Saturday, August 01, 2020

Research on training ideas for Handstand Pushup and other exercises

Today was an active recovery day, playing with standing kettlebell pullover once in a while to try to get the feel of resisting extension as the weight goes behind my head, keeping core squeezed and shoulders pulled down. I also did a couple of test pullups after seeing Mindful Mover's tips about pulling the elbows.

Most of the day was taking a look at an HSPU tutorial that I hadn't seen before, then searching for training ideas.

Thoughts on the Yaad Handstand Pushup Tutorial

I came across this Handstand Pushup Tutorial by Yaad Mohammed, as well as documentation by Antranik on his website.


I found Yaad's video tutorial to be quite entertaining.  Comparing this tutorial to GMB's tutorial these are the differences that I can observe:
  • Yaad has you working towards the Bent-Arm Stand in parallel with the Pike Pushup (GMB calls this "Inverted Press").  GMB has you build strength with the Inverted Press progression first, all the way up to feet on the wall, in Stage 1 of their tutorial, then work on Bent-Arm Stand in Step 2, using the strength you gained from Step 1.
  • There are prereqiusites which are being able to do 20 pushups, 15 dips, and hold a 10-sec. handstand.  This is another big difference.  In GMB's tutorial, the only prerequisite is that you are able to start practicing the Bear, which is a movement GMB loves to have trainees practice to develop the necessary attributes to start working on Inverted Presses.   They don't require you be able to do a handstand before you can even start.  You don't really have to start working on a handstand until you're about halfway into Step 2.
I didn't see anything in Yaad's tutorial to convince me to switch away from the GMB approach, despite the chuckles I got from Yaad's comedic voices.  GMB has generally shied away from recommending trainees be able to do X reps of a particular movement before progressing, because everyone is just too different.  They instead advise that the trainee use Quality and Ease scores to gauge one's performance and indicate when it's time to move up a progression to a more difficulat exercise.  Another point in favor of GMB's method is they have you start from the Bear instead of insisting you do 20 pushups and 15 dips. 

Yaad's tutorial insists on improving hamstring flexibility if you can't straighten your legs when you progress to pike pushups with elevated feet.   This doesn't make sense to me, because as you work your feet higher and higher, like up a wall, you'll need hamstring flexibility less and less.

Requiring someone to have achieved a handstand first seems questionable.  You need a baseline level of upper body strength in order to support your bodyweight on your hands for the handstand.  Achieving this strength is possible by training directly for the handstand, but if your goal is to achieve an HSPU, you're going to be building that upper body strength anyway by training the HSPU progression.  Training to achieve a handstand first thus seems like the longer way around.  If you get strong by working up to HSPU against a wall then working on the Bent-Arm Stand progression, I'm guessing you will spend less time working on achieving a proper handstand.

Mindful Mover does not approve of static holds for training as they believe they are a waste of your precious training time.  Yaad's method relies on a lot of static holds.  I think it's useful to hold a position for a few seconds to help analyze my form and observe what's going on in my body, but I'm not sure working towards a 30-second or even 10-second hold is as effective as fans of static holds think.  In GMB's approach for working towards a full Bent-Arm Stand, there is no hold for as long as 30-seconds.  Instead all the exercises are dynamic, involving a controlled jump into the position for most of Step 2, and lowering from a handstand into the position in the later stages of Step 2.

Tom Merrick on bridging the gap between Handstand Pushup on wall and freestanding Handstand Pushup

Here Merrick acknowledges that slow negatives from handstand down to the bottom of the handstand pushup is a piece of the puzzle, but then he also advises training the concentric movement from a headstand, and goes into some details about that.  It's a different approach compared to GMB's, in that the GMB method would be to work up to straight-leg handstand negative to Bent-Arm Stand, then progress to pressing from Tuck Bent-Arm Stand to Handstand.  Might be worth trying Merrick's method if I get stuck with the GMB method.


Training ideas from Mindful Mover

I visited Mindful Mover's Instagram account to try to get more of their perspective on training for the HSPU and found a lot more than I'd originally intended to look for.

About 2 years ago, they recommended 20-30 total reps in a session for longer-term gains.  It would be interesting to see if they still think that today:
https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/comments/8v2qcc/when_are_your_reps_per_set_too_small_to_progress/

Tip for pulling exercises - pull the elbows back!







