I think it’s the perfect exercise. It’s got everything going for it:
It doesn’t take skill
but when you do have skill, it gets easier
the skill tree is pretty easy to climb: it’s fast enough to notice you’re getting better, but not so fast that you peak too early
it seems there’s always some little way you can improve
the work is in the set-up; the actual cutting is the relax period, which in a weird way makes it feel like you’re not really doing work
you get to work with a weapon. It’s sharp, dangerous, and nearly identical to things people use to use in war. (Most farm implements were repurposed for use in war, but an axe… that’s in the top three for sure). I can’t speak for girls, but for teen boys, it really makes you feel bad-ass.
our bodies are almost purpose-built for chopping wood; it’s not an awkward, back-breaking labor like hand-picking crops, bucking hay, or digging. It can be done quite ergonomically.
it’s consistent, smooth, and repetitive without being monotonous. Every piece of wood is different, and every swing requires attention and focus.
Honestly, I doubt there’s any manual labor as gratifying and an almost perfect full-body work-out as chopping wood. Strength, stamina, dexterity, concentration - it exercises everything.
Given the sheer number of splitting wedges that my brother and I snapped the handles off of while we were learning accuracy, I would disagree with the statement that it doesn’t take skill. It doesn’t take much skill, but it took us a season or two to become proficient at it.
Well, I never split a handle, but what I meant was that it was something you could start doing and make progress with very little practice. But, yes, to do it well takes skill - and that’s when I gets easier.
Splitting, with a wedge, is another matter entirely. That’s fairly brutal exercise, just from the weight of the wedge. I’d much rather chop smaller pieces with an axe than break up large pieces with a wedge. There’s no rhythm to using a wedge; a lot of good aim, and a lot of strength.
I don’t use a 20 pound maul any more. Just start the season out with the 2lb wedge, and work my way up to the 10lb wedge. The weight is doing most of the work. I find it very zen, but yeah it can be difficult to get a rhythm until your accuracy is dialed in.
Great help to me as a single mom.
Seriously!
I think it’s the perfect exercise. It’s got everything going for it:
Honestly, I doubt there’s any manual labor as gratifying and an almost perfect full-body work-out as chopping wood. Strength, stamina, dexterity, concentration - it exercises everything.
Given the sheer number of splitting wedges that my brother and I snapped the handles off of while we were learning accuracy, I would disagree with the statement that it doesn’t take skill. It doesn’t take much skill, but it took us a season or two to become proficient at it.
He didn’t say it takes no skill overall, he was referring to it taking no skill to get started.
Well, I never split a handle, but what I meant was that it was something you could start doing and make progress with very little practice. But, yes, to do it well takes skill - and that’s when I gets easier.
Splitting, with a wedge, is another matter entirely. That’s fairly brutal exercise, just from the weight of the wedge. I’d much rather chop smaller pieces with an axe than break up large pieces with a wedge. There’s no rhythm to using a wedge; a lot of good aim, and a lot of strength.
I don’t use a 20 pound maul any more. Just start the season out with the 2lb wedge, and work my way up to the 10lb wedge. The weight is doing most of the work. I find it very zen, but yeah it can be difficult to get a rhythm until your accuracy is dialed in.