10 July 2013

15, 12, 9, 6, 3
Hang Cleans 115lbs
Hand Stand Push Ups

Time: 00:09:05

Surprisingly this workout felt great. The HSPUs were not as bad as they had been for whatever reason. I think it was because as I got tired through the rounds I began to really get the hang of the kip that is supposed to accompany the movement. As you come down you GENTLY rest the top of your head on the mat you have ever so thoughtfully placed beneath you before the workout and bend your legs and shoot them toward the ceiling. This will help you get some momentum going to help you get out of the bottom of the hole. It is similar to the overhead press. The most difficult point is the initial drive. Getting the bar off your chest and over your head can be made easier if you use your legs to help drive the bar. The difficulty seems to be letting yourself down gently onto the floor or mat. It can be dangerous if you just drop onto your neck. If you do try HSPU be sure you are strong enough/know enough about your body to be able to tell if you are going to fail or not. Be smart and don't drop your body weight onto your neck. The video below is a great guide to how to prepare yourself for the movement.

HSPU Progression

I found that I still have asymmetry in how I drive. My right arm, the dominant arm, is used and I rely on it much more than the other and I can tell just by how sore my right arm is compared to the left. I think I will need to do invest some time with the barbells and work on technique with the left arm and try to get it comfortable with the movements. I don't really think it is strength more so just muscle memory. Once I start to get tired it is easier to use the right arm. We always fall back to what we know.

Hang cleans were great. My back didn't hurt at all after. I was running into trouble with my forearm grip strength and my shoulder shrug. Hang cleans are supposed to be an explosive movement. The explosion and drive should come from your legs and your hips. To set up for the movement dead lift your weight to the hanging position. This is the position where you are holding the bar and standing straight up. Your hand position should be like that of your dead lift. From the hanging position your are going to bump your butt back and bend over keeping a neutral head position. Think keeping your spine straight through the crown of your head like you had a broomstick stuck through your spinal canal. Lower the weight to just above your knees. Now you start the drive and it is an explosion with your hips. I like to think of trying to hump the articulation of the ceiling and wall. This will cause your shoulders to push back and your chest to stick out.

Hang Cleans 

The woman in the video is a beast but she illustrates the point I am trying to make with the hips when she tries the 155lbs. She needs to think of thrusting her hips up and forward throwing her shoulders back. When you see her jump back near the end of the video look at her hips and how the go up and out. It is a powerful movement and allows her to move more weight than me.
From there you shrug your shoulders into your ears and fire your elbows towards the ceiling. When the bar is floating you need to throw your elbows underneath the bar and catch it in the front squat position. I won't go through the movement like she does in the video. I reset at the bottom. My back and its position goes to shit if I don't focus on it.

Well I am looking forward to tomorrow's workout. My fiancee arrives tomorrow late and I am going to be taking her to her first class Friday. I am excited. Then it is a weekend of hiking and searching for some gold in the mountains. Wish me luck.

Cheers!