Want to get out of a hole? Stop Digging!
Great advice when you're willing to listen. I find myself not always open to the idea. Which is the point of the lesson. The moment you stop digging, is the same moment you begin making progress again on whatever it is you're working on. But that idea is just a lead-in to today's topic. A topic inspired by all the digging we've been doing here in Wisconsin with better than average amounts of snow falling over the last few weeks.
I did in fact invest in a brand new snow blower this year in the spirit of less digging, and it has certainly helped; but when it snows this much, there's still plenty of extraneous digging to do.
Shoveling is brutal work too. To those of you out there who might do this for your living every day I am in awe of your resolute.
The act of shoveling brings a whole new meaning to the word functionallly fit. Good shoveling takes good technique and good lower body functional strength. That's why the body weight squat should be a staple in your fitness program, especially during winter time but really all year round, and why I decided today to put together a few body weight squat resources for you here on The Ash Flash. Some of which I've created myself and others that I hope you will find as useful as I did.
To do the shoveling thing right, you've got to bend your knees, keep your back in a neutral position, scoop your belly and tighten your transverse abdominous, and then carefully lift that 15-25 pound load of frozen stuff and move it somewhere. Repeatedly, this is terrific exercise and potentially damaging to your lower back and body. The increased volume of work for your body, even if you're fit and working out regularly, has the potential to wear you down over the course of a long Wisconsin winter. You've got to protect yourself. And the way you do that is by using your entire body, especially your lower body to drive the work from the ground-up.
I went to the archives today and pulled some body weight squat resources I hope you'll find useful.
Let me know what you think or if I can answer any questions in the comments sections below.
Thanks for being here 🙂
-John
podcast: The Bodyweight Squat - Lesson #1
Podcast: The body weight squat - Bonus Lesson
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-John Ashworth, creator of The Ash Flash
video: The Bodyweight Squat exercise demonstration
video: Kettle Bell crossover squats exercise demonstration
video podcast: The bodyweight at age 50 - notes on staying fit.
video: How to do a Goblet Squat the right way - great article in Men's Health
PS Body weigh squats alone have the potential of jump starting your fitness program. This fundamental movement and the functional strength it will develop in your body, could just be the focus you need right now to stop digging and get back on on track with your fitness program.
