To the lady shuggers...

[chickfilafan]

Hi, I just started shugging (I think that's the term everyone uses) and wanted to ask the ladies if they get to bulky after shugging for awhile. I can definitely feel it in my arms after just a few reps which is great but I don't want to get too big because I am tiny. Thanks.

[JWL]

I'm not a lady but I am a shugger. LOL

I don't think getting too big, like bodybuilder big, is a concern in general for women who use any sort of weight training. Genetically speaking, for the most part, it's hard for anyone, and especially women, to look like Ahh-nuld.

People who get weightlifter-big have to work at it. Hard. Like, precise-diet-and-workout-4-hours-a-day hard.

Shovelglove is all about functional strength. Look at Reinhard's photos, he's quite fit, he exercises daily with a 20# sledgehammer, AND he's a guy, but he doesn't look like a bodybuilder. He looks fit. And he's strong.

Don't worry about it. Just enjoy the process of shugging, go slow at first, and grow to love the feeling you get in your body when you work it like this.

[reinhard]

Welcome, chickfilafan!

This has been asked a few times, and we've had at least one good, extended discussion about it which is probably worth taking a look at:

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=244

To sum it up (more or less):

It's funny how many women seem to be afraid that the tiniest been of strength exercise is going to suddenly turn them into the Hulk. If only it were that easy, even for us testosterone ridden males! Don't worry, 14 minutes a day of *anything* is not going to do that for you.

You also might want to take a look at Mistress Krista's weightlifting for women site, which has a couple of sections on incorporating shovelglove into your workout:

http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=47

and

http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=63

Best of luck, and keep us posted,

Reinhard

[chickfilafan]

Thanks JWL. I guess it is true that body builders have to work absurdly hard to look that way.

Thanks for the links Reinhard. By the way, I absolutely love the shovelglove. But I think I love it too much because I keep wanting to do it as much as possible. It's too much fun!

[Kevin]

Go ahead and start shugging. If you get to muscular, you can stop. And if you stop, all the muscles will go away.

But they won't because you won't ever get big and bulky. It takes big weights and low reps to get big muscles. It's hard for men to get big: it's very, very hard for women to get big.

Hi, I just started shugging (I think that's the term everyone uses) and wanted to ask the ladies if they get to bulky after shugging for awhile. I can definitely feel it in my arms after just a few reps which is great but I don't want to get too big because I am tiny. Thanks.

[KTina]

I am a lady and LOVE the idea of a 14 minute unconventional workout. I was thinking about starting rock climbing and have a feeling that the muscles one would develop in rock climbing are similar to shovel gloving.

[jules]

I've never rock climbed, but yes I imagine a lot of the same muscles would get a workout

Fun stuff this shovelglove!

jules

[NoelFigart]

Hi, I just started shugging (I think that's the term everyone uses) and wanted to ask the ladies if they get to bulky after shugging for awhile. I can definitely feel it in my arms after just a few reps which is great but I don't want to get too big because I am tiny. Thanks.

AUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!

(Sorry. I'm a female weightlifter, so this hit a real serious peeve. It's not your fault, it's the fault of a COUPLE of rather uneducated fitness professionals writing irresponsible articles)

No, you won't get too bulky. I promise. You could go the gym and lift REAL REAL heavy and unless you're taking illegal anabolic steroids you won't get at all bulky. Your scale weight might not drop for awhile, but your dress size sure as heck would.

The present crop of Ms. Olympias work like you would not believe in addition to the drugs with crazy diets that would make your skin crawl to achieve the contest ready look. We're talking HOURS a day in the gym. A woman does not have the testosterone to get bulky by accident.

Really REALLY serious female weightlifters that don't use drugs are actually often rather small. A friend of mine who can squat over 200 lbs is five foot one and weighs 100 lbs. She's not big or bulky. She's got a physique about like a ballet dancer.

Shug away. You will add a great deal of strength and put on a few pounds of muscle over the years, but not a whole lot. You certainly won't put on much size.

[KC 7707]

Good answer Noel. I'm surprised how much this little "myth" keeps popping up. Especially when you consider how many women in sports do some kind of resistance training and have attractive feminine figures to show for it. I guess the steroid look gets alot more obvious play in the media.

BTW a double bodyweight squat (i.e. your 100 lb friend who squats 200 lbs) is very impressive for anyone.

[NoelFigart]

Yeah, that chick is psycho strong. I'm about twice her weight and my personal best on squats is about half that!