Spinelli's log

Haven't been posting for a while. Progress is coming along nicely. My slight shoulder injury has healed and I'm progressing slightly with every workout.

I can now perform full russian dips I'm tempted to start working on the muscle up but think I should leave that until after I've got a decent XR support and can do Xr dips for reps first.

My handstand is progressing nicely and is fairly straight, just need to open up the shoulders a bit more.

Feel a little like I'm stagnating in the L-sit as my time doesn't appear to have increased but I checked the other day and what I'm holding is more like an advanced L-sit :shock: so I'll just keep plugging away I think

German hang is still taking it's sweet time to develop the issue now is mostly shoulder strength which give out pretty quick in that position. Elbows still feel a lot of stain but I've added in planche leans which should increase strength there.

A quick question I would like an answer to: Should I work on getting a 60 sec plank on the XR before working on the XR support?

A bit ill today so I probably wont train again until Thursday Happy training everyone

According to what I've read, plank is an intermediary step if you can't go to XR support immediately. So I'd move on to XR support, but it depends on how your elbows are feeling and whether you feel you are up to it. Be honest with yourself.

Others will chime in as well, their opinions probably hold more value than mine.

Sounds like your doing well. That's great!

Thanks Rik, I had a go at doing an Xr support the other day and I felt really strong in it so I think I'll start training that. My elbows are coming along in leaps and bounds. I've found that very short session of german hangs to be very effective, just two sets of a 5 second hold seem to give them all the direct stimulation they need, anything more for me is overtraining. I suppose I'm just at that weird stage where supported isnt hard enough but a unsupported german hang is still very hard.

Been feeling really bad these last few days, my diet has been terrible and I've really put on a bit of weight :oops: so I'm going to stop drinking and eat better, got to look good for the summer!

This week at least I've been really working on slow reps of pushups and inverted rows, really good stuff, should have started it earlier. Played around with pullups afterwards and I can now pull my chest right up, so a bit more work on the old Russian dips and XR support and I should have a muscle up

Decided to go back to basics with the hollow hold also and it's worth it after just a couple of sessions I'm nearly back to the fully extended version but now I can really push my lower back into the floor and keep it all tight. It's a really deep burn but a good one!

Going to work on my handstand for a bit today and then a full training tomorrow

Had some really good training sessions the past week or so. Been working on my flexibility and I'm already seeing results. Really slow FBEs are working wonders Also I tested my tuck planche hold today and managed about 10 seconds without too much difficulty. Started working on Xr supports and also incorporating more handstand work into everything. I'm so close to a muscle up now it's unbelievable. Think I might start working negatives more regularly.

Now it appears to me that the best way to progress with gymnastics is to initially go through a mass gaining phase and then a strength training phase each cycle, whilst all the while slowly strengthening the connective tissue. Is this a correct assumption? The reason I've found this is with working the german hang, it feels like its taken me ages to get anywhere with it and I still have a very long way to go but since the other week I've been doing some prehab at the end of my workout in an attempt to stimulate hypertrophy in my biceps. I have achieved some and now I've made greater gains with the german hang than I've ever done before.

Seeing as I'm an ectomorph would this be a sensible way to do things? i.e perform my workout normally with all the usual prehab at the beginning and then afterwards do some more prehab designed to stimulate hypertrophy (presumably on a muscle group that wont be worked too hard next workout?) Thanks for any input

Just work on the progressions and focus on strength (both muscular and connective tissue). Mass is a function of food. If you're an ectomorph, you need to eat more. That's all there is to it. Make sure you track your calories, because I guarantee you that you underestimate what you eat.

Thanks Rik for the advice. I think the apparent lack of progress in some areas is all in my head and by having a quick scan through my log I can see that I've come a long way already, suppose that's the point of keeping this thing .

Yeah just going to keep working slowly and patiently and I'll get there in less time than I expected.

