Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.
Next weekend I'm completing the San Diego marathon. I'll also be doing the Long Beach marathon on October 12. I'm commiting to following the No S plan for the 20 weeks untill the race in fall. I'm also beginning the shovelglove exercises on my N days.
This is my taper week until next Sunday's marathon. Today I'm doing 6 miles. After that I'm off to Lowes to buy a sledgehammer!
My first Shovelglove today. To sum up my experience in one word...AAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!
This workout is tough as heck! My arms are shaking as I type. I'm no newbie to strength training, I've been hitting the gym for over 20 years. I was bored with the regular barbell, circuit machine type of workout.
I was looking for something different and man o man, did I find it!
walkerlori wrote:My first Shovelglove today. To sum up my experience in one word...AAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!
This workout is tough as heck! My arms are shaking as I type. I'm no newbie to strength training, I've been hitting the gym for over 20 years.
What size sledgehammer did you buy?
At age 63, I feel certain I am much older than you,
and I have no strength training experience,
so I am certain you got one much heavier than my 4 lb sledgehammer.
I am curious as to the size,
because I've been using my little 4 lb sledgehammer and doing Shovelglove
for 15 mintues a day for 2 weeks in a row, and I'm barely sore at all.
Thanks to my fellow noSers for stopping by and saying hi. I'll be spending more time online soon and will visit everyone's blogs.
BrightAngel....I'm using a 10 lb sledgehammer for all the moves except for the lever flips. I think that's what they're called, you know, the exercise that didn't have a name. I switch to a 4 lber for that one.
You're 63 and I'm 51. We're both at the ages where we need to keep our muscles and bones nice and strong!
walkerlori wrote: I switched from the 10 lb sledgie to the 4 lb one.
walkerlori,
That sounds like a wise move.
I know doing Shovelglove with my 4 lb slegehammer is working very well for me.
Then, there's still 6 lbs, and 8 lbs between 10 lbs, so I probably won't ever do 10 lbs.
However, with your strength training history, 10 lbs might soon be a good choice.
It seems to me one would have to be an EXTREMELY stong and healthy woman,
to start with a 10 lb sledgehammer.
Another SUCCESSful shovelglove day. Most of my soreness is gone, I was able to go back to my 10 lber. I may switch off between light/high rep and heavy/low rep days.
The San Diego marathon is this weekend, I'm looking forward to it. In previous marathons, I mostly ran the distance. When I turned 50 last year, I decided to switch to a walk/run format. I like it better but it takes a heck of a long time to cross the finish line!
After the marathon I'm going to start implementing the No S rules.
Debs