Maroro

Hm, not sure what is missing, really. I focused a lot on the dead hang part, can get up until the point the top of my head is level with the bar, but struggle to get my nose above it. I will just practice more, I'm sure it will come. I did not really manage to get to all the things I wanted to do during this challenge, some things are happening I need to get my head around. Good idea to focus on other things then my super stunt skills, can always pick them up later. Either way, I will be checking in to see all the inspiring things people get up to to collect ideas for another time.

It is a few days late, but here is my challenge summary: Caught some bug in week 5 which left me with feeling rubbish until now. So I did not do much in the way of training apart from a bouldering session last week, which was not my best one. So really this challenge ended in an epic fail. Pull up Went for a detour through the park after my night shift today to face the pull up bar. I can almost manage one unsupported pull up, but out of nowhere I was able to do 3 chin ups! Was so pleased with it and did only 3 because I was rather surprised and did not want to spoil it. I am sure I would have managed one more at a push. So over all it os a fail for what I set out to do, but a great success in getting a proper chin up. Handstands At the moment this is on hold, as standing upside down causes my head to spin. Endurance Apart from the bouldering I did only manage one HIIT session last week, so overall a C Flexibility - a good D over all Danish Got stuck at unit 4, but determined to keep going, it is a life quest after all Will sit out the next challenge and hopefully will be back with a better challenge another time.

Sorry for the late reply, too many night shifts and general feeling of rubbishness kept me from updating or answering. Thanks for your support, much appreciated. Chinese pole is a freestanding pole, a bit like a lamp post covered with rubber. Look at this http://youtu.be/6iE8wvaa-Rk He also does these weird push ups at the start, worth a watch If you get a chance to try bouldering, give it a go. I really like it, even though I am not very good at it yet.

Wow, great things have been happening for you! Congratulations on passing the exam and good luck for the next parts! Yay for amazing skills!

Week 5 is coming to an end today and I had one rubbish week. Wanted to write a week 4 summary a few days ago, but the computer ate it and I lacked the energy to write another one. I finished week 4 strong with a circus workshop working mainly on handstands and Chinese pole (a first for me, such good fun). Worked on handstands, pull ups and flexibility consistently, but could not catch up with Danish as I helped my husband study for a German exam. Started week 5 with a bouldering session, but everything went downhill from there. Totally zapped since, culminating in a day of vomiting yesterday. I thought I scrap this whole thing, but woke up this morning feeling back to normal. So will do my best for the last week to see where I can get after one week of rest.

Sleep is one of my best skills Looks like you are doing great. I gave up overhead presses because it would make my arms too tired to train handstands, and I was stuck at only 22kg! I'm well impressed.

Looks like you are doing great! You write you are doing 3x15 squats a piece, do you do single leg ones? I love jumping rope, once I get past the whipping myself around the legs stage it is really good fun.

I think I have been doing cheater handstands, instead of kicking up I have been lazy and have been jumping into my handstands. While it is still the same for developing strength I guess, I engage totally different muscles for kicking up with hands on the floor and balancing. Force myself to do proper kick ups now with some lazy ones thrown in to practice longer holds. My last two times in the park I used the bands. The jump up and hold ones are negatives, have read somewhere that they are better for developing strength than the bands, so I usually try to do both.

You are right in a way, I live in England (Liverpool that is), but am originally from Germany. I thought my spelling mistakes would give me away. Maybe that isolating business is what I found so charming in the first place . Went to the park this afternoon to work on my pull ups and do some fun stuff at the parallel bars, the only person recognising my existence was a tiny little girl that glared at me when I used the monkey bars. Her monkey bars by the look she gave me. You gave me something to think about with the question about time of freestanding handstand, gave it a go and managed maybe 2 seconds. Have neglected the balancing aspect quite a bit with all the wall work it seems. I think I should incorporate handstands in the garden into my training to improve that.

Thanks . I get rather grumpy when I don't get out, so sunshine is really a bonus. The third week finished yesterday, it was not my best one. Strength: Handstands: practiced 5 times in the evening, mainly wall holds to built up strength Pull ups: only did three good sessions, one in the gym, one at aerial training and one in the park Endurance: if I am generous and count climbing and aerial, I still only got two sessions in last week, have to go back to short HIIT sessions. Flexibility: 4 sessions last week, feel stiffer if anything! Guess I did not have time to train as much, therefore my joints were not as warm and flexible as they normally are. Danish: did not quite finish the third unit, have to catch up this week. Started the new week with a good climbing and pull up session at the local bouldering place. I have discovered an awesome route in a cave they have there, I hope they leave it long enough for me to finish it one day

I often take some time to feel comfortable in a place, but realised in the local park that no one knows me or cares, so I just pretend I am the only person there .

Hope all that studying and training is going well

Thanks for returning it, much appreciated!

Thanks for returning it, much appreciated!

Three sets of 6 pul ups, I am bowing to your pure berserk awesomeness. Still working on that first one Congratulations on the clear head days, what a good start into the new week!

