How heavy is that hammer?

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:05 pm

Quick survey...

How heavy is the hammer with which you are SGing? I picked up a 16 pound hammer at Home Depot the other day and was shocked at the weight... I couldn't swing it around for 14 minutes. No way.

Maybe I'm not as manly as I thought. Nah. That can't be it.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:30 pm

Hi Kevin

Mine's 12, but I am going to bring it in one day and actually weigh it...
I think it might actually be a little heavier than it says on the lable...
16 is Paul Bunyan stuff for sure!!!!
Best

Deb

Post by **reinhard** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 1:19 pm

Mine is 16, I started with a 12. It took a long time to get used to the heavier weight. I switched back and forth between them for several months before going all 16. Don't rush it. Your back is worth more than your ego.

Ariel King · Post by **Ariel King** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 3:48 pm

Mine is 8 (at least Home Depot claimed it was; I haven't actually weighed it). I plan to use it for at least a year before even thinking about upgrading. I can't imagine using 16, but of course I have wussy girl arms.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 5:15 pm

Okay guys... I thought something was rotten in Denmark....
Turns out that even though my hammer is advertised as only being 12 lbs, it is not...
I just weighed it... Both alone on the scale, and simultaneously while I stepped on it, placing the head on the middle of the scale between my feet.
My hammer weighs
FOURTEEN POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Reinhard, you may just be using an 18 lbder if your hammer has that kind of discrepancy in weight as well!
I feel super powerful now

Love,

Deb
PS... you should see the looks I got from my gym co-workers...
When I walked in with it, the front desk guy said
"Whatever I did, Debbie, I'm sorry!!!!!!!! I didn't mean it!" LOL

Ariel King · Post by **Ariel King** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 6:00 pm

Ok, this is not the first time I've heard of sledgehammers' advertised weight being wrong. Now I'm really curious about mine. All I have at home is a cheap bathroom scale, but maybe I'll give it a try. Weighing myself with and without it sounds like a good idea, since I doubt it could accurately weigh the hammer by itself -- but that means I'll have to weigh myself (eek).

Post by **reinhard** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:49 am

I don't think the handles are counted in the weights, just the heads.

If you look at this 12 pounder on sale at amazon, you'll see that the shipping weight is 14 pounds (and I'm assuming that's not all cardboard box).

I imagine that weight on the handle doesn't have nearly the same impact as weight on the head because it's not as leveraged.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 2:48 pm

Leverage is an important factor here.

I played with my shiny, new 14 pound hammer last night. Becuase it was heavier, I choked up and... it was effectively lighter than my 10 pounder. I've been doing most of my swinging with my forward arm about a foot and a half down the 10 pounder's handle. If I choke up to 8" away from the head on the 14 pounder, it's less work.

So, that's a way to vary the weight.

I will say that shoveling with that 14 pounder, no matter where I held it, was much tougher on the abdominals.

Ariel King · Post by **Ariel King** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 7:20 pm

Well, I weighed mine and the bathroom scale claims 10 lbs. Maybe the handle weighs 2 lbs (but it's fiberglass so I'd be surprised if it did). Anyway, it works for me so I'm happy. That's a good point about choking up. At this point I still have one hand very near the head of the thing all the time. Moving that hand back would be a great way to increase the difficulty w/o buying a new SG.

ClickBeetle · Post by **ClickBeetle** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:41 pm

Maybe it's like a 2 x 4: They used to REALLY be 2" by 4", but no one expects them actually to measure up nowadays.

oldfox · Post by **oldfox** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 8:03 am

hi all, I'm new to the forum here but I have been reading along for a bit.

I just wanted to add my thoughts to the big part leverage plays in this. Try holding your sledgehammer at the halfway point with one hand and the other at the very end of the handle. It will not only feel heavier in your hand at the center, but you will feel more negative weight (lift) in your hand near the bottom.

