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Mobility Training
Locality: Gothenburg
Phone: +46 73 581 46 08
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25.01.2022 What is one of the most important things to understand if you want to balance on your two hands? That if you successfully place your centre of mass over your base of support you will find that balance point that you're looking for! This chick, @evie__kennedy is finding it more often now For the sake of explaining things I would normally refer to the type of Handstand training I teach as 'Handbalancing' because the focus is on finding balance and holding ...the positions. This is not to be mistaken for Handstand training that is based on the Gymnastics way of teaching Handstands because their focus is more on accelerating through the Handstand into a different skill. So in practice the Gymnastics Handstand will require you to hold a tremendous amount of stiffness vs. Handbalancing where you can actually learn to be quite relaxed as long as you succesfully position your body with its centre of mass over its base of support. Then you'll be in balance. If you're looking to improve your Handbalancing skills your training needs to be a lot less focused on core strength and heaps more centered around positioning your body well. It is more like playing Jenga. You can see that @evie__kennedy has an interesting way of re-balancing here. She's using her feet a lot and this is OK in the beginning to start feeling the balance in the Handstand. But we are working on getting those feet still to leave the re-balancing action for the hands instead. Awesome work Evie. Can't wait to see what your Handstand will look like in another couple of months [FT] See more
23.01.2022 At the beginning of September I could feel Autumn approaching so I started preparing for colder seasons. I finished my leg warmers just in time for a second heatwave And who am I kidding anyways, I've probably never been as cold *generally* anywhere as I have been in Sydney during winter ... What preparations do you do when the season changes to colder weather? I can feel myself longing for stews and boiled potatoes And having lots of candles lit in the morning and at night [FT] See more
21.01.2022 Have you been working from home the past few months? I feel you. Working as an Online trainer involves a lot more sitting in front of a computer than I would've hoped. Oftentimes in poor positions with a chair or table that's too tall, at least for me.. I think I would be sent to a different planet if my favourite stretching people would assist me in stretching my hip flexors right now. As was certainly the weekly norm 7 months ago.. ... Stretching the hip flexor area has often had a different charge to it compared to other areas. One that brings me into the now like nothing else and gives me a greatly systemic relaxation that I wouldn't get from working on some other tissues. Put simply - If your hips feel tight and your head wired from working many many hours in front of the laptop at home (or the office ), stretch your hip flexors! It will do you good The position in the photo is of a great hip flexor/qad stretch and can be done with a partner or with the foot on a wall. If you have not done this before go to my youtube channel "mobility training au' and look up 'couch stretch' for a good introduction to it. Let me know if it changed the way your body felt, [FT] @pt_fotographer Student @coachamandacarroll See more
21.01.2022 Sensory awareness Yesterday I had a catch-up call with Surina, a long-term student of mine and @_luketulloch When the UK went into lockdown due to covid I took over Surina’s training fully and we went full Calisthenics Strength and Mobility on it. ... Yesterday she told me how surprised she was that doing ‘just’ bodyweight strength and mobility could keep her feeling so good and strong even after 4-5months in lockdown. She also mentioned how her sensory awareness has gone up a lot. She’s finally back at the gym and she feels like there’s a big difference in the way she can engage the right muscles and areas when doing her strength training compared to before lockdown. This is not a surprise for me because that is the way I teach- with an emphasis on improving awareness of the body. When sensory awareness goes, and it will keep going up if you pay attention to it, you’ll get more efficient at what you do. Improvements in Strength, mobility, coordination and so on, will follow. Surina is back at the gym after 4-5months in lockdown and her deadlift is about the same weight as before despite weighing a few kg lighter now, her Handstand is getting better over time as she finds her position and she can now do 5 instead of 3 chin ups! Quite the way to exit a lockdown, nice work @sbhola2012 [FT] This image is from her photoshoot in July this year. See more
