Casey! Watch your back :)
Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 6:59 pm
Hi Casey Glad you are having so much fun doing your SG workout.
Thanks for the instructions the other day.
I wanted to actually discourage you from doing the stacking thing with the sledgehammer... The motion sounds good, so keep it up if you like the feeling it adds for your chopping scenario... but any type of lifting you do, when combined with torquing your spine (ie: twisting to the side, or swivelling, as you put it) will put your back muscles at a serious disadvantage and at risk for muscle strain... As a general rule of thumb, try to always face your body towards the thing you are lifting... If you want to stack the wood with the SG as the pretend wood... Turn your body and lift and lower with your legs to minimize the change of a back strain...
I am probably one of the only people in the group who actually has eliminated the Shovelling motion from my routine because of the twistyness of the motion... It's been a while since I watched Rein's home video of the Shovelling one, but I think he doesn't really twist his spine much... As I remember, I think that he just tosses the snow over his shoulder, but his back doesn't really figure into the sideways motion...
Anyway, forgive the unsolicited advice... I'm a licensed massage therapist and just thought you might benefit from this info... Not trying to censor you or limit you.. Just beware of the combo of twisting and lifting...
Twisting = good, lifting =good, twisting+lifting = OUCH!
Good luck!
Love,
Deb
Thanks for the instructions the other day.
I wanted to actually discourage you from doing the stacking thing with the sledgehammer... The motion sounds good, so keep it up if you like the feeling it adds for your chopping scenario... but any type of lifting you do, when combined with torquing your spine (ie: twisting to the side, or swivelling, as you put it) will put your back muscles at a serious disadvantage and at risk for muscle strain... As a general rule of thumb, try to always face your body towards the thing you are lifting... If you want to stack the wood with the SG as the pretend wood... Turn your body and lift and lower with your legs to minimize the change of a back strain...
I am probably one of the only people in the group who actually has eliminated the Shovelling motion from my routine because of the twistyness of the motion... It's been a while since I watched Rein's home video of the Shovelling one, but I think he doesn't really twist his spine much... As I remember, I think that he just tosses the snow over his shoulder, but his back doesn't really figure into the sideways motion...
Anyway, forgive the unsolicited advice... I'm a licensed massage therapist and just thought you might benefit from this info... Not trying to censor you or limit you.. Just beware of the combo of twisting and lifting...
Twisting = good, lifting =good, twisting+lifting = OUCH!
Good luck!
Love,
Deb