Skill day

Given the running theme of my grizzling about not being able to do double-unders, I put some time in to practising. I've hammered the "I can't do DUs" thing a bit hard lately, time to stop I think, it's going from fun to whiny.

I got a buddy-lee rope the other day and it certainly helps. The rope is very quick and doesn't take much muscle to get moving quickly. I played with lengths a bit. The measurement they give is a bit too long for me and I tied a few loose knots in it to try different lengths and might have gone a little too far.

I did get some double-unders, one at a time, no way they were going to lead to multiples so I backed off and worked on just settling in to the whole jump-rope thing. In the end I got a bit tired and it took me I don't know how many tries to get to 10 continuous single-unders.

It's just a matter of plugging away and getting more comfortable with jumping again, getting a feel for the position of the rope, getting my wrist action smooth, keeping my shoulders relaxed and down, my jumps light.

Should have done this more when I was a kid. Actually I should have done this when I was a kid, I don't remember ever jumping rope. Handstands too. Way too much time with my nose in a book.

The SDHP and ring dip workout tomorrow. Finally, ring dips without something that fries your triceps in there too! Had a little play with the kipping ring dips OPT was doing as I shut up the shed and they do help. Whether it will be enough for me to power out full-depth unassisted dips tomorrow will be interesting to see.

Skill day

I need to do some stretching, so I did 3 Sun Salutes and 3 thingummy B's, the sun salute type thing where you do like a samson stretch in the middle.
Hamstrings are still bowstring tight, but my shoulders are way flexible from OHS and similar movements

Skill day

Played

3 rounds for fun
20 12" box jumps
20 rope jumps
20 body rows

Nailed the rope jumps.
Got better extension on the box jumps which improved my accuracy. If you're jumping up off the box it's easier to control where you land than if you bounce back without hitting full extension.
Needed the body rows to work on my scapular retractors. I can feel my shoulders rounding as the lats, chest and shoulders get stronger.

On the last round of rope jumps I just jumped away until I blew a rep. Made it to 46, so I'm nearly back to easy 50s.

Only trouble is I'm still sweating an hour later. I hate hot weather. I absolutely hate it.

Skill day

Played on my brand new abmat!
Part of the package of stuff Laura shipped me. I bought some bits and pieces and got them delivered to her house, then she put them in one box and shipped them off. Saved me heaps on shipping.
I got:

• The Abmat
• An official bought in Ramona Brand X "Fit Happens" T-shirt
• A copy of "Starting Strength"
• An Eva T calendar - she's right where I can see her at work

See?

God and genetics were very good to that woman, and then she worked bloody hard and got even better.

• A can of pumpkin pie mix and a little bottle of pumpkin pie spice. Pumpkin pie basically doesn't exist in NZ and I was intrigued that you could buy the ingredients pretty much ready made.
• Some really yummy peanut brittle. I'd never had that before either. If LauraR ever offers you any, take it!

Alright the abmat is deceptive. It feels like you're getting a good launch off it, but somewhere around the 15 rep mark it starts to bite like a bastard. Cool! What was absolutely brilliant was my back popping and click back into line, including some real big jolts as some knots I haven't been able to get out for quite a while popped back. My back feels easily a hundred times better than it did this morning. I've been hunched over and couldn't straighten up for a few weeks now. This is magic.
I'll see if it works every time or if I need to use the other back stretching tools I've developed sometimes and this other times.

Did some skill work (played)

12" Step ups
Skipping
12" Box Jumps
Skipping
12" Box jumps
Funnily enough the box jumps helped the skipping and vice versa, although I had no control on the last round of box jumps. Plenty of bounce, but no precision. I nearly jumped over the box once and had to jump off the far side instead of back where I started several times. Quite fun. It will be different when I get the 20" and 24" boxes together I'm sure.

Then
30 x 30kg front squats. I need to them back in the groove. I'm nearly there, but the low reps they appear as in the WODs aren't giving me time to embed the pattern in my memory. So I figured I'd just pound a few out.

Skill day

6.2km walk in a loop the long way to the supermarket and back

Back.
Hot.
Buggered.

Actually it's just my ankle that fits the last statement. I figure I need the walking to get it better. I think.

Skills day

I practised presses and body rows and some handstand work.

And I went for a 'round the block after dinner.

I couldn't pull of the negative HSPU again. I'm back to being scared of lowering to the ground. I couldn't even get to a headstand easily. I don't what was different the other day when I did it, but whatever it was, it's gone now. I think I'm a bit tired.

But that's enough for one day.
Michael tomorrow and I'll have to row the runs again I guess, dammit.

Skills Day

Jump rope.

My problems when I tried jump rope the other day may not have been the curse of Jeff Martin. I'd started jumping on the lawn instead of concrete because everyone says not to jump on hard surfaces.
Just to see what would happen I moved to the concrete and found I was knocking them out pretty well. Move back to grass, sucked again.
Apparently I don't have enough spring to cope with a deadening surface.

Velly intelesting!


Did something else too (besides sweating heaps, it's hot here!) but can't remember what it was.
Posting this on Friday to catch up.

Skill day

Kipping practise.
Pike push-ups, feet elevated to, how tall is the roof of a Honda accord?
Hang shrugs with PVC
OH squats with PVC


I don't think I'm going to get 10 kipping pull-ups or a head-to-ground HSPU by year end after all in light of today.
I'll still not going to list them as goals for next year just yet, miracles happen. But it looks like being a long shot right now.