Young Shovelglove

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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BenGPT
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Young Shovelglove

Post by BenGPT » Sun Mar 05, 2006 1:42 am

Although not the youngest, from what I gather. A high school senior, I came across a link to the Shovelglove home page from Lifehacker. I've always been a tall, scrawny kid. No fat, no muscle, just skin and bones. Despite a few efforts to bulk up by going to the gym, nothing ever produced visible results, and I peaked on the machines after about a week. So I read the blurb about useful movements, and how coal miners are the buffest people EVER, and it really struck me as a good idea.
Luckily, we had a sledgehammer lying around the house. I'm no newcomer to handling it--I use it to crush cans and take them in for money--but I had never done anything like this before. The first day, I took careful heed of the warnings on the site and rested plenty in between sets so as not to tire myself out. To tell you the truth, I was just so danged excited about doing something new.
At the end of the week, I thought "Oh, I can work through the weekend, no problem." But Saturday evening, I realised that indeed my muscles were tired, and I was starting to get blisters on my hands. Thus, I fell into the strictest practice of Shovelglove.
Every night, I trek down to the garage, stretch a bit, then do my routine. Come back in, wash up, and go to bed. Everyone else is already asleep, so I don't have to worry about someone "catching" me. XD
I've worked my way up to the first routine detailed on the main page, and it's UNBELIEVABLE how much better I look, and how less tired I am when performing heavy lifting (for example, carrying my tuba around). My self-esteem has gone through the roof, thanks to you, and it's such an easy routine to keep that I don't think I'll ever quit.

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Sun Mar 05, 2006 2:12 am

Ben,

I love to hear stuff like this. Thank you for posting!

And you must be the first person to have ever taken those warnings seriously! Thank you! I was about to resort to the dreaded blink tag...

I don't recall ever getting blisters from shovelglove, but my hands have been callused for years now. "Workers hands." I take it as a (fake, technically, I guess) badge of honor.

Sweet avatar. Is that me, or are you my clone? In either case, you can sure draw. We might have to draft you to the shovelglove t-shirt design committee...

Reinhard

8wheels
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Post by 8wheels » Sun Mar 05, 2006 2:58 am

That was such in inspiring story I had to stop what I'm doing to repond.

You keep it up man! I've been at it two months and haven't even gotten around to doing a proper intro - you're going to be a hard act to follow.

That *is* a kewl avatar.



Reinhard: No Blynki ;)

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:58 am

Ben! Rock on with your shovelgloving tuba playing bad self!!!!!
LOL!!!

It's great fun and works like nothin!!!

Yo!

Your tuba will be feeling like a sopranino sax by the time you are really going strong with SG... Give it a few months and those arms will be able to wrestle anyone around! Even your biggest tuba playing friends! :lol:

And that avatar you drew of Reinhard is priceless!!!!!!!!
LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!

Excellent nuance in the face area...
You even included those baggy pjs!

Love it!
Ya know, that pj clad computer dyi geek is sure helping lots of people feel and look good!
He deserves such a tribute! :wink:

Keep up the good work!
Peace and Love,
8) Deb

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carolejo
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Post by carolejo » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:10 am

Hi Ben,

That is amazing. You've inspired me to get back off my lazy butt and pick the sledge back up. I mean it. I've been so idle recently I haven't done a consistent SG workout in about 6 weeks, even though I used to do that pretty much every day. Hmmm. I just realised what was missing from my life again.

Rock on. This is great news!

