Friday, November 28, 2014

100 lb tire drag uphill at Lake Natoma

Today I took our 100# tire out to Lake Natoma to try and drag it up the hill.  I drilled a simple eye-bolt through the center of the tire so that connecting the webbing wouldn't be an issue.  Normally this hill is reserved for running intervals because of its length and loose footing, but I've been wanting to try to haul something up it for awhile.  I expected the tire to be a challenge because the surface wasn't at all smooth.  Sure enough, it was getting caught on rocks and roots, throwing me off balance the entire time.  But these issues made the workout that mush cooler.  I was forced to constantly re-evaluate the best method of getting this huge awkward object up and down the hill.  (For the record, carrying is much easier than dragging.)  Sometimes doing something that is inherently inefficient will teach you a lot about how to operate efficiently.  Or just beat you into submission.

Upon completion, I played around with some other fun exercises you can employ with a tire of this size.  Presses, lunges, squats, even thrusters.  Getting a handle on the thing overhead is a bit sketchy because you're trying to set your hand position while inside the tire--not exactly the same as lining up your hands on the barbell.  There are a dozen other variations of exercises that can be done with an old tire, so if you have one lying around don't get rid of it!!!  Throw it in the back of the truck and go have some fun.