Everyday Systems

I have re-started No S for the past three weeks. I am eating better, and I'm very happy about it. The scale (the terrible thing that it is) is not moving. It's going up sometimes instead of going down and I'm feeling discouraged. I know what is wrong. I am not exercising enough. The occasional half mile plus or minus walk 2-3 times a week isn't doing it.

I'm thinking of trying shovelglove. I just might buy a sledgehammer on my way home from work. I do have a bad back (it's crooked). But I think I can do this without hurting myself.

Can I hear from other women that do this regularly and what kind of results can I expect in combination with No S? I need to tone up my arms, belly, thighs and knees. I have 45lbs to lose.

oliviamanda

I'm female, but new enough that I'm not sure I can help.

I do feel better. I took it slow and careful, but I am noticing "weak" places in my back that have become stronger. The motions become easier over time. I work up a real sweat in only 15 minutes, and feel a sense of accomplishment in doing them.

Give it a try.

Let me start by telling you up front that I'm not female.

Now that that is out of the way, I can tell you that I've been shovelgloving for about a month or so, and when i started I had some lower-to-middle back pain when I would lift objects, or stand for long periods of time.

I was a little nervous of SG at first, and during the first few exercises I DID notice my back was sore.

But there was a difference...

• It was only sore for about 30 minutes after SG.

• the pain didn't impare my movement (like bending or turning)

• It was a different kind of pain, felt more like a slow burn than a "twinge"

Since, My back no longer huts after a SG workout. My back does still hurt from time to time, but it seems less often.

This data seems to conclude that ShovelGloving has helped me build some muscle in my back that I apparently needed. My back pain from day to day is much less often, and less severe.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the advice. My husband looked worried when I told him I'm going to buy a sledgehammer.

I am looking forward to strengthening my back and getting rid of any rolls "back" there.

oliviamanda

Welcome, Olivia!

I think the main issues are the same regardless of gender: start with a light weight, very few slow and careful reps (7 is a good number) of each movement, and stop immediately if anything hurts (then take the next day off). Skip any movement that seems too hard or just don't feel right -- you can always revisit it later when you're stronger. The slower your progress, the less likely you are to injure yourself.

Reinhard

You'll laugh, but I didn't get the sledgehammer yet, but those silly commericals on tv for swiffer mops that feature the song "Baby Come Back" inspired me to grab the swiffer and go through some of the motions. I definitely need something heavier than that.

I think that there should be a Shovelglove DVD to pop in ... to teach the movements. I'd buy it!!!

oliviamanda

I'd love to put together a (proudly low production value!) dvd...

It'll probably take me forever to get around to it, but in the meantime, let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see.

I'm thinking:

1. a full 14 minute beginner routine (probably a slow 7x of most of the canonical movements)

2. A faster, higher rep count routine. I think this is vastly less important because once you get comfortable with the movements your really don't need a video.

3. A hybrid routine, involving non-hammer moves like "degraded beast" and "fertilize the fields."

4. a "comprehensive" library of movements tracks for people who are confused about/want to quickly look up a particular movement.

5. interviews? deleted scenes?

Reinhard

Wow! A DVD would be great! The 14 minute beginner and comprehensive library would be most useful to me, but I hope you will include a short segment with your cats puzzling over the Shovelglove (a la the picture on the Shovelglove info page!)

reinhard wrote:I'd love to put together a (proudly low production value!) dvd...

Are low production values important to you, or just low-budget? You can produce a really nice-quality program on public access TV.

I'm shooting a dance instructional video at my station. It looks great (we have the same cameras as ESPN) and as long as you let them air some version of the program, they don't charge you anything beyond the annual membership fee ($40 at mine). Beyond that, my only costs are the tapes and donuts for the volunteer crew.

I think a pay website with a 14 minute video of a routine would be a great way to sell this.

You could have different videos... one for novices, one with the hybrids, etc. Each could be pretty cheap. $5 would be a bargain for most people.

You could bundle them and sell them in a DVD for those who can't watch a computer and workout. You could even sell a super deluxo bundle with a sledge, gloves, chin-up bar, and No S book, with some apples and oranges for a very heavy and awesome fruit basket.

Though I really love the non-commercialized aspect to shovelglove. As long as you keep everything low production value, and keep the prices low, and maintain this site in its low-key and honest fashion, I think you can manage.