The book that started it all

Take a sledgehammer and wrap an old sweater around it. This is your "shovelglove." Every week day morning, set a timer for 14 minutes. Use the shovelglove to perform shoveling, butter churning, and wood chopping motions until the timer goes off. Stop. Rest on weekends and holidays. Baffled? Intrigued? Charmed? Discuss here.
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Djemps
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The book that started it all

Post by Djemps » Tue Apr 06, 2010 3:32 am

This question is mostly for Reinhard, but I'd be happy to get the info from anybody who knows the answer...

Has anyone figured out the name of the French Novel that Reinhard used as inspiration for picking up a Sledgehammer as a means of daily exercise? I will soon be making a post about a little shovel glove exercise I came up with that I feel best approximates the movement of a Locomotive 'Fireman' shoveling coal into a steam engine. I just wanted to include the original quote from Reinhard's book that talks about the rippling abdominals of most coal shovelers. I've only been doing the exercise for half a month, so I'm not the poster child for this, but I think the movement does a decent job of targeting the abs. Just wanted to add the quote for extra 'clout'. :D

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:27 pm

I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone to inquire!

But I'm afraid it may take a little research...

My first thought was it must have been Emile Zola's Germinal, but I can't find it in there.

I think it may actually have been from an art book at my mom's house quoting Edgar Degas. I should have looked while I was there over Easter weekend.

Reinhafd

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Post by Djemps » Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:20 pm

reinhard wrote: I think it may actually have been from an art book at my mom's house quoting Edgar Degas. I should have looked while I was there over Easter weekend.

Reinhafd
Doh!

My search-fu is weak. Couldn't find much of a connection between Edgar Degas and Coal Shoveling via Google. The only 'quotes' from Degas online are about Art, not lowly manual labor.

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