Just Ordered My Sledge!

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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Orvette
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Just Ordered My Sledge!

Post by Orvette » Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:10 pm

I came here from a link on Krista's Site, and when I saw that the narrator used a 12# sledge, I thought it was Krista, so I got the same weight!

As I read on this boards, I now realize I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I'm a 40+ year old female who has never been athletic and I have not exercised consistently in years. I see that carolejo uses a 12-pounder, so I'm hoping if I choke way up and go very slow & easy I might be OK. I hate the thought of trying to return it. Through Amazon the shipping was free!

I like the idea of 14 minutes and I love the idea of being in my jammies while exercising first thing in the morning! I have a lot of weight to lose (about 65 lbs) and unlike many other women, I would LOVE to have big beefy arms & shoulders! I've always had narrow sloping shoulders & I'd love to square them out a bit.... Overall, I just want to build muscle mass and reshape my body as I trim down. Will SG 5 days a week really make a difference? Sure sounds promising from the reports here. Can't wait to get my sledge and start! If you think 12 lbs is too heavy I may just have to stop and pick up an 8-pounder locally and start even sooner!
~ Orvette

Alexander
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Post by Alexander » Wed Oct 18, 2006 1:26 am

'hammer weight seems to be very much an individual thing, but keep in mind that you have a lot of control over how much of a workout you get even with a fixed weight. For example, I'm pushing myself a lot harder now than when I started, just by doing faster, more aggressive reps, and holding the 'hammer further away from the head. You can start slow, hold close to the head, and just generally take your time with the exercises. Try to stick to the 14 minutes, though. Pace yourself, and don't wear yourself out prematurely.

I'm only about 2 weeks in, so I can't really speak to weight loss (I feel that's more an issue of diet and general level of movement throughout the day), but I can say that SG is absolutely the most fun exercise I've ever done, and therefore is an easy routine to stick to, which is really the key for non-athletic types like us. I actually look forward to doing it. And even only 1 week in, I absolutely felt stronger, and feel even stronger today. Getting physical progress feedback like that is an excellent motivator.

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Wed Oct 18, 2006 2:04 am

You will gain muscle if you stick with this five days per week!
Good luck!!!
Also, you could get a ten pound hammer..
I have a twelve pounder, and it took about three months of solid use for it to feel really really comfortable..
But I haven't been doing it for a long time.. The other day I picked it up again and *man* did it feel heavy again!!!
Eight pounds could be okay, but it really is on the light side I think...

Have fun with your newly shaped shoulders!!!
Go girl go!!!
Peace and Love,
8) Deb
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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phayze
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Post by phayze » Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:56 am

Hmm, if you're worried about the weight then I would suggest skimping a little on the time (maybe do 7 minutes to start and work your way up), and/or only use it every other day to make sure you don't strain anything.

Definitely take your time starting out and go through the motions slowly and carefully until you get a feel for it. I started out with a 10er and promptly strained a bicep with some over-ambitious shoveling on my second session, so learn from my mistake and be patient. ;)

Good luck, and let us know how that 12 feels when you get it!
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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Wed Oct 18, 2006 2:11 pm

Welcome Orvette!

12 pounds is kind of heavy... I started with that, but I'm a six foot big boned dude.

If you hold it close to the hammer head, it'll seem lighter. But it may not feel quite as natural to do that.

If you take it really, really slow, don't do too many reps, and skip killer movements like "no name" at first, maybe you can ease into it.

But it's also possible you may need to start with something lighter.

I should probably put up a "what weight should I start with?" page...

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Reinhard

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Orvette
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Got my sledge yesterday, wow!

Post by Orvette » Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:59 pm

That's 24-hour shipping for free using Amazon -- a record even for them!

The 12 pounds is HEAVY I'm here to say! I only did like 11 minutes of my iTunes playlist before my arms were feeling very fatigued. I'm also probably going to skip a day because I just know I'm going to be very sore. My upper body has always been very weak, so this is gonna hurt tomorrow. Fortunately, I love that feeling - like I've done something - so that will be just fine with me. But I do want to be sure I give my muscles a chance to heal.

I resist exercise like nobody's business, but this morning when I remembered that my sledge had arrived, I just went & grabbed it out of the closet and started my music. I so appreciate how little space it takes to do this!!! Every other routine, dvd, etc. I've tried at home has had me moving furniture around and bumping into things.

The head of my sledge was wrapped in bubble-wrap, so I just left it on instead of using a sweater! However, if I can find a sheepskin cover like are available for staining, I may get one of those as a cover.

1st day went fine -- I can do this!
~ Orvette

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phayze
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Post by phayze » Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:37 pm

That's great news, Orvette! Keep up the good work, and keep us posted!
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0:01s Video = 30 pictures
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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:44 pm

Go Orvette!!!!!
The first two days are the toughest...
You take it careful and slowish and your muscles will "step up" to the task (ie: adapt) very soon!

Good for you!!!
Peace and Love,
8) Deb
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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Orvette
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You guys and SG are just awesome!

Post by Orvette » Thu Oct 19, 2006 6:47 pm

Thanks Deb!

I am just blown away by this group of shuggers! There is so much knowledge, accomplishment, and experience here! I learn so much from reading the posts and watching the videos.

Reinhard created a really great place for people to meet, and that's reflected in the calibre of people who come here... Thanks again to everyone for the warm welcome!
~ Orvette

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Orvette
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Wow, this morning was tough!

Post by Orvette » Fri Oct 20, 2006 1:11 pm

I decided to go ahead & try shugging again this morning because I really didn't feel very sore from yesterday.

