Elbows & Ham, and a bit of Brainzzz

[@mu]

Summary for the quick reader:

Likes: pull / push / bend

Tools: body weight, parallettes, aerial silks, ball

Epic quest: complete GMB Parallettes 2 (P2)

 

 

Elbows and Ham because I will be focusing on P2 moves, which involve a lot of elbow humping bent arm work (elbow levers / spin / high frog / HS lowers), and a fair amount of hamstring extension (HS to L-sit). Brains because I'm planning some (light) study time. Then it occurred to me that a zombie theme might work out quite well.

 

Goals

 

Handstands! Handstands! Handstands!

 

(1) Attend to my usual practice plan, I'm quite good at this, let's keep it that way

 

P2 3x/week and HS 3x/week (deload: 5 mini workouts)

Stretching (hips, back) – 2x/week

Hanging raises – 6x/week

Cirque Physio – 24 drills /week (deload: 12 drills /week)

Legs (traditional leg stuff) – 4 drills /week

Ball flex (ball held on a flexed foot work) – 4 drills /week

Aerial (flow, skills, alignment, conditioning) – 3x/week (usually 1 big session + 2 light ones)

 

 

Brainzzzzz!

 

(2) Light study

 

> practice Oracle Java certification tests. Those have some idiotic things that are not relevant to day to day programming but I found that practicing makes my code a little bit sharper and cleaner. And it's somewhat more useful brain-stimulation than Android Tomb Raider Relic Runs, right? Let's try at least 5 tests a week for now. That's a small load because I do them in batches of 10-20 questions at most.

Spoiler

NB: I cannot actually take those tests for real because I have Iranian citizenship (Oracle certifications come under US export laws and embargo/sanctions apply). I could try to use my French ID, but it's a bit risky and they have a silly rule about providing a proof of ID that has been issued IN the country where you sit the test. I would have to go to the UK to sit it... It's not exactly world-citizen friendly... I don't really need it professionally though, so it's not a big deal and not really worth the bother (it's not cheap either)

 

 

> re-read the GoF design patterns book. That is a bit too dry to read in a linear way, but I could go over a few patterns that I'm less familiar with / don't use so often. Like one per week.

 

 

 

(3) Find your inner aerial zombie

 

Work a bit more on that  silks routine that I did some improv on the past month. So 1x/week:

- work with zombie music (follow the music tempo not your own pedestrian rhythm)

- add zombie movement quality to the skills/flow

- publish here a video of a run-through every week, even if I think it looks idiotic / crap / boring, it doesn't matter. It's zombie in progress, it cannot be pretty anyway 

 

 

 

[Mad Hatter]

I'm so excited about your inner aerial zombie goal!  

 

What cert tests are you looking at? Could be interesting for me to take a look at.

[@mu]

 

16 minutes ago, Mad Hatter said:

What cert tests are you looking at? Could be interesting for me to take a look at.

 

OCA and OCP

I use ETS testers, nice and easy,  the 2 cost me like 20 GBP, and that's hours of Java tease and fun

 

https://enthuware.com/java-certification-mock-exams/oracle-certified-associate/ocajp-1z0-808

https://enthuware.com/java-certification-mock-exams/oracle-certified-professional/java-se-8-1z0-809

[Mad Hatter]

Thanks, I'll check them out and see if it could be useful!

[WhiteGhost]

Nice challenge!  Following as usual.

 

I have to say, that whole certification export stuff is really lame.

[@mu]

1 hour ago, WhiteGhost said:

Nice challenge!  Following as usual.

 

I have to say, that whole certification export stuff is really lame.

 

Oh yes, I also get blocked when I want to access developers docs (Oracle, Google...). And of course, I get blocked by local censorship as well. A total hot dog between the little battles of higher powers...

 

Today was ELBOWS and forearms.

