Questions from a new person

Take a sledgehammer and wrap an old sweater around it. This is your "shovelglove." Every week day morning, set a timer for 14 minutes. Use the shovelglove to perform shoveling, butter churning, and wood chopping motions until the timer goes off. Stop. Rest on weekends and holidays. Baffled? Intrigued? Charmed? Discuss here.
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rasuoc
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Questions from a new person

Post by rasuoc » Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:26 pm

I haven't started the SG yet.

I don't have a sledgehammer, but I do have an 8lb maul that I use to split wood anytime of year I can find it free.

My dh was curious as to why it is in the house wrapped in a sweater.

I explained to him what I was going to do, but he asked me a couple of questions to which I did not have the answer.

SO hopefully you ladies and gents here can helpo me out

Here goes:

Being a woman, will this workout cause me to have shoulders like a man. I have wide shoulders as it is and would like to stay feminine looking?

This workout is great for upper body, but how does is help lower body and abs? (My thighs are the worst and need serious help. I might add, that I am incorporating the Urban Ranger lifestyle into my daily schedule)

That's it for the questions that I have for now.

I plan to get up early and try my firstr workout tomorrow or Saturday. I like the plan that someone had of starting wtih 5 min and adding a minute every other day or so to help build the everday habit.

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shoulders like a man

Post by Kevin » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:16 pm

An eight pound maul is a fine starting point. Just be careful with the pointy end.

Men have shoulders like men. Women have shoulders like women.
You aren't going to get all "big" like a powerlifter doing SG. You will get defined, and you will get strong.

And if you chop wood sometimes, think of this as cross-training. I forego the hydraulic splitter whenever I find a nice round of oak - it just feels to good to hammer split it now.

SG will help your abs indirectly. You'll be suprised. And, if while doing shoveling motion, you bend your knees, you'll help strengthen your thighs. Or do 50 squats to "pick up" the fruits of your chopping/shoveling labor.

SG is a mind game, so add your own variations. Play it your way.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Post by Ariel King » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:36 pm

Hi rasuoc, welcome to SG! I really don't think you need to worry about getting big man-like shoulders from doing this. This seems to be a common concern for women when they start doing any upper body exercises involving some weight, but from what I've read it's groundless. Check out http://www.stumptuous.com/gymlies.html for more information (and I highly recommend the whole site http://www.stumptuous.com/weights.html). I'm female and have been doing SG since March, and my arms are not noticeably bigger when relaxed. When I flex them is when I see a difference - a nice strong muscle pops out, but it's far from disproportionate to the rest of my body.
As for working the lower body, I was concerned that it was being neglected by the original set of SG movements, so I've always done squats (while holding the SG) as part of my routine, from the very beginning. Squats are one of the best things you can do for your thigh muscles. Good luck with your first workout and enjoy!!

Oh, and as Kevin said, many of the standard SG movements use the ab muscles quite well. I can see the top two cans of a six-pack on myself as a result of my SGing. It's great!!

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Jammin' Jan
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Post by Jammin' Jan » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:31 pm

Guess the others have answered your questions, but I'll throw my two cents in anyway.

You won't get shoulders like a man because you have female hormones running around in your body and not male hormones. You would have to do some really serious weightlifting to bulk up. Shovelglove will, however, keep you strong and get rid of any upper body flab.

I need thigh and buns work more than upper body, but if I do shoveling and stoke the engine in a lunge position, and do churning with squats, then that takes care of my lower half. The waist twist you will do with shoveling is good for the oblique muscles in your abs. The front of abs and lower back are all worked from the general assortment of shovelglove exercises. This is lots more fun than crunches!

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More ShovelGlove questions

Post by Prodigalsun » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:59 pm

Ok, I have some questions about the SG.

1. for a guy who's reasonably strong, what size of hammer should I start out with? I'm thinking a 12 pounder.

