Everyday Systems

Hi Jan, I've been reading back, and congrats on your success! That is awesome! However, reading back I wanted to chime in on the T'ai Chi/New Age thing. From where I'm standing, T'ai chi, or Yoga, or any of the ancient spiritual and physical technologies have nothing to do with the New Age movement....

Hi Reinhart, yeah I can't quite remember the Meno. I have a big book, the collective works of Plato, we used to call it 'the Platonic bible.' But in general you're right on the money; Plato (and in general pretty much most of western philosophy) is less about conclusions and more about the questions...

To answer your question, Sibyl, I've been thinking more about it. I think the real problem is that I need to adjust the times at which I eat. I usually have my 3rd meal du jour fairly late in the evening, and that's the meal that has to go, because I usually eat more then than at any other time of d...

OK, yesterday (Friday) was an interesting day. I got to do lots of physical activity, a friend of mine needed some carpentry help on an addition to the in-laws house. So that was fun. My legs are quite sore from the Hindu squats, so I took it easy on them. Didn't get much walking in either, at least...

Leverage is your friend. As we used to say when playing baseball, "choke up" on the handle if need be. As said above, if need be grasp the handle just below where the weight of the sledge is, and try it that way. Then as you get stronger you can gradually move your hand back down the handle. This mo...

OK, quick update. I shovelgloved yesterday, did a bit of walking (we walked to dinner and back), I managed two set of 15 Hindu squats (trying to take it easy), and did the 3-meal No-S thing. My biggest challenge is sticking with the No-S. I enjoy the exercise, but I also like to eat, particularly la...

I came upon a new move. I don't know what the "real-world movement" analogue is, but the move feels good in the shoulders. Basically, hold the sledge in one hand, with the hammer end hanging downward, similar to the 'churn butter' move but with 1 hand. Straighten your arm at the elbow, and hold it o...

Wow, Kevin, those Hindu squats look awesome. I think those might help whip my legs into shape, in addition to urban rangering, of course. I tried a couple tonight, and to my amazement they don't slaughter my knees. This realization reminds me of when I first discovered an elliptical machine in the g...

Urban Ranger Didn't really walk much today either. It was a busy day. I'll have to take a walk tomorrow. Also, I discovered "Hindu squats" today; I tried a couple and to my amazement, they don't bother my knees at all. I want to try to incorporate these into my exercise regimen. Shovelglove Did my ...

the stumptuous site is where I first heard about shovelglove, too...

OK, didn't get a chance to post last night. Urban Ranger Took a break from walking yesterday. Rest those legs. Shovelglove Did a routine with my wife's 8 pounder. I wanted a break from the heavier shovelglove, I don't want to overdo it. I think I'm going to lower the weights on mine to 13 pounds, do...

Hi Reinhart, You do of course raise excellent points. But speaking for myself (as if I could speak for anyone else), shovelgloving, and before it weight training in the gym, is by far the most fun part of exercise/physicality for me. I really enjoy it, much more than aerobic activity (walking, and w...

Shovelglove Today I shovelgloved for 14 minutes with a 15-lb sledge (my 10 pounder with a 5lb ankleweight). I managed to get through all 14 minutes with this sledge. Boy was it heavy, but I felt great afterwards. I also tried a new move today, chop the tree. Well, it was new for me. Urban Ranger I ...

Ok, I see this thread as more of a log than anything. I've been shugging regularly for a few months, flirting with No-Sing, and I just started Urban Rangering within the past few weeks. My schedule is a bit whacked; I work on Sat and Sun, and I walk 30min each way to work, so I count Sat and Sun as ...

Well, I had some time today to read through the archive of shovelglove. I only got up through about 300 before I skipped to the last 50. It was nice to see all the interesting ideas. I'm curious how many regular shuggers there are out there. I know it's impossible to tell, but does anyone have any e...

Yeah, if you can get through the "flip lever"/"no name" (I just call them "forearm curls" with even a small sledgehammer, you should be able to use much larger dumbells. I plateaued for a long time at 25lb bicep curls, at least if I'm going to do a full set of 10 or 12. But after shugging for a few ...

agreed. Shovelglove is the best workout (Well, at least the best upper body workout), I've ever encountered. Give it a go!

