Lumberjack Strength: How To Build Muscle Like a Lumberjack

History of Lumberjacking

A lumberjack refers to a worker in the logging industry, generally before the invention of new and improved technology, created around 1945. Lumberjacks were generally divided into several types of workers. Tree climbers, fellers and buckers, were extremely strong with their daily labor intensive lumberjack workouts.

The tree climber required a large amount of strength as he climbed the tree, cutting limbs as he made it to the top. Fellers and buckers did all the chopping down of the tree, making them the muscular backbone of getting the tree to the ground. These men, along with tree climbers, held the most labor intensive jobs. Lumberjack training was required to become a good worker and earn a promotion.

Lumberjacking has changed dramatically with the advent of new technology that took the axe out of the hands of workers, and replaced it with large industrial, saw machines.

Logger Sports

Logger sports find their origins in old-time lumber camps, where axe cutters would compete against each other to see whom had bragging rights as the best logger. The traditions continue to this day. Modern competitions are held, including the Lumberjack World Championship. It began in 1960, and is held annually in Hayward, Wisconsin.

These men of immense strength compete in 21 different logging sport events including log rolling, wood chopping, tree climbing, and power saw cutting. Lumberjack training and lumberjack workouts are some of the best full body exercises you can find. Those who take place in events train just as hard as someone participating in the Olympics.

5 Lumberjack Strength Exercises

1. Axe Cutting

From this event, you can see the massive upper body strength of a wood chopper. Slinging an axe repetitively works the entire upper body. To get a complete workout, switch stances.

 

2. Sawing

The sawing event has a man on each end holding a long saw and moving back and forth at great speed making this a full body workout.

 

3. Axe Throwing

This event requires strength, momentum, and skill to hit a target with a heavy object from a distance. Target practice, takes some major lumberjack training.

 

4. Log Throwing

This exercise requires complete body strength beginning with lifting an extremely heavy log, then balancing it as you try to gain speed, and end with a full body push to throw the log.

 

5. Tree Climbing

This exercise takes full body strength, much like climbing a cliff, and is probably the hardest lumberjack workout around.