Getting serious about becoming a Bewan

So, the goal now is to progress from a Wannabe to a Bewan. With the BtGB book of coach Sommer as my daily reference and motivated by all the high quality info on this website I have put together this daily training program for my first serious BtGB strength cycle of 8-12 weeks. The daily program is for Mo, Tue, Thu, Fri (if I do not need an extra rest day). I always warm up with Ido Portal's shoulder prehab program and finish with some stretching.

Comments and tips are more than welcome. The Bent arm maltese (if that is what it is) gives me an incredible bang for the buck strengthwise. It is close to the edge of what I should ask of my shoulders, but so far so good. I think that the shaking and leg waving will become less once my neuromuscular system has discovered that I mean business.

The music is "Quando Me Sinto So" (When I Feel Alone) by Mariza (album "Transparente").

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i hope i can be like you at 70 years old

Always great to see your video posts!

Love the one hand elbow lever work!

The only thing that raised a flag was the band assisted HeSPU. Your are arching your back so much that i'm afraid it might be a risk for your lumbar.

Mr. Brady, thanks for your comment. Your comment is interesting, because I do not feel much, if anything, in my lower back while arching my back like that. At the same time, I can only barely do a back bridge. Your comment seems to indicate that the problem there is more my inflexible shoulders (look at my arched handstand). The bungee cord I use is very flexible (at the most 2.5 kg support). The plan is to gradually, as my chest/shoulder strength gets better, get my nose down to the floor with a straighter back while controlling the remaining pike with my shoulders so I do not need the bungee cord anymore. That also means that my HeSPU gradually progresses from a chest pup to more of a shoulder pup. Any thoughts are much appreciated, because I may very well be missing some crucial point in how to develop my free HeSPU.

Mostly i'm just glad to hear its not going into your low back, they used to kill mine so i had to do a lot of work to get my low back straighter.

Are you doing down dogs? They are a great shoulder prep, and you'll get pints with the misses. As well handstand against the wall, just as a way to work on actively opening the shoulders, even if you can balance free, working on the body line with a wall is really helpful.

One nice way to ease into bridging is the hindu push up. Done right the snappy updogs can really get the t-spine to activate, and for folks your age, that's one of the things that begin to stiffen first if it was ever mobile in the first place. Of course you can't force that sort of thing, but i find hindus are an effective 'loosener' for someone with an already strong back like yours.

Shoulder inflexibility and t-spine immobility almost always come as a matching set, so some work on the t-spine will go along way to help the handstand work as well.

One of the biggest thing i do to work on opening my shoulders is just to lie on my back and actively work on bringing my arms over head and to the floor. Holding a yoga block will help you to keep the arms rolling in (closing armpits from the armbone).

You can also put that same block and lie on it right between your shoulder blades to help open the t-spine. Start with it at its lowest level, but if you are able to progress you can do stand it up and do the same thing. Great chest and upper back opener.

Even at the lowest level laying on the block can really work wonders if you are able to get on it a few times a week, perhaps as part of your cooldown.

A lot of good information. Handstands close to and facing the wall I should do more off. Down dogs, I used to do when I started my HS practice and then stopped doing them. Hindu Pushups I am familiar with, but never tried. So, I will start doing all three. I have to find out what a Hindu block is. My daughter teaches yoga, so she probably can help me with the exercises you suggest. Thanks a lot. It would be nice to loosen up that t-spine and those shoulders.

Just go REALLY slow with opening your shoulders and back on topic your strength is just amazing at that age! Don't think I've seen one other person (except that japanese guy still competing) at your age with your abilities. Even 60 years olds must be jealous I'm sure

Well, thank you. I agree with you that I should not push things too hard (like opening my shoulders). Take one step at a time; too small a step is better than too big a step; I discovered that quickly when I was trying the iron cross a couple of months ago.

Where it concerns my upper body strength (potential), I am starting to think that I must have gotten much more than my fair share from the gene pool. A year ago, I would never have thought that I could do what I can do now (even if it is still pretty rough). I am having the time of my life discovering how much more that share is. I call it the gift that keeps giving.

thx for sharing i'm training to be like you when i grow up

Nice to hear I can inspire you. I suggest, though, that you explore your own unique potential. You will be surprised with what you will find.

