Everyday Systems

My lower back is a bit sore today. Any seasoned warmup/stretching suggestions for pre-shugging.

Just generic toe touches? Sitting or standing toe touches?

I might also try some hindu pushups. Perhaps a back bridge of some sort, but there are so many options.

I wouldn't recommend the toe touches.

A bit of walking with good attention to posture usually works out any kinks in by back.

--david

I'm interested in warmup/stretches that I can do before SG. I think this might help avoid injury. This is especially important to me since I do it immediately after waking up.

CriticalMass wrote:I'm interested in warmup/stretches that I can do before SG. I think this might help avoid injury. This is especially important to me since I do it immediately after waking up.

I agree that standing over and touching your toes should be avoided as a stretching exercise--especially when the muscles are "cold." The movement requires a LOT of lower back strength to move the body through that much motion against gravity.

I actually use some exercises from a book by Peggy Brill (a physical therapist) entitled A Core Foundation (title may be a bit off, but CORE is the key word).

This website: http://www.spineuniverse.com/article/ba ... -4413.html

includes some very similar stretches that Brill recommends. I can attest that they really do help long term.

HTH,

Thanks for the information and link. I see that the bridge is one of the recommended methods, Great. I'm finding that the Hindu pushups do help get me warmed up and stretched out. I'm going to incorporate some of these stretches also

You can do the cat/cow yoga stretch, this is when you get down on all 4s, and then alternate:

breathe in - arch your back towards the floor
breathe out - arch your back towards the ceiling

5 repetitions of this is a good back stretch.

Also, you could try lying on your back on a mat, and hug your knees to your chest. This also helps with the lower back area.

I don't do anything... I used to feel vague guilty/nervous about not stretching or warming up before shugging. But now that I've shugging without for 7 years with no ill effects I don't.

Reinhard

go on youtube or google and look up chinese/tai chi type warm ups. Things like loose and gentle torso twists and arm and shoulder rotations do a body good before training. Then there's the 'obvious' stuff like starting off gently and easing in to each session.

With a fixed weight like SG, I'd start with some 'low-tech' drills to get warm: basic swings as if holding a croquet club for a few mins to get the hips and back warm. If you get hurt perhaps it's because you are in too much of a rush to get out of breath!

Had some problems with (I think to be) a tendinitis in right arm bicep.
Inspired by some Youtube videos I found when I was starting shovelglove, I bought 2 hammer, 1.5 Kg (3.3 lb) each.

I perform some rotations to warmup the shoulders and back, then some hammering and boxing movements for biceps/triceps, and that's it (for upper body).

filipe wrote:Had some problems with (I think to be) a tendinitis in right arm bicep.
Inspired by some Youtube videos I found when I was starting shovelglove, I bought 2 hammer, 1.5 Kg (3.3 lb) each.

I perform some rotations to warmup the shoulders and back, then some hammering and boxing movements for biceps/triceps, and that's it (for upper body).

You use the hammers to warm up, then move to the shovelglove? How long do you warm up for?

I also shug in the mornings and don't stretch but only allocate the 14 allotted minutes. No more, no less

I'm also having time constraints. I warmup no more than 2-3 minutes total. Only then I start with Shovelglove.

I'm really enjoying this “Hammerglove†workout. It's more challenging than I've previously guessed, so it's possible it will become part of the Shovelglove routine itself.

If you find more interesting movements, please post them.

I have a few hammers of decent weight (I'll need to weigh them and see if I have 2 of the same) and might have to try this and see how it works.

This mostly interests me as I have a hammer at my home office lying on my desk from when I hung up something for the wife. When I'm bored while working, I will pick it up and start swinging it around but I didn't realize I could actually incorporate this into the routine.

Of course, I am also inherently lazy, so it will be interesting to see if I actually incorporate this or not.

Run in place or do a few jumping jacks to warm you up. It is really not necessary to stretch before working out, but stretching after your workout is important.

If I feel the need to warm up I just do a front plank (the up part of a push up) and hold it for about five breaths.

--david