Paint the Wall (by sweetzen)
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:52 pm
I'm relatively new to the shovelglove routine, but I wanted an exercise with palms facing down, that employed a strong lateral movement. I also try to keep in line with the "imaginative" spirit of the project. Here it is:
Paint the Wall
For this exercise, imagine you are rolling paint on the wall. Stand with your side to the wall (about 3 feet away), feet a little more than shoulder width apart. It helps with balance to move the foot closer to the wall forward, and the other foot back a bit. Grip the shovelglove (head towards the wall), palms down, one hand just beneath the head, the other close to the base.
Start with the head of the shovelglove about 6 inches from your knee, the base about midway between your waist and your chest. Your torso should be rotated slightly towards the wall, but still mostly perpendicular.
Raise the head of the shovelglove, pretending that you're rolling paint on the wall, until your elbow is above your shoulder and your "working" arm is bent at a 90 degree angle. Your other hand will come down below your waist, and push up, just as if you were pushing the handle of a paint roller. Lower the head in a controlled motion, not quite to the starting position. To maintain tension, I keep the head about 1 foot from my knee while doing the exercise.
Switch sides, and repeat.
The key is imagine you are rolling paint, and to keep the handle of the shovelglove perpendicular to the wall at all times. Focus on working the arm closest to the wall, and just use the other as an assist once you start to get fatigued. Also, if you extend your arm towards the wall at the top of the motion (breaking the 90 degree angle), it will put a lot of strain on your wrist. I'd suggest keeping your arm at 90 degrees, even though the arc pulls the head away from the wall.
A long description, I know, but once you imagine yourself painting the wall, the movement is ridiculously easy to remember. As a lateral raise/palms down exercise, it does seem to work muscle groups missed by the canonical exercises. I'd be curious to know what you think, and if you have any refinements. Thanks.
Paint the Wall
For this exercise, imagine you are rolling paint on the wall. Stand with your side to the wall (about 3 feet away), feet a little more than shoulder width apart. It helps with balance to move the foot closer to the wall forward, and the other foot back a bit. Grip the shovelglove (head towards the wall), palms down, one hand just beneath the head, the other close to the base.
Start with the head of the shovelglove about 6 inches from your knee, the base about midway between your waist and your chest. Your torso should be rotated slightly towards the wall, but still mostly perpendicular.
Raise the head of the shovelglove, pretending that you're rolling paint on the wall, until your elbow is above your shoulder and your "working" arm is bent at a 90 degree angle. Your other hand will come down below your waist, and push up, just as if you were pushing the handle of a paint roller. Lower the head in a controlled motion, not quite to the starting position. To maintain tension, I keep the head about 1 foot from my knee while doing the exercise.
Switch sides, and repeat.
The key is imagine you are rolling paint, and to keep the handle of the shovelglove perpendicular to the wall at all times. Focus on working the arm closest to the wall, and just use the other as an assist once you start to get fatigued. Also, if you extend your arm towards the wall at the top of the motion (breaking the 90 degree angle), it will put a lot of strain on your wrist. I'd suggest keeping your arm at 90 degrees, even though the arc pulls the head away from the wall.
A long description, I know, but once you imagine yourself painting the wall, the movement is ridiculously easy to remember. As a lateral raise/palms down exercise, it does seem to work muscle groups missed by the canonical exercises. I'd be curious to know what you think, and if you have any refinements. Thanks.