New Perspectives [Open Arm Balance Challenge!] From 11/18 Til We Get Bored

[raptron]

13 hours ago, Ryuu1011 said:

I also tried some side crow and 8-angle and realized that I still have a LOOONG way to go on my flexibility before I can fully hit those poses, and maybe one day firefly too XD 

Hahah. Maybe by the time you get the flexibility for those, I'll have the strength for pressing into handstands.  

 

Welcome to the game!! 

 

@Kishi -- Uhhhh, free parallettes? Why not!? If they are wood, all the better. The pvc ones are fine, but the wood ones are divine. 

[Elastigirl]

15 hours ago, Ryuu1011 said:

Here are some videos from today playing around: 

Crow to tripod headstand then back to Crow

and then 

Working on my crow into press handstand. Accidentally went into tripod headstand instead of just pressing straight up. Next time I think I need to squeeze my legs together more and try to hold it for a few more seconds at the top instead of coming straight down. 

 

I also tried some side crow and 8-angle and realized that I still have a LOOONG way to go on my flexibility before I can fully hit those poses, and maybe one day firefly too XD 

Wow, that crow to handstand is amazing. 

[Mad Hatter]

19 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

Wow, that crow to handstand is amazing. 

 

It's so good! Bah I hate moves you can't technique your way out of.  

[Ryuu1011]

57 minutes ago, Mad Hatter said:

It's so good! Bah I hate moves you can't technique your way out of.  

That's how I feel with strength sometimes and not being able to just "do it" when my body is like "uhhh yeah, no I don't bend that way" XD hahaha I've still got a long way to go in terms of my flexibility

[Mad Hatter]

Haha yeah we all got our strengths and weaknesses. Part of the fun I guess.  

[Kishi]

4 hours ago, raptron said:

Uhhhh, free parallettes? Why not!? If they are wood, all the better. The pvc ones are fine, but the wood ones are divine.

 

Well, yeah, and that's what's at stake here.

[Suzaqu]

All of you guys are so awesome and inspiring! I tried out some stuff last night, and had horrible attempts at crow to tripod, and crow to eight angle. (Also, it might help if I could do 8-angle without the transitioning element). Next time I must film, I keep forgetting until I'm done.

[RedStone]

On 12/7/2016 at 4:05 PM, CourtnieMarie said:

you might be able to commission @RedStone to make you some

 

On 12/7/2016 at 4:44 PM, Kishi said:

 

Dude, right? Hadn't even thought of that. Otherwise I figured I'd spring for a pair for Christmas or something.

 

Why didn't I catch this tag??? The PVC option was super easy to make, and the materials cost about $30-$40 (I used a saws all and belt sander I already had to do the cutting and finishing)

 

On 12/6/2016 at 9:31 PM, raptron said:

 

 

DUUUUUUUUUDEEEE WUUUUUUUUT?!?!?!?!!!!  

[Mad Hatter]

9 hours ago, Suzaqu said:

All of you guys are so awesome and inspiring! I tried out some stuff last night, and had horrible attempts at crow to tripod, and crow to eight angle. (Also, it might help if I could do 8-angle without the transitioning element). Next time I must film, I keep forgetting until I'm done.

 

Don't get discouraged, armbalances are HARD and transitioning between them is even HARDER! You're doing great! 

[Suzaqu]

I did a thing! It was not a good arm balance day for me, I think my skin was extra slippery or something. Does that happen? I know my knees need to get further up my arms for both the crow+tripod, but I did it! This was the first time I managed the transition, so I'm ecstatic! Any tips on how to improve? I tried to get back up into crow, that's when I fell off at the end

 

3 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

 

Don't get discouraged, armbalances are HARD and transitioning between them is even HARDER! You're doing great! 

Thanks! I'm trying And I'm having fun!

[Mad Hatter]

 

14 minutes ago, Suzaqu said:

I did a thing! It was not a good arm balance day for me, I think my skin was extra slippery or something. Does that happen? I know my knees need to get further up my arms for both the crow+tripod, but I did it! This was the first time I managed the transition, so I'm ecstatic! Any tips on how to improve? I tried to get back up into crow, that's when I fell off at the end

 

Yay for doing a thing! And your thing is super great!  

 

I don't necessarily think that the knees need to be higher up. It's mostly a question of style and it will make some transitions different (not necessarily easier or harder, just different). Tips to improve - just more practice.   To get back into crow you need to take it sloooow when lifting your head and as your weight shift backwards you need to really use your fingers to counterbalance that weight shift.

 

And as for extra slippery skin/leggings - yep totally happens.

[raptron]

Yep! Slippery days are totally a thing. 

 

Agreed that the knees do not need to be higher up unless you feel like it. You could bend your arms a little more in the crow actually, which might be more stable especially when you are having a slippery day because it makes more of a shelf for your knees to rest on. 

[Kishi]

I'm glad to hear that slippery days are a thing. I thought it was just some weirdness I was going through from time to time...

[Suzaqu]

10 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

 

 

Yay for doing a thing! And your thing is super great!  

 

I don't necessarily think that the knees need to be higher up. It's mostly a question of style and it will make some transitions different (not necessarily easier or harder, just different). Tips to improve - just more practice.   To get back into crow you need to take it sloooow when lifting your head and as your weight shift backwards you need to really use your fingers to counterbalance that weight shift.

