StevenJ's 2008 log

Hello all, I'm Steven and have been reading this forum pretty extensively for the last couple months and decided that bodyweight training is pretty much one of the coolest things I've discovered in the 18 years I've been alive. But I digress, I'm 5'10 and 145lbs (~66kg?) and simply enjoy doing levers, handstands and the like and would like to get better at them, as well as maintain a relatively high level of fitness. To accomplish this I put together the following workouts and have been doing them pretty consistently for the last month.

A: 2 rounds for time

-Pseudo Planche Pushup x10

-Front Lever(tuck) 30sec

-HSPU Negatives) x10

-Back Lever 30sec

-L-sit 1 min

-Hollow Rocks x15

B: 2 rounds for time

-Frog Stand 30 sec

-360 Pulls x8

-Handstand 30min

-Hollow Hold 30sec

-Hanging Leg Raises x5

C: (3 rounds for time)

-Lunges x25(each leg)

-High Knees x25(each leg)

-Butt Kicks x25(each leg)

-24inch Box Jumps x15

-High Jumps x8(each leg)

Usually I've been doing it A,B,C,A,B,C, rest day, rest day.

Anything I should be doing better/more/differently, all criticism welcome.

Hi Steven,

That's an interesting approach. Do you have a CrossFit background? (not a criticism).

I wonder if you're limiting your strength gains by having a time-based goal, which would usually reduce recovery by having minimum rest between exercises - i.e. the onus is more on strength-endurance than pure strength? For example, the first round isn't that hard, and the last round might be near failure? You've been doing this for a month now, have you noticed an improvement in your strength?

Sorry for all the questions ...just interested in how it's working out.

Cheers,

George.

P.s. by Handstand 30min ...do you mean 30sec?

I don't have any real fitness background what-so-ever really. I got into Parkour 8 months or so ago, and hurt my leg (it's healed now) so I decided some more physical conditioning was necessary. I really detest gyms so most of my knowledge comes from reading (Pavel, some yoga books, and I bought a couple books about Bruce Lee's training and whatnot, as well as lots of internet readin', for better or worse) Oh, and that leg exercise is what they use for the high/long jump kids in track at my school.

Yarr, the other day I spent 14$ to go be a guest of my friend at one of the local gyms and we went around and (re)tested our max presses, my bench went up 30 lbs to 120, for the other ones I hadn't tested them before so I don't know that there was an increase, but it definitely feels like I've gotten stronger. I switched up the routine somewhat with the handstands because my Clean and Press was even more pathetic than my bench.

Always with with quick responses George, thanks. And yes, I did mean 30 sec, haha.

Did A today, with a protein shake about 30 mins after. Unfortunately unless I work out with a friend the "for time" part basically =s do as fast as possible.

My rings arrived today. *squeel* Though I have not been able to use them yet as there's nowhere inside to so I have to go to a park nearby, unfortunately it was 105 degrees here today so bah.

Rest day.

Lately my workout schedule has been a little whack, did a 12k on Saturday with some ring work. And have been doing the basic strength series (with the tuck progressions) Yesterday I took a rest day because the rings COMPLETELY destroyed my traps. Some more ring work will ensue today.

So, lately I've just been hanging out with my rings, holding supports, doing (one) muscle-up, dips, and the strength series. I can see my training becoming less focused though as I can't hang my rings up in my house it makes doing my old workout + ring work in the same time period (before I've cooled down) somewhat difficult. I'm going to keep experimenting with things to hopefully integrate the two more successfully. Today and tomorrow going to talk with some friends and come up with some new workouts/revamp the other ones to include dips/supports and the like, if anyone has any ideas please share.

Today did a bunch of moving bark with a pitchfork, afterwards did a few dips + general messing around on the rings, inverted holds, (very) assisted front/back levers.

Hi Steven,

Hope you don't mind the impose on your workout log but I have a question. You mentioned doing the basic ring strength series in one of your workouts, are you able to do a muscle up? it's just you said you don't really have a fitness background, so yeah, I'm just curious.....

Ed

Yes, I can do one or two muscle ups (not consecutive) after I've warmed up, they don't look great or anything and require some kicking, after I can't do a muscle up anymore I've been replacing it with a couple pull-ups and dips. And don't feel that you've "imposed" at all, this is on a forum =)

Do you have any weightlifting background or anything it's just I've never heard of anyone being able to do a muscle up when just starting gymnastic style training, including weightlifters.

Ed

Not really, before I found this website I didn't exercise to large extent, other than for fun. I found Parkour about a year ago, so I guess that could help, though I've stopped that due to not being in good enough condition. I also have had a pull-up bar in my house for a while and do a few pull-ups every time I walk into my room. I've lifted weights before but gym memberships are expensive and I don't really like machines that much (as they pertain to working out).

Today did some more stuff on rings, nothing intense. More pull ups, dips, a few front/back lever holds mixed in with 360 pulls. Some inverted support as well as regular supports. Spent ~30 mins messing around.

ed x said:

Do you have any weightlifting background or anything it's just I've never heard of anyone being able to do a muscle up when just starting gymnastic style training, including weightlifters.