C.

ps: I'd *definately* buy a T-Shirt with that Avatar design on it. Ooh yes.
CaroleJo

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BenGPT
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Post by BenGPT » Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:01 pm

Wow, I'd never have thought my story could be so inspiring. . . but I'm sure glad it is!
As a matter of fact, one of the other benefits of shovelglove is already presenting itself. I regularly am in musicals at school, and this year I got the male romantic part. One of the scenes calls for my lady to jump into my arms and be spun around. Luckily, I had been shovelgloving for a few weeks before I had to do this. I'm pretty sure I would've had trouble with it before, so it was really great to be spared embarrassment (especially since I'm rather fond of her. . . :oops: ) Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Yeah, I haven't gotten blisters so much anymore, but I occasionally do have the wrist strain problem someone posted about in the Flip Lever exercise. I have since limited my reps to 8 instead of 20. I'll have to work back up to it.
Regarding my avatar, that IS reinhard, and the reference photo is from the shovelglove home page. I'd love to be drafted into the t-shirt design committee if you think I could help. It would be an honor to contribute something after all Shovelglove has done for me. ^_^

-Ben

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:46 pm

One of the scenes calls for my lady to jump into my arms and be spun around. Luckily, I had been shovelgloving for a few weeks before I had to do this. I'm pretty sure I would've had trouble with it before, so it was really great to be spared embarrassment (especially since I'm rather fond of her. . . ) Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Ha!!!!!!

That's priceless!!!
Good luck catching your girl :wink:

Reinhard, this could be a big selling point in your useful movements metaphor...
LOL...

Imagine a dating service where in order to prepare for your sweetheart you must first buy a sledgehammer and do flip the lever and churning butter till you can catch a flying girl in your arms!
LOL...

That made me smile Ben!
Peace and Shovelglove enhanced Love,
8) Deb

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david
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Post by david » Mon Mar 06, 2006 4:52 pm

Ben,

Awesome testimonial, buddy!

I actually had a girls+shovelglove moment this weekend.

My wife was asking me why my shirts are getting so loose in the waist but they are too tight in the shoulders, so I took off my shirt and gave her a back double bicep pose. Her response was, "You have big bumps where your shoulders are!" I told her it's all SG muscle baby!

Anyway Ben, I so wish I could have started SG at your age--the possibilities boggle my mind. Stay with it and you will be way ahead of the bench press and dumbbell curl frat boys when you get to college.

thanks,
David

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Ben,

Post by Sledge-O-Matic! » Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:23 pm

Man, I wish I had your common sense when I was your age! I've only been shoveling for a week and I can see the difference. I can only imagine how buff you're going to get with at least a dozen year head start on some of us! Keep it up!
"Well Done is Better Than Well Said." -- Benjamin Franklin

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BenGPT
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Post by BenGPT » Thu May 18, 2006 4:10 am

Just an update,
Here's the video of that successful catch:
http://media.putfile.com/Catch-39
And I asked her to prom,
http://img109.imageshack.us/my.php?image=e257re22dm.jpg
And things are progressing well from there. . . :wink:
Ah, still keeping up with the shovelglove. Going into my fifteenth week, never felt better!
-Ben

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Thu May 18, 2006 2:18 pm

Darn!!! The library comp doesn't run flash player.. I couldn't see your date!

But congrats Ben!!!
You are so cute :)! :lol:

Have a fun prom!
Peace and Love,
8) Deb
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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david
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Post by david » Thu May 18, 2006 3:03 pm

Oh, hell yeah, dude! She's HAWT!

Keep us updated!

--David

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Thu May 18, 2006 3:10 pm

Very nice, Ben.

Now that's the kind of result that really means something :-).

We'll need a "before" photo of you glum and alone (and out of shape) in your room :-).

Enjoy the prom.

Reinhard

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Dude!

Post by Kevin » Tue May 23, 2006 12:45 am

Nicely done.
Kevin
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Post by marsh12 » Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:49 am

Hi,

During my brief introduction to No S and Shovelglove and everything all at once, I haven't seen any females posting here during a quick browse. Anybody out there? I thought I'd start out with an 8-pounder, does that sound right? I'd just like to know what to expect because I think this sounds pretty cool for me to do.

Thanks!
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blujay
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Post by blujay » Fri Mar 29, 2013 12:57 am

There are females on this very thread...

What's up with the sig spam? Does this phpBB need updating?

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