Everyday Systems

Okay my SG is officially in the apartment... I am abandoning the "show this to the personal trainers at the gym" for a little while... Mainly because, as cool and great of a workout as this is, there is just something intimidating about walking up to someone with a sledgehammer, and I guess I don't *completely* want to have my new coworkers think (probably rightly so) that I am off my noodle... Somehow I don't think a sledgehammer will re-enforce my reputation as a healing therapist... I might just scare off some clients who may worry that somewhere inbetween frictioning the attachments to their scapula, and kneading away their gastrocs, I might just decide to bust some spines! Not a relaxing thought, and probably wouldn't help in the trust department... LOL
It would take too much explaining and I'm sure the vivid image of me "SG Kendo-ing" would be difficult to erase!
Don't get me wrong, guys... I am totally proud to wield the hammer
I think I'll just share it with friends who already have accepted me and my weird hobbies "as is!" or would that be, as "am"?
This guy just came to spray the trees here, and he helped me move a desk into the place... I noticed that he had very developed arms, so we got to talking and it turned out that he was a three time winner of some competitions, posing, lifting, all that stuff... He probably only weighed about 160, as he was a bit on the short side, but he told me that a few years back he injured his knee doing a squat lift with,,,,,
800 lbs!!!
Gee wonder why he hurt himself?
Anyhow, before he left, I showed him the SG and did a few chops and lunges... I wish I could have had a photo of his smirky reaction! LOL!
He seemed very amused, but I guess way too hardcore to be impressed!
He told me that now, he likes using cables.. We were in total agreement that it rocks to have an exercise tool which allows you full range of motion..
He thought dumbells were really boring too!
Have a great SG day and enjoy sssing this weekend!
Love,
Deb
ps.. I am totally recovered and now I will commence my routine at home.
My stereo is hooked up and I am ready to blast some Dead and bust some heads!

were you referring to the muscle-bound gardner or the heavy metallic items used to build muscle?

Reinhard has taken the sledgehammer from obscurity in the back of the garage and turned it into a premier, exotic, fitness tool. The same can be done with dumbbells, with a little imagination.

I sat down and thought of all the ways I could use dumbbells to mimic real world problems requiring strentgh. A few of them included the Farmer's Walk, carrying a 75 lbs db in each hand across the gym and back;; lifting a couple 50-60 lbs dumbbells to chest or should height and carrying them across the gym; hoisting dumbbells over head; grabbing 45 lbs weights and pretending to be in a bucket brigade, rotating side to side and handing the weight off to my imaginary friends.; and so on. I tried to go as heavy as I could for a few reps or walks.

I admit that shovelglove was my inspiration. I even created scenarios in the beginning, such as "working in the mines", coming up with all kinds of pulling and lifting movements that fit my Hollywood-ized idea of what it would be like to work in an anicent mine or the Pits of Mordor. .

So next time you're faced with a boring dumbbell workout cause you have nary a shovel glove in sight, use your imagination as inspiration for a new dumbbell workout, individual and as unique as you are. I had a lot of fun with it!

Hey, amused is better than offended.

Samurai, you make a great point (with some very helpful examples). It's true that the shovelglove mentality can be applied pretty well to conventional exercise equipment (or even furniture, in a pinch). It's always a fun challenge when I'm traveling to come up with 14 minutes of useful movements without my accustomed prop. But I think the biggest advantage of the sledge is inspirational rather than implementational. Sure an actual tool is physically easier to use as a tool than a mere weight, but even more important is that, like a wizard's staff, its toolness channels ideas for tool-like movements. It isn't necessary (especially if you have Samurai's extraordinary imagination), but it helps.

reinhard wrote:Hey, amused is better than offended.

Samurai, you make a great point (with some very helpful examples). It's true that the shovelglove mentality can be applied pretty well to conventional exercise equipment (or even furniture, in a pinch). It's always a fun challenge when I'm traveling to come up with 14 minutes of useful movements without my accustomed prop. But I think the biggest advantage of the sledge is inspirational rather than implementational. Sure an actual tool is physically easier to use as a tool than a mere weight, but even more important is that, like a wizard's staff, its toolness channels ideas for tool-like movements. It isn't necessary (especially if you have Samurai's extraordinary imagination), but it helps.

Not only that Reinhard, but for those of martial spirit the sledge hammer is a much more inspirational tool as well. I've been toying with some ideas recently, one to create a Thor's hammer scenario as previously suggested, and the other to just go all out with a variety of swings and smashes, fighting my way through a horde of orcs / hobgoblins / weekend sale at Dillard's.

Hey, a warhammer is just a tool -- for killing people.

Looking forward to more details on those scenarios.

Today I tried something a little different; I took my sledgehammer with me on a two-mile run/walk through the park. I made quite the sight, I'm sure, considering that not only was I carrying a 10-lb. sledgehammer at port arms, but I was wearing combat boots and a 20-lb, bright blue weight vest. The uniform was complete with red chili pepper biker bandana and Ray Ban sunglasses (at least they weren't mirrored lenses )

When I returned home from the run, I improvised a shovelglove workout on the spot; no routine, no counting reps - I just went like a madman, using chopping trees, over head smashes, and berseker swinging movements. Let me tell you - it didn't take long to finish the 'scenario.' Probably no more than 5-6 minutes and I was wiped out, gasping for air, chest heaving, shoulders sagging. Whew!

We'll see how I feel tomorrow, if I will ever want to 'improvise' another such session!

YOU ARE MY HERO!!!!!!!!
LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!
Deb

Gee, Samurai, I love the idea of taking the shovelglove for a walk! I might try that this evening.