got a cramp? pucker up

This article (click title) claims that you can stop a muscle from cramping by drinking pickle juice or straight vinegar. It has something to do with the sourness resetting the contraction mechanism in the muscle. Whatever. I decided to test it out.

As you recall, I've been working on the handstand. Ultimately, my goal is handstand push-ups, but for now, it's trying to hold a continuous wall-supported handstand for as long as I can. When I first started, 12 seconds was the max. Eventually, 40 secs. Today, 50 seconds. Previously, the 40 seconds mark was when severe cramping would hit my mid to upper back. Not today. I splashed some apple cider vinegar in a shot glass and diluted it with a little water. Then I popped the hand stand.

The workout:
-handstand (50 secs, 40, 40)
-25.25 kg weighted pull-ups (7x4,2x3,3x2)
-fat grip hang power clean & press (4 on the minute for 10 minutes)

While I don't think my little experiment validated the article, it left the door open for more study. Whether I broke through the 40 sec wall because of the vinegar shots or simple progression, I don't know. The placebo effect can't be discounted either. I'll be experimenting with apple cider vinegar and maybe throwing some sour candies in the gym bag.

The pull-up plateau has been busted. I struggled for a while with the set/rep scheme and couldn't make any improvement. I was stymied. Then it occurred to me that there's more than one way to progress. I added a 1.25 kg plate to the dip belt. The set/rep scheme is almost identical, but now I'm pulling more weight.

The finisher was a grip masher. Anybody wanting to rehab a thumb injury should consider fat grip db hang power cleans.