Razz said:

Just go REALLY slow with opening your shoulders and back on topic your strength is just amazing at that age! Don't think I've seen one other person (except that japanese guy still competing) at your age with your abilities. Even 60 years olds must be jealous I'm sure

Well, I'm 22 and even that doesn't prevent me from being jealous. In fact I feel a little useless right now.

Maybe i should visit my own grandparents to feel young again. :?

You know, I am starting to think that, maybe, I should start a whole new fitness revolution. Target market the 50+ crowd. Call it the Bewan Sommer method; the "Elite Fitness to stay Forever Young" or EFFY movement. Lots of franchising opportunities here in the old country with guaranteed government subsidies. I have to ask coach Sommer if he can make a special edition of his BtGB book with some suitably old looking gymnasts showing the moves. I suggest some of his bigger students with make up, wigs and stuff to age them a bit. Maybe me doing a front lever or so; and, of course, me on the cover page as proof positive. What do you think. Good idea, or maybe not?!

Frits, I think that's a wonderful idea (and you're probably right about the possibility to acquire government money here in NL)!

I vote for Frits the Front Lever Front Cover Model!

I vote EFFY!

Woot!

Government will not pay for this. They need the money for stuff like that: http://www.rp-online.de/duesseldorf/met ... 39745.html

(Imagine Frits on one of these things )

Maybe if you hung it upside-down.

See, Fritz. Were you see obstacles, I see opportunities. That Rentner Spielplatz (Retired people's playing ground) is ideal for some promotional work for the EFFY movement. We invite some of the local press. I would walk up leaning on my government issue cane. Warm up a bit on the equipment shown there, then do a dragon flag and a hand stand, walk on my hands to the next station; maybe a flick flack. All in my Bewan Sommer t-shirt (in Germany we could make it the Biseine Sommer t-shirt). And you would be there, ready to explain to the reporters that they are witnessing the start of the EFFY movement and telling them how much happiness (and cost savings) it will bring. At the end of the demonstration I could graciously present one of the more attractive female reporters with my cane. Get the picture?

FritsMB, you think just like me. Do it! I am going to be doing my own part here in the US to try and at least save our kids in the athletic programs from poor training and awful nutritional practices. As I get older I suppose I should target more and more age groups lol! Ah, you're giving me ideas!

btw, I already wanted to ask what exactly a "Bewan" is. Now that you tried to translate it, I am even more confused as I never got to hear that word before.

Oh, yes. My German is a little rusty. Bisteiner for the male and Bisteine for the female German participants (e.g. du bist einer richtiger Sommer Athlet). Bewan stands for Be One (Wan is Dutch phonetics for One). Now, Slizzardman, if you work diligently at your end of the age bracket and I do the same at my end, pretty soon we will have a rapidly growing group of vibrant, healthy people at both sides of the Atlantic.

That's what I am hoping for!

Do it! Please! Both Slizzardman and Frits! I swear, in high school the most athletic thing they made us do was walk the seven blocks to the ice cream parlor (this was in gym class). Every time we did that, I died a little inside.

People these days need good fitness guru's and role models more than ever!

Erik. We will definitely do our bit. But, there is nothing against you taking some initiative yourself as well. Like this kid did, for example:

If you did not do so, I suggest, that next time you practice at least Idoportal's beginner's locomotion conditioning routine on the way to the ice cream parlor:

About one block for each routine, right?

I was thinking of doing a handstand walk up on stage for grad but I decided there was just too much risk of me falling somehow props to that kid!

FritsMB said:

Erik. We will definitely do our bit. But, there is nothing against you taking some initiative yourself as well. Like this kid did, for example:

If you did not do so, I suggest, that next time you practice at least Idoportal's beginner's locomotion conditioning routine on the way to the ice cream parlor:

About one block for each routine, right?

Ha ha! Oh man, that actually would have made it a worthwhile phys ed class. All except for the sweets at the end, I'd probably cut that part out.