2. Why 14 minutes? Why not 20, why not 10?

3. Do I have to put a sweater on it. Why would you do that?

4. How long did it take Reinhard to transform from pencil necked weenie to Shovel Gloving Adonis?

5. How long does it take to start seeing results?

6. What common injuries do people have/should I watch out for when starting out?
--

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"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

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Post by Kevin » Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:27 pm

Read Reinhard's shovelglove page for humorous answers to all of your questions.

What follows are my opinions.

You won't get massive doing this: you will get strong, though. Suprisingly strong. I have put on significant muscle mass, but not like a body builder. You'll see results in just a few weeks. At least, I did. Your capacity for work will go up amazingly.

The sweater is optional. I don't cover my hammer, but I SG outside and sometimes include an old truck tire in my workout. It's really for floor protection.

I started with a 10 pound hammer. I'm using a 14 pound one now. 12 will be fairly heavy unless you're already pretty strong.

Start slowly to avoid injuries like tendonitis, pulled muscles, a sore back, and hammer bruises (just kidding about the last one). Oh, you'll get calouses.

In general, SG is a great plan if you want to be fit and strong without an enormous investment in equipment and time. It's not magic. It's not a Solarflex. But it is fun and do-able over the long term, much like No-S.

I sometimes do more than 14 minutes. I figure I'm doing unpaid overtime for "the man". SG is a mind game. Play it the way you want to. That's what makes it do-able for the long haul.
Kevin
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"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Ok...I'll try it

Post by Prodigalsun » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:01 am

Well, my decision on Hammers was supprisingly simple. Went to Home Despot and all they had were 10's and 16's. As the 16 looked like a freakin' monster, I went with the 10. Nice Hickory handle.

Hold the Rye bread and Mustard, Grandma, I'm shovelgloving tomorrow!
--

Starting Weight: 275
Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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16 lb monster

Post by Kevin » Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:45 pm

that 16 pound hammer is a monster. It's what Reinhard uses. I started with a 10 pounder and used it for months.

You can buy 12s and 14s online. If you have a Harbor Freight in your area, they sell them for $20.
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"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Post by reinhard » Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:26 pm

Welcome, rasuoc.

It's funny how many women seem to be afraid that the tiniest been of strength exercise is going to suddenly turn them into the Hulk. If only it were that easy, even for us testosterone ridden males! Don't worry, 14 minutes a day of *anything* is not going to do that for you.

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First SG workout in the books

Post by Prodigalsun » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:12 pm

I did it slowly today, worked it for about 10 minutes. I was suprised at how much a 10 pound sledge hammer could work you. I noticed too that it seemed to do a good job of working connective tissue, joints etc, and not just the muscles.

In a phrase. I liked it.

I think I will couple that with a Bill Phillips 20 minute cardio routine, as I'm extremely rural, so urban rangering to work ain't gonna work for me.
--

Starting Weight: 275
Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:25 pm

Prodigal!
Where abouts are you? I lived in Seattle for a while, then worked in Marysville, then we moved and I lived in Bellingham for about 9 months...
Wow what a gorgeous state Washington is!
I loved it :D
I climbed both Mt Ranier and, I think Mt. Hood? Or something else? Which is the one near Bellingham??? It was in 1991 so my memory isn't serving me too well.
Bellingham was so nice in that you were near a gorgeous waterway, and you had all these rolling pastures type places and forests, and you could get to climb up a volcano with only an hour or two drive...
I also seem to remember the place having a total lack of traffic... Coming from NY that was totally mindblowing to me! LOL...
I used to work for some guy who had a small farm with some cattle... I was telemarketing for him at the time... One day I remember wanting to stroll around and meet some of the cows... I learned the hard way, that those fences he had were all electrified! Ha ha! I guess it served me right as I was not really supposed to be wandering all over his place!
I would love to have a chance to ride up that highway and see another sunrise over the Cascade mountain ridge once again in my life...
Unbelievable!
Are you anywhere near the mountains?...
Just curious...
Have a nice night.. How's the "evil" wife today? Any stray cookies finding there way into your face?
Peace,
8) Deb

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East Bumble Turd Washington

Post by Prodigalsun » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:45 pm

Hi Deb.