Wow! I just finished the shugging routine with the new sledgehammer with ankle-weightification. And it feels like it did when I first started shugging with the 10-pounder.... that is, good! My arms have been working! This is definitely a good step for anyone looking for a bit more challenge, once yo...

Well, I went and picked up some ankle weights today. They were cheaper than the 16-lb sledge (which only came in fiberglass handles... blecch). And until I can get some velcro straps, I've just used duct tape to hold it to the sledge (not the handle). Works great! The weights are adjustable, so for ...

Maybe I'm making this harder than it needs to be. But it occurred to me, rather than get another sledgehammer if I want more weight, couldn't I get a set of ankle weights and attach them to the hammer? Something like these , which are adjustable from 2 to 10 pounds. This means my 10 lb sledgehammer ...

Thanks for your story Kevin. You've totally inspired me; I've been shugging for 2-3 months now, and I've been itching to upgrade my sledge from the 10 pounder I've been using. I want to try to find a 13 or 14 pounder, that chain you recommended isn't in my area sadly. I may just go for broke and go ...

Hi Reinhard,

So what did you think of the Meno?

Freakwitch, the philosophy major

For several years, I have occasionally done 20-30 minutes of shadowboxing, with 5 lb dumbells in my hand. It's a great aerobic workout, with the dumbells providing just a bit more intensity.

Greetings all, I've been away from the forum for the better part of a month now. There are several reasons for this, but I'm back now. The main reason is that I was without net connectivity for nearly 3 weeks. But I'm back online. I no longer live on the beach; now I'm back in beautiful Portland Mai...

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 ...

Well, I figured out why I was low-energy on Tuesday. The stomach flu bug virus-from-hell hit me on Wed. My fever broke on Thursday, and I'm just now back to about 80% healthy. So my shovelglove routine this week was seriously interrupted. Ah well. Sh!t happens, especially when you have a stomach bug...

Well, it looks like I'm moving back to my favorite small city in the world, Portland, Maine, after spending the winter 15 miles south of there on the beach. So I'll get another chance to apply Urban Ranger ideology. I really miss walking around Portland, I haven't done nearly as much walking since I...

I have been thinking about weekly routines. On Monday when I did the shovelglove routine, I felt strong as I'd been resting for 2 days. So my SG routine was quite vigorous. Yesterday, however, I was not quite as energetic so I did the routine more slowly, almost like I was doing Tai Chi or something...

I definitely recommend some sort of activity for health (which for so many of us also entails weight loss). Shovelglove and Urban Ranger are both ideal, as they don't involve going to a gym, expensive gear, or whatnot. They are easy to do, and are very, very effective. As my doctor told me once: wei...

Wow. Shovelglove is going very well for me. It's Sunday, I'm at work, and I've taken Sat and Sun off. I'm finding myself wanting to do the shovelglove! This is a good thing... I'm not religiously sticking to 14 minutes; what I do instead is finish the routine. I'm in general not bound by the clock i...

It really is that simple. I've only been on it for 3 weeks, but already I'm feeling a difference. My own path is this: when I gained all of my weight I was compulsively overeating (related to depression) and I had no freaking clue about nutrition. When I snapped out of my depression several years ba...

OK, an update. I did shovelglove yesterday and I'm about to do it again today. I'm also still going to the gym twice per week, and I went yesterday. My body is sore ... muscular sore ... but in a good way. I want to get my body used to doing this work, shovelglove 5 days/week, and the gym. I feel st...

James, that is an inspired avatar. I need to poke around and find something better for myself. Heh. Glad you like it. I just cropped my head from another photograph and used a GIMP plugin to make it; it actually didn't take much time at all. Judging from recent posts, I really need to emphasize "do...

First, glad to see a phpbb system for everyday systems. I'm still working up to shovelglove. It's quite a strenuous workout! And I'm a big, strong guy who's been going to the gym off-and-on for several years. The problem is in getting my arm/shoulder muscles used to the shovelglove exertion several ...