21.01.2022 FIKA with Fanny - Episode 8 Nicole Alicastro on Awareness and Communication in Physical Training. Click the link in my bio to listen This episode marks the beginning of a series of conversations I have with important women in my life. I am so excited about sharing these honest and meaningful FIKA conversations.... In this episode I speak with one of my best friends Nicole Alicastro @curious_human_enters Nic runs her own Personal Training business in Melbourne which right now is online only due to the pandemic. We dive into topics we would often explore in our catch ups which are awareness and communication in physical training. We also talk about what it's like to be Nicole in this world and what her favourite chocolate is at the moment! Nicole inspires me greatly with her creativity and thoughtfulness. I'm glad we could sit down for a chat and that we are able to share it with others too. Click the link in my bio to listen to this episode If you like the episode please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it too. Let us know your own thoughts in the comments below Thanks for listening [FT] See more
19.01.2022 I miss hugging friends and family! There has been two distinct changes occuring within me over the past few months since covid happened. One is the deeper connection I'm developing with my physical practice. I'm thinking that some of the time I would spend at the pub and hanging out with friends and family that is not taking place right now, has given me more time for connecting with other things. One of those things has been my physical practice. ... Another is my ability to relate to other people and put myself in their shoes. When I communicate with people for work or otherwise I can feel mysef empathising at a deeper level than I have generally done in the past. I think specifically I am taking more time to go deeper to consider the person in front of me and their situation. It is something that has always been there so I am quite amazed how, when time/space allows for it, I have continued to go deeper. This 'covid-period' has thus far been quite the growing phase. For me I think it has got to do with the different environment and situations I've been fortunate to find myself in together with more time for figuring things out. But I also want to voice that some days are mentally tough. Not knowing when you can see your dear friends and family Down Under can be draining and quite frankly a bit unsettling. In all this I am recognisning my very fortunate position and as I write this post I am taking a moment to express gratitude towards what is. Until we see each other in person, I thank the universe for zoom and such inventions! [FT] See more
19.01.2022 Moomin When I grew up in Sweden I watched this Finish-Swedish tv series called Moomin. In Swedish we call these made up characters "Mumintroll". When @_luketulloch and I went to @selmasbakery in Amsterdam on the weekend, this was hanging on the bathroom wall. It's typical for Scandinavian cafes to have these things on the wall in the bathroom (I've seen it in many countries) and I love it because it reminds me of home. ... This particular one 'hit home' for me. At times I feel stressed because my 'to-do list' has grown bigger than I can get done in one day. At other times I have felt stressed because people around me are so efficient and productive that I feel like I am not doing enough. I've experience lots of distress in my life (negative stress) to the point where my body couldn't stop shaking because it was so tense, or my heart rate was high and I was out of breath, or when I forgot to eat and lost a bunch of weight or when I ate a lot because I was stressed, or when I thought I would have chronic neck and lower back pain because it didn't seem to go away with treatments (of course...). Things I have learnt (maybe read: learning) to deal with stress and overwhelm in consideration to the 2 points above are: 1. So what if my to-do list is longer than I can get done in a day? Learning to prioritise the most important things today and schedule the rest for later has been mentally tricky for me but I am getting there and it makes such a big difference for that overwhelming feeling. Being organised for work as a small business owner has been a really good skill to learn! 2. There's no point in comparing my work to that of others because most things will be different, and couldn't be directly comparable as a result. End of that. Instead I try to go within to figure out what it is that I want to do and what the steps are for getting there, for me. What is something you've been working on to lower stress and overhwelm? [FT] See more
17.01.2022 If you ever move to a place you don't know many (or any) people, join a club of some sort. Like Biting Rattan stick fighting IF I think most of us come to class for the Fika and Social connection. Hitting people with sticks is a bonus. Ps. I didn't manage to snatch the stick of @dernevik at this occasion.. ... Photo taken by my dad @patrikronkainen.se
16.01.2022 -The real reason why you want to work on the Pistol squat- Are you wondering WHY you would want to develop strength, flexibility and balance to at least be able to do a partial Pistol squat? It is so that you can walk down the Left side of this picture instead of having to settle for the carved out paths like the one on the Right. ... If you are able to do half the depth in a Pistol squat you can in a safe way reach down and try the next rock below with your floating leg to see if it is sturdy enough to step on. If it is not, press yourself back up and try another rock. F.
