Finnbar's Log

Hey guys,

Little intro, I'm Finnbar, living in the UK and studying in Wales right now for my degree. I've been into 'this kind of thing' for about 4-5 years now. From doing some martial arts when I was about 13, I then got into Parkour. After a little while of that I dropped the martial arts and joined an adult gym class to help with my Parkour and realized I really like gymnastics! I started a stricter tumbling class (leotards and all) about a year after I started parkour/freerunning and slowly but surely that took over.

Just to get this straight, I'm no ace tumbler! I just enjoy doing what I can . Now I'm in my second year of University, I train trampolining with the Uni club and have been since I got here. I'm competing at the inter-Uni comps which is a lot of fun (videos on my youtube channel in my sig. if anyone is interested)! I've also recently gotten more into handbalancing so that'll be a big focus of my training.

I found this site somewhere along the way, around 2 years ago and I've been doing various programmes from my own inventions to the WODs which has been a lot of fun. But, and this is a big but, I have made very little concrete progress. So now I'm starting from the bottom, I'm going to build up my prerequisites properly! instead of skirting around them like I should have some time ago! (You see mods the message does get through eventualy )

Current stats:

Age 19

183cm / 6ft

76kg / 172lb

Here are my current Prereq. max hold times:

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Plank (feet elevated) - 1min 16s

Reverse plank (feet elevated) - 1min 33s

Dish hold - 33s

Arch hold - 30s

PB support - 56s

Chin up grip dead hang - 1min 40s

Stomach to wall HS - 40s

So I'll be writing here about my FSP, trampolining, tumbling, handbalancing training and anything else that goes on.

Thanks for reading, any and all (friendly) comments welcome

Finnbar said:

I found this site somewhere along the way, around 2 years ago and I've been doing various programmes from my own inventions to the WODs which has been a lot of fun. But, and this is a big but, I have made very little concrete progress. So now I'm starting from the bottom, I'm going to build up my prerequisites properly! instead of skirting around them like I should have some time ago! (You see mods the message does get through eventualy )

welcome

I started to do gymnastic stuff and bodyweight training just a year ago and I made the same mistake. Not paying attention to the prerequisites has lead me to some minor injuries in my shoulder and elbow and also litlle progress.

Now i am trymg to do things properly. Take a step (or two) back and build a solid base.

I will pay attention to your log and try to learn from it.

2 rounds of FSP Prereqs this evening.

Half max times for the most part and this is the SS I'll be keeping for the next few weeks until I put it up to 3 rounds.

Plank (feet elevated) - 35s

Reverse plank (feet elevated) - 45s

Dish hold - 15s

Arch hold - 15s

PB support - 30s

Chin up grip dead hang - 30s (the only one I'm not doing full half time)

Stomach to wall HS - 20s

All feeling pretty good today. Look forward to keeping these going and seeing the improvements. I cut down the time in chin up dead hang because I just get a bit bored. If anyone thinks this is a really bad idea then please chime in, but as I see it the dead hang is a grip move and I think that is okay for know.

So those two rounds took me 15-16mins to complete and that was with fairly large rest breaks whilst I set things up and stopped to do some thing.

Then I spend about another 20 minutes on handbalancing (although not too much time on my hands considering I've only just started with 2x20s wall HS and I don't want to over do it). Mainly elbow levers on PB and floor but also some headstands, bridges and back limbers.

I tried a variation of back limber against my wall which was a lot of fun and something I'll definitely repeat so I thought I'd share it. Basically I started in a bridge with the wall behind me less than a foot away then Kicked into a back limber and stopped in a stomach to wall handstand. I think its a good alternative to a full back limber if you haven't got 10 feet of clear space inside

This video also shows my current elbow lever on floor, hope to take this onto one arm in the next few months.

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That's enough from me for now

Wow 2 and a half months without an update... that's embarrassing...

Okay let's get back on this. Clearly its been a busy holiday with exams a few weeks ago. I'm no getting back into the WODs so I thought I better update.

