Ridicule from family and friends:(

[Paekious]

I've finally gotten my SG and I can't believe the amount ridicule I'm getting from everyone. Its quite disheartening to not have the support of loved ones when I try something new. It was the same way with NoS and urban rangering. Whenever any of it is brought up they group up against me with their fad diets and I hardly get a chance to say anything, and when I do get a word in its dismissed as easily as if I hadnt said anything, which is pretty interesting considering the fact that the weekend before I started NoS I couldn't fit into one of my pairs of jeans and the next weekend I could.

I'll keep at it though, and oh boy am I gonna throw it at 'em when they're still outta shape and I'm able to consistently keep up with the children.

[david]

Tell them all to go and f*ck themselves. You just do your thing and show them all up. Take all the energy you would have spent talking about No-S and SG and instead shut up, do it without making a big deal of it, and turn yourself into an atom bomb of willpower and determination.

--david

[fungus]

I can't believe the amount ridicule I'm getting from everyone.

They won't be laughing the day your Ampco 7920 is delivered...

[Schnebit]

What do they have going on that's better?

Besides, why would you honestly give a crap about what they think? What other people think about you is none of your business!

Jim

[reinhard]

I've always seen the absurdity of shovelglove as part of the appeal, but I guess if you hang with a really humorless crowd it might not always be appreciated.

Two possible solutions:

1. Jettison your family and friends and replace them with cooler ones.

2. Do it in private and don't talk about it -- until people ask because they see the results. I guarantee they'll be receptive then.

Reinhard

[Mr_B]

As long as your not waving the hammer under their noses, why should it even bother them?

I am up at the crack of dawn to have the house to myself while I waft through my exercises (waft as in grunt sweat and heave...).

At the end of the day, it's your thing, so keep with it. The laughs soon stop when the kilos drop.

Good luck!

Rich

[gratefuldeb67]

Use their "naysaying" and ridicule to fuel your desire to succeed!
I'd normally say, ignore them, but somehow I'm feeling you should use it to get angry and use that energy in your workouts!!
I agree with Dave, btw (Hi Dave!) that you should also tell them to F themselves, and threaten them all with Reinhards suggestion of jettisonning (is there such a word?) them right off!

Don't let the bastards grind you down!
SG is awesome and you know it!
Peace and Love,
Debs

[SurfingBuddha]

I have to agree with David and Deb. I have some old "gym friends" that can't believe that I'm not slinging iron with them anymore. None of them believe me when I tell them what I'm doing. The results speak for themselves...I also happen to be the go to guy when they need rock moved or concrete work done. If they want to run around in a gym swimming in other peoples' sweat, they are welcome to it.

[WinstonWolf]

Eh shrug.

Is this significantly sillier ... or sillier at all... than using weight machines in a limited plane of motion? Or doing bicep curls 12 dozen times?

I say thee nay!

Funny thing - one of the sports guys I know thinks it's silly... but both my boss (who runs a lot) and a guy I know who's in really, really good shape think the idea is entirely reasonable... since he used to split wood for exercise, he knows first-hand how effective it is at helping get in or stay in shape.

I'd say - just keep on keepin' on... and if people mock you, don't talk about it. just keep at it.

[JWL]

hey there Paek,

Yeah I pretty much agree with what's been said. But then I'm the guy who shuggs in public whenever possible, just to watch 'em stare.

The results speak for themselves. I used to lift in the gym all the time, and when I started shugging I pretty quickly got stronger than I'd ever been.

[reinhard]

James,

Great to see you again here!

There are now at least two exhibitionist shovelglovers on this board:

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 6470#26470

(I might be willing to post half-naked pictures of myself on the internet, but in person I'm rather self-conscious).

Reinhard

[Kevin]

Nothing you stick to will be ridiculed for long. Envied maybe, but not ridiculed.

I've been SGing for several years now and I'm much stronger and have a ton more stamina.

The only person that ever really ridiculed me was a weight lifting friend, but I shut him up one day when I benched 185 on his Solarflex (or whatever that stupid thing is called) three or four times without even trying.

I've finally gotten my SG and I can't believe the amount ridicule I'm getting from everyone. Its quite disheartening to not have the support of loved ones when I try something new. It was the same way with NoS and urban rangering. Whenever any of it is brought up they group up against me with their fad diets and I hardly get a chance to say anything, and when I do get a word in its dismissed as easily as if I hadnt said anything, which is pretty interesting considering the fact that the weekend before I started NoS I couldn't fit into one of my pairs of jeans and the next weekend I could.

I'll keep at it though, and oh boy am I gonna throw it at 'em when they're still outta shape and I'm able to consistently keep up with the children. :lol:

[zoolina]

When I went into the store to buy my hammer, the guy behind the cournter asked what I (5'2" girlie) was going to do with it. I told him that I was going to use it to curl my eyelashes, and that was the end of that.

I love SGing, but I do have to admit I don't like doing it around other people. Then again, I don't curl my eyelashes in public, either.