15.01.2022 Curiosity of a child I had an out-of-the-ordinary experience at the gym I go to in the Hague, yesterday. I was doing a warm up drill; I was in bear position with knees just off the floor, I had a foam roller in between my knees and I was alternating tapping a knee on the floor. ... I did one set then put the foam roller next to me to do another drill before my second set. The girl on the mat next to me reaches over and grabs the foam roller. I am onto my next exercise but I can see in the peripheral that she's doing some strange looking exercise that kinda resembles what I did, but at the same time veyr different. Then she stops, looks over at me and says "Hey that exercise that you just did, I tried to do it, but I don't think I'm doing it correctly. How do you do it?" It was a true monkey see-monkey do moment. It felt like she had the curious mind of a child, and I mean that in the absolute most positive of ways. I don't think I've ever come across this in any other country I've been, but in the Netherlands similar situations happen to me on a weekly basis. Normally what happens is someone is watchign you then they sneakily try it out when no one is looking and if they like it they may start doing it around other people. The gym I go to is a very strange mix of extreme Body Builders and Curious monkey's. If you come across someone in the gym that is doing something you want to know more about, would you: 1. Watch them from afar and try it out in private. 2. Approach them to ask about it and pontentially try it there and then [?] Things to consider... [FT] See more
14.01.2022 That which you give energy, will grow. A mental health story... Have you ever noticed how making up stories in your head can take you down a deep and muddy path of negativity? ... I've done this recently. I gave waay too much energy to certain thoughts and feelings and it grew into these elaborate stories in my head. When I finally took a step back I could see that they are not real. What happened when I told myself these stories? My mental and emotional well-being went spiraling down. I found myself day-dreaming a lot. I spent a lot more time away from the present moment. I started getting reactive and fearful. I felt sensitive and emotional. And things I would normally not worry about started eating at me. I realised I had given too much energy to stories that I made up and they grew big before I finally found calm in that - They are Not real [!] Stories we tell ourselves, that I come across in my teaching often, are: "I cannot do Handstands (or insert other skill)" "I am not strong enough to do a Handstand (or insert other skill)" Those statements don't leave much room for encouragement. They're pretty 'final', as in: "this is the way it is". Language matters a great deal in the process of you learning a Handstand or other skill. So, if that which we give energy will grow, then we can change these self-talk statements to instead go: "I am going to learn how to do a Handstand" "I can get strong enough to do a Handstand" Those will feed your journey! I'm curious to hear, if you wouldn't mind sharing: What are some thought that you tend to give energy to, that are not helping your journey? Post them in the comments and we can re-phrase them once and for all! [FT] Ps. I think I'll have to stop feeding @_luketulloch more energy if I'm going to be able to take his weight in the pancake again.... See more
12.01.2022 If there is a will, there is a way. As the saying goes. @callesthenics recently posted on his story a photo of his furniture being bunched up together to make space for training Handstands at home. ... When I train Handstands at home, I also need to rearrange furniture to create the space I need to feel comfortable doing HS. I don't yet have the ability to save myself in any situation or come down in a way I choose to like @mikaelbalancing in various cramped airbnb's and what sometimes look like the room underneath a staircase. But rearranging furniture is often an easy enough thing to do, and you don't have the headache of people walking 1m away from you like in the gym. Something worth thinking about.. The space and environment was greatly important for me when I first started HS. These days I am less concerned with stuff, people and music around me but some days I am more sensitive to those things. On those days I account for that to support myself having a nice practice. Do you train Handstands at home? F. See more
12.01.2022 Who are you, without Handstands / Body Building / Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (insert the *thing* you do)?
