Lawn mower weight lift. 14 Ways To Lift A Lawnmower For Maintenance Safely

Yard Work Is Basically Strength Training—Here’s How to Get Stronger While Mowing the Lawn

M y dad spent every Saturday of my childhood blowing the leaves in our yard, obliterating any chance I had of sleeping in. It annoyed me to no end, and even more so when he waltzed inside to announce his “exercise was done for the day!” Years later, I’ll admit with great chagrin that yard work is an effective way to break a sweat. Is yard work good exercise? Cat Kom, ACE, trainer and founder of Studio Sweat onDemand, tells me that the answer is yes—especially if you’re super-mindful about your form, technique, and posture as you transform your yard from filthy to fresh.

“Turning your yard work into a workout is a wonderful way to combine home-care with self-care. My advice is to always stay mindful and motivated when it comes to doing these chores,” says Kom. “Maybe you work a little faster, sweep a little harder, bend down a couple more times than you need to. In the end, it’s your body that’s going to see the results.”

Below, Kom explains the workout virtues of three of your foremost yard-work activities: lawn mowing, leaf blowing, and gardening. Ready?

Yard work is good exercise—here are the benefits of lawn-mowing, leaf-blowing, and gardening

Lawn mowing is basically sled-pushing

Let me just shock you really quickly with this fact: The average lawn mower weighs between 90 and 100 pounds.”Mowing the lawn, like a lot of other yard work, has the potential to be a great workout, depending on your drive and motivation,” says Kom. “If you dig deep and push hard, you can get similar benefits as a sled push—high intensity and low impact cardio. Plus, you’ll be working your back, glutes, hips, core, hamstrings, triceps, shoulders—you name it!”

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For the best sweat sesh, you’ll want to pick a mower that’s manual—not automatic (it will weigh about 20 to 30 pounds). “A manual lawn mower gives you the most intensity, while on the other end of the spectrum, hopping atop a riding mower will give you absolutely nothing. Of course, like the sled-push, you do not want to over-exert yourself, and you never want to jerk the motion,” says Kom

Leaf blowing is the farmer’s carry of lawn work

Leaf blowers—like the one my dad used for my early-morning wakeup call—weigh a whole 50 pounds. While, yes, the mere act of carrying one of these babies is an arm workout, Kom says working one will also light your core up. And what comes after leaf blowing will really burn your body out.

“An even better exercise is when you eventually need to rake, gather, and scoop up all those leaves. With both movements, you want to keep your back straight while standing and engage your abs when bending. And if you ever feel anything even close to a strain, take a break and pick it up another day,” she says. By the end, you’ll have a clean yard and a workout behind you.

Gardening offers functional strength for everyday activities

“Gardening, as long as you’re really getting into it, can be an amazing workout,” says Kom. “Ever heard of farmers’ strength?” Kom points out that because you won’t be lifting anything heavier than a flower box, you won’t necessarily get the stature of The Rock from planting your petunias. What you will get is functional strength that you can use throughout your everyday life. “Think about it: all that squatting, bending, lifting, digging, and raking. It’s an amazing, all-around way to improve your fitness, joint health, and overall power,” says Kom.

Your yard work is, indeed, a workout.

Ways To Lift A Lawnmower For Maintenance Safely

In this blog post, I will discuss fourteen different safe methods to lift your lawnmower for the maintenance and replacement of its blades, belt, tires, oil, and other parts beneath the deck. All of these methods must be carried out with great care and attention. Riding lawnmowers are bulky and very huge, so it is impossible to manually push them and turn them over on the side to get access to the parts underneath.

There are several methods to lift your lawnmower safely:

• A compressed-air powered system
• A Drill-turned mechanism
• A scissor-action mechanism
• Air bearings
• Forklift
• Hand truck dolly
• Lifting straps or moving harness
• Jacks
• Lift buddy
• Roller skids
• Skates
• Chain hoist
• Lift
• Ramp

A few safety precautions that must always be observed are the disconnection of your lawnmower’s spark plug, the use of a pair of gloves and safety shoes. If you ignore these safety precautions you will probably damage your lawnmower or hurt yourself. It is necessary to seek the assistance of an expert, or a professional mechanic to lift your lawnmower for its maintenance.

Scroll on to read the details of each of the fourteen methods.

