Gruelling tiresome hard physical labour is kinda like going to the gym, no it’s actually harder than gym.

Hey I love gym and try get a lot in, but for a number of years we’ve been renovating the house I live in with my family. And let me tell you, (we’re self-building), mixing a few loads of cement in a wheelbarrow to throw a floor, or to build a wall, well it’s not light easy work.

The thing about doing manual labour like that is, it’s basically a natural gym, but for as long as you’re working.

Like lifting 12 spades of sand into the barrow, at an average of 5kg per spade, then 2-4 spades of sand (depending on whether it’s a floor or wall mix), that’s not too light. Then you gotta push that barrow a good distance, add water (which adds more weight), (now comes the hard part), mixing it all. You gotta drive that spade in, scoop out a good 5kg, flip t, and do it all again. Like mixing a cake but only much more ingredients and they’re a lot heavier.

‘The farmer walk’ it’s called that because it replicates carrying a wheelbarrow full of something. And it really does affect you when you do it over and over. With the average barrow being about 100kg(220lbs) it really does add up.

And don’t get me started on bricks. That’s even heavier.

So yes manual labour is a great gym routine. And it’s not in an air conditioned gym, it’s under the hot gruelling sun.

Luckily I don’t have any floors to be thrown anytime soon, I’m currently helping to build a wall. And I’m not getting stuck in with the heavy lifting thankfully which is why I’m still keeping my gym up.