exercise for woodies

[goat]

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax. Each day, you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato sacks. Then try 50-lb potato sacks and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this level) After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks.

[witch1]

goat,
I worry that you advise such a big jump from the 50lb to the 100lb, don't you think that the incremental jump is way too big at that level?
Sorry to sound cynical about your fitness training expertise, but anyway raising the question was quite enough exercise for me today.
take care of yourself
regards
witch1.

[mjmjm]

Did it all, but I reckon you've wrecked my arms for good.

[arose62]

witch1,
I worry that you advise such a big jump from the 50lb to the 100lb, don't you think that the incremental jump is way too big at that level?

He doesn't say "go from 50lb to 100lb", he clearly says "and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb"

It's pretty obvious that intermediate steps could be, say, 50lb sack plus 5lb sack, then up to 50lb sack plus 10lb sack, etc. etc.

I varied this a bit - our potato sack still had the potatoes in it, but as the sack was on a shoulder-height shelf in the cupboard, I felt that just reaching in and holding the sack was a pretty effective equivalent exercise.

Cheers,
Andrew

[tea lady]

Is it alright if the sack is plastic? Or do I need to search out genuine Hessian?

[witch1]

tea lady,
I think any old bag would do the job, in your case the obvious choice would be a sugar bag, or maybe even many repetitions with a couple of tea bags.
careful not to strain yourself,
witch1

[tea lady]

tea lady,
I think any old bag would do the job, in your case the obvious choice would be a sugar bag, or maybe even many repetitions with a couple of tea bags.
careful not to strain yourself,
witch1

Maybe I could work up to a catering pack.

[Sawdust Maker]

tea lady,
I think any old bag would do the job, in your case the obvious choice would be a sugar bag, or maybe even many repetitions with a couple of tea bags.
careful not to strain yourself,
witch1

Where can I find two old bags ... ?

[RETIRED]

or maybe even many repetitions with a couple of tea bags.

Lessons and exercise as well?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I've tried a couple of times, but I'm knackered after just emptying the bags...

[witch1]

when I was a little kid my grandma used to give me sixpence (5 cents) and a sugar bag to go to the greengrocer and get the potatos, these days when I get a dollars worth of spuds from the supermarket I dont have nearly as much trouble carrying them home, does this mean i'm getting stronger??
witch 1

[RETIRED]

Low calorie spuds?

[tea lady]

when I was a little kid my grandma used to give me sixpence (5 cents) and a sugar bag to go to the greengrocer and get the potatos, these days when I get a dollars worth of spuds from the supermarket I dont have nearly as much trouble carrying them home, does this mean i'm getting stronger??
witch 1

Obviously from all those spuds you've eaten.

[Allan at Wallan]

I tried this at work.
The spuds fell out.
I got the sack.

Allan

[witch1]

Allan,
you must have had an old bag, old bags are inclined to be holey and would not wholly contain the spuds, particularly the smaller ones.
hoping to have a chat with you at www sydney.
witch1