• 1 1. A compressed Air-powered System:
• 2 2. A Drill-turned Mechanism:
• 3 3. Scissor-Action Mechanism:
• 4 4. Air Bearings:
• 5 5. Forklift:
• 6 6. Hand Truck Dolly:
• 7 7. Lifting Straps or Moving Harness:
• 8 8. Jacks:
• 9 9. Lift Buddy:
• 10 10. Roller Skids:
• 11 11. Skates:
• 12 12. Chain Hoist:
• 13 13. Lift:
• 14 14. Ramp:
• 15 Final Remarks

A compressed Air-powered System:

You can make use of the pressurized air or gas to lift your lawnmower to a desirable height. This system uses compressed air or compressed inert gases. An electrically powered and centrally located compressor operates the air motors, cylinders, and pneumatic devices.

This system is very cost-effective, more flexible, and really safe. It is controlled through automatic or manual solenoid valves. It is connected to the workshop’s compressed air system.

A compressed air-powered system in a mechanic’s workshop uses a sustainable supply of atmospheric air. Moisture is removed from the air and some oil is added. Oil helps in lubrication and prevention of corrosion.

The compressed air is completely harmless, but if nitrogen is used, it might present an asphyxiation hazard. Compressed oxygen is a fire hazard, more costly, and offers no better performance than air. When carbon dioxide is used, the phase change between gas and liquid makes it possible to obtain a larger volume of compressed gas from a smaller container than compressed air requires, but it is a freezing hazard.

Hand Truck Dolly:

It is also called a bag barrow, box cart, cart, sack truck, trundler, stack truck, or two-wheeler. It is an L-shaped tool with handles at one end and wheels at the base. It has a small ledge to carry your lawnmower flat against the floor.

When you need to move your lawnmower, it is tilted forward and the ledge is inserted underneath it, then the lawnmower is allowed to tilt back and rest on its ledge. The dolly and your lawnmower are tilted backward until the mass is well-balanced over its wheels. This first-class lever makes lifting and moving heavy lawnmowers much easier.

Lifting Straps or Moving Harness:

Your lawnmower can be lifted and moved by just two people when you use lifting straps or moving harnesses. This simple tool has many different designs but mostly there are two straps with adjustable loops at both ends. These loops are worn over the forearms or shoulders to place the strap underneath your lawnmower.

The benefit of lifting straps or moving harnesses is even weight distribution and better stability. It takes the pressure off your back.

Jacks:

It is also called a screw jack, jackscrew, car jack, floor jack, garage jack, or toe jack. It is a mechanical device used to lift heavy loads like lawnmowers. The mechanical jack employs a screw thread for lifting your lawnmower so that important maintenance can be performed.

Jacks are used for lifting the corners of your lawnmower so that the roller skids or skates can be placed beneath it. A jack is more heavy-duty than other tools and it works a little differently. Instead of crowbarring the tool up, a hydraulic lever is used for lifting your lawnmower.

A jack and a jack stand must be part of your lawnmower repair kit especially if you own a riding lawnmower. You must never depend upon a jack alone to hold a riding lawnmower safely. Sometimes its hydraulic locking valve may fail, hurting you or damaging your riding lawnmower.

Lift:

A lawnmower lift has a weight capacity of up to three hundred and fifty pounds. It has a safety lock for safely supporting the load. Its rubber padded platform will prevent scratching and protect your lawnmower.

It has a non-slip hydraulic foot pedal operation that allows the effortless lifting of your lawnmower. The lift itself is easily maneuverable and adjustable for lawnmowers of different sizes. In three simple steps, you can safely lift it for maintenance.

First of all, you will have to drive your riding lawnmower onto the wheel baskets of the lift. Make sure you position the tires of your lawnmower securely into the wheel baskets centering the load on the lift. Secondly, to raise the lift safely, you will turn the release valve clockwise until firm resistance is left.

Now carefully pump the jack until your lawnmower reaches your desired height. The final height will correspond with its locking teeth on the height locking lever. Now slowly turn the release valve counter-clockwise until the lift platform locking levers engages the height locking levers then close the release valve by turning it completely, clockwise until firm resistance is left.

Finally, to lower the lift down, you will have to put it in neutral and raise the lift platform slightly to disengage the height locking levers. You will have to pump the lift pedal several times to disengage the height locking levers. Turn the release valve counter-clockwise, no more than one turn from the closed position.

The lift provides twenty-three inches from the ground to the wheel saddle to give you maximum space. The lift is built with the welded solid stainless steel construction with the four steel wheels. It also features positive dual locking safety latches.