When you hold just below the head of the hammer you support most of the weight with just one hand, but holding the center and below makes things a lot harder. There is a reason we hold tools the way we do, it is easier to work like that. But if you are working out it is a different matter.

I think there might be something to exploit in this leverage thing since if you hold it farther down, your other arm works harder too -but in the opposite direction. So this should just make the workout even more multifacted if you can manage it. I am still experimenting with it. I think in reality it makes things hard to control so a compromise is probably in order but it does get that other arm even more.

Jammin' Jan · Post by **Jammin' Jan** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 11:24 am

I have a baby sledghammer. The label said 4 pounds, but it actually weighs 6. Seems light to you, but I am a pretty small person, and also middle-aged.

I shift my hands up and down depending on the movement to lighten or increase the load. Also, I switch hands to equal out the work on both arms.

Post by **reinhard** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 1:33 pm

Welcome, oldfox. Sorry for the delay in getting to your post. You make some excellent points about the leverage. Storm posted a while ago about a turn of the century strong man who buffed himself up to ridiculous levels with a home made device that was (essentially) just a 10 pound sledgehammer. But your point about why we hold tools the way we do is also worth remembering. The tool illusion is a big part of shovelglove. You want to be careful about compromising that. Keep us posted as to your experiments.

oldfox · Post by **oldfox** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:22 pm

Yes Reinhard I totally agree with you on the tool illusion, that is what makes this such a fun workout.

Imagination makes the workout less of a WORKout.

I am just lowering my grip a little so the other arm gets worked a little more but I still use it in the same toollike movements. I came up with this sort of two handed weight on a stick idea after seeing clubbells months ago. I however tried doing slow methodical movements to replicate weightlifting technique. This bored me to tears and I never stayed with it. It was after I found Shovelglove that I tried using the same weighted stick (I call it a "polebell") but with your system of 14 minutes and replicated labor, and I have to say it really is a lot more fun and that is the key to doing it for me. Excellent system Reinhard!

And may I suggest you put the link to your "before and during" photos at the start of Shovelglove.com? Maybe you are being modest, but man you have come a long way and that physique is an inspiration! It also lends a lot of credibility to the system, you ought to make it easy to find!

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 7:27 pm

Yeah Ol'Fox!!!
I agree! Reinhard is very shy!
More pictures!!! NOW!!!

Too bad you missed my cartoon of "Super Librarian" from the last post board... I can't figure out how to upload more silly drawings and photos here

Good luck with Shovelglove!
Peace,

Deb

oldfox · Post by **oldfox** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 8:50 pm

Hi Deb and the rest,

I checked that link above to the classical stongman page about the "anti-barbell" and that was pretty much dead-on with what I was trying to express. Good link. But that guy was still not replicating real functional movements. It such a simple concept but works so well for the mental aspects of the workout which most routines ignore. That archive from the forum is pretty long so I have not read it all yet, you guys have probably thought of all the good ideas already!

As for the amount of weight I think it is about 12 pounds that I am on but it is in kilos so I am doing the math in my head it's only a guess.

JWL · Post by **JWL** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 4:01 am

Mine is a 10 pounder from Home Despot. I went in looking for a 12 pounder, but had to choose between 10 and 16, as that's all they had. Well, they had an 8, but that was too small.

When I tried them out, the 10 pounder was slightly less than just right, and the 16 pounder was out of my league. So I reluctantly went with the 10. This was 2 months-ish ago.

Funny, I went back the other day to get an 8 pounder for my wife, and just for gits and shiggles I tried the 16 pounder again. Apparently I've gotten stronger and used to shovelgloving because it felt like I could probably do the 16 pounder now. Cool.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 1:31 pm

We have a Harbor Freight store in town. They have a very nice 14 pound hammer with a beefy wood handle for $20. I don't think I could handle 16 yet.

Everyday Systems

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How heavy is that hammer?

My Hammer Gained some weight

Leverage

Harbor Freight?