Note to self, this is fun...

[Mr_B]

Hi All,

This is week two of my Shovelgloving, and it's getting easier.
So far I've been concentrating on doing the following:

50 shovels right
50 shovels left
20 churns right arm uppermost
20 churns left arm uppermost
20 log splits right
20 log splits left
8 lever flips right
8 lever flips left

Last week was harder than I imagined - especially Friday morning after five days of exercise! I must say that I found that doing a block of 50 reps straight out was tough, and quite disheartening. This morning I split the two 50 rep sessions into two 25 rep sessions and this seemed to help.

In fact I was surprised to find that I had enough energy to go through another 10 reps of each exercise! The time was up before I knew it - a first.

I think the more gradual start helps to get me into the groove, so tomorrow I'll run through a set of 5-10 reps before starting the main exercise block and see how that works.

As a general observation I think that SG is a great way of get up and doing something. I may not get 'ripped', but at the very least my handshake will be formidable! Each morning I just pad into the spare room, grab my Shovelglove and start moving. Simplicity* is the key and is what encourages me that SG is something that won't just fall by the wayside as so many grand exercise schemes have done before...

Thanks Reinhard for sharing your brainchild - and I'll try and update you with my progress.

Oh yes, and as for the title, today was the first day that I was able disconnect enough to see the huge pile of gravel which needed shovelling - instead of just desperately counting reps...

* For "Simplicity" read "No Higher Brain Functions Required at 06:30"

[reinhard]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing your routine.

50 reps is a lot. I don't even do that anymore (my max is 42, and most days I don't even do that). I think shorter rep sets are safer, more interesting, more natural and more fun (plus it's easier to keep count if your mind wanders). Still, it is nice to push yourself with a many rep set now and then.

Best of luck going forward and keep us posted,

Reinhard

[Mr_B]

I am under the Curse of the Dead Chicken* today, and missed my SG sesion this morning. Luckily I still have this evening to achieve a green flag on my progress spreadsheet.

I am keeping a log of SG days, 'No S' days and daily weight check. So far over the last week and ahalf we are showing all green on the SG but a few red blobs on the No S diet. I blame having kids and a wife who likes baking...

What do you mean I should have more will power...

BTW, a low rep warm up works wonders for getting into the groove. As for high reps, I'm merely following the example sheet posted on this site...

Cheers, and thanks for the encouragement.

Rich

* It's a long story, and not quite as interesting as it sounds.

[reinhard]

If you don't make it, you HAVE to tell us the story

(wouldn't mind hearing it in any case)

Best of luck. Those green blobs can be motivating -- glad you're using them.

Reinhard

[Mr_B]

Ah, the curse of the dead chicken... A few days ago we found a dead chicken lying at the foot of the steps next to our house. So I left it, thinking that someone else would shift the thing, but no, the next day it was till there. So that evening, I donned protective gloves, grabbed the 'real' shovel and a bin bag to dispose of the now stiffening fowl.

Nothing more. Except the following morning my alarm clock didn't go off, making me late for work and missing my workout. The rest of the day was filled with minor annoyances, which I put down to the revenge of the dead chicken. I'm not sure if it was voodoo, or a warning from some impoverished mafia, who couldn't quite run to a horse's head - or maybe just coincidence...

Fortunately my SG'ing is building functional strength to help should I need to defend the house...

[reinhard]

Well, thanks for clearing that up

Besides the functional strength, there is something quasi-mystical about shoveglove that I think should counteract the voodoo.

Try this move new move: strangle the chicken

Hold the hammer in front of you, head down, as if for "butter churn." Now pretend the handle is a chicken and throttle it till it's good and dead. Scream "die, chicken, die!" Switch hands and repeat.

That should exorcise any lingering evil influence.

Reinhard

P.S. I actually do this move now and then (minus the screaming) -- even apart from its thaumaturgical properties, it's not a bad workout.