Ramp:

A ramp is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle, its one end is higher than the other. It is used as an aid to lift and lower down your lawnmower. It is also used to move your lawnmower over vertical obstacles, for example, a truck.

Moving your lawnmower up a ramp requires much less force than lifting it straight up, at the cost of an increase in the distance moved. A portable automotive pair of ramps is generally constructed with a rugged and structural design. The pair of ramps provide convenient and reliable access to the underside of your lawnmower as well as storage for maximum space.

A ramp has a non-skid base and tread pattern which helps reduce slippage. Its patented polymer internal support system and wide stance offer maximum strength and unbeatable weight distribution. It has an extra-wide tire width for the safest lifting of your lawnmower.

Final Remarks

To conclude this blog post, I would say that lawnmower maintenance is really important. All the bolts and screws should be checked and tightened before mowing, otherwise, a wheel or the blade can come off while you are mowing. This is very dangerous.

You must check and make sure there is the right amount of oil in your lawnmower before each use. Always wait for the lawnmower to cool down before refueling it.

Bros Basics: Barbell/Dumbbell Rows

Welcome back to Bro Basics, a series that covers exercises that are popular and can be useful but are often done inadequately and solely for aesthetics and shows the exercises’ broader function and how to perform them correctly.

In our last edition of Bro Basics, we covered a popular back exercise done with a machine: the lat pulldown. Today we tackle another popular back exercise — this one done with free weights: the row.

For insights about how to perform the row, I turned to Barbell Logic strength coach, Nick Soleyn. Below we’ll get into his advice on why and how to incorporate the row into your workouts.

What Muscles Are Worked by the Row?

There are different variations of the row, and each one targets different muscle groups a little differently. But every type of row works the same basic muscles.

Similar to the lat pulldown, the primary muscle that the row engages is the latissimus dorsi. This is the broad, flat muscle that stretches across the back of your torso and goes under your arms. Your lats stabilize your shoulders, help with posture, allow you to swim and rock climb, and even assist in breathing.

The row also works the rhomboids, a muscle group responsible for maintaining good posture. Another group of back muscles the row strengthens is your spinal erectors, which run down the length of your spine. You use your spinal erectors to maintain a strong torso while performing the squat and deadlift and to keep you standing straight during your day-to-day life. Strong spinal erectors = fewer back pain problems.

The row also indirectly works your biceps, shoulders, and forearm muscles.

Why Do Rows?

Strengthens a common human movement. You do row movements in your daily life. Pulling the starter cord on the lawnmower, lifting heavy objects off the ground, opening heavy doors, and raking leaves are everyday movements that can be supported by the row.

Contributes directly to the main barbell lifts. If you’re serious about your barbell lifts, you need to do rows. Building a strong, broad back gives you a bigger “shelf” for the barbell when you squat. A stronger back can help you create a more prominent arch when you bench and have more stability when pressing weight overhead.

Most obviously, rows will help your deadlift. At some point, just deadlifting is not enough to continue building your back. Rows can be done with relatively heavy weights while targeting the back more directly than the deadlift. The row also helps improve grip strength which is vital on the deadlift.

Great alternative to pull-ups and lat pulldowns. Most strength programs include pull-ups because they work a wide range of back and upper body muscles. But to get the benefits of pull-ups, you need to be able to do at least five in a set. You’re not going to get stronger doing just one stinking pull-up.

When an athlete can’t complete multiple pull-up reps, a coach will often program lat pulldowns since they work the same muscles as pull-ups. But many people don’t have access to a lat pulldown machine. Wut do?

You just need a barbell or some dumbbells. Heck, as we’ll see, you actually don’t even need any weights at all.

Aesthetics, brah! Want to make the ladies swoon and dudes respect you? Then you want a v-shaped torso: large chest, shoulder, and back muscles that taper down to a narrower waist. The row is a fantastic lift that can increase the size of your back (and even your shoulders), helping you develop that masculine v-shape.

How to Do the Row: Row Variations

The basic row movement is a pull toward your chest with good posture and a braced and stable core. The movement can be done with a barbell, dumbbells, or bodyweight. Below we highlight the most common row varieties for strength and sport.

Basic Barbell Row

To perform the basic barbell row, stand so that the barbell is about an inch or two in front of the middle of your foot.

Bend over and grab the bar with a grip that’s slightly wider than the one you’d use on the deadlift.

Extend, or straighten, your back. Then use your arms to pull the barbell towards your upper abs. If you can’t hit your upper abs, the weight is too heavy.

