u guys ROCK!! but noob need bit help :)

[Steen Millinder]

I’m a total noob in this, a lot of years ago i used to breakdance but i broke my body doing it. Got tired of the fitness gym(trained (HST) a kind of PTTP, did'nt eat enough) a year ago.

So I bought some rings a couple of months ago because I saw Yuri Van Gelder in the rings on youtube, and also some dude making planches on the floor(AWSOME!!!).

Totally destroyed my body in 2 weeks! Inflammations all along ulna(old break dance damage from doing flairs came back in a flash!) and some ligament damage on the inner side of my right elbow!(golf elbow?)...

Long break with dumbbell training my forearms 6-8 reps. and doing much better, elbow back to normal.

An old break dance buddy of mine gave me BTGB 3 days ago and I totally devoured it in two days!(and a lot of the stickys and linked artikles) Awesome stuff!!! Still think program design(bottom of post) aint easy.

But first I needed some numbers, so I TOTTALY crushed my body today finding them!! and here is the fruit of my hard HARD work!! (for real, it's hours ago and I STILL feel all weak and stomped upon!! by a big man.. in military boots!!!)

Push FSP's:

BL-FT.-XR: 10 sec.

Straddle L-XR: 10-15 sec.

Straddle L-FX: 30-40 sec.

All 3 totally CHRUSHED my core!! last 2 also my hip flexors!, and I have short hamstrings so have to bend my knees a bit.

PL-FT: 5-8 sec. (killing WRISTS!! might provoke inflammation along ulna)

I’d like a bit more chest so I thought about doing 'pseudo Maltese hold with support' but with my arms at a right angle with my torso, eccentric going down and holding it static(slightly bent arms).

Push FBE's:

PPP-XR plus: 3-5 reps.

PMP-XR: 2-3 reps.

DIPS-XR-bulg.: 1-3 reps.

have trouble in the stand if have to have thumbs out, afraid to stretch my arms totally, coz they kind of can bend a bit more then 'just' straight, if I keep thumbs pointing forward I can do 6-8 reps. clean.

HeSPU-elev: 6-9 reps.

HSPU-XR-straps: 1-1,5 rep. (one word, the F word!!)

Pull FSP's:

L-sit- XR: 30 sec. (leaning a bit back or spreading my arms a bit)

MSH: 3 sec. (F word!!)

both are REALLY hard on my hip flexors!

FL-FT-XR: 20 sec.

all 3 crush my core!!

one arm hang-L 10-25 sec. (left twice as strong, and only able in L)

Pull FBE's:

FLR-FT-XR: 5 reps.

PU-XR-bulg. 12 reps.

PU-XR-bulg.-L: 6 reps.

OAC-assist.-XR: 2-3 reps. (hard to say, i use my pinky on the helping hand)

Core:

L-sit-lift: 8-10 reps.

V-ups-lift: 3-5 reps.

HLL-XR: 12-14 reps. (dragon flaps?)

Delts.:

For abduction and transvers abduction:

INV.-hang-bulg.: 6 reps. (IH-bulg.)

INV.-pike-bulg.: 6 reps. (IP-bulg.)

I have for now chosen to neglect MPPU MPPR and CPP though I’d REALLY like to do them I due time, look AWSOME! can't make the transition in any form of muscle ups! cant get the wrist grip right.

2 days training push/pull, 1 day of, 2 different push/pull trainings for variation and all training days starting with 2 forearm and 2 shoulder warm up sets(bumbbell abduction and transvers abduction with lateral rotation) and finishing training with 2 hamstring and 2 split, 30 sec. stretching sessions.

Push day warm up:

3 sets, HeSPU no elevation when I get down to the bottom I let the shoulders go in front of wrists lower my chest to almost touch the ground and push up again, 12,10,8 reps., I keep a wide stand to let it be a bit more pectoral(here i also practice handstand balance).

Pull day warm up:

3 sets. PU-XR-bulg. 12,10,8 reps., might narrow the elbows in a bit in the last set.

day 1:

FSP's:

BL-XR 10 x 6 sec.

