Primal Journal (Uncephalized) page 15

[Uncephalized]

A question: what kind of tape do you use on your handle? I have electrician's and duct tapes--all I can tell from your site is that it is black.

[Timothy]

Mine is electrical tape. Duct tape might be better if it was stickier, because mine tends to fray after a few months of regular use. I use the tape as a tactile guide to positioning, not as an improved gripping surface, so texture is not too important.

[Uncephalized]

Ah, so, I haven't been updating!

I haven't done much working out for the past week. Been out of the weight room because my back got tweaked again.

I have been doing some pushups, chins, tuck jumps, and a few other bodyweight odds and ends.

Of course, I ate a shit-ton of food on Thanksgiving and that Friday (literally; I clogged a toilet afterward). Ate some damned delicious poison and don't regret a moment of it. Back to full-time Primality as of Saturday, though, minus the beer I drank yesterday.

Food has been mostly sweet potato, beef and leafy greens since Saturday. I have been subsisting mostly on ground beef since I am waiting for my second 40-lb grass-fed beef box to be ready, hopefully within the next couple of days. Next time I will plan ahead a bit better so I don't run out of good stuff. I miss having a freezer full of delicious meaty treats.

Tonight I will be obtaining a 10 or 12 pound hammer, which hopefully will be a useful tool in overcoming this back issue, and fun in the process! That's all I guess.

[Uncephalized]

Mine is electrical tape. Duct tape might be better if it was stickier, because mine tends to fray after a few months of regular use. I use the tape as a tactile guide to positioning, not as an improved gripping surface, so texture is not too important.

Cool, one less thing I need to buy then.

I'm going to go for the fiberglass-handle kind I think, so I don't have to worry about the head flying off if I decide I want to pick up a tractor tire and really go Primal on it.

[Uncephalized]

I got my hammer, a 10-lb wood-handled sledge from Home Depot. They didn't have any 12-pounders, which after my first workout this morning, I'm thinking was maybe a good thing. I did (each side) 20 side twists, 15 boat rows, 8 hail Reinhards, 12 back scratchers, 12 John Henrys, 12 Paul Bunyans, 12 Orvilles, and 12 scythe swings. I forgot to do the Stakhanovs but my grip was pretty dead by that point anyway so I called it good. Also, I did the scythes wrong by continuing the swing in a full circle instead of checking and reversing to reset, but I'll do it the right way next time.

For anyone other than Timothy reading this, who has no idea what I'm talking about, check out his site to learn all about it!

I'll definitely be doing this regularly. Crazy burn in my arms, shoulders, and chest. And I only worked out for (what felt like) 5-6 minutes. I'll have to work up to incorporating the explosive motions soon as well.

I haven't named my hammer yet. Haven't gotten to know him/her/it well enough yet. I will probably get a 12-lb at some point as my grip strength improves and I get stronger.

[Timothy]

Awesome!! And thanks for the plug!

If you did all that in 5-6 minutes, I'm impressed. You must have been flying. Shovelglove is definitely a short-term workout in any case, though. I rarely go for more than 15-20 minutes and that leaves me feeling it for a while.

I know that ten pounds doesn't seem like much, but you can get a huge amount of resistance from your technique. I generally use ten pounds for a recovery workout and 12 for building strength. Only lately, after almost two years of practice and six months of barbells, have I felt like I could escalate from 12 pounds in certain situations. Finding a sledge that heavy is hard, though. I dream of a shopping spree at strongergrip.com!

When you're recovered and ready to try some more, I recommend some of the continuous swings like Bullroarers or Grutte Piers. Those are really awesome for the entire chest, upper back, and shoulder girdle.

You'll know when it's time to name your hammer because it will come in a flash of inspiration!

[activia]

Yep, the wedding is this coming April. Coincidentally, right during PrimalCon. Thanks for the good wishes! She is actually Primal as well, just a little less strict since she doesn't have weight issues. But it really helps with her mood, energy and immune system--I think pretty everyone could benefit from it to some degree.

I'm finally reading your journal and I just had to say that we have a lot in common . I was getting ready for my wedding which was in August and my finance was primal (mostly because I did all the cooking) but not nearly as strict as he never really had a weight problem. Although he did enjoy losing his love handles. I did lose 30lbs for the wedding but that last 10lbs still escapes me! Doing leangains myself.

[Uncephalized]

If you did all that in 5-6 minutes, I'm impressed. You must have been flying.

I think maybe I actually warmed up for a few minutes and then did dynamics for about 5 or 6 more. So it was probably more like 10 minutes total.

The Home Depot near my house had 16-lb sledges, but they were all fiberglass with fat rubber grips, which is not really what I want. Do a search for "sledge" on HomeDepot.com, though, and they have a line of wood-handled sledges that look pretty nice in 6, 8, 10, 12, and 16 lbs (URREA brand) that you can get free shipping on as long as you spend at least $45, which would be any two hammers. Maybe I will get myself a nice matched set at some point...

I was just thinking that single-hand sledge training (with the smaller mallet-type hammers, of course) would be pretty sweet--a bit more martially-oriented perhaps. Definitely good for your coordination if you're dual-wielding, too.

[Timothy]

Thanks for the tip on Home Depot! A couple of those look good, but I want to try them out before adding to my arsenal. Short sledges in particular would be a fun change of pace and more practical for dual wielding. I will make a trip to a local HD this weekend and try not to get thrown out by security while I try them on for size.

If I become rich by the end of the year, or more spendthrift, here's my dream weapon:

SLS (Shot Loadable Sledgehammer) - Stronger Grip Store

Comes in a blood-red version and loads up to 26 pounds. Poetry in motion!

[Uncephalized]

I can't imagine ever needing a 26-pound hammer, and for that price I could own the whole Home Depot range from 6-16 lbs!