Bodyweight exercises/stunts

[Vladimir]

I know a lot of you are pretty into serious weights and can lift a hell of a lot but how about body weight stuff? The sort of stuff you occasionally see on youtube?

I weight lifted a lot in my younger years and went from 9.25 to 12.5 stone in two years by going a bit OTT but found that I got a bit heavy for surfing and martial arts and so slimmed off a stone. I run, do triathlons, surf a lot, blah blah so being too big just isn't useful.

Anyway due partly to a near lifelong weights interest coupled with diminutive size, I seem to be able to combine a sub 6 min/mile running average over 10k with an ability to do weird things with my arms - seemed totally normal for a while until I started instructing kickboxing and found out no one could do some of the stuff.

At 38, I'm greying, balding and wrinkling up but can hold a flag for a fair while, do free standing hand stand press ups (not many), a lot of pull ups and press ups and push from a seated lever around into a handstand. And hold a planche for ages, nearly cracked a planche press up (EVIL) and do a rather strange inverted V press up I picked up from a former Army boxer mate of mine - as yet, I haven't found anyone that can do them properly.

It's only a passing interest and I'd love to pursue it more but is anyone else into this kind of stuff?

I have a very old few photos of the inverted V push up (I was told it's a Chinese press up but this seems wrong) but they look a bit odd.

Sort of the Caterham R400 of the gym World...

[goldblum]

I used to train all the exercises you mention, except the free standing hand stand push ups. Had to do them against something. Flags with leg weights, side flags, f + r levers, windscreen wipers off a bar - weighted, w wipers on the floor with a barbell and legs weighted, um... never managed single arm pullups though, natch. Could of done if I'd trained them; meant to but never got round to it! Love the bodyweight stuff and used to do crazy weighted pullups... ab rollouts - there's a few on here that do them. Others I've forgotten. Like you I come from a background of kickboxing (started with Lau Gar Kung Fu actually). Did some gymnastics as well.

[Hoofy]

Only recently started getting into them. Front levers, V-sits, L-sits. Working on planche and handstands.

I like to combine climbing strength with gymnastics so front levers etc with just two fingers per hand or with just fingertips off door frames etc. Because I can.

For legs - Bulgarian squats while piggybacking someone (fairly easy TBH unless they're obese).

[mattikake]

While I know bodyweight exercises have functional use, most of the time I find myself trying them just to see if I can do them. Same for clients. The wrong attitude certainly, but there isn't quite the same progression as adding weight.

Muay Thai pushups, Dragon Flags, Muscle-ups, L-sit, Front lever (still can't do that properly though), Dragon walk (my version which is same side leg-arm, not opposing)... If I can do it, cool. If I can't, then more work needs to be done on traditional strength exercises with dumbbells etc., not on the bodyweight exercises themselves.

[Vladimir]

goldblum said:

I used to train all the exercises you mention, except the free standing hand stand push ups. Had to do them against something. Flags with leg weights, side flags, f + r levers, windscreen wipers off a bar - weighted, w wipers on the floor with a barbell and legs weighted, um... never managed single arm pullups though, natch. Could of done if I'd trained them; meant to but never got round to it! Love the bodyweight stuff and used to do crazy weighted pullups... ab rollouts - there's a few on here that do them. Others I've forgotten. Like you I come from a background of kickboxing (started with Lau Gar Kung Fu actually). Did some gymnastics as well.

I don't suppose you are Bristol based by any chance?

Some good ideas here on other stuff to try - I've realised the handstand thing I do is actually an L sit pushed around into a handstand. I can also walk a long way on my hands - no use at all but the kids love it!

Edited by Vladimir on Tuesday 1st October 07:24

[ali4390]

Vladimir said:

I don't suppose you are Bristol based by any chance?

Some good ideas here on other stuff to try - I've realised the handstand thing I do is actually an L sit pushed around into a handstand. I can also walk a long way on my hands - no use at all but the kids love it!

Edited by Vladimir on Tuesday 1st October 07:24

I'd love to be able to walk on my hands but I've never been very good at it. I've got a good strength to weight ratio, the main thing that seems to stop me is lack of balance and pain in my shoulder.

I'm guessing it's just practice practice practice?

[LordGrover]

I'm always impressed by the vids but have no ability.
I'm near Bristol but of no use at all.

[Vladimir]

ali4390 said:

I'd love to be able to walk on my hands but I've never been very good at it. I've got a good strength to weight ratio, the main thing that seems to stop me is lack of balance and pain in my shoulder.

I'm guessing it's just practice practice practice?

I think core body strength is fairly vital, not just out and out weight pushing strength. Balance seems to come from surfing or something; not sure TBH!

[pilchardthecat]

I'm obsessed with body weight stuff, almost all of my assistance work outside the big compound lifts involved hanging off a bar or still rings.

