Shovelglove for girls?

[ZTor]

Hi there,
I was thinking about recommending the shovelglove to a female friend.
Are there any women reading this, willing to share some SG experience?
Are you using lighter hammers (than my 5kg ~ 11lb)?

What do you say, dear shuggettes?

[reinhard]

There have actually been quite a few.

I'm sure they'll chime in personally, but in the meantime, some previous discussions on the subject:

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

http://www.everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=500

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=777

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2426

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3420

Reinhard

[jessdr]

Hi there,
I was thinking about recommending the shovelglove to a female friend.
Are there any women reading this, willing to share some SG experience?
Are you using lighter hammers (than my 5kg ~ 11lb)?

What do you say, dear shuggettes?

I've only done it four times, so I'm not exactly the voice of experience, but here goes.

- I have been using my belly dance balancing sword, which weighs 3lbs, and is three feet long (about the same length as many sledge hammers).

- The weight is perfect for where I am right now. I do my routine in slow motion, and the muscles get fatigued after about 10 reps (up from 8 in the first session). If I do the movements quickly, it's too easy. (This is pretty consistent with my dance experience: doing something slowly and smoothly requires fuller muscle engagement and gives you fewer opportunities to cheat than doing it quickly.)

- It's been fun, and I'm already seeing better muscle tone. I usually get a little sore (pleasant "I just worked hard" sore, not "I overdid it" sore), but it goes away in an hour or two.


I would definitely recommend that your friend start with whatever she has on hand. She can always buy a sledgehammer later when she needs more of a challenge.

Besides, using different objects evokes different role-playing scenarios. I was originally attracted to the farmer imagery, but with sword in hand (especially in front of my dance studio mirrors), the series took on a lord of the rings-style sword maiden theme. I'm also toying with the idea of using a frying pan (ours have fairly long handles), a marble rolling pin, a 2x4, a light-weight bent-wood chair (Jerry Springer scenario?), etc., for more variety.


A good scenario goes a long way. I do a lot more housecleaning since I bought a pair of Gloveables (rubber gloves with cute ruffle edgings). Add an apron (and sometimes a dress and pearls), and I can do a mean Donna Reed impression (complete with 50s "better living through chemistry" propaganda movie soundtrack in my head) that will get me through doing the dishes, cleaning the kitchen, and throwing in some laundry.

[winnie96]

I was really afraid of starting with the 8 lb hammer I had on hand, so spent a few days trying to mimic the moves with a 6 lb dumbbell, but took a leap and started using the 8 lb hammer, cranking way down on the number of moves and reps, and starting with only 7 minutes per session. I took it very slow at first, but was surprised at how quickly I got used to that weight.

One of the things I find great about shugging is that you have a lot of variables to play with (length of time, number of moves, type of moves, number of reps, etc.), and can tailor the beginning workouts pretty well as long as you're careful not to overdo.

I had a dumbbell toning thing going on so wasn't in awful shape -- I think for someone who isn't totally new to strength training, an 8 pounder is the way to go -- very carefully, of course. If you have no upper body strength, or are just afraid of a heavier weight, maybe 6 lb (or less) would be a better choice.

My other thought is that shugging makes you feel so terrific, do whatever you need to do to at least get started! If that means starting with a very light weight, by all means go ahead -- for some, the point may be to just get started, then fine-tune the weight issue once you have some experience.

[LMN]

That is kind of a vague question. Does your friend have any prior experience with sports or weight training? How strong is she, what kind of shape is she in now? I started with a 12 lb sledge about a year ago and now I alternate between that and a 16 lb sledge. Have her experiment and see what is right for her.

[morganalefay]

I use a 10lb hammer, though I was already fairly fit and had a couple of years' experience of working out with free weights including a pair of 5kg dumbbells. The whole concept guides you towards starting slowly and keeping the reps down. I would tell her to go for it though, it's tremendous fun!