Two weeks ago:

30/01/12:

WOD - 120123 -Pulling

FSP Warm up (see below)

WOD: 3 rounds

2 front pull tuck

4 tuck yewkis (5 chins in 2nd and 3rd round)

2 front pull tuck

5 XR rows

2 front pulls tuck

4 finger tip chin ups (only in first round, after than i skipped this last exercise)

Finished with 2 x 40s German hand with foot support

01/02/12

WOD - 120124 - Ring Strength (very abbreviated)

2x 30s chin up dead hang

1x 3 tempo (414) chins

1x 3 tempo (414) XR dips

1x 3 tempo (414) pull ups

1x 2 (414) Negative muscle up

2x 1 XR muscle up

Finished with 2 x 15 FL tucked

02/02/12

WOD - 120126 - Embedded

FSP warmup (see below)

WOD: 3 rounds:

German hang foot supported + 6 neg OAC (3 tempo chins in the 3rd round)

Lsit low + 2 tempo XR push ups (5 tempo PB push ups in 3rd round)

FL tuck + 5 tempo body levers tucked ( 5 temp front pulls tuck in 2nd and 3rd round)

Finished with Bridges:

1 x 15s

1x 25s

1x30s

Skipped the Friday Leg WOD

Looks something like this (trying a combination of prereqs and FSP) feels pretty good so far:

Prereqs:

Front support - 30s

Back support - 30s

Dish - 15s

Arch -15s

PB support - 30

FSP:

FL tuck - 10s

L-sit low - 5s

German Hang foot supported - 30s <------- being sensible and doing this prior to BL work

Stradlle L bent - 10s

Wall HS 20s

MSH bend - 5s (this is the toughest by far as ive never trained this position)

This takes me about 7 minutes

Now last week didn't really go all that well WOD-wise, I have a lot of work that really should have been started weeks ago...

So...WOD120130-Legs, WOD120131-HS and WOD120202-Pushing were all skipped!

This was only WOD last week:

10/02/12

WOD - 120203 - Ring Strength

-FSP Warm up

-Warm up for MU

2x 2 tempo (444) XR false grip pull ups

1x 2 tempo (444) XR dips

-Ring series - 3 sets

XR Lsit, Negative muscle up, FL-flat tuck, BL flat tuck

Finished with:

4x 15s FL tuck

4x 15s Wall HS

4x 15 GH with foot support

Just thought I'd mentione that the 'negative muscle up' is just eccentric portion of a MU, sadly not a reverse muscle up

121126 - Monday

Front Support and Dish holds warm up

Pressups: 4 sets

5 reps hands elevated (larger ROM)

5 reps PPPu

5 reps XR Bulgarian Pushups

5 reps XR Bulgarian Pushups

Chins: 3 sets

3 reps each side chinups - OAC negatives

3 reps each side chinups - OAC negatives

5 reps L/tucked-L chinups

Notes:

- Gym horrifically busy today so a pretty truncated workout.

- In retrospect, I think OAC work is probably pre-mature. Although I can lower on my right arm very slowing to dead hang I think I should build more strength on both arms.

- Sternum was a bit tender during the day post workout but felt fine the day after during next workout.

121127 - Tuesday

Deadlift:

2 sets of 5 reps @ 40kg (Warm-up)

4 sets of 6 reps @ 60kg

Push-press:

5 reps @ 40kg

Front Squats:

2 sets of 4 reps @ 30kg

2 sets of 5 reps @40kg

Finished with a few stomach to wall HS

Notes:

- Deadlift form feels okay. Will stick with 6+ reps for the next few weeks to make sure that's all covered. Looking forward to upping the weight though.

- Front Squats are proving difficult! Lacking in flexibility in elbows/shoulders to hold in Olympic style properly ,will keep working on that.

Trampoline training last night 5:30-7:30

Very short clip of my new skill on trampoline.

I've got a competition this week but this won't be in my routine (yet) because it's still very new.

If I can get a video I'll upload my competition routine this time

Diving coaching last night so I had a little dive afterwards. Have very little experience actually diving, it's pretty much all from tramp/gym.

But here is a video of my first few attempts last night at a 1 and 1/2 dive forwards on 1m springboard.

Good fun

Trampoline competition today. Both routines completed but a bit untidy on both so a bit disappointed. Got distracted and put an extra out-bounce at the end of my routine and lost a whole 1.0 .

Other than that a really good day, meddled 2nd place in the synchronized event.

