So, I found the shovelglove routines online, got a sledgehammer and got to work. For a little background, I have exercised off and on forever, and my weight has yo-yo'd forever. So, I am hoping this will help, as I really like the 14 min plan and committing to doing it forever. I do have a couple of questions though. I have a full week and 1 day under my belt. The first few days were intense, and I was extremely sore for much of the first week. However, toward the end of the week, I wasnt sore and today I felt really good at the end of my workout. It starts to make you wonder if it is still working you hard enough to see gains, since my arms werent complete jelly (like at the beginning) and I felt like I could have kept going (unlike the beginning when I was barely finishing). So:
1) Do I start changing the movements now, or is this normal to get somewhat used to the routine?
2) I havent felt any soreness in the abs...should I be or am I doing something wrong?
I love the website, the workout and the message boards. Thanks for any responses in advance!
A couple of questions
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chiangmaiboss
- Posts: 88
- Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:20 am
If your goal is to lose weight, I believe it would be better to add other aerobic exercises to your routine besides shovelglove. If doing shovelglove raises your heartrate enough to produce aerobic benefits, then maybe you could work up to 30 minute session, or maybe 2 separate sessions a day. For me, I have to do at least 40 minutes of aerobics exercise a day to lose weight, and 30 to maintain it. However, it all depends on how many calories you take in, and I eat a lot. So maybe you can get away with less.
Shovelglove does not really cause much effect in my abdominals, although I believe it benefits the entire body, and I would always include it as part of the overall exercise plan. And if you have soreness this is normal, unless it is extreme pain in which case I would lay off until I recovered.
Shovelglove does not really cause much effect in my abdominals, although I believe it benefits the entire body, and I would always include it as part of the overall exercise plan. And if you have soreness this is normal, unless it is extreme pain in which case I would lay off until I recovered.
Chiang Mai and Nakhon Sawan, Thailand
jairvee,
Don't worry about shovelglove not quite slaughtering you as much this week as last week. That's inevitable, -- and good (exhilerating as it can be initially, very few people can handling being slaughtered five days a week indefinitely). Give it time (much easier to do now that it isn't so painful), and you'll still experience great results.
Reinhard
Don't worry about shovelglove not quite slaughtering you as much this week as last week. That's inevitable, -- and good (exhilerating as it can be initially, very few people can handling being slaughtered five days a week indefinitely). Give it time (much easier to do now that it isn't so painful), and you'll still experience great results.
Reinhard
Re: A couple of questions
If you're young/in shape then start increasing the speed. Also pay attention to technique so you feel it in the right spots.jairvee wrote:1) Do I start changing the movements now, or is this normal to get somewhat used to the routine?
I don't know if you'll ever feel soreness there. Shovelglove works the weakest muscles first so until your arms/shoulders are really strong it won't get around to the abs/legs.jairvee wrote:2) I havent felt any soreness in the abs...should I be or am I doing something wrong?
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jkevincoffin
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:24 pm
- Location: Tucson, AZ
For the abs
I usually feel lightly sore in my abs, lower back, and "sides" after my SG workout. I think the reason is that I concentrate on doing the movements with as much input from my core as possible, just like they are done in real life.
For example, with shoveling, you could just bend over and poke the shovel at the floor lightly and then lift with your arms. But have you ever really shoveled? You need to get some speed into the downward thrust just to get the blade a decent distance into the soil. Use your arms and stomach to make the downward thrust as fast as you can. Your stomach should harden and flex just like you're doing a "crunch" even though your standing up.
Another example, have you ever really chopped wood, like a fallen log? The shovelglove movement "chopping wood" I'm seeing on a lot of the videos is not true to real life. In real life, you don't just stand there and raise and lower the axe with your arms and with a straight back. Its a whole body movement that aims at being smooth and repeatable while at the same time getting maximum downward acceleration. The movement is hard to describe so here's a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USPDxkgWRaY
Notice how the axe swings an arc from all the way behind his back and then he accelerates it with his whole body, the arms, stomach, and a drop of the butt. After the swing is completed, the ax comes back up along the side and then starts the downward swing again. If you watch the axhead from the side, it is moving in a big circle with the mans body at the center.
Now I don't have anything to smash in my bedroom so I make this "real" movement, then pull up at the last second and let the hammer swing between my legs.
For example, with shoveling, you could just bend over and poke the shovel at the floor lightly and then lift with your arms. But have you ever really shoveled? You need to get some speed into the downward thrust just to get the blade a decent distance into the soil. Use your arms and stomach to make the downward thrust as fast as you can. Your stomach should harden and flex just like you're doing a "crunch" even though your standing up.
Another example, have you ever really chopped wood, like a fallen log? The shovelglove movement "chopping wood" I'm seeing on a lot of the videos is not true to real life. In real life, you don't just stand there and raise and lower the axe with your arms and with a straight back. Its a whole body movement that aims at being smooth and repeatable while at the same time getting maximum downward acceleration. The movement is hard to describe so here's a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USPDxkgWRaY
Notice how the axe swings an arc from all the way behind his back and then he accelerates it with his whole body, the arms, stomach, and a drop of the butt. After the swing is completed, the ax comes back up along the side and then starts the downward swing again. If you watch the axhead from the side, it is moving in a big circle with the mans body at the center.
Now I don't have anything to smash in my bedroom so I make this "real" movement, then pull up at the last second and let the hammer swing between my legs.
Re: For the abs
You can definitely focus the effort with SG. I do it a lot.jkevincoffin wrote:I usually feel lightly sore in my abs, lower back, and "sides" after my SG workout. I think the reason is that I concentrate on doing the movements with as much input from my core as possible, just like they are done in real life.