Everyday Systems

Since starting a bout 3 weeks ago, I went from 12 to a 16 and have really good, solid workouts.
Last night, I did a full, very 'fast' and quick solid 15 min. workout with a
6 lb sledge.
WOW...do I feel it today.
Especially in my hips and back of my shoulders. By feeling it...I mean, I feel great. Don't know if it's due to the muscles responding to the very quick movements....but again, it's a 'good' feel. Not a tired and 'oh my gosh....I really over did it' feel.

Anyone else change it up once in a while?

I vary movements, hammer weight, leverage, speed, etc. The only real constant is the 14 minutes.

My experience recently is similar to yours, sledge. I'm finding that shovelglove works the hips and thighs more than we may assume.

--david

Changing weights and tempos, etc is good regardless of the program you are using, imho. I'm a big advocate of cycling through and doing heavier stuff, then lighter for a few days, etc.
Gives the muscles some new stimuli and allows the nervous system a break to recover.
I'd even mess with the time too. But that's just what I am comfy with.

Agreed, change it up. I have a 16# and a 10#, and my wife has an 8#. My daughter even has a 4# framing hammer.... heh. I also have a set of ankle weights that I can strap on to the sledge to vary the weights some.

If I could only have one, though, it would be the 10#. That, to me, is where I get the greatest form and benefit. It almost seems like the 16# is a training device that allows me to use the 10# more effectively.

With the 10#, my form is better, and I can "choke up" the grip so that my hands are pretty close to touching. I also have much more control over the movements.

Many times I'll do 21 reps of the movements with the 16#, and then 50 reps with the 10# or whatever.

I tend to stick with a single weight for a long time (a year or more) once I get used to it. My logic is: fewer variables make progress clearer, and when you get used to a weight you're less likely to make a dangerous move, you can go on autopilot. It's also one less decision to make. If I'm feeling profoundly beat I'll sometimes go down to a lesser weight, but mostly I just do less reps more slowly with the same weight.

But the changing weights arguments people have posted here sound good, too. Here's another: in the spirit of useful movements, the real world movements we're emulating would vary considerably in resistance, so should our emulation.

Bottom line: I don't think it matters too much. This is fine tuning. The far more important thing is to follow the hard parameters of every N day and 14 minutes (or your versions of these).

Reinhard