Hi again!

[yaki]

Hey! My last post was a little less than a year ago. I was planning on getting a sledgehammer back then. But, after all, I didn't. Instead, I listened to my dad (I'm 16 in case you were wondering ) and joined the gym he goes to. Now, about 10 months later, I am ready to try shovelgloving again. There are many reasons for this, one being that none of my friends go to a gym, so I had to train on my own (booooring). Also, even though I have seen some increase in muscle mass (mainly chest, biceps and lower back) I've figured out that building big muscles with weight training requires a) tons of time b) a LOT of food c) comes with quite a bit of fat and d) unless you use steroids.
So, I decided that bulky muscles just aren't worth it, and that I'd rather have some real strength and visible abs. So, I'm going to get started shovelgloving again soon, as well as going on the No S diet (plus one snack in school) to loose some of the fat I gained eating to gain muscles and combine all that with basketball training and running.
Any tips on what weight to start with? I don't have tons of money, so I'd rather start with a heavier sledgehammer and lower reps than start out with a light one and be stuck with buying a heavier one in the near future.
Also, any specific tips on gaining some muscles? At least close to the level reinhard has in the demonstration videos? Should I eat a bit more just to get started?

[reinhard]

Hi (again) yaki,

Not sure what the increments are in Germany... but here they tend to be (in pounds): 8, 10, 12, 16, 20.

I started with 12 pounds. That was kind of heavy. I don't think I'd recommend starting heavier than that unless you're in very good shape already. As you get stronger, you can hold move your hands further away from the weight and use the additional leverage to make it seem much heavier. Moving just one hand's breadth down makes a noticeable difference on most moves. You can get a much more rigorous workout like this without plunking down more money for a heavier sledgehammer. But there is a con to this: you have less control, it's easier to hurt yourself or your furniture.

I'm on my third sledgehammer now in about 5 years (12 pounds, 16, then 20). I spent at least a solid year on each one, and didn't go too crazy with the leverage. There were some long plateaus where I didn't make much progress, but I'd decided up front not to let that bug me -- and it didn't. It was much more important for me to focus on that sustainable minimum level of compliance every N-day morning. I'm not sure whether I'm going to upgrade again... 20 pounds is plenty heavy (plus I haven't seen anything heavier that isn't some expensive special-purpose exercise device which I'm morally opposed to). But even if I did buy a new sledgehammer every year or two for the rest of my life, that would be peanuts compared to a gym membership.

Reinhard

[reinhard]

And I didn't consciously eat any more. My appetite has always been such that the only think I have to worry about is eating less.

[yaki]

Ok. I'll just finish my current gym contract (another 1.5 months), then I'll get myself a 6kg (about 13 pound) sledgehammer.
Looking forward to it a lot.

[fungus]

Hi (again) yaki,
20 pounds is plenty heavy (plus I haven't seen anything heavier that isn't some expensive special-purpose exercise device which I'm morally opposed to).

Amazon has a 23.79 pounder (I assume it's converted from metric weight or something...)

[fungus]

Any tips on what weight to start with?

The answer is 10/12 (4kg or 5kg) depending on whether or not you think you're in shape.

I had a 5kg hammer which I upgraded to 6kg for about 5 Euros.

http://biggerhammer.bravehost.com/

I'd rather start with a heavier sledgehammer and lower reps than start out with a light one and be stuck with buying a heavier one in the near future.

That's a pretty good philosophy for starting out. What seems heavy in the first week soon becomes "normal".

Be aware that Shovelglove isn't like lifting static weights. A big part of the effort required comes from how fast you move it and how you hold it. You can work a lot harder if you want to without increasing the weight.

Having said that, I think it's best to have a weight which suits your style/rhythm. If your hammer is too light you won't get as much satisfaction out of it and if it's too heavy you'll hate it.

I'm much happier with my 6kg hammer than the 5kg one.

Also, any specific tips on gaining some muscles? At least close to the level reinhard has in the demonstration videos? Should I eat a bit more just to get started?

This is (maybe) the wrong attitude. Muscles which appear quickly won't be very dense and won't have the bones/tendons to match them. They'll vanish as quickly as they appeared as soon as you stop exercising.

Me? I'd rather be strong than huge....

[library_guy]

Finding the right size hammer . . . the great thing about shovelglove is its low cost. I presently have two hammers; an 8 and a 12. I still use the 8 a lot and do a few exercises with the 12. A person could purchase an 8, 10, 12, and a 16 from the hammer store and it would only cost $120! That’s less than the initiation fee at many gyms and there are no monthly dues.

[reinhard]

I forgot about that 23.79 pounder...

A little out of my price range, but I'd be very grateful if some millionaire shugger bought it through the link above

Reinhard