Thoughts after a month of SG (or, shameless ego pump)

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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tommi
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Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Verbania, Italy

Thoughts after a month of SG (or, shameless ego pump)

Post by tommi » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:18 am

First of all, a necessary note: i don't mean to sound like i'm bragging or something like that. After reading my comments on this board i thought that, since my english is not good enough AND since i am not used to sharing my personal achievements to others, i may sound like a know-it-all smartarse.
I'm pretty excited with what i could accomplish (weight loss, muscles showing through my skin, being able to track achievements and backslides) and i am probably being carried away with the results - so excuse me if i sound like an idiot, i'm just honestly surprised with the results and want to share them with others on this board, hoping i can learn more and maybe help who's thinking about starting with SG.

After a month or so of Shovelgloving and NO-S diet i've noticed these things:
  • My girlfriend, after a month away, notices that my arms looks "way too big than usual" (bonus testosterone/manhood points :))
    Managed to get 2 friends interested in SG after i could easily cut a branch with a hatchet, while they could barely peel some wood off it
    Made 2 strikes in bowling with a 12 pounds ball, faster than others
    Beaten a friend of mine, who has been exercising in a gym for 3 years, in arm wrestling (and earned 2 beers)
    Huge amount of stamina during workout with girlfriend :wink:
    Increased pushup count
    I can see veins in my arms
    Managed to chop all the wood in the backyard
    Asked to neighbours and friends if they have some wood to chop, for free
    Female friends ask to my girlfriend if i have lost some weight lately
    I can actually see and feel my bones (ribs, knees, ankles, etc.), there is fat to get rid of but i've never noticed them before
    My back, which was a wad of cookie dough, now is carved out of wood :D
Reinhard, I have no words to thank you.
It is just too good to be true, thank you so much.
we do what we want because we can
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sgtrock
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Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:18 am

Post by sgtrock » Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:44 am

Your English is better than many Americans, don't worry...

I've noticed very similar results. Though I haven't made it even 3 consecutive weeks in almost 2 months of doing SG (taking almost two weeks off twice) I've still noticed a difference. I can do "proper" pushups --- back straight, head forward, elbows tucked into ribs --- much more easily whereas before I always "cheated" by throwing my elbows out because I had poor tricep strength. I don't even recall working my triceps while doing SG! My wife can see and feel muscles in my back and arms. On a couple of occasions I've spent a day or two feeling like I'm walking around in a suit of armor because of the thickening muscle.

It's not bodybuilder muscle either, it's just heavy but useful weight being carried around in my upper body. And my whole life I never had real upper body strength.

We've also taken to doing partner medicine ball twists once or twice a week, and tossing around the medicine ball (8lb right now) or outright throwing one of her 3lb soft ball weights (Danskin from Wal-Mart I think, great for lobbing around, tire you out after a while) pretty aggressively. And doing some pushups, too.

Right now I'm out of commission since Monday because I pulled my back in another workout, so I can't SG. Frustrating!!

I agree though --- kudos to Reinhard!!
"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." -- Confucius, an early Everyday Systems pioneer
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david
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Location: Oklahoma, USA

Post by david » Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:52 pm

Good work Tommi!

Just keep the habit going and Shovelglove will do right by you. Beware of going overboard though--it can stop you in your tracks (I have a lot of experience with that phenomenon).

--david
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sgtrock
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Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:18 am

Post by sgtrock » Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:38 pm

Doh! Sorry, I was tired when I wrote that earlier post. :roll:

I meant to also say:

Great work Tommi! :D
"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." -- Confucius, an early Everyday Systems pioneer
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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:24 pm

Tommi,

You are very welcome!

And don't worry about sounding like you're bragging -- bragging in the cause of advancing the shovelglove movement is a virtue!

I've noticed many of the benefits you mentioned myself (from the bowling to the veins to arm wrestling the pushups to the other forms of exercise :-)).

Having strong, well defined back muscles is something a lot of us don't even realize we were missing until we have them. And it's striking how many conventional workouts completely neglect these. This neglect is odd for a number of reasons:

1) aesthetically, a strong, well defined back looks really good

2) it's so friggin useful for so many kinds of physical work

3) having a weak, easily injured back is such a pervasive problem. You don't see anybody going to the physical therapist because their biceps are out.

Reinhard



Reinhard

P.S. your English is great -- I wish my German were that good
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