Some of my favorite workouts are the most basic and true to life. Big basic movements using everyday heavy objects doing everyday things. This was the inspiration for this post and I hope it inspires you.
My family has some property upstate in the Catskill Mountains. We use the house year-round but over the winter we have to shut off the water and drain all the pipes, so they don’t freeze and break. This means that when we go up to the house during the winter months, we must bring large jugs of water to wash up, flush the toilet, brush our teeth, etc. Although carrying 4+ 7-gallon containers of water 2 at a time back and forth or 40 yards down the driveway through snow sometimes can be rough, it is also a killer workout. The primal part of me loves this and hopefully, you will too.
For this workout you will need two 5- or 7-gallon water jugs, I like the Reliance brand Aquatainers. They are sturdy and have comfortable handles. You can also get the Jerry can version which is a little narrower making it a bit easier to deadlift and carry them. This also makes it a bit more difficult to do push-ups on the handles. A third option if you are looking for something lighter and a bit smaller you can get the 4-gallon containers. These work better for shorter and/or smaller frame individuals.
The 7-gallon containers weigh 2 pounds each empty. Full they are 60 pounds apiece. The cool thing is that you can adjust the weight by adjusting how much you fill them. Another added benefit is that when they are not full the water movers around a lot more. This makes lifting and carrying them more challenging and can provide a different and perhaps harder stimulus to your muscles.
Below is the weight of water in relation to gallons.
1 gallon of water weighs 8.33 lbs.
2 gallons of water weigh 16.66 lbs.
3 gallons of water weigh 24.99 lbs.
4 gallons of water weigh 33.32 lbs.
5 gallons of water weigh 41.64 lbs.
6 gallons of water weigh 49.97 lbs.
7 gallons of water weigh 58.3 lbs.
Add the weight of the container you are using, and you will have the weight of each container for your workout.
Below are two awesome total body workouts that take less than 30 minutes using water containers.
Before you begin working out be sure to do a dynamic warm-up to get your body ready for the workout and to help prevent injuries.
Workout 1:
10 Deadlifts.
25–40-yard farmers carry.
10 push-ups using the container handles.
Rest 60-90 seconds and repeat.
Perform 3-7 rounds depending on you your goals and fitness level.
Workout 2:
10 Bent over Rows.
10 Triceps Dips or Push-ups using container handles.
Farmers Carry the containers up and down a set of stairs 1-2 times OR do 8-10 step-ups for each leg.
Rest 60-90 seconds and repeat.
Perform 3-7 rounds depending on you your goals and fitness level.
So now you have two “fun” and challenging workouts that you can do outside with minimal equipment. Use your imagination for other exercises! You can also do a higher number of reps or additional sets as you get more advanced. One last added bonus is these containers are great to have for extra fresh water during emergencies.
Give this workout a go and let me know what you think.
To your health,
Kevin