If you’re fit and you have a lawn you have been unable to get rid off(*), you absolute should own a push reel mower and use it for cross-training.

(*) If you must have a lawn because of the home owners association (something about unproductive vegetation increasing property values), I suggest encroaching on it slowly by planting edibles. There may be a law saying you have to have a lawn, but there may not be a law saying how big it is, and as long as nobody is complaing … 😉

You can create an interval fairly easily.

Get two kettlebells or dumbbells that are heavy, but not too heavy for you e.g. you can press them 5 times in several sets (I use 100lbs, I weigh around 175lbs); also get the mower ready. Find out how many passes you can do in 45 seconds. For me it’s about 2 lanes/passes, e.g. pick up the mower, hold it at the hips and run it as fast as possible, turn around and repeat.

Now do this …

  • 5 presses.
  • Fast run with mower for 2 lanes.

Repeat until the lawn is mowed. You should think of the presses as being the hard part and the mowing to keep the heart rate up and partially to move the blood to the legs and away from your arms thus increasing the intensity. It works best if there are no breaks. Mow/lift for 15 minutes.

If you have a big lawn, do part of it every other day in rotation.

Fun fun fun(*) 😎

(*) Keep a bucket ready if you have never done these kinds of intervals before. I’m just saying 😉

Originally posted 2009-05-19 04:58:14.