It's a very slow process - two steps forward, one step back - but I'm inching in the right direction. - Rob Reiner

February 06, 2014

It's the Newest Craze Sweeping the Nation - Shovelometrics!

You've heard of all the exercise fads Insanity, P90X, Pilates, Yogalates, Plyometrics the list goes on and on.  But have you heard of the most recent craze? 

Introducing Shovelometrics.  It's a high intensity full body workout.  How can you try this newest craze?

1.  Live somewhere with a miserable Winter.
2.  Get lots and lots of snow.  We are talking a foot or so.
3.  Get out your shovel, and push, lift and throw!

It's that easy!

I know many of us across the Country have had some serious snow fall this winter.  We got a foot of snow here over the course of two days.  Jim was out of town (very convenient).  So that meant I had to shovel, shovel, shovel if I was going to be able to get out of my driveway.

On Tuesday as the snow feel I shoveled the driveway completely clear - twice.  It took me about an hour each time.

Wednesday morning I awoke to another 8 inches of snow on the ground with up to 2 foot drifts in some places.  So another two hours of shoveling.

And that my friends has pretty much been my workout for the last two days.  On Tuesday morning I did a 45 minute run in the morning and then shoveled for two hours later in the day. I was totally exhausted Tuesday night.  I woke up with back, shoulders, neck and arms aching....only to have to do it all again.  And it was worse than ever.

So yesterday, I shoveled some more and pretty much called that my workout.  I have to say I've used muscles I haven't used in a long time.  It really is a good workout, especially for the upper body.  But it also engages the core and legs.

Before and Afters of "Round 3" It's hard to capture the magnitude.

I'll cycle tonight, but I won't be happy about it.  I'm still pretty sore and tired.

How about you guys?  Have you been out there shoveling?  Did you replace one of your workouts with a shovelometric workout?  I was supposed to swim last night, but the gym was closed, and frankly I couldn't have lifted an arm if I had wanted to.

And to my International followers or those of you who live in say Arizona or Florida. Well for now, I just don't like you.  Please don't comment on how hot, or nice it is in your next of the woods right now....or I might just cry.

In other news, in just 9 days I myself will be sitting on a beach soaking up the rays and out of this miserable weather.  I couldn't be more excited!!!

Until then, I'm thinking warm and sunny thoughts and dreaming of summer.

 
Picture taken during my last vacation in 2010 (Turks and Caicos)

15 comments:

  1. I have a cousin who lives in Arizona and is constantly posting on facebook how beautiful the weather is there and how we should all go live there. Kind of a long commute to get to my job, though. I try hard not to hate her.

    My husband is in town but has a bad back, so I typically do at least half of the shoveling. I don't mind it so much (especially this time, when we only got a fraction of what you did!), but it definitely shows me that my arms aren't all that strong.
    That's a great picture of you, by the way!

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  2. I saw all my KC friends talking about the snow! That IS a great workout! We don't get to shovel, since our association does it. It looks kind of fun to me :)

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  3. I'm originally from Florida, but am now in St. Louis. Really wondering why I moved here right about now....

    Yay for being on a beach in ten days though!

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  4. I can't say that I'll ever be able to participate in a shovelometric class but we have a similar one over here. It's called helping out at the long jump pit at little athletics. It involves shovelling and levelling sand on and off for the best part of four hours. It's a bit of an interval workout and I can guarantee you'll feel it everywhere the next day.

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  5. It sounds like you were really digging this workout, and that you got your calorie burn in spades. /runs away

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  6. Starting to feel like summer is a myth. Thankfully we don't have a lot of shoveling and haven't had a huge amount of snow, but so tired of the unrelenting COLD this winter. I know there have been a few nicer days but mostly it just feels COLD.

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  7. lol on all the snow! CA is in serious jeopardy with a massive drought coming (likely worst in the states history), I would love to see more rain around here!

    Awesome on going on vacation! I went to St. Thomas in 2002, it is the best beach I've ever been to.

    No idea on when I'll blog next - I have a big post upcoming soon lol.

    For books, glad you enjoyed the Divergent series! Not sure what other one's you have read on this list - Hunger Games series, Harry Potter series, Unbroken, Into Thing Air, Born to Run, The Great Gatsby.

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  8. Your shovelmetrics plan is awesome! You did a fabulous job too! That is some major work! You should have posted the nice firm guns you developed from doing this.

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  9. Shovelometrics- love it!! haha

    You are a rockstar for all of that shoveling! This southern girl is extremely happy she moved to a northern city where she doesn't have to deal with that, bc she would've moved back to the south a longgggg time ago.

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  10. Shoveling is a great workout, but I'm done with winter. It is amazing how sore you can get just shoveling.

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  11. I don't have a driveway - I have city street parking so I have shoveled my car free each time I go to move it since it keeps getting plowed back in. Personally if it's going to be cold I welcome the snow!

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  12. Same here. I shoveled last week and was whipped. It was that heavy wet snow. I'm over it, ready for it to melt and be 60 degrees out. It was fun for a week or so, then not so much.

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  13. Shovelometrics!!! LOL That's great

    Kevin
    HalfTRIing.blogspot.com

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