Sore...

[LostInDaJungle]

Hey guys.

Noob alert! I recently got divorced, and wanted to look better shirtless. (And yes, I do think this song is about me.) I'm looking to start the Power 90 program, but those DVD's take like, ummm, a week to come in. Wha? I want now!

So, when I came across the Shugging, I thought, Hmm, a 10 pound sledge costs about as much as one exercise book, and I can do this for a week or so until the "program" comes in. F--- yeah!

I was already getting a good bit of exercise just moving my stuff from the house to my new apartment, and let's face it, reduced space meant a few sweaters had to go to goodwill anyway.

So, last night I did my 14 minutes, followed by my usual push-ups and sit-ups. After I was done, I almost thought about doing another 14... It didn't seem like I had done that much, really.

Well, come the morning, and my thighs are burning, I'm stiff and sore in my back, and the Triceps are a bit tender. All signs of a good workout.

Do any of you use a way of marking hand position like colored tape? The workout is as hard or as easy as you like depending on hand position. I'm thinking of using colored tape to mark week 1 hand position when "Chopping Wood" or "No Names". Maybe even set a goal of moving the tape back X amount per week.

Also, it seems like it would be easy to overdo this and pull something.

It doesn't seem like alot of these motions don't target the Abs as much as I like. However, I'm surprised to see how well this works the thighs. Any suggestions on how to work the abs more thoroughly? (Aside from supplementing the shugging with sit-ups and military crunches...)

I'm thinking of something like a golf swing, or like using one of the old grass/wheat whips...


And one more funny aside...

When I was buying the sledge, the girl at the hardware store said "Is this on account?" I replied "Yep, on account of me needing to whack something."

[NoelFigart]

Find Reinhard's pics then decide for yourself how much you REALLY need to "target" your abs.

(Hint: A six pack is more of a body fat matter than ab training...)

[david]

I don't think the French coal-shovelers were into "targeting the abs."

I would just do the routine and let the body work as a whole. Also, it's easy to get trapped by the idea of progress only to end up with an injury.

--david

[gratefuldeb67]

Hi! Welcome
I liked your joke to the cashier! LOL
Good luck with SG. Yep it's easy to over do this, so just pay attention to your bodies signals.. Great to hear you are feeling it though! That's definitely proof your muscles are working!

NoelFigart, I liked reading your comment about the sixpack thingy.
Yeah. I think the diet is more related to that.

Have fun!
Peace and Love,
Debs

[NoelFigart]

I'm quoting body-builders on that one.

People who target abs more than the rest of their bodies ain't doing a damn thing after awhile. The abdominus rectus is a muscle group like any other and should be treated that way.

And there are plenty of people hiding a GREAT set of abs under a layer of fat.

[LostInDaJungle]

Well, I'm 5'10" and 165, so the layer can't be that thick. I'm a pretty skinny dude. Frankly, my diet is pretty good. I have never been a snacker, and I usually stay to healthy/fresh foods. I read the "No S" page and said, "Hey, I've been on that diet for years now!" My biggest sin is probably too much of a love of Hot Dogs as a quick dinner. (Give it up for the Hebrew Nationals!)

I haven't had access to a "Bod-Pod", so I couldn't say what percentage body fat I'm at, but my other steroid guzzling friends have told me that my stomach will firm up once I start working that area. So, who knows... So much of the information you read contradicts what you just finished reading 10 minutes ago, and what works for one guy doesn't always work for another.

I totally understand that you can't see the abs under a layer of fat, and too many programs have advertised flat abs with crunches and no diet modifications. But I also think it's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. You need to lose the fat and strengthen your core.

I'm not looking to target the abs more than the rest, I'm just looking to get them into the mix. After day 2, my arms and upper back are still a bit stiff, my thighs still burn, but I'm just not feeling it in my lower back/abdomen. The Shoveling/Chopping moves seem to get the most abalicious while churning and sacking seem to work the Biceps and Triceps without doing much for the trunk.

Anyway, I'm digging the shugging, not trying to complain, just was hoping someone might have some suggestions that might help. My goal isn't to be a French coal-shoveler, (Oui-Oui!) it's to look better and have a strong core before I get older and DO have back problems. (Which is already creeping up on me.) Frankly, I'm alot less concerned with being buff and having a gun show than I am with building a strong core that will pay dividends throughout my later years. I'd be happy to not have a six-pack and still have a stronger core. I'm probably more interested in working the TVA and Obliques than the rectus, as a strong TVA will add long term protection and stability for the spine.

