W11 - Adapting the pull-up and freestanding handstand

Alright, listen up ! :-p

The Pull-up story :

Last week I was talking about this book I'm reading : Convict Conditioning.
Thanks to Wade's insight, I'm adjusting the pull-up.
Instead of "kipping", which means jumping and then trying to control the way down, I will rely on two other methods : Bodyweight rows, and Half Pull-ups (with assisting band).

Why ?
On different sites, Kipping is not recommended as a good step towards mastering the pull-up.

First thing to know : when hanging, your shoulders should always be "tucked in". If they are not, the weight will not be on your muscles but on the fragile joints and tendons of the shoulders. I have felt some pain in the shoulder recently, and to be on the safe side, I'm gonna work on this.

How to make sure your shoulders are tucked in ?
Never extend the arm completely when hanging. At least keep a slight bend in the elbow. This will ensure your muscles on arms and back are holding the weight and the shoulders are not under pressure.

• "Think of using your lats, not your biceps. All this will take is having a friend poke you in the lats a few times right before you begin the movement.
• Pull your shoulder blades back and down."

My new pull-up style :
This week I'm gonna switch from kipping to doing either half-pullups or bodyweight rows.

Half pull-ups is like a pull-up, except you don't go lower than when you elbow makes a 90-degree angle.

Body-weight row :just see the pic below or go here. These are also very good it seems to develop the back muscles required to do a proper pull-up.

New target : 

Master the freestanding handstand for at least 30 seconds.
I will start by doing the frog stand and also handstand pushups on the wall.

 

30/06 Mon

Hades : 26.32

01/07 Tue

REST

02/07 Wed

REST

03/07 Thu

REST

04/07 Fri

Hades : 26.59

05/07 Sat

REST

06/07 Sun
REST

07/07 Mon
Poseidon : 6.27

08/07 Tue
Aphrodite : 26.20* (New Groundbreaking PB!)

OMG ! This week I'm so late. I have got a bit lazy to get up early in the morning (and also a bit busy), but now is the time to get back on track !