I live in a little town called Maltby (although it's technically unincorporated snohomish county). It's about halfway between Woodinville and Monroe.

The mountain you're thinking of is Baker. I'm about 45 minutes from Stevens Pass, so the mountains are nearby, as is the Snohomish River.

Evil wife is good, and not tempting me with the wages of S. :twisted:
--

Starting Weight: 275
Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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Post by Prodigalsun » Fri Jul 22, 2005 11:48 pm

Well, I've been pouring through the shovelglove video quick times. Thanks, Reinhard!

Question that I'm sure has come up. Has anyone thought of developing a Shovelglove Kata? You know, Driving Fence Post flows into Stoking the oven, followed up by No Name, etc, etc? I could video myself doing it, but I'd look like an even more deranged version of the star wars kid http://www.screamingpickle.com/members/ ... Kid_00.wmv
--

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Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:23 am

There is no way you could look more deranged than that!!!! LOL...
That was almost painful to watch! But a Kata sounds like a great idea!
I've only heard of this in the context of giving Shiatsu...
I learned two Kata's for balancing the energy of the body, which were named, aptly,,,,
Kata I and Kata II....
Thanks for the spazzy video! See Reinhard! There are plenty of people out there who aren't graceful... But in my opinion you're not one of them!
My favorite of Reinhard's videos is the one where he's wearing the red shirt..
I just like red...

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Post by JWL » Sun Jul 24, 2005 6:08 pm

rasuoc: I agree with everyone. Shovelglove will not make you bulk up. Your muscle tissues will be more defined as you lose fat, and you will definitely get stronger. As others have mentioned, there is a tremendous amount of info on this at the womens weight training site at stumptuous.com listed above. Read that site, it's fantastic; it's actually where I first discovered shovelglove.

prodigalsun: good thing you started with a 10-pounder. I did as well, and strength isn't my problem so much as endurance. I'm a big guy already, I need to build endurance more than anything. I started with a 10 pounder, and I was absolutely amazed at how putting the weight at the end of a 3 foot stick changes the physics.... :wink: Experiment with leverage; if you keep your hands together, at the end of the stick (think choking up on a baseball bat), it gets MUCH more difficult to do the moves. Even the strongest person can get a good challenge by playing with leverage....

Stick with the 10 pounder for a while. If you want to, after a few months, you can upgrade, or you can do what I did and get some adjustable ankle weights and strap them to the end of the shovelglove for more weight.

Good luck to all!
JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net

rasuoc
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Thanks you all...

Post by rasuoc » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:28 pm

I did my first SG workout on Friday. The weekend was interesting.

My husband complained that I walked around like an old woman all day Saturday and Sunday. We went camping/hiking on Saturday. And a lot of bike riding on Sunday.

I did 25 each of the following moves:
  • Shovel left and right
  • chop wood left and right
  • pound the posts
  • butter curn
  • full squats with sg
I did my second SG this morning. WHen does the soreness go away?

I think I am liking it. Not much time, but lots of soreness like I used to get from the Firm videos (1 hour each).

I have read through the stumptuous site. IT's how I found the Sg info in the first place.

Looking forward to sharing more with you guys and ladies in the future.

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When does the soreness go away...

