A couple weeks ago, I started watching a dvd (ushpizin, to practice my hebrew) while shugging and noticed that either I kept losing count of what rep I was on or, if I focused on counting, couldn't pay attention to the dvd.
I decided to try doing "time based" sets rather than rep based sets, so I could follow the movie without getting distracted from my exercise: so instead of doing a specified number of reps per set, I'd do reps of each movement for one minute. I put a stopwatch on top of my tv. I was already staring at the tv, so it was easy to to give it a quick look every few seconds or so when I thought my minute was close to done. It worked surprisingly well. Some movements I had to slow down on, but with the exception of "hoist the sack," I could do each movement for a full minute per side (and I just switched to a lighter 12 pound hammer when I could no longer hoist 20 pound sacks). I was able to enjoy the movie, and (much to my surprise) didn't miss a single set transition.
Some issues remain:
1. One problem is that I couldn't do a minute per side of each movement I normally do in 14 minutes -- just the official movements listed on the movements page would take 10 x 2= 20 minutes. My tentative solution is to write my last movement on my daily punch card and pick up where I left off the next day. I don't find this entirely satisfactory because I don't like having to keep track of stuff. A better solution would be to do some math up front and assign set 14 minute routines to each weekday so all the movements get equal attention in the course of a week. But I haven't bothered to do this yet.
2. There is something about the idea of staring at a stopwatch that bugs me (although I have to say, it's mostly the idea, doing it has been surprisingly painless). In an attempt to avoid having to do this, I recorded a one minute mp3 of me saying "start!" and "stop!" to loop over and over again, but I found it too easy to zone out when I was absorbed in the movie and miss the transition (I didn't actually miss any, but I stressed about it the whole time). So for now, I'm back to staring at the stop watch.
Despite these issues, I think this is a promising new tactic. I'd be curious to hear what other people think, and I'll post any refinements I make myself here.
Reinhard
Time based vs. rep based sets
I often watch mindless stuff and it's not a problem. I don't know though, Reinhard. This sort of feels - I don't know - too complicated for SG. But hey, you know better than I do when something seems like it might work.
Most often, I like to SG without audio or video input. I can think about other things. I will listen to baseball while I SG, because so little interesting happens in a single set of movements. =0)
Most often, I like to SG without audio or video input. I can think about other things. I will listen to baseball while I SG, because so little interesting happens in a single set of movements. =0)
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."
Hi Kevin,
Yeah, this certainly isn't something I'll recommend for everyone... at least in its present unrefined form.
But conceptually it's actually rather simple: 1 minute per set. It's actually simpler to express than the variable movements per set that are now the status quo. The complexity comes in only if you want to squeeze in more than 7 movements into 14 minutes a day...
Reinhard
Yeah, this certainly isn't something I'll recommend for everyone... at least in its present unrefined form.
But conceptually it's actually rather simple: 1 minute per set. It's actually simpler to express than the variable movements per set that are now the status quo. The complexity comes in only if you want to squeeze in more than 7 movements into 14 minutes a day...
Reinhard