#TrainingTipTuesdayMM: Elbow Drive . A lot of people think that Chin-Ups (and rows) are about getting your chin over the bar. WRONG! If you want to make ALL the gains from any of your Chin-Up (or row) progressions, your emphasis should be on driving the elbows back behind you . Why? Because THAT gets you the full range of motion AND get your lats working HARD to complete the movement. A lot of people think that a rep being complete or not is dependent on if the chin reached over the bar. BUT this favors people with giraffe like necks and may or may not be a cue that gives you full range of motion. A better cue is to drive the elbows back like your ex is behind you critiquing your pulling performance. Drive them back HARD and get the full range of motion AND likely feel your lats in a totally new way than before. 😂 . This cue can be used all the way from Rows, to Chin-Ups, to Front Lever Rows, and to One Arm Chin-Ups. If you are pulling, focus on driving those elbows back and get aboard the Gain Train! . It’s like the rapper, Ice Cube, once said, “You can do it. Put your back into it.” He was talking about pulling strength 😂. Get your back into it by driving the elbows back! And make sure you check the IG stories to get an extra tip for more pulling gains!
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Accommodating Resistance for HSPU, One-arm Chin, etc.







#WeightedWednesdayMM: Weighted Lifts Vs Bodyweight . One of the BIGGEST advantages that Bodyweight exercises have over weighted lifts is that you can use maximal Accommodating Resistance pretty easily with bodyweight . For example, let’s compare a One Arm Chin Progression to a Weighted Chin-Up. With the Weighted Chin-Up, the load you add stays the same the entire time. If you use 50 pounds, the load stays 50 pounds. But with OAC progressions, you can use one hand to LIGHTLY assist AS needed on the way up and then assist even LESS on the way down. The entire range can be made maximal . The same can apply to Handstand Pushups and Overhead Presses. With the HSPu progressions, you can do something like use little to no help on the way down and then use the toes to help you on the way AS NEEDED so that the entire range is maximal. Unlike an Overhead Press where the weight is kept constant the entire time . The ability to MAXIMALLY load movements throughout the ENTIRE range of motion even when you don’t have a friend to help you is one of the reasons we really like bodyweight progressions over weighted ones. So incorporate them along with accommodating resistance and get aboard the Gain Train! . And check the IG stories to see the exception to that general rule!
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 A tip on progressing from Pike Pushup on Floor to Pike Pushup with elevated feet







#FrequentlyAskedFridayMM: Accommodating Resistance Handstand Pushup Progressions . “I’m having a hard time progressing from Piked Handstand Pushup to Wall Handstand Pushup. What should I do?”. The answer: use Accommodating Resistance . A lot of people notice that achieving the Wall Handstand Pushup (HSPU) can be quite difficult. And a big reason for this is that a lot of them aren’t working as HARD as they could be during their Piked HSPU progressions. Accommodating Resistance can help this . Look at the video and notice how on the way down, I shift the weight from my toes to my hands. Before I lower down, my toes have as LITTLE load as possible on them. And as I lower down, I keep as much of the load in my hands as possible . On the way back up, I shift some of my weight back but ONLY as much as needed to get the rep done . My goal throughout the entire rep is to have as MUCH weight on my hands throughout the range and as LITTLE weight on my toes. You can adjust that MID-REP to make sure the entire movement is maximal and get the most gains! . Give you progressions a try like THIS and you’ll probably see that even Piked HSPUs can be harder than you thought they were! Tag a friend who ALSO needs help bridging the gap between Pike HSPU and Wall HSPU and let’s ALL get on the Gain Train! . And check the IG stories for an extra tip!
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Another tip on Accommodating Resistance specifically for progressing from feet-elevated Inverted Press (Pike Pushup) to Wall Handstand Pushup







#StrengthSundayMM: Wall Handstand Pushups . The Wall Handstand Pushup can be a difficult movement to progress. Pike Pushups (the progression before the wall) can be too easy but Wall HSPUs can be too hard. If you are stuck between progressions, try implementing Accommodating Resistance using your toes! . What you will do is lower down SLOWLY and use the wall as LITTLE as possible. That will ensure the eccentric is difficult . On the way up, you can use your toes as needed to help you climb up. Remember to push FIRST and the toe help is SECONDARY . As you progress, you can go two routes: One is to add pauses to the way down and two is to use the toes less and less on the way up until you build a complete Wall HSPU! . Give it a try, tag a friend who ALSO needs help, and get aboard the Gain Train! And check the IG stories for one more method you can use with this technique!
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Idea on working through the HSPU progression using rings as an alternative to the floor:







