Not going to lie, I am pretty excited about this movie!! What movie?? Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
You can watch the trailer here.
Yes, the first time I saw the trailer I thought it was a joke too! Gotta love Tim Burton! But now I am thinking I really want to see this movie lol. I mean, who is cooler than Abraham Lincoln, and what is cooler than hunting vampires?
Answer: NOT MUCH!!
You have to know from my post, Abraham Lincoln vs. George Washington, that our founding fathers are pretty damn fit, and cool. You also know whether or not you are fit enough to survive a zombie apocalypse, but let’s get you trained up to be a Vampire Hunter! Just like good ole’ Abe (apparently).
This trailer got me thinking about swinging axes, functional fitness and overall becoming a better human, like always. Which led me to watching a lot of videos of woodsmen cutting crap down and doing incredibly impressive things with an axe. Which further led me to developing an awesome Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter workout!!
Quick Story
I’ve had my axe swinging days and that is actually where my functional fitness truly began. This may give you more of a feel about what kind of person I am and probably make you think I am just a little bit crazy….
Back in high school a friend and I would get let out of track practice early at the end of the day, so… One day, sitting in his garage, I grabbed an axe and said, “Have you ever cut down a tree?” His response, “No”. So we were off…and we found a perfect tree (needed to be cleared) on some of his land, and we cut it down, taking turns whacking the tree, until the beast finally fell over. What did I learn? It was a lot of freakin’ work!! We also continued to do things such as dig holes 6 ft.x 6ft. and 6 ft. deep just to see what kind of work it took. I mean how often do you get to do that kind of manual labor, unless it is your job. I recommend you try it someday (yea I’m a weirdo)!
Alright enough story telling! Down to brass tacks!
The Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter Workout
First, did you know?
- Axe Swinging can burn 400-500 calories an hour
- Is a Cardio Workout
- Will strengthen your core, back and arms
Second, choose your weapon
Not all of us have a forest in which we can go chop down trees or do some simple wood splitting, so for this workout you can choose the following.
- Axe
- Sledge Hammer
***Make sure you use all appropriate safety gear and don’t be an idiot***
Recommended protective equipment:
- Gloves
- Eye protection
Third, the workout
Proper Swinging: Bring the axe down the centerline of your body to strike, and back up the centerline of your body to reload. Doing so will ensure you have good form and activate the core as much as possible. Remember that you should always control the swing; the swing should never control you. NEVER take your eyes off the target!
This workout is meant to simulate a good ole’ vampire hunt!!
Warm-up
- Do some light stretching with your weapon of choice.
- Be sure to loosen up you shoulders, back and core.
- Maybe even try some passthroughs with your weapon.
- A light jog to break a sweat.
NOW WE START!!!
- Tabata Swinging
If you are using the hammer, tababta swing on a tire. If you are using the axe, tabata swing on a log.
What is tabata?? For twenty seconds do as many swings as you can, then rest 10 seconds. Repeat this seven more times for a total of 8 intervals, 4 minutes total exercise. The score is the least number of reps for any of the eight intervals.
~Rest 3 min~
- Run 1600m with your weapon
Sledgehammer is best for running. If you are running with an axe (make sure it has a safety cover). No safety cover, run with something else!!! Seriously, running with an axe, while necessary to hunt vampires, is not safe for a leisurely workout. Be smart!
~Rest 5 minuets~
- As many side swings as possible in 3 minutes
Side swing comes from the side to the target. You must alternate right and left. If using the axe, you could hit both sides of a log, and if using the hammer hit both sides of the tire.
~Rest 3 minutes~
- 100 walking lunges with your weapon on your back.
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That’s it!
Like any good vampire hunter, finish the hunt with some good post-hunting food and drink.
Happy hunting!!
-Jerred