Hit my 50th whole hog breakdown this month and it still felt right

Everyone in this shop swears by breaking down primals for efficiency, but something about doing a whole hog start to finish just clicks for me. I tracked it on a dry erase board after a coworker bet me I'd get bored by number 30, and here I am at 50 still finding new stuff in the shoulder connective tissue. Has anyone else stuck with an 'old school' method way longer than they expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

grace_white20d ago

Holy COW, you tracked all 50 on a dry erase board? That is some SERIOUS dedication! I gotta admit, I thought your coworker might be right around number 30, honestly. But finding new stuff in the shoulder connective tissue every single time? That's wild, I've broken down maybe a dozen whole hogs and I still get lost in the same spots.

fisher.adam20d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah I feel you on the shoulder thing. That part is a maze for sure. I had the same problem until I forced myself to slow way down and actually draw out a map on paper. Not fancy or anything, just basic lines showing where the different muscles connect and overlap. It helped a ton to see it visually instead of just feeling around blind. After a few hogs with that map next to me, I started to remember the layout in my hands. Now I can find the spots without looking. But man, that first dozen or so I was just guessing half the time.