Handstand moments
Apr. 24th, 2024 06:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flexagonI haven't posted about handstands in a bit and, indeed, last post I failed to note the nice 60-second straight handstand from last Wednesday's lesson with my coach Spring. But I've been putting in my time, and today was Wednesday again and the lesson was really exceedingly nice. I just seemed to be in a good place for hearing the cues, and/or the cues and new exercises were super good. Who knows which?
First -- I have struggled forever with the right sequencing for getting into a press. Today there was a new exercise: sit in a straddle position, holding a foam body wheel (a block would work) in front with straight arms. Pull the low spine area backwards, then fold forward at the hips while keeping the spine that way, and finally bring the booty out to flatten the lower back. The whole time the hands are pushing straight forward, and you don't let the block touch the ground. So we did that for a while, and I could do it, and then we did the same thing in presses and it made things so much easier. The booty lift! For once in my damn life, three coaches have said the same thing to me about what to do with my butt!
Second, I finally got what Spring's been asking me to do in croc. Can't actually do it very well, but all right. I get the idea about raising my chest now, and I also understand that it's going to feel to me like cobra pose, even when it looks to the world more like a superman. I can live with that; it'll just take a lot of getting used to.
Third, we worked on cartwheeling up to a one-arm drill (holding onto a pole on the off side), and I finally got the notion of keeping my arm setup really firm while kicking just the leg over. It was so, so much easier that way. I've always struggled with keeping my arm/shoulder setup firm while jumping the hips, so in theory this difficulty/ease should have been nothing new for me, but I don't think I've ever actually done it RIGHT in any handstand entry, so I've maybe never felt the delta before. I said lightly "Ya girl isn't good at isolation," and he just said "Time to learn" and in the moment that seemed reasonable.
I'm no expert, I'm just a tryhard ("A person usually of little talent who tries hard to succeed"). But whatever. It's not like everyone can be talented at everything they do -- if they were, we wouldn't call it talent. And sometimes things are rewarding even when they're slow.
First -- I have struggled forever with the right sequencing for getting into a press. Today there was a new exercise: sit in a straddle position, holding a foam body wheel (a block would work) in front with straight arms. Pull the low spine area backwards, then fold forward at the hips while keeping the spine that way, and finally bring the booty out to flatten the lower back. The whole time the hands are pushing straight forward, and you don't let the block touch the ground. So we did that for a while, and I could do it, and then we did the same thing in presses and it made things so much easier. The booty lift! For once in my damn life, three coaches have said the same thing to me about what to do with my butt!
Second, I finally got what Spring's been asking me to do in croc. Can't actually do it very well, but all right. I get the idea about raising my chest now, and I also understand that it's going to feel to me like cobra pose, even when it looks to the world more like a superman. I can live with that; it'll just take a lot of getting used to.
Third, we worked on cartwheeling up to a one-arm drill (holding onto a pole on the off side), and I finally got the notion of keeping my arm setup really firm while kicking just the leg over. It was so, so much easier that way. I've always struggled with keeping my arm/shoulder setup firm while jumping the hips, so in theory this difficulty/ease should have been nothing new for me, but I don't think I've ever actually done it RIGHT in any handstand entry, so I've maybe never felt the delta before. I said lightly "Ya girl isn't good at isolation," and he just said "Time to learn" and in the moment that seemed reasonable.
I'm no expert, I'm just a tryhard ("A person usually of little talent who tries hard to succeed"). But whatever. It's not like everyone can be talented at everything they do -- if they were, we wouldn't call it talent. And sometimes things are rewarding even when they're slow.
