Open Gym, 10/17 to 10/23

Handstand Shoulder-Touch Progressions

Mobility
Athletes are encouraged work through the following combination of mobility exercises after warming up to help them prepare for this week’s Open Gym progression:

3-4min Upper Back & Thoracic Spine Rolling
– WATCH THIS VIDEO from Train Heroic on rolling out the upper back with a foam roller and lacrosse ball

3-4min Band Assisted Bully Stretch
– WATCH THIS VIDEO from KStar/Mobility WOD on using a resistance band to help loosen up internal rotation of the shoulder (as well as neck tension)

Handstand Progressions
15-20min practice, start at Step 1, and work as far through the following steps as possible. Continue working on any step in a progression you struggle to complete, and do not progress beyond any step you fail to complete or advance to a step you are uncomfortable undertaking.

1. Step 1 = 5 Wall Walks (hold for a 3-1000 count at the top of each);
2. Step 2 = 10 Handstand Kick-ups
   • don’t know how to do a kick-up? check out CFDC’s recent blog post, Handstand Push-Up 101, with a great intro on the subject, including a link to an excellent demo video.
3. Step 3 = 1 Wall Walk to 30 Shoulder Touches (30 total, 15/side);
   • scale to hand lifts, then work towards shoulder touches, but do not progress beyond Step 3 if unable to do shoulder touches.
4. Step 4 = 1 Wall Walk to 20 single-leg Shoulder Touches (20 total, 10/side);
   • Wall walk into vertical position so that the hands are no more than 3-4” away; pull one foot away from the wall, leaving it extended straight overhead, and then complete the shoulder touches are done with only one foot against the wall for support.
   • scale to hand lifts, then work towards shoulder touches, but do not progress beyond Step 4 if unable to do shoulder touches.
5. Step 5 = 1 Kick-up to 14 Face-Out Shoulder Touches (14 total, 7/side)
   • scale to hand lifts, then work towards shoulder touches, but do not progress beyond Step 5 if unable to do shoulder touches.
6. Step 6 = 1 Kick-Up to 12 single-leg Shoulder Touches (10 total, 5/side)
   • Kick up into the handstand position, facing out away from the wall, with the hands at least 6” away from the wall; pull one foot away from the wall, leaving it extended straight overhead, and then complete the shoulder touches are done with only one foot against the wall for support.
   • scale to hand lifts, then work towards shoulder touches.

compare with Open Gym, 8/8 to 8/14.