STAD.L-XR 10 x 6 sec.

FBE's:

dips 3-5 x 3-5

PPP-XR-(plus) 3-5 x 3-5

day 2:

FSP's:

one arm L hang 10 x 6 sec.

L-sit-XP(advanced) 10 x 6 sec.

FBE's:

OAC ass. 2 x 3-5 (2 sets only)

PU-XR-bulg 3-5 x 3-5 (perhaps with a bit of hanging on top with trapz tight)

IH-bulg 3 x 3-5

IP-bulg 3 x 3-5 (high emphasis on delts!)

day 3:

FSP's:

Pseudo Maltese fly hold 10 x 6

PL-tuck 10 x 6

FBE's

PMP-XR 3-5 x 3-5

HeSPU elev. 3-5 x 3-5

Day 4:

FSP's:

FL-XP 10 x 6 sec.

L-sit-XP(arms out) 10 x 6 sec.

FBE's:

OAC ass. 2 x 3-5

FLR 3-5 x 3-5

IH-bulg 3 x 3-5

IP-bulg 3 x 3-5

Steady state, with FBE's 3 x 3 to start with(where is the under load part here?), ill stick to it for 8 weeks, take a week long break and see where im at, and no leg work.

Any progression with embedded, ladders, pyramids and reverse, blended sets, ill wait with till I know better how my body responds and I get more 'academic' knowledge, so have to read some more

Hope some of you have at bit of wisdom for me really awesome being back doing something physical that requires skill and not all gym...

Cheers

[Steen Millinder]

Just finished day 1... that was ehh hard core! 20 sets og static holds might be at bit over the top :? and a few ajustments..

BL-XR first set.. easy i can do this straddle, 8th set i could barely hold my tuck flat! and very hard on elbow flexors!

STAD.L-XR haha not even close!! weak elbow flexors and stability is hard XR, so its FX, hard with fingers pointing backwards.

dips 3 x 3 can't hold the hold right(elbows again, very tired from the static holds), so did them with thumbs pointing forth, kept them bulgarian and did my best pointing thumbs out on top where i focused on getting my arms compleatly straight.

PPP-XR-(plus) 3 x 3 no (plus) coming soon! and PPP is more a Pushups-XR bulg. 45 deg. arm angle with torso and wrists at navel level.

Took longer then i expected and hope my fore arms are able to take the strain, need to streach leg muscles! otherwise fun training, need better headstand control also...

day 1: BL-FT-XR, STRAD.L-FX, dips bulg., Pushups-XP

[Steen Millinder]

day 2.. ok so volume is to big for sure! ahahaha feel like such a wuss! :oops:

one arm L hang 8 x 6 sec. i did them assisted and the last ones i asissted quite a bit.

L-sit-XP(advanced) 8 x 6 sec. first ones nice form, last ones i struggled to keep my back straight and no (advanced) about them.

OAC ass. 2 x 3 probably 90% most af all reps, hard not pushing my self, weak disciplin.

PU-XR-bulg 3 x 3 just what i was aiming for, first set about 70 % last about 90% last set i could maybe do just one more.

IH-bulg 3 x 6 body all straight, fun keeping balance specially on top, good form, maybe not heavy enough.

IP-bulg 3 x 4 good form, but could not complete 6 reps.

Gonna reduce isometrics to 2 X 6 sets of 6 sec., felt like going to bed after the isometrics, hard on me.

Inverted Pull ups im gonna do the pike version first, im stronger in the inverted hang, dont know how to hit delt.lat. heavy using bodyweight alone.

Feel bad about reducing volume, but think im taxing CNS to much, and forearms are 'itching' inside along the bottom, like the balance part of the training...

[Blairbob]

Sounds like you need to build up with the isometric work. Hopefully you are taking short rests between.

Get a bucket and some rice or sand, it sounds like your forearms need it. You might even want to include sand/rice work after your WU before FSP's. DB wrist circles or a weight plate on a rope and stick are other good ideas.

It sounds like you have good strength and active flexibility coming in.

