Handbalancing Work

I have had this up on my little training blog on Idos forum for a few days and just though posting it here would be a good idea as well. Its on Vimeo because of its length. I havent been recording any of my drill work just my static hold stuff. . . I guess it would be wise to just start recording everything. :wink:

http://www.vimeo.com/8685877

Some things I noticed:

For some reason my knees are slightly bent on some of the holds.

Sometimes I am a little to piked at the hips.

Lotta hard work in that video, good job, man.

I have seen a lot (a LOT) of carryover from practicing holding the Tuck position, i.e. femurs parallel, shins perpendicular to the floor. Though I suspect you really need someone to spot/hold you in that position in order to learn it, I don't know.

Keep at it. It's inspiring, I hope to post a video like this soon, though we'll see if there's anything noteworthy to show.

best,

jason

Hey man nice vid.

I really liked your tucked handstands they were pretty solid. One thing that I noticed in your legs together handstand that you appear to be losing tension in your legs, sometimes they were coming apart a little. Perhaps focusing on tensing and pushing them to the roof will help you to further improve. Other than that maybe pull the head in a little bit more to fully extend the shoulders.

Nice work man

That's some impressive hand balancing. I'm looking forward to being able to do what you can.

schlaffmann said:

That's some impressive hand balancing. I'm looking forward to being able to do what you can.

Really! bec I think I am an utter NEWB at anything on my hands. :wink: I wont be satisfied until I am doing one arm press handstands! :wink: Have to get that pesky regular straight arm press consistent first though lol 8)

Thanks for the compliment its really motivating!

Thanks for an inspiring film

Nice training. I have been working the tuck position much more lately. When I first was playing with the tuck, I was really focusing on minimizing the hop, pressing up, holding the tuck, and then extending the legs up to a full handstand. Without really meaning to, I really gave my back muscles and buttocks a challenge, and I was was quite sore.

New video and I cut up the first one so youtube would like it

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Old video part 1

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Part 2

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I plan on making a video of JUST the drills I do. People always ask how to use the wall and I use the wall A LOT, for everything from alignment to leg positioning. Most of them are just Ido's drills but the tuck up and down drill at the end of the video above was from a random Yuval training video.

See 4:40 in for the sweet extended tuck position! Man that is so cool! 8) And I wish I had a hand spotter!

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I think this thread just became my handbalancing blog on this site, I guess I will just mirror it with what I post on Idos forum, if I remember.

Picture time!

I got the one armers with my feet together decent, now I just need to make them 'easy.' lol

Kind of underbalancing a bit on the last one but I kept it together long enough to go back to a tuck and then up to a full handstand (total hold time about 35 seconds). . . I took video but Im lazy and dont feel like editing anything together right now

New video, footage from April 30 and May 3, 2010.

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Very inspiring! I wish I could hold a freestanding HS like yours. That's probably going to take me at least a year...

Keep up the good work and keep those videos coming!

Thanks!

Just make sure you use as best form as you can because I have been working on breaking some bad habits for the past 3 months or so and progress is SLOW at best. Post videos, screen caps or whatever so you can get some tips and tricks, so you dont have to fix bad habits like me :wink:

Yo Nifty,

Thanks for sharing!

You've inspired me to put together a clip of my latest endeavors.

Also, apparently I have a deeply ingrained refusal to point my feet.

best,

jason

lol I sometimes dont point by my holds are much better when I do! When you point its just another thing that helps you stretch towards the ceiling and line everything up! It also helps me maintain my body tension.

niftyvt said:

Thanks!

Just make sure you use as best form as you can because I have been working on breaking some bad habits for the past 3 months or so and progress is SLOW at best. Post videos, screen caps or whatever so you can get some tips and tricks, so you dont have to fix bad habits like me :wink:

I will. And I should really create a workout log on the forum... I actually did, some time ago, but I deleted it as I wasn't training consistently and I felt like a fraud . In fact, although I've been immersing myself in Ido's work, Coach's work, paleolithic nutrition ideas etcetera since around September last year, it is taking a loooong time for me to really incorporate everything into my daily life. But I'm getting there. Probably a workout log will actually help me to stick to my plans

But I digress...

