additional compression work and general question!

I started gymnastics 3 years ago and I was a competitive gymnast for the past 2 years. I trained 20hrs a week, so I didn't really work on Foundation and abandoned my goal of 10 Straddle Presses in a row and a nice V-Sit.

Since September I stopped training at the club and told myself that I want to start again an really give it a go! 

Currently I am doing H2+F7 6 days a week every afternoon, Monday-Saturday. I am on Foundation 2, finished some elements already, but am stuck with HBP and RC and need to work on my form a little more. So I am pretty fine with that.

My main question is about the Press Handstands. 

I will give you a short overview of my training and will post my question down below. I would appreciate everyone's help tremendously!!!!

My training:

I start with a short warm up followed by a pretty intense core workout (including hollow and arch holds, rocks, V-Ups, Planks,...)
Then I do some handstand holds, handstand shaping etc. I try to do 10x1 min free standing handstand.
Then I start with the handstands. I am on the last step of H2, so L-Sit Pike Press L-Sit. So I do this 5x5 (I can not Pike all of them yet so I have to straddle up on the last few reps. If I fall on one, I do not count it as a rep!)
Then I start with F7 work. 
At the end I stretch.

So far, so good, I really like it, I feel good and it works well for me. 
I do feel that my strength is improving and it is definitely the right amount what I do concerning pull ups and dips and leg lifts. But I do feel that I do too little compression work.

I do not really aim for any skills of Foundation, I just enjoy to work at it. But what I really do want to get is 10 Straddle Presses in a row (or close to it) and an EFFORTLESS V-Sit Pike Press V-Sit, maybe even 2 in a row.

I can do it already, however, it is still very hard for me and not effortless at all haha. And I tend to fall out of it, lose compression due to weak shoulders, can often not go back down to V-Sit and arch in the back.

I don't feel that the work I do (the training I mentioned above) is enough to get to my goal. I even considered stopping Foundation work to just work on presses more, but well, I do not want to be a handbalancer and I want to be well rounded and "strong" overall and I really enjoy it, too. 

I do know that by improving shoulder strength and tricep strength, the presses will be a lot easier, the tuck planche and dips from Foundation definitely helped with that!

However, I think I could easily have the 10 Straddle Presses or 2-3 Pike Presses and nicer V-Sit if my compression was better. Also, I think it looks sooo cool to have a nice compression!

Check out Lucas video, I like his compression so much and I would really like to get close to it.

Any ideas on what I can do to improve it? I know a ton of compression drills (Static L-Sit Holds, L-Sit Rocks, Lifting the feet in Pike,..) but how should I implement it into my training?
How often should I do it? How many sets and reps? Should I do V-Sits? Straddle V-Sits? How many a day? 
And how should I work towards the 10 Straddle Presses?

You know my current training schedule as well as what my goals are. I would really appreciate any help.

Thank You!

PS: For those who have not seen it yet, here are videos of me of my current presses. Just go to my channel and check it out if that helps.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNQGKM2ntqdIxJRyG5ApF4A

Hi Kat!

I thought it would be funny if Lucas himself answered so I contacted him (we are both Brazilians and he already posted here, though he doesn´t own any Foundation course) and he wanted to answer you but unfortunately he doesn´t have access to Handstand 2 forum.

If you want please introduce yourself (tell him you are from GB, etc.) and post a question at his youtube channel, he is very nice and will certainly answer you.

If you can´t contact him I´ll copy what he told me about it, though it´s simple and I think you are already doing it. He never followed any course nor has any gymnastics background. Probably his greatest secret is persistence and a monstrous volume/frequency of work. He basically works out everyday and mostly core, though straddle planches and hollow body presses are easy for him.

Wanted to surprise you having him answer you personally but too bad it wasn´t possible. 

Romulo said:

Hi Kat!

 

I thought it would be funny if Lucas himself answered so I contacted him (we are both Brazilians and he already posted here, though he doesn´t own any Foundation course) and he wanted to answer you but unfortunately he doesn´t have access to Handstand 2 forum.

 

If you want please introduce yourself (tell him you are from GB, etc.) and post a question at his youtube channel, he is very nice and will certainly answer you.

 

If you can´t contact him I´ll copy what he told me about it, though it´s simple and I think you are already doing it. He never followed any course nor has any gymnastics background. Probably his greatest secret is persistence and a monstrous volume/frequency of work. He basically works out everyday and mostly core, though straddle planches and hollow body presses are easy for him.

 

Wanted to surprise you having him answer you personally but too bad it wasn´t possible. 

Hey Romulo,

That is soooo nice of you!!! Thank you a lot! I will contact him for sure! Thanks thanks thanks!