Everyday Systems

Maybe it's 'cause I'm a girl: when I shovelglove 14 minutes every weekday, I get aches and pains by the end of the week. For a while I was shugging every other day, but then the rhythem of the habit got disrupted and I started missing days.

Now I'm doing just 10 minutes a day, and no aches and pains at the end of the week.

I assume that over time I can build up to 14...

zoolina wrote:Maybe it's 'cause I'm a girl: when I shovelglove 14 minutes every weekday, I get aches and pains by the end of the week.

After each session, do the following stretch and hold it for a minute:

It will loosen up your shoulders and upper back.

If you consistently do 10 minutes, I wouldn't worry about it. The big divide is between SOMETHING and NOTHING. 10 minutes vs. 14 is a detail.

Reinhard

Arm and Hammer (love the logo):

It's not the back that's a problem (after lifting three babies I've got a back of steel) but my shoulder and right elbow.

Got some other stretches for me??

Z.

zoolina wrote: It's not the back that's a problem (after lifting three babies I've got a back of steel) but my shoulder and right elbow.

Got some other stretches for me??
Z.

Actually this stretch works the back of your shoulders too, have you tried it?
I don't know specific stretches for elbows, but ask google. The following site has some interesting stretches: http://www.howtostretch.com/shoulderstretches.html

If your shoulders and elbows are hurting, I'd consider using a lighter device for a little while.

The other thing that helps me when my shoulder used to be really sore was to sort of concentrate on contracting the muscles in it sharply when it reached a stressed point. I don't know how to describe this exactly, but I would "prepare" it for the heaviest load by involving all the muscles in it before that hammer hit the most extended point.

One of the real benefits of SG, I think, is that it trains your ligaments and tendons as well as your muscles, but you want them strong first...

If it hurts a lot, try something a little different. Give that connective tissue a chance to get built up before you push it too hard. Maybe move slower, and "brake" sooner...

Kevin's strategy is time-honored among martial artists, lifters, and others who like to get more out of their bodies. Call it "bracing," call it "feed-forward tension," or call it whatever you like. Main points to focus on are your grip (crush the shug!), butt, and abs (don't push your stomach out, and don't suck it in, but harden up your midsection like you're about to accept a punch). I like to grab the floor with my toes and do whatever I can to tighten and harden my entire body. It makes it safer, although less comfy, and it will more effectively teach your body to be sound and strong.
A lot of folks (myself included) first learned this from Pavel Tsatsouline's book Power to the People!. You can get it used pretty cheaply now if you want to get the straight scoop. It was written when Pavel was really playing up the kitchy "Evil Russian" image. I'm not recommending trading your shug for daily deadlifts, I'm merely suggesting the tension techniques are really helpful and carry over to shugging well.
Hope this made sense.

Sounds good. I'll try it.

Actually cutting back to 10 minutes has really solved the achy problem. I suspect that in a few months I can add more time.

Z.

If it works, that's great. Easy solution. Build up a minute a month for a few months...

Get a light hand-held sledge or put a 5 lb weight on one side of adjustable dumbell handle.

Do joystick movements for low reps.

rest your elbow on the table arm bent and pretend you're holding a joystick(you'll be holding small sledge) with your hand resting on the table.

lower weight all the way to the right while keeping bottom of hand on table then return to starting then do the other side.

Then go forward then back to starting

then pull back and go back to starting.

This is great for forearms and wrists..i learned it from boxers who used to get sore elbows from hitting the heavybag...after they started doing this the elbow pain went away completely or made recovery that much quicker when elbow pain did happen.