The only "Reinhart" pics I have seen are the Pj's and white T that don't show much, and looking too hard for pictures of shirtless guys makes me feel a little silly. I was just curious if any of the shuggers supplement their routine with other exercises, Yoga, Ball stuff, or Pilates... Swinging a sledge side to side like a golf club seems like a recipe for an injury, so I'd rather not experiment with trial and error.

Let me just restate that I'm not trying to complain or be rude in any way, and if any of this comes across wrong as internet message boards are known to do, I apologize. I want shugging to help me reach my goals, and was hoping to get some advice from those who have already traveled this road.

[Brandon]

You do not necessarily have to feel a workout for it to be working. When you have soreness the next day, it tells you which muscles worked harder than they were used to, not all the muscles that were worked. All the motions work the core, and you used yours when doing them. I'm guessing that your core is already stronger than you suspect, especially if "followed by my usual push-ups and sit-ups" means that you've been doing sit-ups regularly for a while like it sounds like.

Also, regarding the above discussion about ab definition: Not only does it depend on both body fat and the muscle tone, but also on genetics. There are plenty of folks with solid core muscles and low %BF that still don't look like underwear models, because they just don't have the genetics for it. Truly, the same goes for all muscle appearance. And of course, when talking %BF, the underwear model type abs probably don't happen until you're in the single digits, which takes totally unsustainable dieting and exercise to do (in addition to fantastic genes).

[david]

It is not possible to do standard Shovelglove and NOT work "the core." Whether you end up with an "attractive" core or not is a separate issue.

I like working the body as a unit and SG is great for that.

--David

[reinhard]

The only "Reinhart" pics I have seen are the Pj's and white T that don't show much, and looking too hard for pictures of shirtless guys makes me feel a little silly.

Yeah... my wife isn't so crazy about the fact that I put one there to begin with. She accepted this one as a fait accompli, but despite the fact that after 3 more years of shugging I could post something significantly more impressive, I've been given to understand that (for now?) this is it.

http://nosdiet.com/beforeafter.html

Shugging works the abs. Ultimately better than targeted movements, I think. Think about why we have abs, not for isolated contortions but to play a supporting role in complex movements -- as they do in shovelglove. It takes patience, and you'll be distracted by the star power in your arms, but stick with it and I think you'll be happy with the results. I haven't done a sit up or crunch in years.

Do you do "chop tree?" It's a complex move, like the rest, but I find the ab bit is more noticeable.

Reinhard

[unKle]

You know perhaps posting more 'during' shots would help answer peoples questions about shovelglove being a full body workout. I for one find the before/after/during shots to be good motivation on days when it is hard to get rolling.

[LostInDaJungle]

Yep, "chopping" has become one of my favorite/most repeated moves. I also alternate that with of it as the "Railroad worker", beating spikes into the tracks. Whatever works.

I was once a real athlete in another life 20 years ago, so I've modified the workout a bit to incorporate some other things I know into it. I've added stretch breaks, and a lunge/squat move thingie. Stretching helps blood flow to the muscles, and also carries away some of the lactic acid. The lunges and squats help the TVA as well as gets a few of the leg muscles more involved. Each lunge is done with the weight over the front knee, squats with the hammer out in front like butter churning.

Another move if you'll 'scuse the noob, could go under "Lift the pail". It's basically a fly curl as done with a dumbbell. Works chest and back. Grab the shug up towards the hammer head, and just lift out n' up from the waist 'til your arm is at a 90 degree angle from the body.

Finally, I end each session with a Whey protein shake. Fast absorbing protein to fuel the muscles building. (Also helps with soreness the next day)

A little over a week into it, and I've lost an inch from my waist, and added 1/2 an inch to each arm. Weight stayed the same.

Thanks for thinking outside the box...

[LostInDaJungle]

One more week down, and not only am I getting stronger, but my French is improving.

Allez viens boir un petit coup a la maison
Ya du blanc, ya du rouge, du sauccison
et gillou avec son p'tit masse
VIVE les bouteilles et les copains et les chansons!!