Not too sure who is watching these cameras, but decided to do the walks in the quiet of my own place instead and keep the corridors for sprints. This makes me look important without being too entertaining for the watchmen. Had a very busy time at work, with guests and outside (the weather was stunning). Now with weather being back to its grey and soggy self and work giving me a day off, I finally get a chance to update my progress. Thanks a lot for checking in and reminding me to do those updates.Strength: Pull ups: Went to the gym after night shift and had a session of reverse lunges and pull ups. Progressing slowly. I took some resistance bands to the park on Sunday to work on the pull up bar and do some negatives. Seems that I am still quite far off the aim, but will continue doing my hardest to get to one pull up until the end of the challenge. Was great to be out in the park again in any case, got to play on the parallel bars and the beam, always good fun. Total sessions week 2: 4 (3 gym, 1 park, climbing did not happen) Handstands: Made a calendar that I planned to fill with ticks for every day of handstand practice. Have missed two days so far though, one on Saturday because of DOMS from the epic lunge and pull up session in the gym, one on Monday because we went on a 10 mile walk in the hills and I got drunken on sun and wind, wiping me out completely at the end of the day. Otherwise working 5 minutes minimum every day. Total sessions week 2: 6 On a side note, have worked up to BW reverse lunges with a barbell and for the first time in ages I was not sore after walking around in the hills for 10miles with some steep ascents and descents thrown in. Usually I would get quite bad DOMS for at least 2-3 days, am really chuffed. Try the calendar, put it up in the kitchen or some place you see it every day. This helped me remember to do them, even when I thought I did not want to (being upside down cheers me up every time)Endurance: Did only 3 sessions last week, 4 if you count corridor sprint work . Working mainly on planks, push ups, burpees, and following some videos by fitness blender or Megan, the gymnastics coach/ stunt woman, on youtube. The virtual training partner helps quite a bit. Flexibility: Had 3 short and 1 long flexibility sessions. Splits are better some days then others, but still quite a bit away from the floor. The mini challenge work made me work on my bridge, I took a miserable before picture, if iI make decent progress I will post it here Danish: Finished unit 2 and started unit 3. Still lots to do on that one, but I will try to finish it before the next week comes around.

Have made some small progress towards my goals: 1) Strength Pull up: Had two good sessions this week, slowly reducing the support. Will go climbing tomorrow, this should give me some extra practice. Handstands: realised that it is better to practice a little every day to get my body to remember the whole balance thing. really focused on pushing through my shoulders and hold the handstand for longer. I have made a little calender chart that I will hang in the kitchen with boxes for every day until the end of the challenge. I'm sure if I tick all the boxes, I will get closer to my dream of a press handstand. 2) Endurance Did a short HIIT session on Monday and some sprint work at the gym yesterday, also randomly running the corridors at work (am on night shifts), considered doing funny walks, but realised they had CCTV everywhere = a very embarassed me 3) Flexibility Had 2 sessions so far this week, edging closer and closer to the splits. Also working on my bridge now, back feels a bit unbendy after all the pull up practice and deadlifts 4) Danish Unit two well under way

Just found your challenge, great stuff! I will have to find a race like that in my neck of the woods. What kind of kayaking do you do? I went kayaking for the first time while on holidays in Kopenhagen (one of those tourist canal tours), am hooked since

Love the funny walks. I am about 15 challenges away from level 2, but maybe I will get there one day. Reminds me of a scene in The Exorcist though

Thanks for the pull up advice. I am learning it to improve in my aerial skills, mainly trapeze and silks, so really want to get it from the dead hang, will just take longer I suppose. Fascinating the facts about Norwegian, do you speak it yourself? I have been to Bergen some years back on my way to the Hardangervidda, always wanted to go back. Thank you! I will just need to learn to ride properly come the next challenge.

There is nothing quite like a good montage in a hero's life. What is your soundtrack? I am also working on handstands, did not quite get there during my last challenge. Someone told me then I should move it away from the wall and learn to bail to get there more quickly. I do not have the space at the moment until I move outside, so I did not put it to a proper test, but it seemed a good idea. Good luck with your challenge!

Great climbing, specially the no hands stuff. Your bouldering wall seems quite high. I'm training splits and hanging leg raises for aerial and the fun of it, but can imagine it helping lots with climbing. Still trying to get my iliopsoas to do what my brain commands.

Ah, nice work. Great video and skill list! Subarashii! Always funny how the same move has so many different names. And an aerial studio in Hawaii... Lost for words. Will stick around to witness the awesomeness Hope you are feeling better.

Thanks for dropping by! Handbalancing is so much fun. I practice assisted pull ups at the gym (machine) and with someone holding my legs. I also do negatives after jumping up. The most difficult part for me is the transition from dead hang to the point when my elbows are almost past my shoulders. The second half is easier. When is do negatives it is the same, one of my shoulders protests big time once I get past that point. My handstand is still quite basic. Can hold against a wall for about 30 seconds, I have walked on my hands once by accident, was so surprised I almost fell onto my head. At the moment I am focusing on improving my balance and shoulder shrugs, as well as core strength. Worked on it during my last challenge, but did not get very far. Spanish is such a beautiful language. I did not know that there were two types of Norwegian, will have to look that up.

Yay, splits are also on my list of things to achieve. I liked the link with the progressions, thanks for that.