[Fitness] That was a first

[digitaldiscipline]

Managed to do my very first full handstand (against a wall) pushup - from scalp on the floor to full extension - at lunch today. Triceps seemed the least happy about it, rather than the shoulders.

I'm working on various gymnastic holds to try and address core and upper-arm/upper-body strength as well. Also, being able to do the flag just looks cool.

Front lever: http://beastskills.com/FrontLever.htm

Handstand stuff: http://beastskills.com/Handstand.htm (scroll down to the "training" part)

Planche holds: http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/229/

Up to 2x1 minute tucked front levers; on the ground, I'm only able to maintain a frog planche for about ten seconds right now, because my balance sucks, and I have an aversion to falling on my face.

Comments

[cheez-ball.livejournal.com]

Heh. The beastskills guy and I have mutual friends - for about a year or so we had the same gymnastics coach and used to have handstand contests in the gym. Sadly osteoarthritis makes handstands impossible for me these days. It's also why I have to use parallettes to do pushups.

The next step after the frog planche is a straddle planche. I preferred to do them on blocks (when I could still use my wrists in that way): http://www.lostartofhandbalancing.com/products/hand-balancing-stands/ These will work your hip flexors in ways you didn't think were possible.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

Nifty!

I find using either the "perfect pushup" handles or a pair of dumbbells to be far more comfortable than traditional puships as well.

I need to get more balanced on the frogs before I can move to the tuck planche, but that, and, maybe, the full one are goals for the future. Those little stands look like a Home Depot trip waiting to happen...

[cheez-ball.livejournal.com]

We always made our own. :-) Just make sure you do an excellent job with the sanding and finishing. Nothing like splinters to discourage further use. In a fit of laziness I bought an inexpensive pair of parallettes for pushups from the local sports store - mostly for the squishy stuff to cushion my hands.

[sskipstress.livejournal.com]

The link etcet references shows the straddle with the toes pointing away from the head, but it sounds to me like you're describing the next step as a move with the toes pointing toward the head, basically straightening the knees from the frog planche. Am I interpreting your advice correctly?

[cheez-ball.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're asking, but the straddle is a bit easier to hold and balance than the perfectly straight bodied planche. Sommers lists additional steps, like the tuck planche (a frog planche with the knees off the arms), but they're all pretty much in the same progression.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I think you're both on the same page here.

As I understand the progression:

1. Frog
2. Tuck (curved back)
3. Tuck (flat back)
4. Straddle (as wide as possible)
5. Straddle (narrower)
6. Straight

This is the same general progression for the front levers, just inverted (facing the ceiling).

Given my relatively limited flexibility in the straddle plane (hips, hamstrings, et al), that's also going to take some doing.