#StrengthSundayMM: Ring HSPU Progressions . You don’t always need to add MORE exercises to your programs. Sometimes doing the same exercise in a different way can make you plenty of gains, itself! . For example, take your Handstand Pushup work and do it on RINGS instead of on the ground. To do it, follow these steps . Step One. Grab the rings and set your feet for the progression you want. Knees on a bench is easiest. Then pike position with your feet level to the rings. Then elevated pike. Followed by in a HS with feet on the straps . Step Two: lower down SLOWLY. As you lower down, put as MUCH weight into your hands as you can while maintaining a slow descent . Step Three: Push back up. Keep as MUCH weight in your hands as you push up. If you get STUCK on the way up, shift some of your weight back into your feet (or climb up the straps) . Now you can get more of those HSPU gains (like free Overhead Press and 90 Degree Pushup gains) while ALSO getting some variety by doing them on rings! Give it a try and get aboard the Gain Train! And check the IG stories to see more!
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How to get on the rings for Handstand Pushups on rings:







#FrequentlyAskedFridayMM: Ring Handstand Pushups . Ring Handstand Pushups are our highest goal for HSPU strength. A common question we get on them is “how do you get into a handstand on the rings?” . Here’s how you DON’T get into it 😂. You DEFINITELY don’t get into it by coming up with your feet together unless you are CONFIDENT in your ability to balance. You also should likely avoid being up one leg at a time because spinning around on a frictionless surface (the rings) can be scary at best and painful at worst . The best way we have found is to perform a bent arm press in a straddle. Start at the bottom of a shoulder stand and press your hips up with your legs in a straddle so your knee pits catch the straps . As you work on Handstand Pushup Progressions, you should likely gain the strength to press into this position on the rings for free. If you don’t have it yet, consider working more on the other progressions and coming back! . Give it a try and get aboard the Gain Train! And check the IG stories for more!
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It will be quite some time before I'll be ready to work on the Planche but for future reference here's an exercise for transitioning from Leaned Forward Pushup ( I think some also call this the Pseudo Planche Pushup) to the Tuck Planche Pushup:







#TrainingTipTuesdayMM: Leaned Forward Pushup to Planche Pushup . One of the gaps that can be hard to bridge for trainees in their Planche Pushup training is going from being able to do good Leaned Forward Pushups to Tuck Planche Pushups. If you have that problem, or know someone who does, there is an easy solution! . What you’ll do is use something called a “Mechanical Advantage Rep”. Here how you do it: . Step One. Start in a Leaned Forward Pushup position with your shoulders leaned FAR forward. Then, slide your knees to your chest until you are in a Tuck Planche. If you aren’t able to get into a Tuck Planche, you aren’t strong enough yet to perform the movement. . Step Two. Hold the Tuck Planche for 1-2 seconds, then lower down SLOWLY to the bottom of the Tuck Planche. The descent should be slow and controlled. If you fall so fast that you could have opened a parachute, save this movement for later . Step Three. At the bottom of the movement, extend your legs out while keeping your shoulders FORWARD in the same spot you came down in. From there, you will push back up to the top of the Leaned Forward Pushup . Step Four. Repeat steps 1-3 again for more reps . With this movement, you can take advantage of how we are stronger eccentrically (lowering) and use that to build the Planche Pushup strength and then use the Leaned Forward Pushup to bring yourself back up for more reps! . Give it a try, get aboard the Gain Train, tag a friend who also needs help with this, and check the IG stories to see one more tip that can help a LOT with this movement.
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Training for Planche with Accommodating Resistance:







#TrainingTipTuesdayMM: Intensity and Frequency . A lot of coaches and trainees have the belief that LOW FREQUENCY training is automatically a subpar method for training and gaining. Training only 1-2 times a week is thought of as something that is “better than nothing” or “non-optimal” etc etc blah blah… . For some STRANGE reason, the people who think this are often the VERY same people who train with the same intensity as a wet fart… 😭😂 . Low Frequency training MAY be subpar if you train without any intensity or mindfulness. If you train with our competitor, the “MindlLESS Mover”, then you probably better train everyday and multiple times each day. 😂 . But for a “Smarter, Not Harder” trainee who uses Accommodating Resistance, and High Intensity, and mindfulness, low frequency isn’t really a choice. You actually NEED more rest days to recover . Videoed here is an example of Accommodating Resistance, High Intensity (relative to me), and mindfulness. I start in a Half Lay Ring Planche, lower down DEEP into the bottom, then come up in a Straddle and try to bring the legs together before finishing the rep. It’s a BIG range of motion, a lot of time under tension, and high intensity throughout the ENTIRE range. How many “normal reps” do you think this rep is worth? . And more importantly, when using THIS kind of intensity, how often do you think you have to train to make gains…? 😉 . Frequency isn’t everything when you are a “Smarter, Not Harder” trainee. Be one and get aboard the Gain Train! And check the IG stories to see more.
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HSPU Program Session 32