But once I picked up my 12# sledge, my arms remembered immediately that we had all worked out together yesterday... I got through like 2 sets of 7 each of 5 different exercises & I was done! My arms were very fatigued and I didn't want to make myself miserable.

I really think I'm going to need to invest in an 8 or 10# sledge. I can barely perform limited versions of the moves. It's the weekend, so my arms will get a couple days off - we'll see how they feel on Monday!

If anyone had suggested to me that I would resume an exercise (eew) the next day, even after giving myself permission to skip a day, I would have told them they were crazy and clearly didn't know me.... I'm very excited that this is something I feel I can do -- and I'm still dragging around a way-too-heavy sledge. Imagine what will happen when I can really go through the moves and get into a rhythm! :shock:
~ Orvette

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Fri Oct 20, 2006 3:34 pm

I think a lighter sledge does make sense... the best thing about shovelglove is that it's fun, and it isn't if your sledge is too heavy. Plus it's riskier.

You can always save your heavier sledge for when you're strong enough to upgrade.

Maybe I should set up some kind of sledgehammer barter system on the web site :-). A specialized mini-craigslist. I guess I could just set up another forum here for that.

Reinhard

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Orvette
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Post by Orvette » Fri Oct 20, 2006 6:14 pm

That's a great idea Reinhard!

I think I'll keep my 12-pounder -- sort of like keeping that pair of "skinny jeans" that you want to get into. My next level of fitness just waiting for me!
~ Orvette

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JWL
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Post by JWL » Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:47 pm

Hi Orvette,

My advice is to stick with the 12 for a week, maybe two, to see if you can get used to it. That's a lot of weight though.... but you seem motivated/stoked about this. Give yourself time to get used to it though.

BUT ABOVE ALL....

Do NOT let yourself give up because 'you need a lighter hammer.' That may be true, but do SOMETHING every day (unless you absolutely need a day off for muscle soreness).

Keep it up, and good luck!
JWL[.|@]Freakwitch[.]net

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Orvette
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Post by Orvette » Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:36 pm

Thanks JWL,

I felt some muscle soreness yesterday, but not much really, and today I feel good as new! My best friend thinks the whole thing is very funny. She calls it my Sledge-O-Matic. However, she like you feels I should just stick with the heavier one until I'm stronger. So, I'm going to give it a few more days. I didn't hurt myself doing the modified moves, so hopefully I'll be fine! I like the idea of getting strong enough to really fling it around!
~ Orvette

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Orvette
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So far, so good!

Post by Orvette » Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:33 pm

I know I'm onto something real here! This morning, after only like 4 1/2 hours of sleep, I was snoozing my alarm and then I had the thought: "I need to have time for shugging!" That got me bolt upright out of bed to get my coffee started so I could go shug while it brewed. Not typical behavior for me....

I made it through the whole 14 minutes doing 7 reps at a time, just going through the various movements in a cycle until the music was finished. I also thought that the 12 pounds may have felt just a smidge lighter. The rest of the week may be more of a challenge, so I'm going to listen to my body, but I think each week after the recovery period will show progress. Very cool!
~ Orvette

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Tue Oct 24, 2006 5:52 pm

I am glad you followed James' excellent advice:
Do NOT let yourself give up because 'you need a lighter hammer.' That may be true, but do SOMETHING every day (unless you absolutely need a day off for muscle soreness).
The hardest habit to build is that of carving out the time, and for that, you don't need to exercise your muscles much. You could use a broom, or take leisurely stretches between sets.

Glad it sounds like the 12 pounder might do the trick after all. Though if you think a lighter hammer would feel more natural, it's not a huge investment, and as James pointed out, you don't have to just passively wait till it arrives.

Reinhard

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Orvette
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Post by Orvette » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:53 pm

Well, I completed my first full week today with Shovelglove! Wasn't tempted not to do it on a single day. And I just really hate mornings, so this is amazing to me!

I really expected to have some soreness and I just haven't had any! Granted, I'm being especially slow and careful due to the 12-pound sledge I started with, but still....my body must like doing this because it sure isn't complaining!

I think I do already have a sense of being stronger. Just prior to starting Shovelglove I was having trouble with my lower back. It tends to strain easily - nothing wrong with the discs as far as I know. But it's been just fine with the shugging -- even better at night when it would tend to get stiff if I slept on my back too long or something.

Lovin' it!
~ Orvette

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Post by VanillaGorilla » Sat Oct 28, 2006 6:42 am

It sounds like you have stormed right out of the gate and hit the ground running, Orvette! Congrats!! :D

When I first started working out regularly, I kind of harkened back to my days in the service and also the concept of manual labor as a job...Even if you're sore, it's kind of tough to take a day off. Your drill instructor or boss doesn't care if you're a bit sore...They just want you to get the job done.

Even though I was sore, I would do it...Might back off the pedal a bit, but I would do it just the same. If nothing else, a slightly easier pace at least helps you find the groove a bit more. And it sounds like by sticking with it, you have found yours! Cheers! 8)
Fall down seven times, get up eight.

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:06 pm

Great job Orvette!!!
Your post made me smile! :D

Peace and Love,
8) Deb
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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Orvette
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Post by Orvette » Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:20 pm

I had a couple of "special" S days early this week, but I still did my shugging - just didn't want to let any momentum start to slip.

I continue to feel stronger. Ya really think I can build up some decent conditioning with just SG? I know that eventually I want to find a way to get some walking in along with hindu squats & pushups -- but I'm not there yet. Like Reinhard always says, it's the habit that's the hardest thing to build...
~ Orvette

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