Everyday Systems

Hello. I stumbled across your site and bought a 16 pounder that night. I would have gone for 12 but they didn't have them and I didn't want to wait for one from the internet. I currently can't go 14 minutes continuous, I usually will take 20 second breaks when I need them, but I love the workout. I do smaller sets but they look like this:
(everything is left and then right)
20 shovels
20 butter churns
20 fireman (as if i'm chopping a door down yes?)
20 woodchops/fenceposts (don't know the difference)

As I get more tired I cut the number of reps down to 10 but I just continue working though over and over. I trade off between pretending like i'm really hitting something hard and speed reps. I also haven't tied a sweater onto it yet. I never really hit the ground and I live in a POS house so I don't care when I do. I look forward to progress! I want my coal miner abs. I'm also impressed with how much you feel it in your hamstring.

Suggested workout mix:

Welcome to the jungle
Ironman
Can't touch this

Feedback is appreciated!

(would our super hero mascot be Steel?)

Welcome, rbergstr!

The difference between woodchops and fenceposts is tricky to explain...

Conceptually, fence posts are higher, and part of the move is a swinging wind up. With chop wood (the shovelglove move, no idea about actually wood chopping), I imagine the chop happing somewhat lower and there's no wind up, just raise the hammer up, then chop.

Have you taken a look at the videos? I think they may make it clearer than anything I could say.

Yes, "the fireman" is door chopping. The more violently inclined (and/or nerdy) may wish to imagine it as "smite the orc" instead.

Low rep counts are best to start with -- and maybe even best forever. These days, at least 2 days a week I limit myself to 7 rep sets. It's safer, and still quite a workout because I don't rest between sets. The difference is the work is more even distributed. 2 days a week I still go bananas on the rep counts (up to 42 reps for some movements) but that's mostly a macho thing, to prove to myself that I can. I'm not sure it's something I would recommend.

As for progress, banish it from your mind. Worrying about progress will push you to overdo it -- to discourage yourself with a torturously hard routine or to injure yourself. Just focus on a consistent minimum level of compliance, on maintaining your habit. If you do that, results will come, surprisingly quickly. And they'll come safely. See the section on shovelglove home page about "the progress trap."

Enough with the warnings -- have fun and keep us posted.

Reinhard