Prepare
Standing hip circles
Standing Knee to Chest, with forward pulses per Muay Thai mobility routine

Practice
L-Sit progression practice from tutorial with toes on floor, occasionally lifting toe - 4 sets of 15-20 sec. hold

Couple of attempts at the Kettlebell Flat Back Pullover with the 16kg KB, as taught by Mark Wildman:


The weight was fine, but my problematic shoulder didn't feel as good in this position, compared to performing a standing pullover with the same KB.

Then I moved on to the Hunter Squat as taught by Wildman:

Isolateral (same side) version - 4 reps/side
Contralateral (opposite side) - 6 reps/side
Isolateral (same side) version - 4 reps/side
Contralateral (opposite side) - 6 reps/side

Felt a little awkward because it's a new move.  I found I had to look down in the bottom position and pull my knee forward to be in line with the toes of the opposite foot.  This alignment forces the working knee to be past the working foot toe but I'm already used to that from practicing Shrimp Squat.  By following the cue to sit back as far as possible, we prevent ourselves from putting too much pressure on the knee.

Next, was the other new movement, the Low Windmill, which places the weight on the lower hand rather than the upper one.  I found 16kg too light so I switched to the 24kg.  I did 4 sets of about 5-6 reps per side.

Next was Top Position Single Straight Leg Raise on Rings - 3-4 reps with 2-sec hold on top, 4-sec. negative for 3 sets.  Did a 4th set without the 4-sec. negative.

Next was Single Leg Deadlift w/ 16kg KB - 6-7 reps/leg for 4 sets and 1 min. rest

Play
Jefferson Curl - tried empty hand, with 15lb clubbell, and 16kg kettlebell.  I asked Mindful Mover about what weight and the response was to use whatever weight can help me get lower than what I can achieve empty-handed.  I didn't observe any difference in how low I was able to extend my hands.  For my final sets, I decided to try staying in the bottom position and see if breath exhalation can let me lower my hands some more.  Yes, exhaling did cause a release so that I got my tips of my fingers at roughly the same level as my toes. 

Mindful Mover also advised that check out the Weighted Pike Stretch that they also posted on Instagram.  However it took a while to find it because I just can't get the hang of how to search efficiently on Instagram.  In any case I found it:


View this post on Instagram
#StrengthSundayMM: Weighted Pike Stretch . The Weighted Pike Stretch is a great way to increase strength AND mobility at the SAME time and is a great choice when you want to improve flexibility . To do it, follow these steps: . One. Hold the a heavy enough weight or object in your hand. Then, place one of your feet LIGHTLY behind you for balance. That is the “assist” leg . Two. Push the hips BACK as far as you can. Keep all your weight on the “working leg” and you should feel it stretch as your hips go further and further back . Three. Pause at the bottom of your range of motion and hold for time. Then drive the heel of the working leg into the ground to extend your hips and finish the rep. Repeat if needed . The Weighted Pike Stretch it allows you to make multiple gains at one time! Strength gains? Check. Mobility gains? Also check! No need to separate either one . It’s also great because it does this in MINIMAL time. You don’t need to spend long sessions doing it. A minute or less of work can give you the strength and mobility gains mentioned above! . Give it a try and get aboard the Strength AND Mobility Gain Train! And check the IG stories to see an extra tip!
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Push

My hamstrings felt like they got enough work that I decided to skip the KB swings that I was thinking of doing.    Instead I did this short circuit:

Wheel Pose/Bridge Hold - 14-8 sec.
Brachial Hang - 45-65 sec.

Ponder
The workout went a little long, but I had the time to spare.  It was a fun exploration of transitioning from an L-Sit focused workout - granted the focus hasn't been very long - to a core-oriented workout utilizing kettlebells.   Mindful Mover seems to have concluded that lower body training with weights is more productive than bodyweight-only exercises, so that's influencing me.

