327 - DIY home training areas
Reader photos #1: Underwolfe
Thanks to Underwolfe for emailing in these photos of his home training set up designed for both One In One practice and also strength and conditioning.
Originally, he told me he had looked at some kind of floored area but the costs are very high, even digging it out and basic paving from the local DIY centre would be expensive.
He writes, “Rough and ready! Decided against concrete, it’s more realistic to use the ground as it stands! This is bare bones and I’ll be building on this foundation!”
We live here in a semi rural UK area close to town, so training on grass is a good surface to be familiar with as it behaves totally differently than concrete or tarmac as we discuss often in workshops and is also part of everyday life on some walks away from town depending on your personal surroundings.
The only problem is that with high volume, repetitive footwork, combined with about 360 days a year of rain on average here (readers abroad may think I’m joking here), things can quickly start to resemble the Battle of the Somme within a few minutes. Consider rotating the position of the BOB dummy to lessen the degrading of conditions.
BOB is also better stored indoors whenever possible as while UV damage is never really going to be “a thing” here, the effects of the elements will age the plastic and rubber. At the very least, remove the figure part and store indoors.
In the second photo down, there is a tarpaulin. It would be a good habit to put that down and protect the ground from some of the rain fall if possible and also to protect any kit that has to be left out for periods of time.
It’s a shame that a heavy bag is not possible really in this set up as the aforementioned weather would wreck it quickly, unless you’re willing to cart it to the area and back at the beginning and end of each practice. There is a wheel barrow there though which I’ll mention again in a minute.
Great to see that standing barbell work is included. Cleans, shoulder presses and other standing movements are fantastic all-round exercises to add to your conditioning regimen.
A guy I know in Serbia has an outdoor chin up rack like this one above which he made himself. He even welded an apex roof with tiling on the top to keep the rain off him. No excuses for “bad weather”!
You can also add weights or rocks etc to the wheelbarrow and use it for strength endurance work.
Smart move using bats and found wood for practicing some of the ideas from “Blunt weapon tactics.
You could also add a length of timber set into the ground to practice blunt weapon ideas on and condition the hands and arms for impact using the striking lists from the book, this is a really easy to make and cheap piece of kit that will give much in return and will give BOB a much needed break!
Many thanks Underwolfe for sharing these photos.
If any other readers would like to share images of their home training areas and set ups or practice session contents - we’d love to see them and post them up.
Email pics to me at: info(at)forcenecessary.co.uk
Jeth
It also has to be said that training in the school hall last week with the various opportunities the gym equipment provides was a real treat. It’s good to have the contrast.
I do most of my exercise and training in the conservatory, and I like to leave the weights and bands strewn around as trip hazards for my family. I think they appreciate the challenge.
I had to laugh at the wheelbarrow suggestion, having hauled a load of fencing equipment across a field full of ant hills the other day. But it is true that whenever I find myself faced with a wheelbarrow full of muck or full water containers to schlep about, I re-frame it as a fitness/endurance opportunity, and it stops being frustrating.
Hi Jeth thanks for displaying my wretched area! Last few weeks have seen it attacked by autumn leaves and the next stage is to build a simple roof structure just to protect my kit.
Bob has a tarp over him at the moment to protect him from the elements and I just got gifted a heavy bag but it’s too nice to put outside so just waiting to raise funds to build a roof then I’ll hang it up.
I also built a secondary pad bob out of 7 piled up car tires and a post down the middle with a pad attached… the post is timber and so has a bit of spring to it to protect the joints when striking… I find it good to mix things up a bit and yes I have been using the post also for stick sessions as well as knife work.
Take it easy! 🐺