Post by Kevin » Mon Jul 25, 2005 5:00 pm

Well, if you are as old as I am, it doesn't competely. You just feel grateful that you are getting stronger even if you are a little sore. :0)

It does lessen quite a bit, though after a week or so. If you are big/bad sore, lay off a day.
Kevin
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"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:27 pm

Hi Rausoc...
Hey your hubby sounds like "fun" :P
Anyway... Post exercise soreness is a natural and, actually, desirable experience... It means your muscles are getting a good challenge to the status quo... Fortunately, we adapt very quickly, so it shouldn't last for long...
When I got into Shovelglove, I was only sore for the first day or two... I slowed down the movements and never got sore after that again...
I didn't do Reinhards regime though... I never felt like I could do all those reps without it feeling rushed.. That's my personal feeling though..
If you need to start out with less than 14 minutes by all means, do so... Or you could do what I sometimes do, which is, when I feel a little tired, I simply "Shovelglove in place"... I'll do side steps and just hold the SG horizontally, letting it follow the swinging side to side movements of my arms... Another very easy move to incorporate is simply to do a "hand over hand" movement to raise and lower the SG... Not Butter Churns though... More like getting water from a well with a bucket... This will still develop your hand strength, but is very easy and a good way to break up the hard work of the other movements...
I also find that having really fun music helps my mindset and without it I feel totally different... Time either breezes by or drags on endlessly!
Music makes it a breeze :D
Good luck!
Peace,
8) Deb

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Am I doing something wrong?

Post by Prodigalsun » Tue Jul 26, 2005 4:32 pm

Ok...I've started with the routine recommended for beginners on the SG page (I think it's 5a). I'm wondering if I'm not doing it quickly enough, or what.

It takes me 12 minutes to work through one set of all exercises. I freestyled for the last 2 minutes. Does this make sense. Reinhard's directions alude to doing like three sets of all the exercises. I feel like I was moving briskly for all 14 minutes. Am I missing something?
--

Starting Weight: 275
Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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Post by Ariel King » Tue Jul 26, 2005 5:39 pm

Hi Prodigalsun,

I'm a little confused as to which routine you're trying to do. The routine marked "5a" on the shovelglove site is listed as being for people who've done SG for 25+ months. The beginner routine, for the first 5 months, is just marked 1. Which exercises and how many reps in each direction are you doing in 12 minutes?

In general, I'd be inclined to say that any amount you feel comfortable doing in 14 minutes is fine for you. In other words, find your own pace. You will almost certainly be able to do more over time. When I first started, I tried to do version 1 of the routine (50 shovels x 2, 20 butter churns x 2, 20 wood chops x 2, and 8 Nonames x 2) and hurt my arms so badly it took 11 days to recover. After that I wised up and did a lot less the next time. Now my typical routine would include something like the following (all these numbers are total; with the direction-oriented moves split into 2 sets to go in both directions):

100 squats with SG curl-like movements
50-100 shovels
20 "hoist the sack" (the hardest move by far!!)
50-100 "pound fenceposts" (depends on how many shovels I do)
40 butter churns, maybe, or 40-60 "no name" (aka Flip Lever)

My routine is hard to pin down bc I just picked out the movements I like best so far, and I do them in no particular order and not the same # of reps every time. But that's a rough estimate of what I typically do.

Hope this helps...

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Post by Prodigalsun » Tue Jul 26, 2005 6:11 pm

Thanks for your response, Ariel. My bad, I'm doing 5b:

"Driving Fence Posts: 21
Churning Butter: 21
Shoveling: 21
No Name: 14
Chopping Wood: 21
Hoist the Sack: 14
Stoke the oven: 21
Tuck the bales: 21
Repeat but with fewer reps. The rule is: if you did 21 last time, do 14 this time, if 14, 7, if 7, just skip it. I call this the 21-14-7 routine. It's what I recommended for beginners. Freestyle at any point. "

I'm doing this because it says it's recommended for beginners.
--

Starting Weight: 275
Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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Post by Ariel King » Tue Jul 26, 2005 6:23 pm

Oh - good point. I didn't notice he had that comment on 5b. That's a little confusing to me, since he also has the "1" routine listed for the first 5 months. The 21-14-7 thing sounds way too complicated for me :wink: So you're saying you could only do one full set of the list you posted in 12 minutes. How heavy is your sledge again? Mine is 10 lbs.