12.01.2022 -Many ways can work- I think the reason many people are confused over -how- to learn Handstands is because there is a lot of conflicting information out there. And another layer to this is that they do not yet know what way is the best for them personally. The thing is, there is not ONE way that works and that the rest won't work. There can be multiple ways to learn the HS. ... The direction you take will often depend on previous experience where you will favour one that you remember with fondness, this can lead you astray. So, how do we know that the way we train is the best for us to learn to HS? Sometimes we do not know until we've tried - the good ol' -trial and error- Here are three things to keep in mind to help you know: 1. Take away the timeline. With no pressure of having to learn the HS in X weeks you can take your time to explore one way, observe, evaluate and see if it is works (or not). 2. Stay present in your practice. If you do not, you will not know what you have done during the session. And how will you know that what you do is useful then? Not being present with the practice is probably a more common issue for why results do not occur. 3. Maturing in practice will help you. Maturing in your physical practice is important to be able to look at your development from a more objective perspective. I'm referring to things like; accepting that HS is hard, takes time and there will be struggles along the way. Understanding that struggles do not mean that the things you train are incorrect or wrong. Which ever direction you chose to go; stay attentive to how it feels and where it takes you. F. See more
11.01.2022 Yielding vs. Pushing it There is a few intentions you can have when moving into an exercise that is focused on improving range of motion. Sometimes the situation requires you to relax and let the body ‘sink into it’, to yield. Other times it is beneficial for you to push yourself into deep range of motion and this could mean pulling into and explore territories you have not been in before. ... I have found that for who, when, what and how this is done in practice, is very much depending on the situation. In the attempt to be less vague and not just throwing you the ‘it depends’ card. Here are some considerations that might spark some ideas for your training: - Simply experimenting with if Your body makes better progress focusing on relaxing/yielding or pushing the limits by working deep into ranges is an important part of getting to know your body. - In my experience: Working actively in deeper ranges is more effective if you are already at a certain level of flexibility. Working on relaxing/yielding into a position seems very beneficial for people in general. My suspicion is that people carry a tremendous amount of tension around in their body hence the many benefits they get from relaxing and breathing. If you are working in deep position for the purpose of using it dynamically in activities like dancing, handstands, BJJ etc. then working actively on strength through range of motion is essential. I have seen bodies respond extremely well doing relaxed stretching focused on breathing. I have probably equally many times seen people who make better progress from doing deep-into-range focused flexibility work. Summan av Kardemumman as we say in Swedish (English: the sum of the cardamom) it truly does depend. Working with someone and/or experimenting with this yourself is key for learning and understanding what works for you. Results are in the *doing*. Let me know your experience in the comments. [FT] Pictures from what feels like a long time ago when I was trying to breathe into a deep fucking pancake with the help from @robbiecoker & @frederikbeckmd in @physicalalchemy class. See more
10.01.2022 The exciting stuff on your Handstand journey One of the most exciting times on the Handstand journey is certainly when you get that feeling of balance for the first few times. Putting your body in a place of balance on two hands is cool. You get a *feeling* I cannot describe well enough with words. ... But just wait til your body gains the *understanding* for what micro adjustments it needs to do to find and keep balance on your two hands. THAT is even cooler. This video shows part of a Straight HS kick up set I did yesterday where I managed to do 10 successful reps in a row. Not all those 10 reps were tidy but I knew how to adjust for it and gain a second of balance before pushing back down. I was fighting for each and one them. In the beginning you'll fall more than you stick your balance. It is just the way it goes. But if you keep practising, observing what you need to work on and you keep fighting for it you will shift that number to be more on the positive side. If you had to think about what to do each time you're in a Handstand you would probably fall every time because your mental centre is slower than your physical body. When the body gains this understanding it will be better equipped to adjust itself without you needing to think about it and remember what to do. Just give it a bit of time, it'll take some practice to gain this physical intelligence just like any other. This and much more are things you'll learn and experience in the Handstand club starting on Sunday the 27th of Sep. You can join the Club via the link in my bio I hope to see you on the zoom call on Sunday the 27th to kick things off. Do you have any questions? Comment below or send me a PM. [FT] See more