Also played around with some handstands, chest roll to and from HS, HeSPU and some standing tuck backs with other gymnasts at the comp.

As promised here are the videos from this weekends comp. Not my best competition for a few silly reasons.

A bit all over the place. Just needs a bit tidying up.

Really a much better routine! However suffered from an extra out-bounce at the end which is a whole 1.0 deduction. Otherwise a reasonable performance.

Now I just need to tidy that up and work on some new skills for the next comp after the holidays; Full twisting layout, Rudi (1 and 1/2 twisting straight front).

Trampoline training tonight. Squad coach didn't turn up so started with some conditioning and handstands. Mainly V-sits and rolling from dish-to-arch.

Worked some 3/4 backs, a few 1 3/4 fronts and some straight fronts to prep for forward twisting.

Here is a video of my straight front work.

Some yoga and hand balancing this morning and a 4-5Km walk-run in the afternoon, running is very new to me hence the very light load.

Monday (yesterday) was my first session back after Christmas, and it went like this

5-6 mins bike

Warmed up with
Pull ups 5 reps

Push ups (narrow) 5reps

Push ups (wide) 5 reps

Goblet Squats (kettlebell) 10 reps @10kg

OHP 10 reps @20kg

Working sets:

Pullups 505 tempo

5 reps

3 reps (failed on 3)

5 reps (without the 505 tempo)

XR Bulgarian Pushups

3 x 5 reps

with 3 min rest times

Back Squats

5 reps @ 30kg

5 reps @50kg

5 reps @50kg

with 3-4 min rest times

Overhead Press

5 reps @30kg

5 reps @ 40kg

5 reps @40kg

2-3 min rest times

Short stretch out

Notes:

Chest very sore today  towards humeral attachment from the Bulgarian XR Pushups!

Gym session this afternoon: Approx 1hr

4 min bike warm up

WU
5 reps Pullups
5 reps Pushups
5 reps Deadlift @30kg

Working sets

Deadlifts
3 x 5 @ 60kg
with 2 min rest times

OHP
1 x 5 @ 30kg
1 x 5 @ 40kg
1 x 4 @ 40kg <-- had to kip the last rep so only counted as 4 reps
with 2-4min rest times

Chinups
3x5 @ bodyweight
with 4 min rest times

Brief stretch out

Trampoline Training session tonight:
First session back so everything feeling a little, and by that I mean very, rusty. Let's hope thursday is a little better seing as there is a comp coming up in less than 2 weeks

Notes: Chest still very sore so very few push ups today. Other than that all good so far.

Yesterday (Wednesday):
Went to my first Flexibility class at the local circus school for two hours in the evening. Hard work but very good fun, I'll definitely keep this up and hopefully it'll motivate/educate me so I stretch more on my own time as well!

Training is going pretty well. Competition in Warwick yesterday. Very limited pool of competitors in my category, 4 including myself, due to snow.

Nonetheless very happy with my first place!

Not too bad, a little rough around the edges.

Very happy with this. It's the hardest routine I've competed and I just wanted to try to get through all 10 moves.

Hoping to up the difficulty for the big competition in late March.

Big deadline over time to get back on it!

This is the start of Week 1 Cycle 1 of my intergrated Foundation/Handstand1 Programme.

Starting at progression 1 for everything bar one exception, HS/PE1 (Tripod) is being skipped (I did the mastery easily I am proud to say) so I will be performing HS/PE2 with both HS/PE1>iM and H/?PE2>iM.

Today's Workout:

32 Minutes (including running home for HS/PE2 work)

FL/PE1 (3x12s) sPL/PE1 (3x3r) HBP/PE1 (3x3r) RC/PE1 (3x3r) WP/PE1 (3x1r) FKP/PE1 (3x1r) WR/PE1 (3x1r) FTP/PE1 (3x1r) HE/PE2 (3x12s)

Feels great to get started!

Trampoline training last night. Had a big of a play about trying to come up with a 10 body landing move routine. Worked on prep for full twisting back somersault straight; straight back with a half twist.

Most of them didn't want to go around as I was dropping both arms or the wrong arm but I did one at the end of the session where or all went right and I did the whole full almost by mistake. Can't wait to get back to the gym and work on our again. I might not be add adverse to twisting as I thought.