Hmm... there's no easy way to compare that routine to the one I'm doing. But again, since you just started, I can say with 99% certainty that you will get faster as you go along, due to increasing strength. At least that's what happened for me. Reinhard should weigh in here, if he sees this post (hint).

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Thanks, Ariel!

Post by Prodigalsun » Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:05 pm

I'm using a 10 pounder, same as you. And it's been fine, the last two days, not making me too sore, just kind of a dull, pleasant ache. Maybe I should try and push through it faster.
--

Starting Weight: 275
Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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Post by reinhard » Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:57 am

Prodigal -- don't worry about "only" being able to do one full set of that routine. That's plently. It's much more important not to rush. Remember that there is no set or repition requirement, just the 14 minute temporal requirement. It's ok if the alarm goes off in mid set somewhere. Just stop.

What you might want to do, if it disturbs you that the first movements are getting two sets while the rest are only getting one, is remember where you got cut off in set two the day before and start your second set there the next day. Or, plan on just a single set of each movement but add a few more reps to some of them (so say, 28 shovels instead of 21, if you want to continue with numeralogically attractive multiples of 7). Or decide that anything after the first set is freestyle, up to you, whatever you feel most like doing -- this can be a fun incentive. Frankly, I don't think it really matters all that much which of these you do. As long as you do the 14 minutes and are careful not to injure yourself shovelglove will get and keep you strong.

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Thanks!

Post by Prodigalsun » Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:12 am

Thanks, Reinhard, I'll stop stressing about how much I "should" be doing, and become one with the 'glove.
--

Starting Weight: 275
Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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Post by JWL » Wed Jul 27, 2005 5:39 am

Hi Prodigal, that's the same routine I do, usually with my 13-pounder. Though I tuck on a 14 set of "chop the tree" with my 8 pounder.

I agree with reinhart, just do the routine. As it gets easier (it will), you can play with tempo and leverage. That will make it pleasantly challenging again. :wink:
JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net

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Post by Prodigalsun » Thu Jul 28, 2005 4:39 pm

Ok, I've upped my reps to 30 on the following:

Chop Tree, drive post, shovell, and butter churn.

Now, question about soreness: I definitely feel like I'm stressing the muscles when I'm working, even to the point of failure in my shoulders (tuck the bales whipes 'em out towards the end). But my muscles never really feel that sore afterwards. What feels sore is my joints...and it's a good sore, not a "OMG, let's schedule rotator cuff surgery" kinda sore. Is this what other people are feeling, or should I be working it differently/harder?
--

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Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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Post by reinhard » Fri Jul 29, 2005 3:16 am

Ariel, the routines I list on the shovelgove home page are what I did at various points, not what I'd necessarily recommend. It's historically descriptive, not prescriptive. I don' t think the precise movements and rep counts you do are that important, these are just examples to get your juices flowing. Sorry if that was confusing...

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Post by Jammin' Jan » Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:05 am

I love that idea of Shovelglove Kata! I may play with that today, first empty-handed to find the flow, and then with the sledge. Something new to look forward to! :D

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Post by Jammin' Jan » Fri Jul 29, 2005 12:51 pm

Shovelglove Notes:

Just for the record, this is the routine I did this morning:

Shovelling, 50 left, 50 right
Churning Butter, in deep squat wall-sitting position, 25 right, 25 left
Stoke the Engine, in semi-lunge, 25 right, 25 left
Flip the Lever, 25 right, 25 left
Drive Fence Posts, full overhead swing which I really love, 25 right, 25 left.

Usually I also do triceps and Stirring the Cauldron, but didn't get to that this morning because I was playing around with Shovelglove Kata. Actually it was in slo-mo and so more like Shovelglove Tai Chi. The form began:

Step forward into right forward stance. Shovel right.
Left foot steps up into deep horse stance. Churn butter, right.
Step forward into right lunge. Stoke the engine.

