tuck planche

My progress towards the Planche/Maltese on the floor was stalled by my inability to hold a tuck planche.  I would get intense cramping in my abs, specifically the top left bump of the six-pack.  It looked like a hard-boiled egg was implanted subcutaneously, and man did it hurt.  I encountered no such pain nor cramping when doing roll-outs, front lever progressions, or any other ab exercise.  It then occurred to me that some pretty taxing ab exercise usually preceded my tuck planche attempts.  Aha!  A thought bubble formed above my head.  Forget the intense warm-up, just do the tuck planches.  And so I did.

5-7-12
- single db C&P (2x5x5, 24 kgs)
- tuck planche holds (6x10 secs)

On Mondays I like to do squat cleans, but the thought of hoisting the 2 db's was unappealing today.  I grabbed a single db and performed alternating sets of 5 reps at a fast pace.  Before you knew it 50 reps had flown by, and I was breathing hard.  The tuck planches weren't so onerous by themselves.  How far away are advanced tuck and straddle planches I wonder.

OACU is so close

All righty then. The One Armed Chin-Up (OACU) is so close, one finger away. I'd spent so much time with weighted chin-up progressions that eventually I found the 100 or so pounds dangling off the dip belt unwieldy. I also feared damaging the door frame from which I hung the chin-up bars. With the switch to off-set, bodyweight only chin-ups and now assisted, one arm isometrics, I am nearly there. Two days ago I pulled a single one-armed chin-up with the assistance of one finger of the free hand, and held on for 10 seconds of bent-arm isometrics. Today, three sets of of the same on each hand followed by 2x3x5 one armed chin-ups (with three finger assist).

12-7-11
-24 tuck lever body row
-20 HSPU (no pike!) + 30 sec bent arm hold
-2x3x(1+ 10 sec hold) assisted OACU
-50 burpees
-pseudo Maltese hold 2x25 secs

I've stalled a little bit on the Maltese progressions. The OACU and handstands distracted me from doing the straight arm isometrics I think are essential to the Maltese. Once I get the OACU suitable for YouTube, the Maltese will have my undivided attention.

A word on the tuck lever rows-intense. I didn't think the tuck lever body row worked my abs so much until I tried tuck planches afterwards. Tuck lever rows followed by tuck planches is a recipe for severe abdominal cramping. The first time I got the cramps, I got one goose-egg shaped knot in my gut. Yesterday, after 23 tuck lever rows, the tuck planches set-off a half dozen goose-egg shaped knots in my gut that doubled me over.

getting to know the rock rings

I've found my Rock Rings to be a good purchase. The top part of the rings feel molded to my hand which makes it comfortable for ring dips. Instead of lashing straps or webbing, I use a 3/8's inch diameter section of rope to hang the rings from my pull-up bar, a doorway type. You don't even need carabiners, just two round turns and two half-hitches to secure the ends of the rope to the loops on the rings. The doorway pull-up bar surprises me by its sturdiness. Thus far it has coped with a static load of 250 lbs, me and 90 lbs on a dip belt. Someday, I hope to test the Rock Rings in a similar manner (actually a test of my wrist).

8-6-11
-200 kb swings
-5x5x5 count Rock Ring dips
-5x5 Rock Ring knees to elbows
-Rock Ring tuck planche

My left wrist prevents me from using anything other than a crimp grip while hanging from the rings. Bummer 'cause I was keen on using the rings for more open-hand grips. The knees to elbows and the tuck planche are a bit harder from the rings than just the bar.

8-5-11
-100 kb swings
-db push press 2x5x5x50 lbs

I dropped the weight from R80 lbs and L 65 pounds down to 50 lbs on the db so as relieve the stress on my back. This time, I'll increase the weight more conservatively to avoid re-injury.

8-4-11
-100 kb swings
-2x10 kneeling to standing roll-outs