10.01.2022 Moving my body in Amsterdam On the weekend I went to the first @thebadworkout workshop called 'Fall of Failure' as in; 'Failure is going to fall' which marks the start of their 3-month group classes. Many thanks to @virgil_spier for the invite and to the rest of the teachers there It reminded me all too well of the feelings I went through at my first @fightingmonkey_rootlessroot workshop back in 2018 at @junglebrothersmovement with @soisci_human_patterns and @tra...inawayyourpain There was a particular coordination move I didn't get that well at the FM workshop, and I still could not wrap my head around very well this workshop. But the difference in self-talk and attitude towards this drill (and maaany more let me tell you) including the confidence/drive giving it a good crack while knowing I would struggle with it was immensely different this time around. As I take a moment to reflect on this 'change towards the better', I know that it doesn't really come from doing these exercises since 2018 because I can't say I have used them continuously. I tended to prioritise other drills partly because I find them more fun/important to me such as Handbalancing, and yes, partly because it feels uncomfortable to look stupid in front of people. I think many can relate to this. Therefore the only time I've really done the coordination work was when I taught it and got the chance to work with someone in the class. ... What I do put this change in self-talk and attitude down to though is the meditation and other contemplative practices I have done over this time. It was a clear reminder for me that they work! But I certainly miss the partner and coordination elements in my own practice so I better teach @reinvitaal.nl and @samstrongfithealthy some of these drills so I get to practice it from now on If you know any other people doing this sort of thing in Den Haag / the Hague please let me know [FT] PS. Did you notice how many people I tagged in this post and how far away they are from each other? I've got workshops, social media and friend introductions to thank for that See more
09.01.2022 Breathing in Handstands I find breathing a very interesting area to explore in my Handstand practice. Breathing can affect your position, a lot. ... If you are Not in-tune with your breath it can change your Handstand position and move you out of balance. The breathing can in fact change your position to the point where your centre of mass has moved out of your base of support. If this happens, you fall. But if you can control your breath the opposite can take place - you can use it to find positions and keep balance. You can even use it to challenge your balance as I was doing during this photoshoot: Picture 1 - Exhaled belly. Picture 2 - Inhaled belly. I had to adjust my position to account for the change in breath or I would've lost balance. Which I also did a few times, so I keep practising. This for me is a fundamental part of Handstand practice and is something we will work on in the upcoming Handstand Club Online. The Online Handstand training starts this Sunday 27th of Sep with a group call over zoom to get everyone confident with the practice. If you are interested in learning Handstands follow the link in my bio to sign up today! There are 2 Handstand levels with pre-requisites so make sure you sign up to the one appropriate for you. If you have any questions, comment below or send me a PM. I look forward to having you in the Club [FT] @pt_fotographer See more
08.01.2022 | Beginner Handstand Gainz | Some Handstand students can make really quick progress in the beginning. I have seen this mostly in people who have decent flexibility and strength, but don’t have the proprioception upside down to know where they are in space. This in combination with simply not knowing how to best train Handstands often contributes to not getting the Beginner gainz that they could get. ... This was the case for @coach_arlin when he started training Handstands with me. Although he could use a bit more overhead flexibility he could pull into a decent line on the wall. The Left picture is how he showed me his Chest to wall Handstand the first session we had in week 1. The Right picture is what he looked like after some coaching in week 2. We cannot underestimate that this might be somewhat thanks to a specific warm up including flexibility. However, there was a couple of specific things that instantly put him in the right position in week 2. These were: 1. Place the weight in the middle of the hand/base of the thumb & first knuckles. (instead of heel of the hand) SWIPE to see picture of where in the hand we approximately aimed to distribute the weight. 2. Take all but the toes off the wall. This worked well for Arlin, but You might need slightly different cues. Are you leaning on the wall when doing Chest to wall Handstands? F. See more
07.01.2022 The Handstand Club Online is here Are you a curious about what it feels like to have the skills to do a Handstand? ... AND want to know what all the fun is about? The reason why most people stop practicing their Handstand is because it takes too much time and energy to understand how to do it right. Doing it on your own ends up being tedious instead of fun and empowering. The Handstand club is designed to teach You a clear and effective way to practice Handstands. I could try explaining the feeling of empowerment that comes with achieving your first solid Handstand that for a long time seemed impossible. But I don’t find any words that suffice, so I will teach you how to get there and feel it for yourself. The Handstand journey becomes a lot more meaningful when you share it with others who also connect with the practice. In the Handstand club people will gain a deeper understanding of how to work with their body to balance on their two hands, while being inspired by others doing so too! If you want to learn how to balance on your two hands while enjoying the journey the Handstand club is for you! We start on Sunday the 27th of September with our first group Zoom call. Check the link in my bio for more information on what level will suit you to start on! Fanny See more