Nifty,

Thanks for sharing your practice sessions above.

I brought a camera to gym today to reciprocate.

I worked on my tuck, as well as trying to move out of and into it. There's a little bit of 'conditioning' HS walking at the end; the timed intervals I have been doing would put you to sleep.

Look for bonus footage of forum member XX practicing his snatch, as well as The Wife (as in, mine), who is, apparently, a natural hand-balancer.

She was watching me download the footage and said, "Gee, were you trying it like this?"

Face-palm.

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I look forward to seeing more clips from you, perhaps Biomieg as well.

best,

jason

EDIT: Just fixed privacy setting.

More edit: Some feedback: Open shoulders more more more; lock shoulders up.

video is private =/

Dude! Nice work, you are way ahead of me flexibility wise, like where you extend your legs in the tuck (legs at 90 degrees). When I try that (and try to keep my shoulders open and my back flat) I can only get my legs at like 45 degrees from vertical lol

Very nice pike press as well, I dont work my presses as diligently as I want to, so mine have been and stay really shaky and I can only do one (straddle only) when I am really fresh. You have motivated me to work my presses more, I do really want a solid press from a straddle L but I have just been lazy. Great work on the weight transfer for your one arm handstands as well, I just started trying that out and its really tough! :shock:

Mmmm I want to practice right now! but my entire core is killing me from the straddle flags I did yesterday lol

Thanks Nifty.

I think for my proportions I'm going to have to lock my chin into my chest like Yuval in order to make a decent L-hold happen.

I'll film some more press work sometime. This has really inspired me to re-plan my practicing.

best,

jason

Its been a while since I posted in here, I have been posting on Idos forum but its been down for a few days now. There are also a lot more ppl here so I will start posting here from now on.

The lowdown: I fell doing a ring routine (one hand peeled off the other didnt) and severely strained my right shoulder about 10 months ago now. After I explained to my doc (sport orthopedic surgeon specialist lady who happens to be my god mother ) what happened she couldnt believe that I didnt tear or even partially tear something, I just pulled it bad. +1 for all the shoulder prehab. I have had the all clear from the doc via MRI to train for the past couple of months and I have been slowly, VERY slowly ramping everything back up (I need to sift through the MRI images and post some cool ones up ).

From the injury I lost my rotations into low bridge, my wall HSPu was weaker but wasnt gone, I lost a decent amount of over the head (shoulders open in a handstand) type of range of motion and lost stability in that area as well. And the general strength loss from being on light duty for 6 months, mostly in the overhead pulling plane bec that’s how I fell.

Since I got the all clear I rehabbed aggressively focusing on my shoulder mobilization and stability using Idos shoulder mobilization routine he posted on facebook. I now have my rotations into bridge back, my HSPu still sucks but I havent focused much time on it. My planche has also improved and is about even maybe even a bit better than before the injury. My basic straight handstand is back and improved on, still building back my endurance but technique wise I am better. I still have a solid tuck handstand but I have not worked many other positions besides tuck and straddle. My elbow levers seemed to get better with the time off so they are still fun and solid, I guess I did practice my left hand side while my right was recovering. My air baby on my right arm didnt loose all that much and is now so close I just need to suck it up and dedicate a month or 2 to get it nailed down. I couldnt practice my left side while my right was healing bec the cross body tension made my right feel funny. My human flag was back to the ground zero but I have a solid low flag back and now I am working on getting my straddle flag back (the straddle flag is where I was before the injury). Straddle L took a hit but is back to pre injury and I am working my one armer again. Deadlift was at 405lbs and I weighed in at around 170-175 pre injury, I am down to a BW of 165, still lean and mean though , and yesterday I tested myself on 230 and then pulled 255 and it was easy. I will work for a week and retest with like 10 pounds more and keep doing that until I hit a wall then start working the DL from there. About 2-3 weeks ago I started working my Mexican handstand again, I don’t put that much work into right now. I was testing this range of motion every week when I was rehabbing and the required super open shoulders finally doesn’t give me any weird shoulder feelings. My full back lever is gone but I almost have my straddle back, still a little high when I filmed it yesterday. . . it was after DLing and flag work though. I rehabed my FL and planche together and FL is better than it was pre injury.

