Thursday, September 22, 2011

Clubbells and Handstands

I already like the way I've changed my Thursday training. A complete day off from KB work with a very different type of loading on my arms, elbows and grip.Clubbells, as difficult as they are, seem much easier to me than Kbs and really traction my already overloaded wrist and elbow flexors.

Since my elbows hyperextend,and you don't get much, if any, joint capsule stabilization when a joint is hyperextended, I always have to keep some tension in the elbow flexors, especially with kb swings. This adds up in a negative way, but the CB swings really work the arms in the exact opposite way providing a great counterbalance of tension and distraction to the joint.

Not to mention the ability to really create super torque in the shoulder and elbow and work the elbow in extension. Much like the KB swing does for the hip extensors. Resistance in the fully extended position.

Hard to come by.

I've been re reading Convict Conditioning 2 lately and can't believe how much incredible, real world, real deal information there is in this book. Presented just the way I like, straight and to the point. Like or not he just throws his truth out there and I couldn't agree more. And his progressions are incredible rational and logical. Simple but DEFINTELY not easy. With VERY definite goals to achieve so you know when to go to the next level.

His take on hand strength and forearm training is completely original and revolutionary( in the fitness world anyway)and one of the core moves he emphasizes is a vertical hang from thick towels or ropes. The grip is used amazingly in long bar hangs but not so much the thumb muscles.They really are in the vertical towel hang and as well in clubbell work

I couldn't really grok why the grip was so taxed from the CB training and now I get it. Again, it is the perfect compliment and counterbalance to all the horizontal grip training I get with KBs

Torch Swings:

heres the 15 lb second set.

I did 20 reps with the tens and then went to these. Rotation and overhead hold felt fine

3 sets of 5-6with an emphasis on holds at the top and packing the shoulders.

20 lb torch swings 3 sets of 5 as well

these were the best I've ever done with the 20's but were very squirrelly at the top of the rep. I always imagine I'm swinging to a handstand on the parallel bars when I practice these

Handstand Holds

10 sets of between 5 and 20 seconds! this was the best handstand workout I've had yet and gives me great hope for the future. I felt like I could hold this as long as I wanted and my hand and finger strength reminded me of the old days. Pretty soon back to no wall starts

This video is of the tenth set and around 24 seconds without touching the wall. Nice.

Clubbell rockits supersets with Band triceps extensions
cb rockits 15 lbs x 20, 20, 15, 10

extensions x 20, 20, 20 , 20

very close to my goal of 5x20 and the rockits felt great in the quads.

great workout, starting an hour early, at 12 instead of 1pm helped as well.

datsit. Sisu

3 comments:

Neil Bednar said...

Mark,
I've been stuck at holding a 60 second handstand for about six weeks at least now, and I'm wondering what you recommend for increasing my time. Should I do several sets? Right now I'm also working V-pushups in hope that improving shoulder strength will increase my handstand time. I'm sort of stuck, any advice would be incredibly helpful. I've been blogging about my convict conditioning work for several months now at http://myconvictconditioning.blogspot.com/
-Neil (a big fan)

Mark Reifkind said...

neil

imo 60 seconds is way long enough! I never held one even close to that long as a gymnast although I could have. why so long as a goal? I would definitely shoot for multiple sets.

the key is really getting your body stacked up right and the weigh ton the hands in nominal and you should feel like you could hold it forever.

again though why so long?

Neil Bednar said...

Hi Mark,
Thank you so much for your reply. I was shooting for 120 seconds only because of the Convict Conditioning progression standard (2 minutes HS hold) before moving on to half HS pushups. (I've read that you are reviewing CC2 by the way). I started doing "V-pushups" because I wasn't increasing my time in the handstand hold but I am making progress in other ways. So it sounds like there is marginal value in holding a HS longer than one minute...?
-Neil

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