06.01.2022 This was an interesting experience! In the past weeks I have incorporated @davidgreyrehab lower body basics programs into my program to get my Left achilles and hip feeling better. I can’t say that it is Epic fun. But I do it because 1. it makes a whole lot of sense 2. I have trust it'll change my body if I keep putting the energy there. I started the 2nd of David’s programs about 2 weeks ago which had more shifting of the pelvis and that together with gradually pu...shing into more depth in my pancake + hip compression, my hip was not feeling so hot. Last week there was one day in the gym I felt fresh and the exercises were feeling good. In fact, one that I did early in the program felt the best it has ever felt. When I started the one after I could straight away feel that something was off. I stopped to reset. Figured out that I wasn’t keeping position well enough so I cleaned it up and I came away feeling good. I didn’t get any SIJ pain on the walk home which I had felt on the Left side quite a few times during the last 2 weeks. What was different this day compared to other days I had done the exact same exercises? I suspect, because the work is not Epic fun, my Attention sometimes slumber. But by some force on this day I was fresh, it was enjoyable, and I could keep present with it. I have experienced this before and think there’s a lot to this phenomenon. I think an exercise that has the potential to be great for someone, can also be detrimental when done poorly. Whether it is due to not enough knowledge, not being present or other - I’m sure it is different depending on the situation. This is of course not new, BUT what I want to consider is that an exercise can look ‘good’ but there could be something that is slightly off that will make the world of difference. When you get it just right the body can finally start embodying a pattern that is useful. It is that feeling to strive for each time that will get you on the right path. Not easy, but certainly worthwhile searching for. [FT] Ps. My hip feels a lot better since. I'm aiming to bring the same presence into today's session.
06.01.2022 What is your immediate reaction to injury? I know I'm not alone in getting injuries and niggles from training. It will quite likely happen to most of us at some point or another. I have spent time the past 2-3 years obeserving how I react to acute injuries and long-term niggles. ... Here are a couple of things I have noticed: - At the time of 'acute' injury I tend to wanna make it go away quickly. That has often resulted in rubbing the area to try and make the pain go away magically. This rarely if ever works but it seems to be a reaction that comes up, as if I'm trying to undo the damage or make it go away asap. With this my mind is racing in the attempt to figure out the situation and best plan for not stopping what I am doing. From the outside looking in, this probably looks like me walking around the house like a headless chicken. - Longterm niggles I feel like I can work with in a healthy way until I reach a point in time, then my mood starts going down and I feel low. Sometimes I get pretty low and sad for a few days before I can pull myself out of it and continue the journey fresh. I know I tend to indentify 'Fanny doing Handstands' too much as being Me. Therefore the things I have observed when I cannot do the Handstands as I'd like are really useful in moving towards the point where *If I cannot do Handstands, I am fine with this*. Journey continues... [FT] Video is of me not being able to do a twisty thingy Handstand. See more
05.01.2022 FIKA with Fanny, Episode 12 Miloo Ronkainen on Having kids early & Climbing mountains LINK IN BIO Mamma and I share a special bond. That she gave birth to me on her 19th birthday might have something to do with it but I'm confident that our frequent catch ups, knitting and talking has contributed a lot to this connection forming ... In this conversation I ask her what it was like to have kids at 19, renovating and building houses over the years with small kids and how she dealt with the firstborn (me) moving to the other side of the world. Mum also shares some of her experience going on adventures with my dad climbing mountains and sleeping in tents; both the tough times and the rewarding times. If this sounds interesting to you I hope you'll listen in, you find the link in my bio! [FT] See more