Day 2 Week 1 - Wednesday

32 minutes

MN/PE1 (3x3r)

SL/PE1 (3x12s)

SLS/PE1 (3x3r)

WP/PE1 (4x4r)

FKP/PE1 (4x4r)

WR/PE1 (4x4r)

FTP/PE1 (4x4r)

HS/PE2 (3x24s)

HS/PE1>iM (2.5kg = 5.5lb)

HS/PE2>iM (2.5kg = 5.5lb)

- Wrist work as a giant set kept me going at a nice pace.

- Took wrist work up to week 9 and felt fine. Week 1 didn't seem anywhere near enough volume.

- Did HS/PE2 for week 9 times but only 3 sweets as I think the iMs are fine on 3x10s.

- Will makes a firm decision on which week I'm starting on for everything to keep it all in sync.

- F1 stuff felt fine and will stay as it is.

- Will mark my weighted dowel to keep track of grip width through this cycle.

Handstand 1 workout last night. Ran the whole thing at week 9.

<30mins

WP/PE1 (4x4r)

FKP/PE1 (4x4r)

WR/PE1 (4x4r)

FTP/PE1 (4x4r)

HE/PE2 (4x48s)

HS/PE1>iM (2.5kg = 5.5lb)

HS/PE2>iM (2.5kg = 5.5lb)

- Workout all felt good. Long headstand hold times are fine. Useful to watch the clock as not to get to bored.

- Will stick with week 9 for one more week after this one (i.e. starting new week this Monday)

- Need to mark dowels width for iMs. different colours for each iM.

F1 and H1 last night. Internet was down but I have a plan in pdf

So I'm sticking with my plan to move up to week 9 for all of HS1. But only started halfway through this week so I'll be starting again on Monday with Week 9.

FL/PE1 (3x12s)

sPL/PE1 (3x3r)

HBP/PE1 (3x3r)

RC/PE1 (3x3r) <--- Might need to test mastery and go onto RC/PE2...

WP/PE1 (4x4r)

FKP/PE1 (4x4r)

WR/PE1 (4x4r)

FTP/PE1 (4x4r)

HS/PE2 (4x48s)

HS/PE1>iM  <--- 50cm

HS/PE2>iM  <--- 50cm

Notes:

RC/PE: 

- When I work out at home I use a karate belt with a knot in each end over my pull up bar for hinge rows.

- I attempted mastery and did one set easy enough but grip was tired from holding onto the small knots for that long.

- I will attempt mastery again next week at the gym which has TRX.

- I feel I'm quite strong at pulling already, I can do rope climbs in straddle L so would be good to test if I can.

- I think I may even be able to pass RC/PE2, but will have to see how RC/PE2>iM goes

Brief session of Handbalancing after to see what my line looked like, I haven't been doing a lot recently and wanted to see if the HS >iMs had opened me up a little.

I was very pleasantly surprised as, although I think I need t sort out my PPT my shoulder angle looked better and my ribs (although still sticking out) were better than normal.

I was trying very hard to push my shoulders all the way open and contract my traps to nearly cramping.

Another HS1 Workout today. To start with I'll rest on the weekend, then add more in a few weeks if able.

21 mins

WP/PE1 (4x4r)

FKP/PE1 (4x4r)

WR/PE1 (4x4r)

FTP/PE1 (4x4r)

HS/PE2 (4x48s)

HS/PE1>iM  <--- 50cm @ 2.5kg

HS/PE2>iM  <--- 50cm @ 2.5kg

Last round of HS/PE2 and associated iMs

​- Left wrist clicks on the way up from wrist push ups. Keep an eye on that and see if it disappears with time.

Day 1 Week 2. 

F1 H1 workout - 38mins

MN/PE1 (5x3r)

SL/PE1 (5x12s)

SLS/PE1 (5x3r)

WP/PE1 (4x5r)

FKP/PE1 (4x5r)

WR/PE1 (4x5r)

FTP/PE1 (4x5r)

HS/PE2 (4x60s)

HS/PE1>iM  <--- 50cm @ 2.5kg

HS/PE2>iM  <--- 50cm @ 2.5kg

That was a lot tougher than I thought it'd be, definitely made me sweat. Wrist work and HS/PE1>iM are already making progress. Everything is feeling good.