8 lb vs. 12?

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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thtrchic
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8 lb vs. 12?

Post by thtrchic » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:25 am

I've been doing No-S for a bit and am thinking about adding Shovelglove. And for that I'm thinking about what size sledgehammer to use. I've been doing some lifting of free weights, mostly 8 pound ones (per hand). But I'm not in great shape and not too strong (yet). Since between my two arms I do many exercises holding 16 pounds I'd think a 12 pound hammer would be the way to go, but reading posts that sounds like it might be too hard. Does anyone have any insight here?

Thanks.
Julie

jules
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Post by jules » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:19 am

hi Julie, I'd recommend starting with the 8 lb hammer. I was able to do bicep curls w/ freeweights that were heavier than 8 lbs but the 8 lb hammer was much harder. It's a lot different with the weight on the end of a stick!

jules

zoolina
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Post by zoolina » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:43 am

I have a 6.6 lb. hammer, and though I'm pretty strong (historically) and though some exercises feel easy with it, I can hardly imagine a 12 lber.

If I could choose again, I'd go with the 8 lb myself. Best of luck; Shovelgloving is an amazing upper body workout!

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:03 pm

12 pounds at the end of a stick is much heavier than 12 pounds right in your hand. 12 pounds is on the heavy side for a 6 foot guy to start with. 8 pounds will be plenty hard.

Reinhard

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:09 pm

Get one that's 10 lbs...
The exist too ;)
Not too hard not too easy..
Juuuuust right!
:wink: hahah..
Actually, my advice to you is that one really needs to just try them out in the store.. It should feel like it's doing something..
I don't think 8 lbs will be sufficient, but that's just me..
Of course I have no clue what kind of body frame/type you are.
Maybe it's just fine..
My issue is committing to the 14 minutes.. Uch!
Our bodies adapt mighty fast, as long as you don't overwork them and go gingerly in the first few days..
Go to your local hardware store and try them out..
Then go and order them from Reinhards Amazon link..

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

Kevin
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Start with eight

Post by Kevin » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:12 pm

I think I would start with an eight pound hammer, although Deb seems to do fine with a 10.

I think 12 might be over-the-top unless you're really strong. I just walked through Sports Authority and curled a 30 pound dumbell with one arm 10 times pretty easily. I just bought a 16 pounder, and it's plenty heavy. But I go at it awful hard.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

thtrchic
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Post by thtrchic » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:15 pm

Thanks very much for all the advice. I'll take myself to a hardware store.

Julie

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:35 am

Hey Kev :)
Mine is actually 12, but it's sitting around these days.
When I actually swing it around, it's the perfect weight for me.
Peace,
8) Debs
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

fungus
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Post by fungus » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:06 am

reinhard wrote:12 pounds is on the heavy side for a 6 foot guy to start with. 8 pounds will be plenty hard.
I'd have said "10".

8 pounds will be hard for the first couple of weeks but you'll soon be heading for the upgrade.

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david
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Post by david » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:18 pm

Better too light than too heavy! You will teach yourself bad form if the hammer is too heavy and your chances of injury go way up.

I usually use a 16# hammer, but this morning I used a 10# with my hands at the end of the shaft as if I was holding a sword. It was really difficult! I could have a difficult 14 minutes with an 8# hammer as well. How you use the tool is important and all too often underemphasized in these weight discussions.

--david

Farnsrocket
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Post by Farnsrocket » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:22 pm

Definitely the 8. I just started my 2nd month this week and am incorporating the 12 in to my routine.

Kevin
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Deb, 12?

Post by Kevin » Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:24 pm

You're really using a 12 pound hammer? Wow.

I'm using a 16 now. It's not easy. 20 flip the levers with my elbow at the end of the handle and that's all she wrote!

thtrchic, another thought for you... find a handle that's comfortable in your grip. My new 16 pounder has a thin handle, and it's much harder to hold for a whole workout. I much preferred the fiberglass handle on my 10 pounder or the heavy wood handle on my 14 pounder. I'm thinking about replacing the handle with a nice fiberglass one...
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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