Starting the Hand Stand Push Up... On Rings

HANDSTAND PUSH UPS!

There, so with your attention. I will now proceed.

In Crossfit, we are usually talking about something like this:

Diane from Jesse Hickey on Vimeo.

I don't know Jesse, but I applaud him. Got a cool looking place, and some decent squats.

In Gymnastics, we are usually talking about something like this:

This kid is just beast!

My favorite are these:

At least as far as a WOD goes, you need the wall or something in order to maintain balance and focus on speed.

Which I think is why/how the HSPU as done on RINGS actually works. It's just no one is strong enough to do them.

Well, this guy is:

Anyways, if you've been following the blog for a while, you know that I have been working for a while on my parallette handstand, and my handstand push up. Well, sucking as I do at pressing, I have still got a long way to go. I let it slide for a little while, bringing up my jerks and my bench press instead, which can't hurt.

Why I have not been working on is the rings. At first I wasn't sure how to get up. I started with the band assisted handstand, and stepped up to the rings:

Handstand Push Ups on Rings from Full Circle on Vimeo.

I eventually figured out how to do it right; Something I had learned a year or two ago from Jeff Tucker and from Jim Bathurst: The forward roll. This position is traditionally used by gymnasts to start what they call the 'press to handstand' which is frankly, the easiest way to get in to the handstand...

Forward Roll Entry from Full Circle on Vimeo.

Just goes to show you; you can reinvent the wheel, or you can read the instruction manual. It's up to you!

Now that I know what I am doing, I also know that you have to be seriously strong as shit to do a single press to handstand or a push up from the handstand. My bodyweight is around 160, my press is about 130lbs. Not great. My bench is likely about 210 and my jerk is 195-235 depending on starting position. I am no where near getting my first unassisted HSPU on the rings (or parallettes for that matter). The wall and short ROM ain't so bad. The P-lets... i can start but get stuck. The rings? I don't even move. I don't stir. Whatsoever.

I know what I need to work on!