Etc., etc. You get the picture. Step forward with moves that have clear right and left. Step up to non-directional moves. At the end of the whole thing, turn around and walk back to where you started, doing all the moves with the other hand/foot. Right now it's very linear. This will be a work in progress. It would be fun to add some diagonal steps in there for variety, but for right now, I am just going to work on a satisfying progression of arm movements, with the lunges and squats for lower body strength.

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Post by Ariel King » Fri Jul 29, 2005 2:36 pm

reinhard wrote:Ariel, the routines I list on the shovelgove home page are what I did at various points, not what I'd necessarily recommend. It's historically descriptive, not prescriptive. I don' t think the precise movements and rep counts you do are that important, these are just examples to get your juices flowing. Sorry if that was confusing...
Understood, Reinhard. Your page does make that descriptive-not-prescriptive point clear (and I've taken it to heart, in doing my SG routines with whatever movements and reps I "feel like" each time :wink: ). I think Prod and I just got a little confused as to which described routine was being more or less suggested for beginners. Anyway, I think we're all finding our own pace along the way, which is nice - take Jan's intriguing post as a prime example of this!

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Fri Jul 29, 2005 3:18 pm

Hey Jan!!!!!
How about yelling "Ha!" when you do your full motion overhead swings???
That should feel great :lol:
Good going babe!!!
Love,
8) Deb

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Post by Prodigalsun » Fri Jul 29, 2005 7:58 pm

Jan-Tz wrote:Shovelglove Notes:

Just for the record, this is the routine I did this morning:

Shovelling, 50 left, 50 right
Churning Butter, in deep squat wall-sitting position, 25 right, 25 left
Stoke the Engine, in semi-lunge, 25 right, 25 left
Flip the Lever, 25 right, 25 left
Drive Fence Posts, full overhead swing which I really love, 25 right, 25 left.

Usually I also do triceps and Stirring the Cauldron, but didn't get to that this morning because I was playing around with Shovelglove Kata. Actually it was in slo-mo and so more like Shovelglove Tai Chi. The form began:

Step forward into right forward stance. Shovel right.
Left foot steps up into deep horse stance. Churn butter, right.
Step forward into right lunge. Stoke the engine.

Etc., etc. You get the picture. Step forward with moves that have clear right and left. Step up to non-directional moves. At the end of the whole thing, turn around and walk back to where you started, doing all the moves with the other hand/foot. Right now it's very linear. This will be a work in progress. It would be fun to add some diagonal steps in there for variety, but for right now, I am just going to work on a satisfying progression of arm movements, with the lunges and squats for lower body strength.
Jan, you're approach makes total sense, and deep horse stance is definitely a leg burner.

If you're familar with Shotokan/Tae Kwon do Katas, I'm thinking you could do some 90 degree turns with a baseball swing/chop the tree as you pivot.
--

Starting Weight: 275
Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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Jammin' Jan
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Post by Jammin' Jan » Sat Jul 30, 2005 1:56 am

Prodigal:

I like the idea of the 90 degree turns. I did shorin-ryu karate, which is similar in many many respects to shotokan. I wonder what those turns will do to my knees if I am also moving a weight around? We used to do weapons kata with bo, jo, and tonfa, but those didn't weigh much and were evenly balanced on both ends. This is definitely something to play with. Wish I could study tai chi sword, but there is nothing available around here. Sword movements would be interesting translated into sledge.

Just my ramblin' thoughts...

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Prodigalsun
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Post by Prodigalsun » Sat Jul 30, 2005 8:31 pm

Yeah, I learned my Katas through an offshoot of Tong Su Do (Korean version of Shotokan). It emphasized really low stances, which might suck swinging a sledge hammer. I'm going to try Katas 1 and 2 this weekend, just screwin' around and see what happens with it, using he motions you mentioned above.
--

Starting Weight: 275
Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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