HB training frequency compared with other training and skill

[pdb_atfn 0]

Nearly all of my hobbies are skill-related, or ones you can (in theory) train to get better at, and so on. So, many different sports and types of exercise, along with mental or "intellectual" pursuits, music-related things, and so forth. Bizarrely, handbalancing has been the one that responds the very best to frequent (meaning almost every day) practice. Nothing else has, and in fact most things send me backwards with that frequency of training, no matter how little I do each time. Typically I improve the best with 2-3 "moderate" sessions per week. Hanbalancing needs that as a bare minimum, and nearly-every-day training does me plenty of good.

It is a funny mixture of "strength" and "technique" that's unlike most other things I do, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that it fits into a different pattern to most things.

Has anyone else found this to be the case?

[Archbishop o balance 2]

Frequency has definitely been the way to go, for me at least. Especially if you're just starting out and finding a sense of balance is your biggest challenge. Also, if you are working on opening your shoulders frequent practice is good because balance will feel different as your range of motion improves.

Don't quote me on this, but I believe "Handbalancer" on this forum has been greasing the groove all the way up to one arm handstands, one arm presses and more. Nothing fancy, just a bunch of daily practice and negatives for the strength bits.

[emos 38]

I seem to be doing alright by inserting a 15-20 minute handbalancing session before my main workouts, which include weightlifting and ring work and are typically performed thrice per week. It's easy for me to get carried away since handstands can be such a frustrating skill, so I put a strict time limit on it and stop no matter what. Otherwise I just get more and more tired and perform worse and worse, which is obviously no good.

In that time I mostly work on varieties of kickups, but no particularly long holds. When I catch a balance I can usually stay up for 30-60s, so I come down after 10s since that's not what I'm working on just then. I also try to pay attention to my form and line. I might attempt a few different presses just to see how I'm getting on with them but I don't "work" them as such. I also do some elbow lever things and other bits and pieces, but basically no significant pressing and no long static holds. I do those at other times, and find that it's best to separate them somewhat.

There's a very fine line between too much and too little handbalancing, I think, for beginners like myself. On the one hand it's a fine skill that benefits from steady exposure, but on the other it can be extremely tiring if you're not careful. I find the same with some of my non-physical hobbies. If they're extremely strenuous, mentally, I really can't do them as often as I might otherwise like to.

[yuri marmerstein 229]

handstands are best when trained every day. It is important in the beginning to quit prior to fatigue to work good form and build good habits for the future.

I train HS minimum 5 days a week and I usually do something related on most "off" days. If I take more than a couple days off in a row I definitely feel it.

[yuri marmerstein 229]

However I have been working a lot of other skill-related activities recently and have been seeing very good progress training only 1-2 times a week

[Cole Dano 2,807]

However I have been working a lot of other skill-related activities recently and have been seeing very good progress training only 1-2 times a week

Yuri just to clarify, do you mean 1-2x/week for skills OTHER THAN HS?

[yuri marmerstein 229]

Correct. I'm sure I could see better progress working these skills daily, but I don't have the time or the resources.

By skills I'm talking about corde lisse, flying trapeze, straps, contemporary dance. etc. I'm about to start working chinese pole as well.

Handstand is definitely something you lose if you don't practice regularly though.

[emos 38]

Yuri - out of interest, do you do any object manipulation?