As a kid, I could never master the cartwheel. Or the monkey bars. Like, ever.  And cartwheels are a big deal to little girls. My friends were twirling and monkey-barring all around me, at least that’s how I remember it, as I just kind of awkwardly stood there and watched. I hated it. My attempts to cartwheel were futile and clumsy. My feet barely leaving the ground, my body barely reaching an arch as it struggled against the air.

Recently at ACF we’ve been practicing the Russian Gymnastics warm up before hitting the WOD. Part of this gymnastic warmup is the Handstand.  It has taken me weeks but I have finally built up the confidence and ability to kick up to a handstand against the wall, with my head on the ground. Think, tri-pod. There’s a definite fear there of being inverted. But now I’ve been able to hold this position for upwards of 30 seconds at a time. It is starting to feel very comfortable. Eventually, I’d like to be able to kick up to a handstand with my head off the ground, my arms outstreched and elbows locked, supporting my body weight. Think, bi-pod. I’m even envisioning the day I can do a handstand pushup. I know. Dare to dream.

Right now, the current goal is to be able to kick up into a handstand with my head off the ground. If you’re not a CF’er, have you ever tried doing this? Kicking up into a full handstand, head off the ground, elbows fully locked? Try it sometime, it’s unexpectedly unnerving. Yesterday, in trying to accomplish this, Theresa suggested that I start in the pushup position, with my feet to the wall, and then slowly walk backwards towards the wall, on my hands, feet working their way upwards, getting more and more vertical as I go.

In the past when I’ve tried this I could maybe get a ¼ of the way vertical. Just completely lacking the upper body strength to go further. Yesterday, I WAS ALMOST VERTICAL. Like, two more very small steps away from being totally vertical. Unreal. I felt like a little kid, wanted to yelp out, look at me! Look at me! I can do a handstand! Next step. Handstand pushup. After that, cartwheels and monkey bars. The sky is the limit.

Thank you CF!

Warm-Up:

Russian Gymnastics Warm-Up – Day 1

WOD:

I. Muscle Snatch

2 – 2 – 1 – 1 – 1 – 1

II. For Max Reps:

AMRAP in 2 Minutes – Power Clean (135/95)

Rest 2 Minutes

AMRAP in 2 Minutes – Front Squat (135/95)

Rest 2 Minutes

AMRAP in 2 Minutes – Push Jerk (135/95)

Rest 2 Minutes

AMRAP in 2 Minutes – Burpees

Completed: Thanks Regina, again, for being an awesome partner. We both dutifully acknowledged that we lost count of eachother’s reps. It happens. But neither of us seemed to care. We were just happy to be there and be working hard. My reps sorta kinda might have added up to something around the following: Power Clean @ 55lbs, 35 reps. Front squats @ 55lbs., 20 reps. Push Jerks @ 35lbs., 35 reps, maybe. Scaled down the weight on these till I meet with the shoulder doc tomorrow to get a final determination on the issue. Burpees, Regina said upwards of 30! But, you and I both know better. Burpees are my suck, I’m guessing around 20.