Good luck.

Zoolina

[Kevin]

Oh, just tell 'em it's for advanced martial arts training, that you're moving up from sword technique to hammer technique.

That'd end the conversation.

When I went into the store to buy my hammer, the guy behind the cournter asked what I (5'2" girlie) was going to do with it. I told him that I was going to use it to curl my eyelashes, and that was the end of that.

I love SGing, but I do have to admit I don't like doing it around other people. Then again, I don't curl my eyelashes in public, either.

Good luck.

Zoolina

[mbarlowm]

I've gotten mixed reactions. Some of my friends are now doing it, too. Others made fun. I decided not to tell anyone else and in 4 months or so I think everyone will start asking me what I've been doing.

[tommi]

To avoid stupid people behaviour i decided to do shovelgloving secretly, next year when i will (hopefully) be fitter people will start asking.

And i'll say it's because i listen to death metal

[lmt2pt]

When I went into the store to buy my hammer, the guy behind the cournter asked what I (5'2" girlie) was going to do with it. I told him that I was going to use it to curl my eyelashes, and that was the end of that.

I love SGing, but I do have to admit I don't like doing it around other people. Then again, I don't curl my eyelashes in public, either.

Good luck.

Zoolina

I got the same reaction when I upgraded to a heavier sledge. Might have been the cocktail dress and stillettos I was wearing when I bought it. I didn't say a word, just winked at him, slung the sledge over my shoulder as easy as a purse and sauntered out of the store.

[library_guy]

A few months ago, I was taking some ribbing from a friend when I described shovelglove. My friend belongs to a chain gym and she got this incredulous tone of voice and raised her eyebrow. “So you’re PRETENDING to work.†Having read about the naysayers and those who doubt on this post I had prepared myself for the moment when I would be confronted by disbelief. I smiled and replied, “So you’re spending sixty bucks a month to drive 15 minutes to a place where you PRETEND to go for a walk, pretend to climb stairs, and pretend to ride a bike? Hmmm.â€

[sgtrock]

A few months ago, I was taking some ribbing from a friend when I described shovelglove. My friend belongs to a chain gym and she got this incredulous tone of voice and raised her eyebrow. “So you’re PRETENDING to work.†Having read about the naysayers and those who doubt on this post I had prepared myself for the moment when I would be confronted by disbelief. I smiled and replied, “So you’re spending sixty bucks a month to drive 15 minutes to a place where you PRETEND to go for a walk, pretend to climb stairs, and pretend to ride a bike? Hmmm.â€

I have to say, that is a truly excellent response.

[library_guy]

sgtrock-
Thanks. My response seemed to really get her thinking.

[Seul]

Library guy-

That is one of the coolest things I have ever read.

[chentegt]

When I started working with my shovelglove religiously last year, I told to my friends. Two of them laughed at me. A few months later, the were impressed how much weight I had lost and how my arms looked.

Well, today, I can assure you that both my 2 brothers and some friends have been lured by the sledgehammer power. Last weekend I spent a holiday with those friends that had laughed at me. One of them is very very fat, not doing any exercise, and the other one is going the same road... He used to go to the gym but he's now very busy traveling around the country on weekdays. Funny though, his girlfriend told him: "Hey, you should also take a hammer and start doing it during it through your day!".

None of my friends joke about it now. They recognice it already as a very effective exercise, and all my brother's friends have done some shovelglove routines. The sledgehammer in my house gets lots of respect, and is considered a serious piece of equipment.

Hope it motives some people out there.

[library_guy]

Thanks Seul!

[storm fox]

All that has been said here is gold. I don't do much SG, but I respect the hell out of it. "Normal" methods get "normal" results: i.e. burnout, metabolic syndrome, or lack of any results whatsoever. I don't dig bodybuilding or Mike Mentzer, but he had a great saying, "If you're going to lead the orchestra, you've got to turn your back on the crowd." I dig that.
Fourteen years ago, it was unthinkable to lift anything but barbells or dumbbells if you were serious about strength, but then Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur Training came out. Ten years ago, no serious lifters did bodyweight exercises, but then Matt Furey came along with his good but expensive combat conditioning. I remember how skeptical everyone was about kettlebells, before we all found out how good they are. And before the movie 300 came out, circuit training was thought to be silly and only for beginners and people who didn't care about getting big and strong.
Maybe shovelglove is the next big thing, and these folks are going to be knocking on your door asking if you're certified to train them in shovelglove. An exaggeration? Perhaps, but history repeats and good ideas eventually get recognized.

[la_loser]

Storm Fox,

I love your Mentzer quote about leading the orchestra. I took the liberty of adding it to the topic on the No S General Discussion board that I started a few months ago, called: No S Catch Phrase Glossary (add yours!)

Reinhard made it a sticky so it stays near the top and various posters add one-liners and zingers that are relevant to No S. Your quote seemed applicable to No S as well.

Thanks for the tip!