 

 

Child pose glute activation L10R10 x2 (this really seems to help activating the glutes/legs for the elbow lever, highly recommend it)

# Low frog hold 8s x3

# Slow push-ups 10x2

## High frog to double arm lever => to first lever spin transition x8

## Lever spin x8 –

> 6 on first transition to single bar lever RLRLRL

> 2 on last transition from single bar lever RL

# Inside knee support tuck planche x2 6s 8s + swings when losing it

# High frog hold + extending one leg LR – could only shift my weight, not lifting the leg

# Single arm lever, two-hands hold, moving non-supporting hand up LR x3

# Floor pike PU 5x2 + last rep 10s bottom hold x1 => used band, elbows were good but losing it in the back/core

# Single bar push-ups with under-grip 5x2 => have to be careful not to do chest push-up (bending the middle line a bit)!

Stretches including bridge and straddle stretches

 

I understood something today, that is obvious but I hadn't really grasped before. When I have to swap hands in the lever spin, I should aim for a side lever on the opposite side and then catch my moving elbow. Instead of trying to reach a straight double elbow lever, I need to go further to the side and then back to straight. The same way that to turn, say, to the left, I first have to side lever to the right to free my left arm. I still have a hard time catching my elbow in the middle (on a single bar), but it's feeling a bit closer now.

I'm also getting a better sense of the elbow rotation, that is sometimes painfully caught by the hip bone. Making sure that my chest is up seems to help with the elbow position around the bone.

 

I will have some silks this afternoon/evening, maybe I will do the zombie flow today instead of Friday as well, I will see how tired the shoulders are.

 

NF didn't let me post my P2 log in my first post, I think it's getting too long! I will post it in subsections at the end of this cycle. I have an unlisted playlist for all the video bits.

My preferred video is still that one I think    Feline glute activation

 

 

Yesterday I did 2 Java tests. So here I stand for this first week:

/* Challenge Log */

P2: 2/3
HS: 1/3

Stretching: 1/2
Hanging-raises: 2/6
Cirque-Physio: 10/24
Legs: 2/4
Ball-flex: 1/4
Aerial: 0/3

Java-tests: 2/5
Design-patterns: 0/1

Inner-aerial-zombie: 0/1

(My week starts on Saturday)

 

[Mad Hatter]

6 hours ago, @mu said:

Feline glute activation

<3

[raptron]

Bahahah. What a great helper. :P 

[@mu]

Yesterday: hanging raises + silks alignment + conditioning (meathooks) and a bit of zombie.

 

I was too tired to get more than a couple of runs. I'm not too sure about the entrance and exit. I'll have to try a few more things. I won't change the actual flow though because I don't want to spend time figuring out moves/transitions etc... I'll use what I have.

Overall I still have too much intent in my inner zombie, I need to be slightly more purposeless with vague flashes of brainzzz hunger, and slow down some more.

I tried with my hair fully out, which definitely adds to the crazy but is a bit painful when it gets stuck in wraps...I will see how far I can push the hairy weirdness and if it's worth the pain I will try to get a few more runs on Friday and post a vid by then.

 

After that, I did a bunch of Cirque Physio soft tissue drills.

 

Today: hanging raises + ball flex + more Cirque Physio + back-bends. A bit of a tight day!

 

/* Challenge Log */

P2: 2/3
HS: 1/3

Stretching: 2/2
Hanging-raises: 4/6
Cirque-Physio: 20/24
Legs: 2/4
Ball-flex: 2/4
Aerial: 1.5/3

Java-tests: 2/5
Design-patterns: 0/1

Inner-aerial-zombie: 0.5/1

 

[@mu]

Yesterday evening we were out and ate a ton.

Sample:

 

No regret but this morning I was still digesting stuff! Not the best situation for inverts and abs work to be honest.

 

So today: HAMS and some elbows still

 

 

Hanging raises + ball flex drills + getting the hams all nice and warm

 

P2

# HS (light warm-up / untracked)

## Bent arm press progression

> Elevated headstand hip press from flat frog 5 => mostly fails

> Single knee float to 1-leg crow leg swaps => not very successful either (1 leg swap at most)

> HS lower to bent arm stand (partials) 4/5 3/5 HS to crow ~4/5 => good

## HS to L-sit straightening legs 3/5 foot in the way / not trusting myself 2/5 (1 bent) – discovered a new type of fail 3/5 (1 straight!)

