First workouts on H1--Questions

For all the wrist prep exercises, do I wait to advance them together, or do I advance on them individually as I master them?  For instance, I find the wrist stretches getting very painful as I advance (Level 2 now), but the knuckle push ups very easy.  Do I stay back on the wrist stretches but advance my knuckle push ups or do I stay back on both until my wrist stretches can advance?

Second question is Handstand One Preparatory PE2 (Static Standing Shoulder Extension).  I don't know that I will ever get my hands level with my shoulders.  Further, the degree to which I can is dependent upon both the width of my hands and the weight of the bar.  How will I know when to progress as I don't have an issue with the headstand portion?

1. the wrist stretches are supposed to commence every H1 session, you dont move on from them

2.for the wrist PE's, you can check for mastery but if you feel you can benefit from a cycle of PE1, i'd stay there for a bit while the tissues get stronger and then move on to the full hollow(pe2)

3. i thought the same thing and trust in the process, your chest will open start wide and change the width from week to week. if you mark the bar you're using, that will help measure progress

My error.  I meant wrist push ups.  I was able to get through all of the wrist PEs at Level 1 on Monday and was able to do Level 2 today.  However, I can tell that the wrist push ups will be an issue at the next level (3), while the other wrist PEs, I expect to have mastery at Level 3.  Therefore, if my assumption and assessment is correct, I'm wondering if I stay at Level 3 for the wrist push ups and move on with the others or stay at Level 3 for all of them.

As to the headstands, those weren't a problem but the Static Standing Shoulder Extensions (with a 15 lb. bar) were another animal.  I was not able to get my hands level with the shoulders.  In fact, I really can't do so with a wooden dowel, unless I take a pretty wide grip.  I don't know how much I will be able to advance, how long it will take, etc.  Therefore, I don't know if I should move on to the next level as the headstands are pretty dang easy.

Additional information, I am about 200 lbs., fit, 43 years old, and can hold a handstand with a bit of help from a spotter (mostly on the kick up).  Any help or advice is appreciated!

oh okay

yeah, it'll be normal to have things in different levels, so test mastery on what you can and leave whatever needs to come upto speed in the pertaining week, remember that you can also pike to control the intensity of PE3, though i wouldnt do that unless i'd post a form check on PE2 because that one too can be scaled before going to PE3

for the iM, find a way to put at least 3-5lbs and start from a wide grip. when i started iM2, my hands were ridiculously wide as well, it'll come

KeilaniG said:

for the iM, find a way to put at least 3-5lbs and start from a wide grip. when i started iM2, my hands were ridiculously wide as well, it'll come

I did the opposite: I started with shoulder width grip and just forced it as high as I could, as hard as I could.  Cue explosive growth in my rear delts and rotator cuff, and I can almost raise them to shoulder height now.

really, B?

I've been doing pulses of that in my warm up and it only seems to make me realize how tight my chest is....and not in a cool way. #whoselineisitanyway

I don't feel any tightness in my chest.  I just can't lift my hands any higher.  If I put my hands at shoulder width, I can't even straighten my arms.  My triceps are pressing into my lats to such a degree that I can't manage it.

I've kept all the wrist prep stuff together, just saved moving from the wall to the floor, to the wall all the time - I do them as a super set, once I start I don't stop till they are all done. 

For PE2:IM I had a break through when I treated the movement as a dislocate, first with an un-weighted, once I got a  feel for the movement I added weight and only went to shoulder height (not completing the dislocate) my grip is wide but I am at the right height. I'm now working on narrowing my grip. When I first got to shoulder height I had a crazy DOMS the next day, now days I don't. 

KeilaniG said:

really, B?

I've been doing pulses of that in my warm up and it only seems to make me realize how tight my chest is....and not in a cool way. #whoselineisitanyway

Yah.  Well, I can lift my arm that high anyway, so flexibility wasn't an issue.  I just didn't have the strength to press into the position.

Bipocni said:

Yah.  Well, I can lift my arm that high anyway, so flexibility wasn't an issue.  I just didn't have the strength to press into the position.

That might be a good thing to anyone struggling with this PE to look at first.

If they have enough flexibility to get to the position with assistance then its probably just an strength issue.

Im still in IM 1. But I did test this now after reading your posts. First is was like WHAAATT!! Than my wife did help to push me a litle to the right position. And after that i could do it on my own So I know that when i get the IM1 this is fly bye Jeee!!

RiQC said:

Im still in IM 1. But I did test this now after reading your posts. First is was like WHAAATT!! Than my wife did help to push me a litle to the right position. And after that i could do it on my own So I know that when i get the IM1 this is fly bye Jeee!!

Just remember with a manna you'll essentially be pushing in to the same position, but you'll be lifting your whole bodyweight.

Just some perspective for anyone struggling with this lift.

Hey Milkman, I hope you're enjoying the workouts. As others have said... do ten of each wrist stretch at the start of the session then work the four wrist exercises. They can and likely will be at different levels which I find is mostly dependent on mobility. I'm currently on WP/PE1, FKP/PE1, WR/SE4 & FTP PE4.

As for HS/PE1>iM my recommendation would be to go as wide as you need to to achieve the right height. I got some hands on help from Coach Sommer at the London seminar with this and we kept going wider and wider till the small weight was touching my back. Yes, my mobility is THAT bad but when I did it this way my traps lit up and this is where you should feel this exercise. Each rep in your H1 workout you will likely be able to make a small improvement. Rather than forcing your shoulders into shoulder width extension, go wide, ensure you're at the right height and bring it in slowly. Be patient, it'll take time but it will improve

All great pieces of information. What would be an acceptable weight of the bar for one to consider approaching mastery?

fazool said:

All great pieces of information. What would be an acceptable weight of the bar for one to consider approaching mastery?

5lbs is fine, while they're in your warmup you should work on increasing the weight though.

So basically most of you think you are better off starting with some weight (even if it is very minimal) and going wide gripped rather than no weight at all?