I have a week off next week and then after that I'll have a lot more free time for training and such so I'm going to do my best to follow the advice on here about nutrition and eating times etc. Thanks again Rik

I managed my first muscle up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yay! Ok excitement over. I just randomly tried one today and was able to all the way up. I was able to a second a few minutes afterwards and that was even better than the first. They felt pretty good really, not too much elbow strain, the only hard bit was the very bottom of the dip and I did then with zero kip.

YAY! (ok there was a bit of excitement left there)

feeling a bit fustrated this week as Ive been unable to train for about a fortnight. the first week I spent at Download festivle which was good fun but I did sleep in a leaky tent an it was very very wet so I now have a bit of a cold. over the worst of it and I should be able to resume training tomorrw.

weird thing is Ive ben consuming tonnes of burgers and alcohol over the past week (only do so at festivles I promise) but Ive lost a load of weight. nearly at where Id ideally like to be all the time now

also tried a press handstand yesterday and Im now finding it much easier to keep my weight over tye top of me. just ned to strengthen a few key areas improve flexibility and balance q bit and I should hqve one still a long way to go with that though.

Training has been erratic since my last post, a really busy schedule and holidays have got in the way, still making progress though and can now consistently perform a muscle up. I've really fallen behind on my statics but the FBEs are really coming along well. Going to shift the focus for a bit onto flexibility as I feel this will greatly benefit the rest of my training especially the L-sit and the press handstand.

My handstands are improving and I should in about a fortnight have enough time and money to build myself a set of stall bars.

Can't train for another week or so as something popped in my neck, I've been to see an osteopath and she's mostly corrected it I'm going to see her again on Friday and should be back training by next Monday.

As an aside my bands new demo has just been released just search for When all else fails uk on soundcloud or Whenallelsefailswales on facebook if you're interested in having a listen. (Note I didn't want to put a direct link or make a post on the forum all about it as I felt that this would be disrespectful to coach and if he or any of the moderators have a issue with this post then I will happily edit it)

Training has been pretty slow up until a couple of weeks ago when I suddenly got a new burst of determination, the fact that my neck is now feeling so much better after seeing the osteopath is brilliant. My elbows have gotten so much stronger and I can now easily hold a german hang, this has been a huge goal for me and it's brilliant that I've got it. I've lost my ability to do a muscle up but I know with a little specific work it'll come back.

My body shape has improved so much and I'm now so much more aware of contracting the proper muscles, especially in the frontlever and handstand.

For the past three weeks I've been training mon, tues, wed, thurs (doing the WODs on those days) and it's tough especially with such little recovery time but my work capacity can now handel the load. My diet has also been a lot better and I'm getting the right nutrition at the right time.

Really looking forward to seeing where I get before xmas!

Training this week so far has been pretty good, did some Korean dips for the first time on Monday and my good I'm still aching. It's not too bad once I warm up I feel fine but getting out of bed in the morning is a challenge. Front lever is steadily improving, flexibility is lacking in a lot of areas but it's still progressing.

Just finished 6 weeks of the WODs, I'm taking a week of next week to let myself recover a little and do some stretching work. Really pleased by my progress over the past SSC, especially to do with my elbows. I can now hold a german hang without my elbows feeling incredably strained. Built up to this by doing 10 seconds per training session. Next SSC I'm going to restart work on the L-sit and work on extending my time in the german hang.

I can now hold an advanced tuck front lever although I don't know for how long as I've never really trained it. Backlever I can also go to advanced tuck but I can only hold it for a couple of seconds so I'm not training these everyday yet. No idea how my planche is going at all, but I'm not worried about that.

Next SSC I'm going to start doing a it more handstand work throughout the day as I need to improve that so that I can start working on press handstands properlly. Tried a muscle up the other day, couldn't quite manage it but I just need to work some negatives and I'll hagve it again I think, again not to worried about this. I'll get there when I get there

Wow, really needed this time off, been burning the candle at both ends far two much between actualy paid work, other work that I want to do, working out and having a social life. Everything just feels a bit tired really. Going to enjoy this week off, planning on doing a stretching session just to keep things going tomorrow though

Decided to do some stretching and it felt pretty good, also tried a muscle up at the end of the workout and I pretty much managed one, didn't want to put all of my effort into it so I didn't actually complete it but I did end up at the bottom portion of a dip Going to try again later in the week when I'm feeling a bit stronger

Back on the training today after a week off. Feeling pretty good really, the statics felt quite hard at the start of the warmup especially the xr support!