 

And as for extra slippery skin/leggings - yep totally happens.

Thanks! That procedure for getting back up sounds good, I'll definitely try that next time. Also glad to know that I'm not crazy. I swear I'm usually more sticky!

[Suzaqu]

9 hours ago, raptron said:

Yep! Slippery days are totally a thing. 

 

Agreed that the knees do not need to be higher up unless you feel like it. You could bend your arms a little more in the crow actually, which might be more stable especially when you are having a slippery day because it makes more of a shelf for your knees to rest on. 

Ooooo, shelf for knees sounds good, I'll definitely try that next time, I swear in side crow my nose is about an inch from the ground, but I don't do the same in crow, I'll have to work on that.

[Mad Hatter]

On 12/10/2016 at 1:26 AM, Suzaqu said:

I swear in side crow my nose is about an inch from the ground, but I don't do the same in crow, I'll have to work on that.

 

That's fine, it will come in time as your strength increases. In the beginning the tendency is to rest quite heavily on the arm shelf, which is easier to do if the arms are more bent, meaning your face will be closer to the ground. Not just for side crow, but for many of these poses. As you get stronger you can place the knees higher which will require straighter arms for counterbalance, and also that more of the weight will be taken directly through your shoulders and core. It's not a huge difference in strength, it's more something you can experiment with.  It might also be that you have a wider arm placement in side crow than in crow. It makes side crow a little bit easier, but you also get less height.

[Mad Hatter]

I followed @raptron's advice for the headstand to side crow transition and it kinda sorta worked! This time instead of tucking as hard as I could and hoping for the best I actually looked where I was going with the knees and it was definitely easier with a slightly looser tuck. Though I still have a tendency to fall out of the side crow after a few seconds and I think it's because I'm not quite used to the narrower arm position. No video evidence yet though because once I had the camera I was way too tired and couldn't repeat it.  

 

Oh and I managed to go from crow to a sort of one legged baby crow without face planting. Only on one leg and I sill can't extend the other leg more than a little bit, but it's progress!

[Elastigirl]

Yesterday I practiced crow to tripod to crow. I can do the crow to tripod, it's just the transistion back that I struggle with. But I'm getting so that about half the time I can actually hold the last crow for a second, instead of just sort of falling back.

 

Not sure if this is considered a transition or not, but I am working on getting into a headstand from straight legs (as opposed to tripod) and then coming back slowly with control. I can't quite go up yet without bending my legs some, but it's improving. And I think it looks controlled. Right now we have Christmas stuff all over our downstairs, but I'm going to tidy it and then I can take video

[Elastigirl]

I also should add that my abs are telling me they worked yesterday. Funny thing about arm balance stuff is at the moment I never really feel like I'm using my muscles, and it's only later when the DOMS hit, that I realize that it actually does build muscles

[raptron]

1 hour ago, Elastigirl said:

Yesterday I practiced crow to tripod to crow. I can do the crow to tripod, it's just the transistion back that I struggle with. But I'm getting so that about half the time I can actually hold the last crow for a second, instead of just sort of falling back.

 

Not sure if this is considered a transition or not, but I am working on getting into a headstand from straight legs (as opposed to tripod) and then coming back slowly with control. I can't quite go up yet without bending my legs some, but it's improving. And I think it looks controlled. Right now we have Christmas stuff all over our downstairs, but I'm going to tidy it and then I can take video

Totally counts!

[RedStone]

I'm.... not sure what this is  But I've been working on the pike to headstand stage of press handstand progressions, and I felt this in the flow! Crow stuff, headstand stuff, pike stuff, straddle stuff... I'm not super good with names! Anyhoosits

 

 

 

[raptron]

My workout was suuuuper rough today but I got in some videos of flailing around all the same. Pretty much unedited, so whining and laughing at myself can be heard, hahaha. I could not even figure out where I wanted to go from flying pigeon.

 

[Mad Hatter]

You guys are rocking it!

[tourennatrix]

I was being playfully indignant while watching the latest from Raptron ("This is what she does AFTER a heavy lifting session" *flailfailfail*) and Husband came over and said "...Looks like something you'll be able to do soon." 

 

He may have gotten punched. Then hugged. 

 

In other news, I am really looking forward to the *ahem* transitions you guys pull for your proposed 12 days of christmas you're coming up with

[Suzaqu]

On 12/11/2016 at 2:15 PM, Mad Hatter said:

 

That's fine, it will come in time as your strength increases. In the beginning the tendency is to rest quite heavily on the arm shelf, which is easier to do if the arms are more bent, meaning your face will be closer to the ground. Not just for side crow, but for many of these poses. As you get stronger you can place the knees higher which will require straighter arms for counterbalance, and also that more of the weight will be taken directly through your shoulders and core. It's not a huge difference in strength, it's more something you can experiment with.  It might also be that you have a wider arm placement in side crow than in crow. It makes side crow a little bit easier, but you also get less height.

I definitely will play around with that. I tried crow with more bent arms and it definitely felt different, and side crow with less bent arms sounds like a fun challenge. I think my arms definitely are a lot wider than in crow, something else to work on! I'm loving this pvp, so many fun things to try!