Starting... again. Hopefully the right way...

Hello all,

First off, thanks in advance for taking the time to read this. I've only recently decided to come visit this forum and I regret not coming earlier. This post is basically to ask about a routine I've recently put together and some related things; hope people don't mind answering a couple of things as I'm a bit confused at the moment...

I've been trying out BtGB related workouts for about 8 months... made some progress for the first couple of month but since then I've basically gotten nowhere . During the time I tried changing my program around by adding/removing different exercises, increasing/reducing volume but turns out it was just my form that was way way off. I tried videoing myself for the first time ever and realized it's something I should have done from the very beginning. Stupid mistake. I realized I've been doing the levers far from horizontally - my front levers were sagging too low and my back levers were at an upward angle of 45 degrees. Very little strength gained overall in these areas...so it's back to the beginning.

To give you an idea of whereabouts my strength currently lies (to help assess the program) my current holds are:

- ~18s Tuck Planche (I cannot find the strength to hold my lower body up to get into the advanced tuck - I'm assuming this because of both my Back Lever and Planche lean being too weak)

- ~5s Flat-Tuck Front Lever (properly horizontal, arms locked, scapula pulled back)

- ~8s Flat-Tuck Back Lever (horizontal - I find the angle very hard to judge when doing the exercise)

- ~12s V-sit or around 40s L-sit

- ~8s Freestanding Handstand at best (something I'd been unwisely neglecting working on until recently - being a smartass I decided to dismiss it as mostly a balance thing and just did them supported on a wall)

- ~6s Straddle L One Hand Center (also recently started working on)

As far as the FBEs go

- ~5 PseudoPlanchePushups (Floor) with hands at waist, wrist facing 45 degrees outward (Can't hold Planche leans on rings...)

- ~10 Wide-grip Pullups (I feel my shoulder joints 'scraping' when I try to do the L-seated version and it is incredibly painful - am I doing something wrong?)

- ~8 Tucked Front Lever Rows

- ~8 Single Bar Dips (though I do find I cannot hold myself completely straight at the bottom of the dip and have to lift my legs forward a bit)

- ~5 Handstand Pushups (Wall-supported, hands elevated about 3 inches)

- Can't do muscle ups

So pretty terrible for 8 months progress... But anyway, I was wondering if this program could help me get somewhat back on track (I have seen the WODs but get the feeling I am too weak to get much out of them...)

I am mainly worried about whether I would be under/overtraining the FSPs. I was also wondering if I could add anything I seem to be neglecting.

The program is a Mon/Tue/Thur/Fri routine and the whole workout aims to be 1.5H max.

First 20 mins:

Monday/Thursday: 10 sets of 6s Planche and BL progressions, using the 8 week embedded holds cycle.

Tuesday/Friday: 10 sets of 6s Handstand and FL, FL using the cycles, Handstands for time. Eventually plan to try get them on parallel bars then someday on the rings.

I would be trying to start with the flat-tuck positions for the Front and Back Lever, Tuck for the Planche.

Next 30-40mins:

Monday: 3x5 Horizontal Pull; 3x5 Horizontal Push; 3x5 Lower Back Progression***

Tuesday: 3x8 Pullup Var; 3x5 HSPU Var; 3x5 Body Lever Var

Thursday: 3x5 Curl Var; 3x5 Dip Var; 3x5 Lower Back Progression

Friday: 3x5 SLSquat; 3x5 Leg Raises; 3x5 Body Lever Var

*** I find I can do Head Stand Reverse Leg Lifts fairly easily but I cannot even begin to to it in a Handstand... how can I work into this?

Next 10 mins:

Monday/Thursday: 10 sets of 6s V-sit

Tuesday/Friday: 10 sets of 6s Straddle L

Remainder:

Lightly practicing random holds/ Stretching

This is pretty much around what I was following for the few months of no progress except I was training Planche/BL/FL (poorly...) every day for fewer sets and to near failure. At one point long ago I was also doing this thing where I would alternate between FSPs and FSBs i.e. do an FSB then rest for 10-15s before holding an FSP to failure. Any of these good ideas at all?

Suggestions and advice would be massively appreciated.

Thanks again.

I don't know what level you were at before your 8 months of working with GB but it doesn't seem

that you are that badly off.

Well... I say I haven't been on track mainly because whatever I can currently do with the holds, I could do 3-4 months in. Between then and now that I haven't gotten anywhere. Had I been doing it right I assume I would have made some sort of progress in 4 whole months..

red1392 said:

Well... I say I haven't been on track mainly because whatever I can currently do with the holds, I could do 3-4 months in. Between then and now that I haven't gotten anywhere. Had I been doing it right I assume I would have made some sort of progress in 4 whole months..

Have you considered following the WOD, scaled down as neccessary? They are supposed to hit all the aspects over time.

But people still do steady state cycles on specific elements. I'm personally not able to say what those should be.

But it does take time, and certain things take longer than others.

Perhaps someone more advanced can comment more specifically...

red1392 said:

*** I find I can do Head Stand Reverse Leg Lifts fairly easily but I cannot even begin to to it in a Handstand... how can I work into this?

What happens if you try to do handstand reverse leg lifts? Do you just 'drop down' onto your feet?

Phil said:

red1392 said:

*** I find I can do Head Stand Reverse Leg Lifts fairly easily but I cannot even begin to to it in a Handstand... how can I work into this?

What happens if you try to do handstand reverse leg lifts? Do you just 'drop down' onto your feet?

I have that same problem. I think I'm going to try to stand weighting my HeS RLL and just practice kicking into a handstand more often. I've noticed, too, that the more I practice my freestanding handstand the slower I can kick up and the slower my legs come down.

FutureisNow: I figure I'm not quite strong enough for the WODs yet. I think I'd get more out of them if I had a more solid Back/Front Lever as well as a muscle-up on rings so as to be able to do the Ring series. Once I have these I'll definitely be trying out the WODs.

Phil: I can raise my legs when my head is pressed against the wall, but with my chin tucked my feet refuse to leave the ground.

red1392 said:

FutureisNow: I figure I'm not quite strong enough for the WODs yet. I think I'd get more out of them if I had a more solid Back/Front Lever as well as a muscle-up on rings so as to be able to do the Ring series. Once I have these I'll definitely be trying out the WODs.

Phil: I can raise my legs when my head is pressed against the wall, but with my chin tucked my feet refuse to leave the ground.

OK, at least I understand your problem now.

I have a very similar problem with this exercise and in my case I think the cause is a lack of active hip flexibility. (You have to lift your hips really high before lifting your legs.)

But since I myself can't execute the exercise correctly, I hope that someone more experienced will tell us if there is more to it.