I'm now a week behind with the WODs so that I can perform them Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs although this might now be unnecessary as my bother has got a new job and cant train with me for at least two weeks possibly permanently :/ 
I've still got someone to train with but he is a little bit behind me with his development, I'm sure he'll catch up soon if he perseveres though

Skipping is now much easier and I really feel as if my work Capacity has been greatly increased

Really good training today, everything is just starting to feel more solid and I'm progressing on almost everything. I think my shoulders are now nearly opening all the way in handstands, although not 100% sure. I can do an advanced tuck back lever and tuck lever for a good few seconds Need to start working on getting a solid L-sit and a good straddle now. Onwards and upwards!

Achieved a muscle up again today! yay, feels like a pretty big breakthrough! I had a fairly busy weekend so rest wasn't the quality it should have been but I felt great in training today. I have a pretty good controlled decent of a GHR now, can't come back up with good from on angles past about 45 though but it's a big improvement on last time I did them. german hangs are becoming easier and easier and I can now hold one for about 20 seconds no problem. 
Thinking maybe I should add in some handstand work as part of my warmup, what do you guys think? Maybe a 30 second hold on the wall with good from each workout to start with?
I've been really concentrating on opening my shoulder during the arch hold by using a stick, maybe I should think about trying with a box of some sort?
As ever I need to work on my pancakes and forward bends, may be a minute or two of work on either (alternating every workout) would be good. I'll let you know how it goes

Just had a brainwave as to the easter egg, just checking to see if it works or not

Happy new year to you all! Training over the Christmas period was a complete no go, fortunately I'm back in the swing of things and it's going pretty well. Having a lot of trouble with press handstands, I think it's mostly a flexibility and form issue so I'll keep working the sperate elements for now. My L-sit is gradually improving as is my german hang. Still need to work on body line a lot during handstands, think I should increase my hollow hold work a bit. 

On another note I got a new job so that is all very exciting, Incidentally if any of you are musicians and want to come record music in North Wales then drop me a PM  

 

Training again later today, I' starting to feel like I'm very close to having a solid foundation for most of the basic moves which is really encouraging and I can see that once I have this basis (probably take another 3-6 months to get fully) then the back lever will fall into place very soon followed a few months after by the front lever and then another 6 months or so for the planche, very exciting prospect, just have to remember not to get too carried away with myself and avoid injury

Training this week has gone pretty well. Quite tired after it all but not excessively so. Front lever is coming along nicely as is the back lever. Going to do some work tomorrow just on bodyline drills and flexibility work to try and improve my form for handstand and L-sits.

I'm currently doing a period of teetotalism, for probably about 3 months, It's mostly a money thing but also partly a exercise in willpower and curiosity as to the effect it'll have on me. Really starting to be very very pleased with my physique and I think I can't be far off being my fittest ever again  

Haven't really done any training for the past 10 days. Work meant that I had to do back to back 14 hour days which is quite tough going. Had a day off Monday to Wendesday but forced myself to go for a walk on tuesday. Went for a run today with the intention of doing some stretching afterwards but the run really drained me. Will do a seperate stretching session tomorrow and try some climbing on the weekend.

 

Diet has been pretty poor for about a week as I've not had time to go shopping (what with the bank holiday) and I really think this is the main cause rather than the long days althouhg I suspect they're not helping.

 

Will go and get some good food tomorrow and prepare myself lots of veggies and broth whilst I get back into training proper. It is supposed to be my deload week so I'm not stressing about the lack of exercise, will be fully back to rigerous training next week