starting on the right path

[mattdaly]

Hi my name is Matt, I have been workingout with free weights for 21 years (36 now) and decided to start with body weight workouts, I have always admired the gymnast bodies. I would like some adive on my workouts to see if I'm going down the right path. My workouts consist of iron cross (with 17kg of "assistance") I do as many sets to reach total of 60 sec (usually hold for between 8-10sec at a time), I think they are called L-sits for 10 sec holds till 60 sec, staright arms flyes (with feet on ladder) for chest 3x10, 3x10 pull ups. These of course all done on rings. Then I do 3x50 squats, 3x10 HSPU. I do this 5 times a week.

I weigh 64kg and am 5ft3inch tall, I know that I would not be of the same muscular build as say yuri van gelder , however by doing this type of workout, how close do you think I can get? I have been doing this type of workout for about a month. I satrted with 20kg "assistance" on rings for IC when I got to 13 sec hold I thought I could drop the weight down a bit. I am to progress over time to as little weight as I can. Any suggestions or help would be fatastic as bodyweight is a lot different than fre weights (and more fun I think) I may never go back to iron again!

[Ian Myers]

you can hold an iron cross with 17 kilos of counterweight with no prior gymnastics training?

[mattdaly]

yeah I did gymnastics for a year and a half when i was 10 but that's it, my strength is shoulders, I spent a few weeks trying to get some form of technique eg rolling shoulders forwrds and getting my arms straight without bending elbows (my left elbow still has a slight bend). like i said i was using 20kg but i was holding for about 13 sec so i made it lighter, those 3kg is a huge differnce though I can just make 8 sec. I have always been light but strong. I take a yr11/12 bootcamp as part of my role as a school chaplain and we do bodyweight comps such as hspu, none of the students come close to me and we have some serious atheles who will be going pro in their sports at end of their schooling. Not trying to "blow my own horn" so to speak, just giving people a bit of background to gauge how I am going in what is new to me doing more advanced body weight stuff.

[Ian Myers]

Wow. I wouldn't suggest continued iron cross training because of the potential elbow injury, but I guess that's uP to you

Definitely start the wods, and get going on your fsps as you should be strong enough to do a good bit of those. Do you have the btgb book?

Be careful with those crosses. If you feel any pain, stop, noexceptions