. So, I took my pocket knife, cut down the vine and grabbed the branch and tied it to a tree limb. It made a great pull up bar. I can do all variants of pull ups, chin ups military pullups etc...


So, with my new pull up bar in place I started working out. I did pull ups, followed by Push ups, and then went into the grass and did ab work and lower back exercises. This was followed by doing the same sequence again 2 more times with the same reps, and then 3 more after that with like 6-8 reps each ('Cause I'm a wuss and couldn't do any more by that point)



The grass is like 4-5 feet high right there, so I started walking outward in a spiral slowly matting it down. I a few minutes I had a nice flat carpet of layed down grass that was roughly 8-9 feet in diameter. I swear to God, it looks like a min Crop circle because of the way I matted it down in a spiral pattern and all.

After I was done I stretched for some time and started thinking about what else I could do with vines. So, I got up and started searching for good sized rocks and more vine. Once I assembled the materials, I wrapped the rocks with the vine nice and tight and wove a nice handle into the work and made several sizes of home made Kettelbells.

Now, I don't know much about Kettelbell work, but i have see Youtube vids of some basics, so I started working out with my primitive weights. All I can say is WOW, when I was done I felt like my arms were going to fall off!

So I say on my favorite log until I recovered and was just sort of spacing out and looking around and that is when I saw it...a HUGE Vine going way up into the tree tops!! This thing was a thick as those big climbing ropes you see in Gymnastics clubs!!!

Well, I couldn't leave THAT challenge unexplored, so I went over to it and tested my weight on it. Low and behold it held me without even batt'n an eyelash!!...so I climbed it 3 sets of 3 times!! I went all the way up about the hieght of the climbing rope at my daughter's old gym (Ceiling hight of an industrial building)

I was really tired by this time, and quite spent so I went back to the log and layed down...only to think I could probably do some mean one arm bench presses with the heaviest rock (About 50 pounds I guessing). So, with very little strength left in my arms from all the other stuff, I layed on the log and one arm benched the bigest Kettlerock about 6 times each arm. I did 2 sets of that, and one more set of 3 reps because I just couldn't lift my arms any more.

Needless to say, after I was wiped out form all that, it was still a rough hike back to the car as I had originally gone off trail to scramble up hills, climb over fallen trees, and play balance beam on others. Since I didn't know any other way back to the main trails, I had to go that route...let me tell you, as dead as I was I didn't think I could do it. I have never been so happy to see a man made trail in my LIFE!!

All in all, I think I had the best, funnest workout I can ever remember today!! I am sure I will be crying how sore I am tomorrow!!

I feel sorry for all those who are stuck with health club memberships and forced to use treadmills HA Ha Ha Ha HAAaAAAAA!! :p

RD'S Alias - 1A
06-02-2007, 06:43 PM
Oh, I almost forgot, I also did some really fun, explosive rock throwing with the really heavy one too!! I wonder how terrifying I can make my center palm strike by doing that every workout!!

Merryprankster
06-02-2007, 06:50 PM
They call that rock throwing "the shotput." :D

Royal Dragon
06-02-2007, 07:05 PM
Yeah, but I had to do it with two hands (Double palm strike from horse stance) because the rock was too big and heavy for one hand!

Justinrohrman
06-02-2007, 09:07 PM
Thats really cool man. I just moved and my current lack of funds has kept me from re-joining a gym. Thus I have made my own, an its just about the same thing as yours. Very cool.

Samurai Jack
06-04-2007, 12:38 AM
Very nice story. you should keep going to your "home" gym. I predict if you did that for six months you'd be in the best shape of your life. Wish I still had a back yard. Rope would work just as well as vines, and stone is free.

Royal Dragon
06-04-2007, 05:51 AM
I might bring the stones home over winter too!

Mr Punch
06-04-2007, 05:52 PM
Niiiice!

I used to run and train on the beach and in the woods with my dog at Uni, often climbing, sprinting, swimming, using big logs for bokuto (and of course throwing them for my dog), pull-ups off branches etc... not to mention even just form work and stance training in gale-force winds and blizzards in the middle of North Welsh storms!

Fun fun fun!