Parallettes One, Level B, Phase 1: Week 16 Report

Before this week of training, I fell off my bike and bruised my knee and my forearm in a couple of places.

On the other hand, I finished this week achieving a long-elusive goal - a real shoulder stand, feet completely off the ground and all.  It took me a while to build the strength to do it, but finding the balance point was also key.  If too much of my weight is forward, I'll do a sloppy cartwheel.  If too much of it is back, my feet will be stuck on the floor.

Progress on Workout 1 Exercises 

Plank Push-Ups - 8 reps max

Plank Jump to Dip -  10 reps/set

Battle Rams, Version 1 - 12 reps/max.  This is actually the Phase 2 version, because of the knee bruise, so I was up on my toes with a straight body, instead of working on my knees. 

Tuck Hold -  5 sec. per leg when keeping one leg tucked and extending the other as far forward as possible.

Mt. Climber Holds -  10 reps max.  

Progress on Workout 2 Exercises

Tuck Swing to Top Plank - 10 reps max.

One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold - Didn't have to do this anymore.  At the end of the week, I finally nailed a tuck shoulder stand on the parallettes.  I didn't quite have my feet as high off the floor as GMB's Ryan Hurst here, but I did get them completely off the floor.

Tuck Swings - 12 reps. 

Assisted Inverted Presses -  10 reps max

Dive Bombers Standard - 10 reps.

As I said in an earlier post:

One advice I have read is to change training programs once in a while.  I am considering switching back to Rings One.  It depends on which skill I achieve first on the parallettes:

a. Unsupported shoulder stand (both feet completely off the ground).  

b. Full L-sit

I achieved a. above first, but now I have bruises on one arm that will probably rub against the ring strap if I were to switch back to Rings One now - the same reason I switched from Rings One to Parallettes One.  Thus, the plan for now is to continue improving my parallette skills at Level B, Phase 1, with the exception of the One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold, which I have already surpassed.  What I plan to do there is work on the transition between the Tuck Sit and the Tuck Shoulder Stand, which is pretty much the move that I was unable to execute on the rings when I was training under Rings One.  If I can perform the movement without my feet touching the floor, I'll just repeat the movement for reps.  If I have to walk my feet on the floor between the Tuck Sit and the Tuck Shoulder Stand, then I'll work on holding the shoulder stand for time (about 10 sec.) then try lowering  out of that into Tuck Sit without the feet touching the floor before taking my rest interval.