I have been lifting at my work gym but I just got done building my garage gym. I made some giant sized stall bars (bec I am tall ), hung my rings and a 2†climbing rope and put down a couple thick rubber mats. I also got a set of bumper plates 45s, 35s and 25s. I am DL all of the bumpers I have right now at 255 but I have another 200+ of steel weights that I can add on.

I almost have everything, skill wise, back to pre injury, some things are getting more focus than others but everything is going well thus far. I also finished school and got a real job so I don’t have time to train 3 hours a day like I did a year ago but I get in a solid 1.5-2 hours on heavy days and do my best to get in 30min to 1 hour of balance work every day. I also recently acquired Pavels relax into Stretch so I am going to strive to get my splits (front, side and martial arts) before my 26th bday (March).

I will try to get some pics up of the gym and some other handbalancing type pics up later today. I all ready put some post injury pics up in some other threads but I will put them up here as well.

Long post Nifty out!

I'm glad to hear that rehab is going well for you. Looking forward to seeing the the images of what you've been working on.

Welcome back, Nifty

Elbow Lever Work a coupe months after my shoulder injury. Mostly my overhead pulling and pressing got messed up but the pressing for the elbow levers wasnt affected all that much.

And an old pic but still cool.

And the garage gym I just push the bar off towards the camera and I have a 8x6 place to play around. The rings can be pulled off to the side using a piece of cord and a carabiner to hold them out of the way.

Signed up for the adult class at a local gym, well as local as a 40 min drive is. They have a 2 hour class tues and thurs. Its $45 a month for just the classes and $55 if you want the additional option of coming in whenever they are open which is mon through sat! I, of course, signed up for the 'come whenever I want' package. The first hour is general fitness and the second hour is gymnastics, its kind of a free for all and you can just ask the coaches or others to spot you or help with something. I went to my first class last night, worked handbalancing for the first hour and promptly tried to see if I could still do a standing back tuck right after the WU for the gymnastic hour. I asked a coach to spot me and went for it, I over rotated (with a little help from the coach :wink: ) and landed flat on my back! I got multiple comments from the coaches saying that they didn’t think I would explode and jump that high, one guy said ‘ you squatted real low and then just WAM exploded crazy high. . . I though you were going to hit the lights!’ Of course the gym is a large warehouse but I appreciated his exaggeration. I don’t think they have much experience with someone of my stature or fitness level (I also surprised myself!), the gym is mostly young ones (middle school and below maybe a few early high school girls in there) and cheerleading. This morning my neck is a little sore from the whiplash but other than that I am fine Finished the class with some punch fronts which were hit and miss as I get my air sense back and helping the one other guy in the group of about 10 work on getting his muscle up. Some people just came for the fitness part and some just showed up for the gymnastics part, but I was surprised at the size of the group!

Fun times

And here is a plug for the gym, it is located just south of Washington DC.

http://www.facebook.com/Marylandstategym

So last week at gymnastics practice I got my standing front tuck back I have also reeled in my standing back a little more so I am almost landing where I take off, when I am fresh that is.

Last night at practice I did a little testing after my hour handbalancing practice and I found out I can do Korean dips again. I did a single set of 3 and will try to work them into my bent arm pressing when I get more comfortable with them.

I am also really happy that my cuban press is stronger than it has ever been (pre injury included). I did 3 sets of 4 with the 45 pound bar. I guess all the re/prehab actually did something! It actually felt easy so I am going to work with the bar for a few more weeks and then add weight. Right now the smallest I can add is 5 lbs at a time so hopefully I will be able to work with that. My band dislocates still have a ways to go though.

I also put in an offer on a house yesterday! The place is great and has a huge FINISHED 2 car garage (heated and cooled, well I need to run a little duct work to tie it in but that’s easy), the kitchen is tiny but other than that there is plenty of space for me to have room to practice in the living area on top of building a play space in the garage. Water view, great neighbors (at first impression), not as much land as I would like (1.5) but there is 40 acres of non buildable land to the front and sides (rear faces water) that are owned by the neighbors . Fingers crossed that my offer is accepted!