# Bent arm plank push to straddle hold to crow – 5 coming back up a little but not to a proper crow, mostly failed on those

# Tuck to V to L-sit hold reps 3 3 3 => short holds

# HS 5x5 consistency 5+s = 13/25 => got a foot entangled in a bar and fracked a complete set just because, well, I got scared a little (no hurt though)

 

Pretty low day when it came to pushing those hips UP, pretty much a big nada.

HS to crow was good, I will keep at it.

The good bit today was my first HS to L-sit with somewhat straight legs (if I want to be picky, I still have a little zombie bend going on but I'm totally ok with it at that stage). And some new sorts of fails coming with it.

 

 

 

Then legs (ham curls, GHR) + silks alignment + skin-the-cat drills, shoulders were a bit tired obviously, I didn't push it.

And some final stretching (bridge, straddle)

 

This morning I also did some studying.

 

/* Challenge Log */

P2: 3/3
HS: 2/3

Stretching: 2/2
Hanging-raises: 5/6
Cirque-Physio: 20/24
Legs: 4/4
Ball-flex: 3/4
Aerial: 1.5/3

Java-tests: 3/5
Design-patterns: 1/1

Inner-aerial-zombie: 0.5/1

 

[Mad Hatter]

5 hours ago, @mu said:

The good bit today was my first HS to L-sit with somewhat straight legs (if I want to be picky, I still have a little zombie bend going on but I'm totally ok with it at that stage). And some new sorts of fails coming with it.

 

Haha win some lose some!  But the last one was really, really nice!!

[Mad Hatter]

What's on the food table btw?  

[WhiteGhost]

22 hours ago, @mu said:

Yesterday evening we were out and ate a ton.

That looks yummy  

[@mu]

20 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

What's on the food table btw?  

 

5 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

That looks yummy  

 

The pic only shows the sweets, main and side meals were pretty heavy too. I did like @RogueLibrarian and made sure I had some soup as well to be, you know, healthy (actually the soup had a bit of lemon in it and it probably worsened stomach acid reflux...)

 

On the pic the yellow things are saffron puddings, the cookies are half-fluffy half-crusty raisin cookies, the tart in the middle is a cheese cake, the other tarts are creamy pastries with apple purée flavoured with cinnamon, or other combinations (like dates / cherry). The thingy with a piece of lemon on it is coconut cake, And the others are nut-based tarts (almond, pistachio, walnut).

 

This morning I did some Cirque Physio + hanging raises + ball flex + HS endurance. That was a bit tough, I managed two 28s but most were under 20s. And it was all but feeling like a restful position. I was a bit too tired possibly. Either missing a kick or falling over after a while, I had to pike a little to hold for time, elevating / pushing through the shoulders was tiring.

I rotated the video to see how it looks upside down, it's interesting to watch that way:

Spoiler

 

 

I still have some silks + zombie flow to do. I will do it a bit later, we had lunch late and I'm still in a digestive state.

[Mad Hatter]

Yummy!

 

The altered perspective was surprisingly interesting. If you compare it to balancing on the feet it’s kinda the equivalent of swaying backwards and forwards with your arms. But when you balance on your feet there’s rather a lot more side to side movement, which makes sense because of the length of the feet...

 

It looks very good though, if you imagine yourself in a hang it would be quite a similar body position I think and very close to straight.

[WhiteGhost]

The altered perspective kept messing with me.  As I watched the handstands, I imagined you were hanging which was fine, but then when you had to bail my brain couldn't comprehend how you were able to move like that  

[@mu]

1 hour ago, Mad Hatter said:

Yummy!

 

The altered perspective was surprisingly interesting. If you compare it to balancing on the feet it’s kinda the equivalent of swaying backwards and forwards with your arms. But when you balance on your feet there’s rather a lot more side to side movement, which makes sense because of the length of the feet...

 

It looks very good though, if you imagine yourself in a hang it would be quite a similar body position I think and very close to straight.

