MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN HIDES

Give your workouts a rural shake-up this winter and put yourself to work at Farm Fitness. But be warned: this training ground is no corny gimmick

If the strip lighting of city gyms isn’t for you, might we suggest an escape to the country? Personal trainer Tom Kemp has turned a rural respite in deepest Essex into a farmyard of testosterone-spiking circuits. Inspiration for the outdoor gym came from his own experiences of pushing a concrete-laden wheelbarrow around the family farm: “It’s tasks such as these that we don’t even consider a ‘workout’ that keep us physically fit.” Which is an understatement when confronted by Kemp’s imposing physique – all shoulders, lats and impossible biceps.

Short of sending you into the fields with a scythe, his gym will help you forge practical strength through functional movements. This is no ordinary bootcamp, so don’t expect the traditional three sets of 10, either. “Once you’ve climbed a rope and pushed a prowler, it’s hard to go back to fixed machines,” Kemp says. The sense of accomplishment you get from training outside, he believes, is what draws people back. “There’s something about jumping haybales, striking a tyre with a sledgehammer and throwing heavy objects around that is very liberating.”

This form of training – regressed strongman, which fuses endurance, bodybuilding and powerlifting – is booming in popularity. And for good reason. The toll that heavy, awkward lifts place on your body not only builds size, but shreds fat too, due to its potent effect on your metabolism. Set this against the idyllic farmyard backdrop and you’ll enjoy a shot in the arm to your mental health, while braving the elements will also expedite your endurance training. That’s quite the crop of benefits.