Ed

I did a muscle up the first time I tried, although it was quite painful in my elbows.

Super sore today, had my friend spot me in actual front and back levers, as well as in an L-seat on the rings (I can do it on the ground but the rings are just intense) I did a 3 sets of 2 dips differing the way my arms bent for them. One with the elbows bending towards my back more, and then out to the side. As well as just holding a support for like 6 breaths a couple times ~15secx2 and holding inverted support for roughly the same amount of time.

Did about an hour bike ride with 5 rather large hills at the end. About an hour later went out and messed around on the rings a bit doing the basic ring strength series once, some dips, pull ups and extra support holds.

2min jog/2min butt kicks/2min high knee warm up

2x6 deep parallette push-ups

2 slow handstand push-up negatives

6 360-pulls

15 sec back lever

15 sec front lever

2x15 sec frog stand

10 1st knuckle pushups

Heavy bag workout (emphasizing right and left crosses)

Stretching

The wrist still hurts a bit, but it's not terrible, and it's only if I don't do things on paralettes. Continuing with the wrist conditioning coach posted, though I haven't been doing the fist ones because I still don't quite understand

After a (too) long hiatus from my scheduled gymnastic strength and conditioning mostly due to getting sick/having wrist issues (which have been dealt with nicely by the wrist strength series that was posted here) I'm going to attempt a 4 day/week workout schedule. Now being able to complete a couple muscle-ups in succession I did 2 complete Basic Ring Str. Series (advance tuck on the levers). This owned me, so I'm going to be doing them more often.

Sept 25

Warm-up

10 push ups

10 rows

(on knees)

10 dorsal push-ups

10 fingertip push-ups

10 first knuckle push-ups

10 wrist push-ups

10 wrist up push-ups

(despite being on my knees just doing so many still makes me a bit tired)

5 pistols each leg (assisted by a doorway)

Workout

2 x 15 sec tuck front lever hold

2 x 15 sec adv tuck back lever hold

3 x 10 sec support hold (palms out)

1 x 3 dips

Basic Ring Str. Series [holding everything for ~5 seconds (2 big breaths) with the levers being adv tucks]

2 x 10 sec frog stand (after little progress in my frog stand I understand the problem, I was not generating maximum muscle tension in trying to pull myself away from legs)

Warm-up

10 push ups

10 rows

(on knees)

10 dorsal push-ups

10 fingertip push-ups

10 first knuckle push-ups

10 wrist push-ups

10 wrist up push-ups

20 calf raises on with 2 legs, then 7 one legged for each leg

Workout

3x3 skin the cats(tuck)

3x3 front lever pull-ups (tuck)

3x2 dips (did some yoga asanas earlier today and Downward Dog completely owned my shoulders)

10x1 push-ups (feet elevated)

3x3 back lever pulls

(random support holds here and there throughout the workout just because I like them, probably ~15 seconds total)

Thus far it seems that having an actual workout log (a book solely for this purpose) has worked out tremendously better for me in keeping track of things. So for the last 4 weeks, 3 times a week (on occasion 4 if fatigue allows) this is what I have been doing.

Warm-up:

Running 1 mile (usually ~8min)

Wrist Conditioning series sets of 10 (my wrist is getting better and I feel this is helping a lot)

Workout:

Back Lever(tuck) 6secx10

Rows 5x3 or L-chins 3x3 or bulg rows 3x3

Frog Stand 15secx4

XR Push-ups 5x3 or PB dips 3x3 (seen much more ease in the dips over the last month)

Front Lever 5secx12 (these really kill me every time)

Jumping(height) deck squats 5x3 or SLS(assisted for balance) 3x3

L-hold (tight tuck but body parallel to arms so at the moment it's more of a back workout than core but that's okay with me)

Supine WSW 5x3(only been doing these simply due to lack of equipment and the fact that at the end of this workout I'm too tired to have good form with the other movements)

At the end of this training cycle will see how things are coming along. Last day will be Jan 30, 09

Fantastic. That is actually the last day for my current training cycle too.

Keep up the good work.

Today I did this workout

Back Lever(tuck) 6secx10

Rows 5x3

Frog Stand 15secx4

Bulg XR Push-ups 3x3

Front Lever 5secx12

Jumping(height) deck squats 5x3

L-hold 10secx6

Supine WSW 5x3

This time though, in light of posts on the forum, between the static exercises did the dynamic ones. For example, 3 sets of back lever, then the rows. Then 3 more and then more rows. That was not so bad. But switching between the frog stands to the push ups was really killer. Same with the L-holds. Though, in doing this the workout got shortened from 1hr (doing this with 1 other person) to about 40 mins. (that does not include warm-up or stretching) As well, we cut down rest times to about nil for most of the exercises, probably about 5-10 seconds on average, not going over 60 seconds.