Keeping your back straight, lower the barbell to the ground. That’s one rep. Repeat while keeping your back in extension.

The Pendlay Row

Named for the late weightlifting coach Glenn Pendlay, the Pendlay row is distinguished from the basic barbell row in this way: while the latter has you extend your back before you start the lift, the former has you extend it while you’re performing the lift. It’s a small difference, but setting your back at the same time you’re pulling the bar makes for a more explosive lift. Consequently, you’ll be able to pull more weight with the Pendlay row than with the basic barbell row. (The basic barbell row has its own upside in that it targets the lats more than the Pendlay does.)

To perform the Pendlay row, set up as in the basic barbell row, where the barbell is about an inch or two in front of the middle of your foot, and you’re gripping it with a grip that’s slightly wider than the one you’d use on the deadlift.

Your back should be in flexion, or rounded, before you start the lift.

Extend, or straighten, your back to start the lift. Extending the back starts the bar moving upward, creating momentum. At the same time you’re extending your back, use your arms to explosively pull the barbell towards your upper abs.

Lower the barbell to the ground. That’s one rep.

This is my favorite variation of the row. Its explosiveness makes it real satisfying to do.

Bodybuilder Barbell Row

If you’ve seen bros doing barbell rows at the gym, you’ve likely seen them doing bodybuilder rows.

To get into the starting position for the bodybuilder row, deadlift a barbell or a set of dumbbells until the weight(s) reaches just below your knees. You can let the bar hang out in front of you a few inches. Maintain a flat back. You should be angled at about a 45-degree angle from the hip.

Pull the bar towards your lower abs.

Lower the bar back down to just below your knee.

Maintaining the hang position and pulling the bar to the lower abs will work your lats more than the Pendlay and basic barbell row. Because the movement doesn’t begin and end on the floor like it does on those other variations, however, you’ll have to lower the weight on the bar when doing bodybuilder rows.

Basic One-Arm Dumbbell Row

When you do a one-arm dumbbell row, you must call upon more core stability as you resist the twisting pull of the weight. So not only are you working your lats, you’re also working your core. After the Pendlay row, this is my next favorite row variation. You can get a nice “pump” with the one-arm dumbbell row.

Ideally, you’ll have a bench for this lift. If you’re holding the dumbbell in your right hand, place your left knee on the bench. Lean forward and brace yourself on the bench with your left hand. Right foot is placed firmly on the floor with your right leg straight. Let your right arm holding the dumbbell hang down straight. Hold the dumbbell in a neutral grip. This is the starting position.

To perform the one-arm dumbbell row, pull the bell as high as you can without twisting toward the ceiling. Maintain an extended back throughout the lift. Lower the dumbbell back down in a steady and controlled manner. It should feel like you’re pulling the starter cord on a lawnmower.

After you complete the reps with your right arm, switch to your left arm.

Bodyweight Inverted Row

The inverted row is a great way to build pull-up strength if you can’t yet complete many (any) pull-ups. It’s adjustable to any level, and if you don’t have access to a gym/lifting rack, many public fitness “parks” offer a bar that can be used for this exercise.

To set up in a lifting rack: Place a barbell on safeties where you can grip it while lying flat on your back, with your arms fully outstretched. Lie down with shoulders directly under the barbell, legs extended, heels on the floor. Pull your clavicle or sternum to the bar. Pause at the top for extra work and lower yourself back down slowly.

To make these easier: put your feet flat on the floor and bend your knees. This allows you to use your legs for some assistance.

To make these harder: elevate your feet on a bench, stool, or box.

Programming the Row

The Pendlay row and basic barbell row act as supplemental lifts to the deadlift. You can do rows immediately after the deadlift or even replace them with the deadlift on some days. The coaches at Barbell Logic like to program heavy rows on lower body days, alternating deadlift days with row days. They prescribe an initial row regimen of 3 sets of 8. Over time, as you get better at the lift, add weight and reduce the reps until you are performing 3 heavy sets of 5 reps each.

Other row versions should be used as accessory lifts where your program benefits from extra back training. Bodybuilding rows, dumbbell rows, and other accessory rows tend to fit well at the end of your upper body days either by themselves or as part of a circuit. Typically, you’ll perform these rows for 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Strict form and higher repetitions will emphasize the back-building effects of these accessory movements.

Lately, I’ve been doing one-armed rows as part of a circuit after my upper-body workouts (bench and shoulder press). I’ve been doing 10-12 reps for each set.

