Trick or Treat

-Halloween Workout! Wear your costumes!

-Swim Night cancelled tonight.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Prehab/Warmup

Keg Drill
Overhead Band Distraction
Super Rack with Band
With barbell behind the neck:
5 Strict Press
5 Push Press
5 Push Jerk
5 Split Jerk

Strength

15 minutes to find 1RM of the complex: Strict Press, Push Press, Push Jerk

Notes:  Perform all 3 reps without putting the bar down.  Use a rack (or blocks).  If you lack the shoulder mobility to perform a push jerk, use the split position.  

Conditioning

800m Run, then
3 Rounds for time of:
10 KB Snatches (24/16)
15 Lateral Box Jumps, 20″
20 Wall Balls (20/14)
-20 min cap-

Cool Down

Pigeon Stretch
Couch Stretch
Active Bar Hang
German Stretch

Today’s post comes from the recent 2013 PCF World Handstand Champion, Tommy Pitt.  Anyone at Venice 6:30am class knows he’s a hard worker, but I think everyone else was shocked at how solid his handstand hold was on Saturday.  I asked if he had any training secrets, pearls of wisdom, or truth bombs to share with the gym, and he graciously replied with that and much more.  Enter Tommy:

Dear Champions (All PCF’rs):

WIth the great success of the MDR vs. VENICE battle coming to a close, trophies kissed, and broken arms mending, we can all start training for next year. It is very clear that the difference between winning and losing was the Individual Handstand Competition, well that, and the slack line.

It is only fair to let everyone in on the secrets of the handstand, so that the competitions are even more thrilling for next year.

I grew up with an ice hockey background, constantly being checked to ice, and delivering a few hits myself. I spent so much time laying on the ice (ground), that it just became comfortable. It may sound strange, but I attribute that to be one of the main reasons I’m able to hold a handstand so well. Just being in a position OTHER than standing or sitting.

This relates to diso’s preaching of EIE. So laying on ice in hockey equipment is how you get good at handstands? No.

Get Dirty. Spend some time on the ground. Put your body in strange positions (plenty of sexual jokes to make here, as is with anything CF, but Ill refrain). Diso WANTS you to pull out those blue matts and roll around on them. Make it a group class competition after every single class.

Im a trailer editor, spending 50-60 hrs a week starring at 5 computer screens, I take multiple breaks foam rolling and laying in different positions.

At least once a day someone from work comes looking for me and I’m on the ground, hidden, rolling out. Over time you will free your body from the SIT/STAND position, and being upside down will not seem so daunting.

I guess after writing all this down, it seems you’ve probably been told this before. So just do it, make a point to ‘be weird’ at work. As coach Chris Hynes says, “You gotta want it!” …which is the first step to becoming a handstand champion or a champion of any sorts. Ill be in Venice 6:30am if you are looking for a challenger.

Written from upside down, Tommy Pitt