I have gone backwards a bit recently as i really hurt my elbow in April and it's only really in the last month i've been able to start loading it up properly again. I do a lot of static holds - back levers, V sits, etc. I'm older than you too OP

[Vladimir]

pilchardthecat said:

I'm obsessed with body weight stuff, almost all of my assistance work outside the big compound lifts involved hanging off a bar or still rings.

I have gone backwards a bit recently as i really hurt my elbow in April and it's only really in the last month i've been able to start loading it up properly again. I do a lot of static holds - back levers, V sits, etc. I'm older than you too OP

Good to hear! It just seems (to me) a bit daft bragging "I can lift 200kgs on x exercise" when "look at this" is so much easier ;-)

I have a feeling some of you could do some (or even most or even ALL!) of the stuff I can do but your average person can't get near - upside down pull ups (legs vertical into the air) are pointless but fun.

I'll do a vid/take some pics some stage.

[pilchardthecat]

Vladimir said:

Good to hear! It just seems (to me) a bit daft bragging "I can lift 200kgs on x exercise" when "look at this" is so much easier ;-)

I have a feeling some of you could do some (or even most or even ALL!) of the stuff I can do but your average person can't get near - upside down pull ups (legs vertical into the air) are pointless but fun.

I'll do a vid/take some pics some stage.

I have a 210kg deadlift '@ 73kg and i brag about that a fair bit

I'm getting a bit old to be a show off though, and i cant do muscle ups any more since i hurt my elbow

Pike pullups on rings are a stock part of my back routine, along with front lever pullups

[Vladimir]

pilchardthecat said:

I have a 210kg deadlift '@ 73kg and i brag about that a fair bit

I'm getting a bit old to be a show off though, and i cant do muscle ups any more since i hurt my elbow

Pike pullups on rings are a stock part of my back routine, along with front lever pullups

I've never done a max deadlift but I think I could go fairly high with a bit of practise. Can bench a fairly solid amount (not done a max for years but it was 120ish) for a 5'8" 11.5 stone oompah loompa; always fun surprising much bigger chaps at the gym...

I have a recurring shoulder dislocation and gyming was part of the physio - it's nearly 100% solid now. Phew.

[Hoofy]

Vladimir said:

Good to hear! It just seems (to me) a bit daft bragging "I can lift 200kgs on x exercise" when "look at this" is so much easier ;-)

I have a feeling some of you could do some (or even most or even ALL!) of the stuff I can do but your average person can't get near - upside down pull ups (legs vertical into the air) are pointless but fun.

I'll do a vid/take some pics some stage.

Hits the shoulders and lats, though.

I don't think anyone outside of weightlifting gives a st if you can lift 200000000000kg and weigh 1kg. Pull a front lever and everyone's .

[Vladimir]

Indeed Hoofy.

A flag held for a while in as park has raised a few cheers before. Full round of applause from some young mums in Spain too. Although I suspect many think I just look like a complete muppet.

[pilchardthecat]

Vladimir said:

Indeed Hoofy.

A flag held for a while in as park has raised a few cheers before. Full round of applause from some young mums in Spain too. Although I suspect many think I just look like a complete muppet.

I have those doubts too. It doesn't help when the wife tells me to grow up and/or says that i look like a tt.

But i cant take the kids to the playground without hanging off something

[Vladimir]

I'm glad I'm not the only one...
I also can't go to a beach without at least one hand walk across the flat sand...
Hoping to grow out of it one day...!

[Hoofy]

Sod that. Just do it. Better than the miserable parents who just sit and talk while the kids play.

[goldblum]

Vladimir said:

I don't suppose you are Bristol based by any chance?

Nope, I'm up in Manchester.

Vladimir said:

Some good ideas here on other stuff to try - I've realised the handstand thing I do is actually an L sit pushed around into a handstand. I can also walk a long way on my hands - no use at all but the kids love it!

Excellent!

Walking on hands - any kind of hand balancing - demands a level of balance, coordination, spatial awareness and strength that's far beyond the grasp of most people. I've trained with some hugely strong individuals who have been hopelessly lost when asked to perform a hspu. 'But I can shoulder press over my bodyweight' I've heard several times. I always reply 'what?...behind the neck?' And if you factor in balance for freestanding you can add 40% more weight to that as well.


Thing is tbh most bodybuilders nowadays haven't the strength to press their bw for reps, but then the sport isn't about that I suppose.

[Vladimir]

Gold; are you a PT then? I'd love to take it a bit further but live in the back of beyond!

I think managing your own body weight is a vital benchmarker for "useable" strength. I often see large gym honed blokes who are bulked up but have no "depth" to their physique. Just a tick box of large biceps, pecs, etc but you see a lack of tone in the supporting muscles.

The guys who do the loony stuff are very rarely big; just well balanced and super toned; that's what I aim for.

[Halb]

goldblum said:

Nope, I'm up in Manchester.

You're a dirty Manc!
It all adds up now...