Read the rest of the installments in the Bro Basics series:

Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight

Regular physical activity provides immediate and long-term health benefits. Being physically active can improve your brain health, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.

Physical activity also helps:

• Improve sleep quality.
• Reduce high blood pressure.
• Reduce risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and several forms of cancer.
• Reduce arthritis pain and associated disability.
• Reduce risk for osteoporosis and falls.
• Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

In addition, physical activity is important if you are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

• When losing weight, more physical activity increases the number of calories your body uses for energy. Using calories through physical activity, combined with reducing the calories you eat, creates a calorie deficit that results in weight loss.
• Most weight loss occurs from decreasing caloric intake. However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity.
• Most importantly, physical activity reduces risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes beyond that produced by weight reduction alone.

How much physical activity do I need?

To maintain your weight: Work your way up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. This could be brisk walking 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Or you could do 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as swimming laps.

The exact amount of physical activity needed to maintain a healthy weight varies greatly from person to person. You may need more than the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to maintain your weight.

To lose weight and keep it off: You will need a high amount of physical activity unless you also adjust your diet to reduce the number of calories you eat and drink. Getting to and staying at a healthy weight requires both regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan.

What do moderate- and vigorous-intensity mean?

Moderate: While performing the physical activity, if your breathing and heart rate is noticeably faster but you can still carry on a conversation — it’s probably moderately intense. Examples include:

• Walking briskly (a 15-minute mile).
• Light yard work (raking/bagging leaves or using a lawn mower).
• Light snow shoveling.
• Actively playing with children.
• Biking at a casual pace.

Vigorous: If your heart rate is increased substantially and you are breathing too hard and fast to have a conversation, it’s probably vigorously intense. Examples include:

• Jogging/running.
• Swimming laps.
• Rollerblading/inline skating at a brisk pace.
• Cross-country skiing.
• Most competitive sports (football, basketball, or soccer).
• Jumping rope.

How many calories are used in typical activities?

The following table shows calories used in common physical activities at both moderate and vigorous levels.

Pro Lift T-5355A 550-lb Lawn Mower Lift

550 LB CAPACITY – made with welded solid steel construction along with four steel wheels and the positive dual locking safety latches. OVER 23-INCH LIFTING HEIGHT – offers the maximum space needed to perform necessary maintenance, such as blade sharpening/replacement, removing stuck debris, Oil Change, etc. 40-3/4 to 49-3/8 Inch WHEEL SPAN – adjustable wheel span allows for most zero turn garden tractors, riding mowers, ATVs, and even push mowers. EASY TO LIFT LOWER – Position mower tires securely on wheel braces to center the load on lift. Includes Height Locking Levers, release knob and release valve that lowers the load slowly. LIMITED 1 YEAR WARRANTY – lift is covered for a period of 1-year from date of purchase

The product price and availability shown are accurate at the date/time given and are subject to change. Price and availability information displayed on Amazon’s site at the time of purchase is the purchase price of this product.

Pro Lift T-5355A gives you the room and assurance to Work Safely on Riding Lawn Mowers in 3 Easy Steps

Pro Lift Heavy Duty Lawn 550-lb Mower Lift provides the ability to lift riding lawn mowers 23-3/8 inches from ground to wheel saddle. This gives you plenty of room to perform necessary mower maintenance, such as blade sharpening/replacement, removing debris, oil change, and more.

It is built with the welded solid steel construction. Lift includes 4 steel wheels and positive dual locking safety latches. Universally designed, Pro Lift T-5355A is adjustable to fit most ZTRs, garden tractors, riding mowers, and ATVs.

It has the ability to hold from 40-3/4 to 49-3/8 inch wheel span.

Hydraulic foot pedal operation

Lift also features the hydraulic foot pedal operation. It gives you the option to lift up your mower effortless.

To lower the lift, put the mower in neutral and raise Lift Platform slightly to disengage Height Locking Levers. Then use the release knob to carefully turn release valve counterclockwise, lowering the load slowly.

– Safety Lock for Safely Supporting the Load – Rubber Padded Platform to Prevent Scratching and to Protect your Machine – Non-Slip Foot Pedal Allows Effortless Lifting the Load – Easily Maneuverable and Adjustable for a Wide Variety of Machine

Lift Specifications:

– Capacity: 550 Lbs. – Lifting Height: 23-3/8 Inches – Wheel Span: 40-3/4 to 49-3/8 Inches – Base Size: ‎35.8 x 16.1 inches – Pro-Lift Weight: 69.3 Lbs.