Bodies remember

[flexagon]

Today I did my brutally boring -- I mean meditative! -- bent-arm strength workout. It's one I got from Toledo in 2011, which means that I know where I'd like to be with it. Very simple: do two chin-ups, then do two dips. That's one. Do as many as you can in 30 minutes. (Fine, fine, one more thing -- wait to stop shaking, then do some external rotator prehab just to balance out.)

Just two weeks and four of these workouts ago I felt like a rock and was doing around 15 sets before failing, never mind the 30 minute thing... but today my body remembered the deal. I zoned out and, though toward the end I was stopping for 30-second rests between sets in order to avoid muscle failure, put up 32 sets in 30 minutes. Respectable, even by my old standards! I hope this doesn't stiffen up my shoulders for handstands tomorrow, but even if it does, I'm happy. It's always wonderful when things come back, and stunning how quickly they do. Bodies remember things, including adaptations that took weeks and weeks to gain the first time around.

I'll find out tomorrow if mine remembers how to cartwheel into h2h with the Ant. Hope so.

Comments

[nahele-101.livejournal.com]

I'll have to try that. Pull, push.

[flexagon]

I'd be curious whether you like it! I do... keeps the heart rate up like cardio (actually includes cardio for me, as I have to walk 30-40 feet between stations), but feels like lifting. It helps to have paper and pen so I can make hash marks instead of having to keep the count in my head.

[nahele-101.livejournal.com]

I think I might fail at like 15-19 reps!

You're stronger than me in bodyweight stuff by far! You're a ninja!

[nevers.livejournal.com]

ooh, i wanna try that, too! i can't think of anywhere/way to do dips at circus school, though. can you? or should i just sub push-ups? (push-ups bother my elbow, though; got any other ideas?)
how long do you usually rest between sets -- just enough to walk from one station to the other?
also, please share any other wonderfully simple bodyweight workouts you got from toledo, if you have a chance.

[nevers.livejournal.com]

also is it specifically supinated grip chin-ups (rather than pronated grip pull-ups)? do you think it matters?

[flexagon]

Yes, supinated, chin-ups. I think it matters in this case since under this program there is no separate biceps work.

As for rest, the only rest is the walk between stations, except when I got tired I started resting 30s in between (like, the last 10 sets I think I did that). When I was at my peak form with this, I walked fast and did not rest at all and did not fail either.

[flexagon]

If no dip station or rings at circus school, you could do something more acro/circus related that is also tricep pressing! I've actually been thinking of subbing in piked self-assisted handstand pushups for dips, if I can stand them (I am terrible at them). Or, failing that, tricep pushups.

also, please share any other wonderfully simple bodyweight workouts you got from toledo, if you have a chance.

Oh, almost all his "accumulation" workouts are wonderfully simple! Here's one.

Five pistols on one leg, five pistols on the other leg, five glute/ham naturals. Rest 60 seconds.

Do eight sets. Collapse half-dead. Recover and then do something for calves if you have the wherewithal.

[nevers.livejournal.com]

ha! i guess i didn't realize until you described this that i have no interest in trashing my legs.

[flexagon]

heh, that's funny. Don't you do leg strength workouts?

[nevers.livejournal.com]

nope! almost never! my PT wanted me to strengthen my glutes to help with back pain, and i did leg stuff when recovering from knee surgeries (and should probably still do it for my right leg), and i do leg workouts that are aerial specific (single knee hangs, heel hang) and handstand-specific (active straddle, leg lifts for L-sits) but not squats, jumps, etc. i'm really only interested in getting stronger if it benefits handstands or trapeze.

[flexagon]

Fair enough! Next time you get interested in overall leanness though, that might be a thing to think about. Leg muscles are big, and (for most women) gain strength and size quickly -- in short, they are giant calorie-burners both to work and to simply maintain.

[nevers.livejournal.com]

o_O! of course i know that bigger muscles = more calories burned even while at rest, but it never occurred to me to build muscle for calorie-burning purposes ONLY. i feel like i have relatively bulky legs and don't want to increase that (aka i don't want to bulk up... i can't believe i just said that!), but i know that when i started circus i was so put off by the shape of aerialists with giant arms and shoulders and skinny little legs, and so if i return to that perspective i might appreciate aiming for a more balanced look, even if it means that my legs would be more muscular than strictly necessary for aerials. (also, if/when i am working on my tumbling, of course leg power is hugely helpful. but i never seem to pursue tumbling for very long because it's so easy for me to get injured in it.)

anyway, thanks for the new perspective! i am pretty happy with my current leanness but also very curious as to how far i can healthily continue to pursue fat loss.

[flexagon]

:D

Happy to help.