Rings One, Level A, Phase 2: Week 3 Report

Progress on the Above The Rings exercises:

Dips - Improved to 6 reps/set.

Assisted Tuck to Tuck Shoulder Stand - Still doing 4 reps/set.  Incremental improvement in technique.  I still can't hold the shoulder stand with both feet in the air for at least one second.  Just have to keep working.

L-Sit Hold - No change - still 5 sec. holds per leg.

Progress on the Below The Rings exercises:

Pull-ups - Incremental improvement.  Can do 7 reps for the first set at least. 

Inverted Tuck Roll Chin-Up - Still at 4 reps/set.  Tighter tuck now makes a difference in that the core can more effectively work with the arms in the movement from Inverted Hang to the chin-up position.  The main limiting factor is now grip endurance.  I could do more than 4 reps but it would increase the risk of losing the grip and falling down.  What I need to work on now is rolling between the start and end positions of the movement with better control - in the last session I had a tendency to cause too much swinging by rolling too fast.

Skin The Cat - Still 4 reps/set with a tuck and the thumbs turned out.  Thumbs turned out results in being lowered more deeply into the German hang, and more effort to unwind from German hang back into Inverted Hang. Grip endurance is still the limiting factor. 

I did 2 sets of assisted pistol squats and Front Scales on the two off days, between warmup and cool down.  My right hamstring has been sore for a week now but not too bad.  I try to avoid running or other action that might strain it.