 

37 minutes ago, WhiteGhost said:

The altered perspective kept messing with me.  As I watched the handstands, I imagined you were hanging which was fine, but then when you had to bail my brain couldn't comprehend how you were able to move like that  

 

Yes it was very mind-bugging. I might also do one horizontal, as if I'm lying on the floor

 

Not sure, but when I'm hanging I think my ribs are a little bit more in, my head is not looking up obviously (that might affect the ribs because I'm not yet able to isolate the 2 very well) and the scapula is a bit more elevated? I mean in a relaxed hang. My first thought was that it would be very tiring to hang like this, with mini scapular pulls every so often.

When I bail, I fully elevate, so like the sec before falling over, it looks more like a proper "hang". Yes, I think the scapular movement was more obvious with the change of perspective.

[Mad Hatter]

Yes it will definitely be a little harder to reach the same flexibility when handstanding vs hanging (passive vs active plus with or against gravity) Mini scap pulls would indeed be tiring, but in most cases you do in fact want to have that activation when you hang. Same as you want the opposite movement when in a handstand. It’s more tiring bit better for the shoulders. 

[@mu]

4 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Yes it will definitely be a little harder to reach the same flexibility when handstanding vs hanging (passive vs active plus with or against gravity) Mini scap pulls would indeed be tiring, but in most cases you do in fact want to have that activation when you hang. Same as you want the opposite movement when in a handstand. It’s more tiring bit better for the shoulders. 

 

Agreed on activation. I still feel engaged with slightly more elevation in my hang but it might just be gravity as you say, arms are more stretched out when hanging.

 

So this evening was silks alignment and conditioning (straddles) and some more zombie + some studying.

 

So here is the zombie effort of the week. It's a bit long for what it is.

And, well, well, well, how to put it   I'd say good effort on the crazy? It's actually relatively easy to do but it's a bit harder to publish

 

Spoiler

 

 

Zombie todo list:

• use the music much more than that, there is a very strong tempo in the first section, I should make use of it somehow, I tried but it didn't really come out

• change the beginning, start from a hang instead maybe, it's too much "alive" for a zombie start imo

• spasms are ok, but maybe do slower / heavier movements as well, and do big eyes, show teeth etc..

• dig a bit further into the first invert (spend a bit more time in it, shapes?)

• sort out transitions / technicalities but in a zombie way, e.g. a zombie doesn't do pointed feet knee hocks...

• find more things to do in the fast section maybe...

• at the end do grrraaaoowrrrr instead of just breathing heavily?

• look at aerial zombie acts, I haven't found much yet, just this one. I like that one for the character building and cool shapes but it's a vampire.

 

That will be it for now. I have no idea where this is going to go exactly. It's a bit of a weird experiment.

 

And it's the end of the week, all boxes ticked!

/* Challenge Log */

P2: 3/3
HS: 3/3

Stretching: 2/2
Hanging-raises: 6/6
Cirque-Physio: 24/24
Legs: 4/4
Ball-flex: 4/4
Aerial: 3/3

Java-tests: 5/5
Design-patterns: 1/1

Inner-aerial-zombie: 1/1

 

[Mad Hatter]

Aaah that is so awesome!!! 

 

You say the beginning is too alive for a zombie, but have you thought about doing a possessed by demon exorcist sort of routine? Many of the bits read more like that (except for the explicit zombie bits), maybe because your hair looks way too beautiful for a zombie haha. I already love it though, can’t wait to see further progress. The bits where you crawl down the rig and the spasms look great. And I really like the heavy breathing at the end (umm that sounds wrong )

[Mad Hatter]

The vampire act was neat!

 

Tried to find other zombie acts on pole and hoop but amazingly enough there’s almost nothing there either. Feels like everything that I found was just zombie makeup and nothing else... So you’re already doing way better than what’s on YT.  

[WhiteGhost]

7 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Aaah that is so awesome!!! 

