Everyday Systems: shovelglove: message 61 of 649

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Alright, Reinhard!

Thanks for the great inspiration! Taking your cue from
the shovelglove, I sat down and created a "working the
mines" workout, using dumbbells and a curl bar. (I
have the opportunity to workout three hours a week at
work and no way I'm not taking advantage of it! So no
sledgehammers but plenty of weights to make it work.) 

I picked the heaviest dumbbell to squat and carry down
at my sides across the room. This was "carrying
rocks."
Another to squat, curl, and carry arms bent around the
room. Then I pressed them overhead one at a time. This
is "passing the bricks." Then I cleaned and pressed a
curl bar to my back and carried this around the room.
This was obviously another version of "carrying
rocks." 

Took single 35 lb weight, held at arms length to the
side, pulled it in, turned and pushed it the other
way. Like a weightlifters version of "bucket brigade."

Finally added some swings and bent lat rows without a
bench to simulate hoisting a counterbalance and
lifting a rock from a worker below me on another
ledge.

I gotta tell you it was one of the best whole body
workouts I've had in a long time, and I was doing
45-55 minutes of body weight cals a day. My upper body
is feeling it and climbing the stairs back to my
office was a chore from the squats and lunges I
incorporated into "hoisting my rocks." 

You have a great, great idea, Reinhard. The mental
imagery to me is one of the greatest parts of these
types of workouts, not to mention that it is
FUNctional! 

For those who prefer more medieval imagery, instead of
farming, think of digging a moat or trenches, chopping
trees for spikes, or, as you say "smiting the orcs."

What a blast!
Thanks again, Reinhard.

=====
"Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look;
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous."
-- William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 2




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