HSPU Program Session 1

With a personal best time of 17 seconds in Crow Pose, without possessing the control to move my legs in the air without losing balance,  it's clear I have not mastered the Crow Pose yet.  At the same time I haven't given up on it either.  It's just that I've gradually shifted the focus of my exercise to the Handstand Pushup (HSPU), following the GMB's HSPU Tutorial.

While the tutorial is focused on the HSPU, closer attention to the training program described therein reveals that you will pick up the Bent-Arm Stand - a hand balancing skill that is actually more difficult than the Crow Pose - along the way.  My guess is that somebody who learns the Bent-Arm Stand will be able to get into and out of Crow Pose with little effort.

I think the tutorial is clear enough that following this HSPU program will not automatically bestow the Handstand skill upon the trainee by itself.  The Handstand would eventually have to be learned and practiced on its own, as a related, but separate skill.  That said, it's also clear that the trainee who has worked up to a full Bent Arm Stand with straight legs would learn the handstand much more quickly than someone who can't perform the full Bent-Arm Stand.

Ok, on to today's training log...

Prepare
Standing Knee to Chest and Single-Leg Deadlift from GMB Mobility
GMB Knee Mobility routine
Wrist prep from the Handstand tutorial
Bent Arm Chest Stretch

Practice
Main circuit
Handstand Pushup Step 1 Progression exercise - 20 second set
Reverse Row Sit Back on rings - Compensate for all the pushing work - 20 second set
Shrimp Squat Progression exercise - 20 second set
6 rounds with 2-3 minutes of rest in between rounds

For entire circuit: Quality: Smooth, Ease: Solid

Push
One rep of Inverted Press with feet on a chair and knees bent. Quality: Smooth, Ease: Challenging

3 20-second sets of Pushups (on knees), with one minute rest between sets. Quality: Smooth, Ease: Solid

Elements Core Conditioning Circuit - 2 reps for 1 set

Finish with GMB Shoulder Mobility routine, a bit of Backward Roll practice, and brachial hang.

Ponder
My shoulders were a bit sore this morning.  I was a bit puzzled as to why, then I remembered I did the two sets of Crow Pose practice with face on ground, then Crow Pose practice out of Bent-Arm Monkey #3.  So I didn't put in any Crow Pose practice today, because after lunch I was already feeling the effects of today's HSPU focused work..

My suspect shoulder lets me know right away if I allow my elbows to flare while performing the Inverted Press.

Reverse Row Sit Back is fairly easy but will keep practicing for at least a week before I look into elevating the feet or something.

Backward Roll getting better on both sides.  Forward Roll to reverse Backward Roll is starting to happen too.