4.5 years for a 30 second handstand?

Hi guys,

My goal for 2013 is to be able to do a 30 second hand-stand. After failing miserably at getting there for the first 4 months ( I can hold a 10 sec one, but only some days and it doesn't feel stable), I decided to do some research and discovered H1.

I passed week 11 for PE1/PE1>im, but felt a bit flimsy with week 11 for PE2 , so I opted to start from there. Also, note, that some of the PEs I know I can do like PE9 (PE9 is basically how I've been training for my goal. I've been holding a 60-90 sec handstand against the wall thinking that that's all the training I needed).

I'm not sure if I understand this right, but from my calculations, following the 4-day 12 week cycles, it will take me approximately 4.5 years to get to SE7 (30 sec handstand).

3 months * 6 PEs + 3 months * 6 PEs + 3 months * 7 SEs.

Am I calculating this right? 

That is incorrect as you are looking at the longest approximate mastery time for 5x30s. In all likelihood you will be able to do a 30 second handstand long before that. The courses train you to completely own a progression, which takes longer than simply being able to do it once or twice on demand. 

It shouldn't take that long in practise. Once you start building up some momentum with the shoulder mobility you should be able to test for mastery of a given element and begin it at week 5 or 9 depending on your performance.

First off, you are considering only one scenario - that you need all 12 weeks for every PE and associated iM. In truth this may be much shorter, or much longer depending on where your weaknesses lie. Some may be longer than a 3 month cycle, others may only be 4 weeks due to being able to start at week 9.

Secondly, you are basing this all on how long it takes you to build up to "training" a 30 second freestanding handstand with perfect form. You will be able to achieve one of this duration long before then IMO but you will have a variety of deficiences still to shore up - that is where training comes in.

- Chris

Nash said:

Hi guys,

 

 

My goal for 2013 is to be able to do a 30 second hand-stand. After failing miserably at getting there for the first 4 months ( I can hold a 10 sec one, but only some days and it doesn't feel stable), I decided to do some research and discovered H1.

 

I passed week 11 for PE1/PE1>im, but felt a bit flimsy with week 11 for PE2 , so I opted to start from there. Also, note, that some of the PEs I know I can do like PE9 (PE9 is basically how I've been training for my goal. I've been holding a 60-90 sec handstand against the wall thinking that that's all the training I needed).

 

I'm not sure if I understand this right, but from my calculations, following the 4-day 12 week cycles, it will take me approximately 4.5 years to get to SE7 (30 sec handstand).

 

3 months * 6 PEs + 3 months * 6 PEs + 3 months * 7 SEs.

 

Am I calculating this right? 

As others have noted, your math is correct, but your interpretation of the math is not quite. First, it won't necessarily take you twelve weeks for every element. Second, that's 4.5 years until your handstand (which will be one with a perfect line, by the way) is so good that you do 5x 30s handstands in a row, as part of your regular practice. You will hit a 30s max hold far before reaching that point. 

i'm not surprised...since i've started the mobility trainig (dislocate, inlocate, bridge etc) passed about 2 years before have my actual form. but sure i hold 1 minute and half without be fatigued...no time was spent better

Thank you for your responses guys. I understand better now.

I completely missed out on the part in the Getting Started section where it says you may jump to week 5 or 9 of an unmastered element (but in which you're semi strong). That should shave off quite a bit of time for a couple of elements for me.

Also, that the result of 4.5 years (or less) would be 5 x 30sec with good form and not just a 30 sec handstand on demand.

This is going to be part of my routine for a long time and I'm looking forward to it!

alex87 said:

i'm not surprised...since i've started the mobility trainig (dislocate, inlocate, bridge etc) passed about 2 years before have my actual form. but sure i hold 1 minute and half without be fatigued...no time was spent better

Alex87, I'm a complete noob here and I've been wondering about the purpose of the mobility training. Is it safe to think of them as a stretch to avoid injury or do they serve a different purpose?

Nash said:

Alex87, I'm a complete noob here and I've been wondering about the purpose of the mobility training. Is it safe to think of them as a stretch to avoid injury or do they serve a different purpose?

The mobility exercises are much more important than that. They serve a variety of purposes: to build your active range of motion, to develop strength, to improve your flexibility, to improve control, and to develop kinesthetic awareness.

More specifically, the early handstand mobility drills are designed to get you to the point where you can fully open your shoulders in the handstand. They focus on developing strength, flexibility and active range of motion in your shoulders so that you can achieve a good handstand line.

as Hari said there are some drills you can use to build up flexibility and mobility. you can work using passive elongation of the tissue that are opposed to particular range of motion so that you can restore it. the problem of passive stretch is that you have to do it frequently maintain the same degree of stretch reflex.

on the other hand using active muscle to elongate the tissues that work against a particular range of motion is the best way, and you can work in a safe ROM that is pre determined by your actual level of strength. if you build strength you can maintain it.

you can of course combine these 2 modes but pay attention to the total volume of work in order to not cause inflammation due to overuse..

Or you could also simply follow H1 and it will all be integrated for you.  

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

I assumed that If you couldn't master the final progression you had to start from week 1 even if you could do week 5. I need to read more!