L-sit and MSH are not pull FSP's.

2 of my friends were former breakers and noted the same problems with their forearms eventually until they retired from breaking. My thoughts on it are that breaking on concrete, especially doing flairs/flares on concrete besides all the other hand work is quite hard on the forearms besides the fact they probably engaged in no prehab/rehab for them.

[Steen Millinder]

Hi Blairbob thx a lot for ur reply

You think 2 x 6 sets of 6 sec. with 1 minute of of rest between iso. is enough per training ?

I will for definite get a rice bucket!! i also have dumbbells with the weight on one side and use them for warm up all kinds of different ways. Really hope I can build up my 'tendons' in my forearms, i miss bboying SO much!!! still daydream about it every day! want it back in my life.. i can't do wrists push up, to hard on me...

About L-sit and MSH i totally agree with you, you move your elbows away from your body, so per definition push. I just split it up in shoulder flexion and extension, and they are both extensions, and the dynamic movements that follow(in the training program) are also extensions thats why I group them together.

When I was breaking I used to warm up with flairs and mills before doing airtracks, so stupid!! and no straching, heres a short preview of what i looks like(when you get better ):

HARD on ur wrists!

[Joshua Naterman]

You are working waaaaaaaaay too hard on your statics! If you can't do 15 second work sets minumum, you should not be training the position directly.

EVERYONE approaches statics as if they are a test of strength, and they are not, especially straight arm stuff like planche and back lever. It is very important that you do your work sets in the 15-30s range, because if you can't keep a hold that long and repeat it without pain then your connective tissue is not strong enough. Connective tissue heals slowly, around 10x slower than muscular tissue. If you don't let go of the gung-ho attitude with the FSP and start working longer holds on easier variations then you will end up just like I did, having to take many months off of such training while recovering from severe tendon issues! I don't think you want that.

You are definitely doing well for starting off. Your numbers are funny, in the sense that I would expect more in the dips based on your HeSPU, and so on, but I suppose breaking is very specific as far as what you end up strengthening!

Welcome to the crew here, we're glad to have you!

I want to make a promise to you. I can promise you that if you follow the WODs and do your statics either as a separate session or as part of your warm up for the WODs(Coach has his guys do them as part of warm up) you will make progress far beyond what you are expecting, and certainly far beyond what you will achieve with your own programming. The WODS are NOT a random workout put up for people who are too lazy or too inexperienced to program their own workouts! The WODs are the exact format Coach Sommer develops his elite athletes at, from the beginners to the current national champ! I have been to the seminars and gone through the WODs with Coach right there, and if you do them, properly scaled, exactly as they are formatted you will do incredibly well! They are challenging, and you will find that you cycle through dynamic and maximal strength for upper body pulls, presses, legs, and also plenty of handstand work. The one thing I WILL say is that if handstands are extremely important to you, you should treat them as a fundamental static and work on them the same way you work your other statics.

If you do your own workouts, I wish you the best and keep us updated with how you are doing!

[Steen Millinder]

Hey slizzardman, thax for the words and warm velcome

I'd love 'just' to follow Coach's advise, gut feeling tells me that he's not that bad at training people, might actually be a bit better then me! ..

Thing is i dont really get what i have to do! I've looked at WOD - 100702 and I'm not sure what to do. When training I'm alone only with rings and a floor at my disposal, and not all that keen on training legs(lot of cycling on my fixie), though I'm more then willing to try, if it's good for me.

I'd like to build my own rutines in time, but think it would be better to follow WOD's for some time and get the 'bigger picture' before i do so. How about when i take a rest day, wont i 'mis' one of the WOD's if they are published every day? and how often should i train when following WOD's?

P.s:

Yeah dips are NOT my strong side, but nothing to do with breaking i think, haven't done that for years(sometimes bust some mills when drunk, but thats another story ), its more from the gym, I NEVER did dips.

When i do dips on XR(3 x 3) I keep my elbows totally bulgarian, if you'd see me from the top elbows and shoulders would make a straight line. I go all the way down at the bottom and straighten my arms compleatly on top, and try to point my thumbs out and keep it there between 1-3 sec.