Since the standing kettlebell pullover seems to be fine for my shoulder, I'll continue practicing that as part of a daily warmup, ideally focusing on squeezing the core (butt and abs), and squeezing the elbows together. 



I'll continue practicing the L-Sit stuff until my shoulder is ready for the Kettlebell Flat-back Pullover, at which time the progression to the No-Roll Kettlebell Deck Squat will replace the L-Sit as an ab strengthening exercise.

The Hunter Squat is a keeper as a lower body kettlebell exercise.  Wildman seems to advise it be done with isolateral load first, then switch to contralateral load within the same set.  After today's experiment, it makes sense, because the move is actually easier with contralateral load.  Isolateral load seems to be more difficult for the working leg.  Contralateral load is easier, but as promised it does make my core light up more.  Using both types of load in the same set seems more efficient than separate sets.  Wildman says it is a useful human movement.  I have observed that this is a position that people tend to sink into naturally to pet a dog, pick something up, etc.  Getting strong in a movement that comes naturally anyway makes a lot of sense to me.  For reference here's the video in which he introduces the Hunter Squat:



The Low Windmill is another definite keeper.  Wildman says he likes this exercise for clients coming off of a back injury.  It's been years since my own back injury, but any exercise that promise improvement for back is an easy sell.  Today's session made it clear to me that the Low version allows more weight to be used than the High version, which is ideal for lower body training.  Also, the Low Windmill has a slightly reduced range of motion, and thus is less of a risk to the lower back.  So my tentative plan is to work up to Low Windmill with the 32kg kettlebell for decent volume.  I'm guessing that by the time I work up to that level, the lower back and hips will be better conditioned enough to tolerate the greater range of motion of the High Windmill, and the windmill form overall will be much better.  Wildman categorizes the Low Windmill as a "standing abs" exercise.  I didn't really feel my abs working hard with the 24kg KB.  Maybe I'll feel them working more when I progress to 32kg.  I did feel my glute/hips and hamstring working at least.

Leg Raise - Hanging or on top of Rings... hmm... I guess I'll keep this exercise in my routine for now.  If I work up to a kettlebell Deck Squat and it blasts my abs as much as Wildman says it will, then I may drop the Leg Raise.  The main appeal of this exercise is it promotes hamstring flexibility and delivers the ab strength to keep the body straight in the handstand.
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Friday, July 31, 2020

HSPU Program Session 31

Prepare
Band-assisted shoulder mobility
A-Frame Scapular Shrugs

Practice
A-Frame Inverted Press w/ 4-sec. negative - 4 sets of 3-4 reps. - Quality: Smooth, Ease: Solid
Ring Reverse Row w/ feet on chair and 4-sec. negative - 3 sets of 4-5 reps - Quality: Smooth, Ease: Solid

1 min. rest between sets.

Play
Bear (standard) on breaks throughout the afternoon

Push
Circuit
Knee Pushup or Pushup on Parallettes
Dip Shrugs on Rings
16kg KB curls from bottom of squat
Top Position Hold on Rings
 3 rounds with 3 min. rest between rounds

Parallettes One Cooldown Routine

Brachial Hang for about 1min.

Ponder



View this post on Instagram
#FrequentlyAskedFridayMM: Accommodating Resistance Handstand Pushup Progressions . “I’m having a hard time progressing from Piked Handstand Pushup to Wall Handstand Pushup. What should I do?”. The answer: use Accommodating Resistance . A lot of people notice that achieving the Wall Handstand Pushup (HSPU) can be quite difficult. And a big reason for this is that a lot of them aren’t working as HARD as they could be during their Piked HSPU progressions. Accommodating Resistance can help this . Look at the video and notice how on the way down, I shift the weight from my toes to my hands. Before I lower down, my toes have as LITTLE load as possible on them. And as I lower down, I keep as much of the load in my hands as possible . On the way back up, I shift some of my weight back but ONLY as much as needed to get the rep done . My goal throughout the entire rep is to have as MUCH weight on my hands throughout the range and as LITTLE weight on my toes. You can adjust that MID-REP to make sure the entire movement is maximal and get the most gains! . Give you progressions a try like THIS and you’ll probably see that even Piked HSPUs can be harder than you thought they were! Tag a friend who ALSO needs help bridging the gap between Pike HSPU and Wall HSPU and let’s ALL get on the Gain Train! . And check the IG stories for an extra tip!
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Was able to do 10 knee pushups on the P-Barz with relative ease and quality, so started working in full pushups.  I reviewed Parallettes One to see how the pushup progression is programmed in Phase 1 and Phase 2 at Level A.  It seems that we progress from knee pushups in Phase 1 to pushup with arm extension in Phase 2 instead of regular pushups.