 

You say the beginning is too alive for a zombie, but have you thought about doing a possessed by demon exorcist sort of routine? Many of the bits read more like that (except for the explicit zombie bits), maybe because your hair looks way too beautiful for a zombie haha. I already love it though, can’t wait to see further progress. The bits where you crawl down the rig and the spasms look great. And I really like the heavy breathing at the end (umm that sounds wrong )

I agree, no way a zombie would have hair that luxurious   I also got more of a demonic possession type of vibe from that - zombies don't tend to demonstrate that kind of strength & coordination  

 

Very well done & quite creative!

[@mu]

14 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

You say the beginning is too alive for a zombie, but have you thought about doing a possessed by demon exorcist sort of routine?

 

6 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

I agree, no way a zombie would have hair that luxurious   I also got more of a demonic possession type of vibe from that - zombies don't tend to demonstrate that kind of strength & coordination 

 

Ha funny, I also felt closer to the Exorcist myself Let's see, zombie and possessed are not mutually exclusive. What a challenge goal

 

14 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

And I really like the heavy breathing at the end (umm that sounds wrong )

Not at all ahaha

 

13 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

The vampire act was neat!

Yes, I'm totally amazed by how he uses some moves that are very very commonly seen in aerial routines but the way he moves makes them look completely fresh and original. That's such a great performing skill.

 

This week I have 2 elbows workouts and they are a bit too harsh to do HS afterwards. So I did HS today with hanging raises, hip-related Cirque Physio, legzzz, ball flex drills and hips stretching.

HS 5s+ consistency = 15/25

Not a PB but they felt really good compared to yesterday, I felt stacked on the bone structure, I didn't have to struggle for it. My kicks were much more precise too. My big cues at the moment are to jump over my arms like they were 2 pieces of steel, no macro bending allowed, and having the inner part of the elbow facing forward + look further down the floor, not too close to the parallettes.

 

/* Challenge Log */

P2: 3/3 0/3
HS: 3/3 1/3

Stretching: 2/2 1/2
Hanging-raises: 6/6 1/6
Cirque-Physio: 24/24 7/24
Legs: 4/4 2/4
Ball-flex: 4/4 1/4
Aerial: 3/3 0/3

Java-tests: 5/5 0/5
Design-patterns: 1/1 0/1

Inner-aerial-zombie: 1/1 0/1

 

[@mu]

Elbows! Starting with Cirque Physio glute activation + hanging raises

 

# Low frog hold 8s x3

# Slow push-ups 10x2

## High frog to double arm lever => to first lever spin transition x8 – very hard today

## Lever spin x8 –

> 2 on first transition to single bar lever RL => hardest one

> 2 on last transition from single bar lever RL => a bit better

> 4 full attempts => RLRL foot support in the middle during elbow switch

# Inside knee support tuck planche x2 10s 8s

# High frog hold + extending one leg LR – weight shift only

# Single arm lever, two-hands hold, moving non-supporting hand up LR x3 – still hard and painful

# Floor pike PU 5x2 + last rep 10s bottom hold x1

# Single bar push-ups with under-grip 5x2

Stretches including bridge and straddle stretches

 

Tough one. I'm dead!

I did one Java test.

Yesterday we watched “A man called Ove”, it was very good, sad and funny at the same time, profoundly human, we really enjoyed it.

 

/* Challenge Log */

P2: 3/3 - 1/3
HS: 3/3 - 1/3

Stretching: 2/2 - 1/2
Hanging-raises: 6/6 - 2/6
Cirque-Physio: 24/24 - 8/24
Legs: 4/4 - 2/4
Ball-flex: 4/4 - 1/4
Aerial: 3/3 - 0/3

Java-tests: 5/5 - 1/5
Design-patterns: 1/1 - 0/1

Inner-aerial-zombie: 1/1 - 0/1

 

[Mad Hatter]

On 11/24/2018 at 12:20 PM, @mu said:

Yes, I'm totally amazed by how he uses some moves that are very very commonly seen in aerial routines but the way he moves makes them look completely fresh and original. That's such a great performing skill.

It really is. There are so many routines that are pure snooze fests. Especially on silks and lyra it feels like 80% of acts are just "look at me, look at me, I'm so pretty" routines.