Also with the HSPU-XR i go all the way down til my hands touch the shoulders and keep that width when pressing up, elbows also totally bulgarian position, and that way and can't keep the form on the second PU(i can crank it up, once or twice, but elbows no longer totally bulgarian).

Handstand are really important for me! would look AWSOME to do manna, L-sit, planche, high straddle L, handstand, combined in fluid motions(also one hand handstand control)..

[Joshua Naterman]

Hey slizzardman, thax for the words and warm velcome

I'd love 'just' to follow Coach's advise, gut feeling tells me that he's not that bad at training people, might actually be a bit better then me! ..

Thing is i dont really get what i have to do! I've looked at WOD - 100702 and I'm not sure what to do. When training I'm alone only with rings and a floor at my disposal, and not all that keen on training legs(lot of cycling on my fixie), though I'm more then willing to try, if it's good for me.

I'd like to build my own rutines in time, but think it would be better to follow WOD's for some time and get the 'bigger picture' before i do so. How about when i take a rest day, wont i 'mis' one of the WOD's if they are published every day? and how often should i train when following WOD's?

P.s:

Yeah dips are NOT my strong side, but nothing to do with breaking i think, haven't done that for years(sometimes bust some mills when drunk, but thats another story ), its more from the gym, I NEVER did dips.

When i do dips on XR(3 x 3) I keep my elbows totally bulgarian, if you'd see me from the top elbows and shoulders would make a straight line. I go all the way down at the bottom and straighten my arms compleatly on top, and try to point my thumbs out and keep it there between 1-3 sec.

Also with the HSPU-XR i go all the way down til my hands touch the shoulders and keep that width when pressing up, elbows also totally bulgarian position, and that way and can't keep the form on the second PU(i can crank it up, once or twice, but elbows no longer totally bulgarian).

Handstand are really important for me! would look AWSOME to do manna, L-sit, planche, high straddle L, handstand, combined in fluid motions(also one hand handstand control)..

The WODS are generally published 4-5 days a week. Rest is build in. If you look at the WOD section of the forum you will see that dates are skipped every so often. That's not because Coach woke up late! It's on purpose. Rest days are meant to be active rest, with either a short (10-30 minute) run or some other activity, and stretching/prehab work.

If you don't want to do the leg days, that's your business. They will probably help your cycling, but if there are other leg workouts you prefer then use them on the leg days! Just make sure that if it's a leg strength day to do leg strength, and if it's dynamic legs then do jumps and other dynamic work. You'll be able to tell based on exercise selection.

I will suggest that you build yourself some paralletes, as they will help with some of the statics. You may have a very hard time doing swinging dips on rings for a good long time, but you can always try! I'd suggest not trying that until you have a couple months of easily doing 5x5 bulgarian dips under your belt. Until then, either do more dip strength work, do faster reps, or use dip bars/parallel bars on dynamic upper body days. You can build a set of parallel bars like mine for 120 bucks that are more than sturdy enough to safely do swinging dips. They are the best upper body tool besides the rings. For your core I'd suggest building the swedish ladder/stall bars. They are super easy and cost less than 60 bucks in materials.

As someone who has had excellent success with my own personal training and fitness, I can honestly say that I don't think you're going to come up with a better template than what Coach is using. Go to the next seminar and you'll see what his guys can do. They are off the charts! And that's strengthwise, I'm not talking about skills. What Coach is sharing through the WODs is an elite training protocol.

I'm not trying to say that you can't make gains on your own or that you don't know how to program, so please don't take it like that! The WODs are surprisingly sophisticated.

[Steen Millinder]

I've been sick for a week, so no training :cry:

I will try to follow WOD best i can, things needing a box i will put my feet in the rings, and for elevation where the rings are still to hard I have some bricks or maybe reduce ROM like in HSPU to keep the reps. For shuttle runs i might do jumps or something, I'll try my best and just ask in the WOD thread on possible substitutes..

Thx for everything guys awsome having found this forum, amazing wealth of information!!!