So how to transition from knee pushups to full pushups on the P-Barz?  Some ideas:
1. Knee pushups on P-Barz with 4-sec. negative, side-to-side movement at bottom position
2. For the Play section of the workout, practice Parallette Jump Throughs.  This move is called Shoot Through by the Crossfit folks.  For some reason, all the videos I found show them rushing through the movement.  I found that this movement is a better core workout when practiced at a little slower tempo, focusing on control of the body as I transition in and out of the tuck position

I made some more attempts at a full pushup and it seems that a combination of protracting the shoulder blades, squeezing the butt, and generally making the body "hollow" by squeezing the abs seemed to make the move more doable.

I tested how my shoulder feels with a 16kg kettlebell racked.  Shoulder seems to feel fine.  This means I can go ahead with transitioning to a lower body/core routine that utilizes kettlebells instead of being bodyweight-only.  Some exercise ideas:

Single-Leg Deadlift (sometimes called Single Leg Romanian Deadlift)
Hunter Squat
Low Windmill
Kettlebell Pullover
Single Straight Leg Raise from top of Rings

I may also try a couple of sets of weighted calf raises before going into the post-workout stretches


View this post on Instagram
#FlexibilityFridayMM: Standing Calve Raises and Mobility . These days, I tend to have less and less time to train and the constraint of less time means I have to make sure I get the MOST out of the time that I DO have. For this reason, I try to find ways where I get get gains in MULTIPLE things at one time . Flexibility is a GREAT example of this. By picking the right exercises, you can get strength AND mobility gains at the same time. Let’s use the calves as an example . Ankle mobility is important for lower body athletics, strength training (for things like squatting deep) and helping to keep your ankles from injury. In a lot of lower body injuries, there is an element of ankle immobility . One way we can get strength AND stretch at the same time is to use Standing Calve Raises where we elevate our feet on a step and allow the heel to sink below the toes . This lets you gain mobility AS you get strong. For the price of ONE exercise, you get multiple benefits. Strength in the calves and knees as well as mobility in the ankles. Now you don’t have to spend time stretching. You’re already getting it with strength! . THAT kind of mindset is how you make gains even when you have limited time! You find what gives you the most gains for the time you have! . So give the Standing Calf Raise a try to save yourself some time and get on the Gain Train! And tag a friend who is strapped for time so they can get the gains too!
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Wednesday, July 29, 2020

HSPU Program Session 30

Prepare
Side to side squat with stretch

Practice
L-Sit progression practice from tutorial - 3 sets of 5-10 sec.

Circuit 1 - 3 rounds with about 2 min. rest between rounds:
Top Position Single Straight Leg Raise on Rings - 3-5 reps
Dip Shrugs - 7-10 reps

Circuit 2 - 3 rounds with about 2 min. rest between rounds:
Front Scale Leg Lift with 3 sec. hold at L position - 3-5 reps
Top Position Hold on Rings - about 15 sec.

Single Leg Deadlift w/ 16kg KB - 4-6 reps/leg for 3 sets and 1 min. rest

Play
Messing with Hunter Squat (no weight) from Mark Wildman video

Push
Two-Arm Swing w/ 32kg KB - 10 reps - 2 sets
Two-Arm Swing w/ 24kg KB - 10 reps - 3 sets

Ponder
Mindful Mover's argument about L-Sit not needing to be trained because the Pike Pull Through can deliver that skill for free, as well as progress towards Planche is still stuck in my head.  However, I believe the Pike Pull Through and/or the modified Arch Pullup caused my shoulder re-subluxate so I can't practice the Pike Pull Through right now.  In the time it would take to build up my forward pressing strength so that my shoulder could tolerate the Pike Pull Through, I could put in weeks or months of productive training towards the L-Sit, and also improve my shoulder strength and pressing strength in both the overhead and forward directions at the same time.  I'll try the Pike Pull Through again after I've worked up the pushup progression to the Hollow Body Pushup, and I'm able to perform the Hollow Body Pushup with high Quality and Ease scores.

