Handstands

15 min handstand practice (PM)

50 push ups (AM)

Pretty much a rest day, trying to do 50 push ups every work day until xmas. Will try and do handstand practise as much as possible. The ongoing practice is definitely helping. Might try and get a small video up some time. Got one that felt great - feet pointed, body all nicely lined up.

Just taking it easy at the moment. Strengthening the feet and calves, strengthening the upper body.

Gymnastics

Last gymnastics session for the year. Out of 9 weeks I missed two which sucks. Had a new coach as the last one suddenly departed for reasons unknown.

Started the session with stretches and then strength work, plank, hollow rock, narrow push ups, wide push ups, calf raises. Then 2 x circuit of 10 tuck jumps, walking lunges, crab walks, single leg squat off beam. Followed that with bunny hops (handstand tuck), bunny hops and legs extended, handstands, handstands to forward roll, cartwheels, hurdle to cartwheel. I am so bad at cartwheels, I really should be practicing them. My handstands were a bit off as well, but I had one ok one. Went up to the trampoline and did tuck jumps, straddle jumps, monkey rolls and knees to hand to knees to feet. Then the fun began.

Had to do running to the spring board and front flip. I dont know what it was but I just could not get the idea of how to do this until my last two attempts. Really frustrating.
Then had some attempts at backflips which went ok, got the last one without falling over upon landing so I felt like that was a good ending for the year.

50 push ups before work today too.

Mobility + Gymnastics

10 min roll out with the ball and foam roller before work - taking Lawrence's advice and getting more aggressive.

20 min epsom salt bath after work + 10 min rolling again. Some really nasty bits on hammies and quads.

1.5 hr gymnastic session. Handstand practice (got my longest yet). Cartwheel. Some ring work, some pull ups over the bar. best though was getting some ugly backflips into the foam pit. Awesome! Hour and a half just isn't long enough.

Gymnastics

Good gymnastics session. Fell as though I'm starting to get a bit of progress on my handstand. Learnt to forward roll out of it which gives me much more confidence and I might even be able to practice some if I can find a nice soft park. Barefoot running and handstand practice sounds like the way to go!

Also had some fun on the bars and rings. Pull up and over on bar, swings on the rings. Also some drills for the vault. 10 sec holds on rings, kinda iron cross progression. Spoke to the coach today - it took him a year to train up to Iron Cross when he was 16 - and he had started gymnastics when he was 3..

My cartwheels suck. Thirty second handstand hold and two sets of 25 hollow rocks to finish it up.

Gymnastics

Nice session in the evening at Gymnastics. Different coach who had a better way of explaining things. Worked on a couple of different things. Seems I had my form completely wrong on the front flip so I'm starting over there.
Felt better on some of the handstands thin week, seemed to have a little more of a feel for where I need to be kicking up to. Did some strength stuff (first level prog for Iron Cross I guess - ring hold just off the ground moving hands away from body.) The rings are so, so unstable. Nothing like I've ever felt at CF. Fun. Finished up with 25-15-15-15 Hollow Rock

Post: WPC & Dextrose

Gymnastics

Well, I finally did it. And its not a free handstand. I've torn or strained some muscle in my left hip. It's an external rotator though, I did it on my first attempt at a cartwheel I think. Anyway, I'm in the cold water bath now. Wont be able to run for a bit. That left side has been weird since last week.
Gymnastics was ok, not as difficult as last week. Felt I was getting better on my front flips. More aware of where I am in space. Handstands not much better, got one that felt right from about twenty attempts. Lots of good core exercises as part of the strength work which lasts about thirty minutes. Need lots of handstand practice.

Gymnastics

Came home from work and tried to mobilise the hips. Two min each side twice on the glutes ("pigeon" type pose but up on the side of the lounge) Two minutes each side twice on the hip flexor/quads and two minutes twice on the ITB/TFL before leaving for gymnastics.

First day trying out a specific gymnastics group session at Mac Uni. I've jumped in half way through a six week course so I felt a bit anxious, but once I made a fool of myself in the first two minutes I felt fine.

Started with some mobility on the joints, basic stretches etc before moving into forward rolls (no prob) backwards rolls (wtf? - this is where I made a fool of myself) Bunny hops (kind handstand kick things) handstand with split legs, handstands with straight legs, cartwheels (had never, ever done one and was so uncoordinated I needed specific instruction) roll off or over (I think?) which is like a cartwheel but more explosive... Then we went up to the trampoline to do more roll overs (uh...) and ended up practising some forward pikes from the trampoline into the cushion pit. Pretty fun, started to get the idea but have so, so far to go. Hope to have a full front flip on the trampoline before xmas. Then I practiced handstands for a while and I think I got one that lasted for about 10 seconds.

Did strength and conditioning at the end. Two times 30sec handstand holds. One minute wall sit. 20 push ups with feet up on bar. 10 push ups with arms close in. Five chin ups. 30 tuck jumps. One chin up behind neck. 20 leg raises. 30 box jumps. 30 reverse push ups (dips on box) 30 calf raises. 40 sit ups. 20 V type ab things and walking lunge (maybe 15m).

Smashed. I felt really sick about five minutes afterwards, combo of motion sickness and being out of condition, and by the time I got home I thought I would throw up. Looking forward to next week. Really want to achieve a freestanding handstand and a forward flip on the trampoline.