First time I tried Single Straight Leg Raises.  I'll have to take a video to make sure but I do seem to be raising the straight leg into proper L position.  The tutorial isn't clear about what my non-working leg should be doing.  The movement is harder with the non-working leg tucked, than with the non working leg hanging.  Overall my recovering shoulder felt pretty good during today's training.  I'll probably continue this routine for my lower body training days, changing it up so that the Dip Shrugs and Top Position Holds are on my upper body training day. 

Another idea from Mindful Mover is relying on weighted exercise rather than bodyweight for lower body strength.  When my shoulder is feeling 100% again, I'm thinking of switching to ketttlebell-based training for the lower body. 

A few weeks ago I restructured my program to a 4-day upper body/lower body split.  Seems like Mark Wildman thinks similarly.  I started watching his video series on kettlebell program design.



The upper-body half of my program is unlikely to change much because the objective is quite clear - to achieve the freestanding Handstand Pushup.  A secondary objective is to achieve the main objective while keeping the shoulders healthy.

The lower-body half is what is in flux.  Lately I've been working towards the L-Sit again because it's a skill that must be acquired before I can progress further than a certain point in Rings One or Parallettes One.  After my shoulder is back to 100%, I may drop the L-Sit stuff again in favor of pursuing Mark Wildman's Deck Squat exercises, which all look pretty tough on the abs.  For the legs, I think the Single-Leg Deadlift is a keeper - I like what its doing for my hamstrings and foot intrinsics. 
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Monday, July 27, 2020

HSPU Program Session 29

Prepare
Band-assisted shoulder mobility
Scapular pullups w/ feet assistance
A-Frame Scapular Shrugs

Practice
A-Frame Inverted Press w/ 4-sec. negative - 4 sets of 3-5 reps. - Quality: Smooth, Ease: Solid
Ring Reverse Row w/4-sec. negative - 3 sets of 5-7 reps - Quality: Smooth, Ease: Solid
1 min. rest between sets.

Play
Mulligan shoulder rehab exercise
1-2 reps of A-Frame Scapular Shrugs with feet elevated, working towards stacking hips over shoulders and head

Push
Knee Pushup on Parallettes - 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Bear (standard) - 1 min.

Brachial Hang for about 1min.

Ponder
The shoulder still doesn't feel back at 100% but it continues to improve.  Feeling stronger for the first time in weeks.

I decided to stop doing the exercises in a circuit.  Circuit training is supposedly not ideal for strength training anyway.  I also switched from timed sets to just doing reps short of failure, because when you're incorporating 4-second negatives, that cuts into the time you've allocated for your set if your set is planned for a time interval like 30 seconds.

Knee Pushup on Parallettes seems to be the best choice of Push exercise for my HSPU training.  It doesn't irritate my shoulder.  Although the hands are elevated on the P-Barz compared to the floor version, the ease of the movement seems the same as the hands-on-floor version, and there is a slightly greater range of motion in the bottom part of the movement.

New GMB article on Tendon Strength:
https://gmb.io/tendon-strength/?utm_source=drip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20%2F07%2F27+-+tendon+strength&utm_content=%F0%9F%86%95+Tendon+Strength+%28and+pain%29
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Sunday, July 26, 2020

Training with two kettlebells - but they are not the same weight

https://www.philipmcdougall.com/single-post/2018/10/31/Offset-Kettlebell-Magic
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Saturday, July 25, 2020

HSPU Program Session 28

Prepare
Shoulder dislocates with band
Shoulder external rotation with mini-band
Bicep curl with mini-band
Walk around neighborhood

Practice
Lower Body Circuit 1 - 3 rounds with about 2 min. rest between rounds:
Top Position Knee Raise w/ 4-sec. negative on Rings - 3-5 reps 
Single Leg Deadlift w/ 16kg KB - 4-6 reps/leg
Front Scale Leg Lift to about parallel w/ ground - 3-5 reps with 3-5 sec. hold at top.
Full Bridge Hold - About 15 sec.

Play
Shrimp Squat - Full Version.  Singles practiced throughout the afternoon

Ponder
Started practicing Front Scale Leg Lift again to help advance towards straight-leg leg raises from the top position on rings, because this exercise will help strengthen the quads, hip flexors and abs more directly than the other lower body/core exercises I've been practicing.  However I still want to keep practicing the Shrimp Squat until I'm able to do it elevated.

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