05.01.2022 -Overhead position in Handstand- That straight line in the Handstand that many of us are working towards can be achieved with adequate shoulder flexion and thoracic extension. Shoulder flexion is the lifting the arms overhead-movement. ... Thoracic extension is a backwards motion extension of the thoracic vertebrae without flaring the ribs at the front. Look at the 3 different positions I am in, in the slide above. They all demonstrate my maximum shoulder flexion, with different ribcage positions. Fanny 1. Ribcage is tilted backwards Fanny 2. Ribcage is tilted forwards. Fanny 3. Ribcage is closed at the back "in extension" while the front is kept somewhat in neutral. This is where we want to be. This is what thoracic extension looks like. Do you know what your overhead position looks like? Checking this with help from someone or taking a video side on, is the first step towards knowing how your upper body mobility measures up to the demands of the Handstand. If you cannot move the arms overhead to roughly cover the ears without flaring the ribs, then you know that additional mobility drills will be useful. This could be in the warm-up or more integrated into a program depending on what you need. If you’re unsure of where to begin Have a look at my ‘upper body mobility’ playlist on Mobility Training au YouTube channel. Or simply shoot me a PM and we can chat further. What you don’t know, you don’t know, so make sure you know. F. See more
05.01.2022 FIKA with Fanny podcast #7 is live! In this episode I have gone away from using a manuscript and detailed prepared explanations to instead speak from the heart, improv-style. Speaking from the heart suits me a lot better now that I feel more familiar with the process of recording myself speaking and putting it out to the greater public to listen to. ... It is not a process I am yet 'comfortable' with but I'm certainly approaching that territory! The subject I'm talking about in episode #7 is 2 ways I use for taking a break from working at my laptop. Working as an Online Personal Trainer equals sitting by a desk for hours each day. Not something my body was used to nor necessarily like(d). There are two things in particular where I get my 'aches' and that is my eyes & my hips/lower back area. I'm sure this is familiar to many. In this episode I share a technique I use for easing the eye strain called palming. It is one I've learnt from @integraleyesight Youtube channel. I then share a standing practice I like doing to relax the area around my lower back and hips, one I posted on Instagram a while back. And as an extension to this I mention @craigmallettdx 'Washing machine' exercise that has been really useful for me too. I've put all of the links in the show notes which you can find by following the link in my bio! If you like the episode, can you share it with a friend? That would help getting the good information out there. [FT] See more
03.01.2022 Life beyond fitness podcast, episode 61 I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation I had with @austincurrent_ last week, published on his podcast yesterday as episode 61. Austin has a nice way of moving through the surface into the deeper waters of a topic, which I appreciate. ... Most people would know the 'surface-stuff' of many things so there certainly seems to be a need for getting into the real and raw. Austin is really good with doing just that in his podcast. I think you might like it. In our conversation we spoke about the satisfaction in producing things with quality that quantity cannot come close to, and the act of quantifying things - ticking off the boxes of achievement. This conversation brought about some previous thoughts and ideas I've had for my own podcast FIKA with Fanny and I am eager to make those a reality in the next little while... If you have a listen, do let us know what you think of it. Thanks @austincurrent_ With much gratitude, [FT]
03.01.2022 Fears in Handstands When I started doing Handstand in 2015 I was afraid I would fall and hurt myself when I did chest to wall Handstand holds. In 2016 doing toe pulls scared the shit out of me. ... In 2017 I experienced fear when kicking into freestanding handstands in case I would lose balance, fall over and have to somehow try and come out of it in one piece. In 2018 My biggest challenge was the tuck handstand positions, first with chest to wall then jumping into a tuck freestanding. In 2019 I found it incredibly uncomfortable to kick into a Handstand on blocks as I knew I had to try and safely come out from a higher height. In 2020 I observe fear when leaning into and taking the weight on the hands as I try to go for this f*cking thing we call a press to Handstand. The thing is, I've never acutely hurt myself doing Handstands* *Apart from that one time I was doing Handstands in a gym and was too close to a machine and hit my foot on the edge of it when I came down. This video is me overcoming current fears in my Handstand practice. What you cannot see in this video is that the last couple of weeks that I've played with this particular press to HS with feet elevated I regressed right back and started with a 7-step elevation. It felt embarrassing and very uncomfortable trying to do this drill as fears kept coming up. I sat with this feeling and thought about it rationally. I decided to keep whatever elevation I could get my feet off of until I felt confident and comfortable enough to start taking the steps away. After a couple of sessions I recognised a couple of things that would make me feel more comfortable and that particular day I also had some more 'ompft' in me. I ended up being able to take 3 steps off in that one session. That was a big win. I wouldn't have gotten there so quickly though unless I took the time to feel things out and allow myself to practice the move on the more comfortable side of fear, even if it felt like a regressed level. Moral of this story? Don't let fear get in the way, practice at a level where your body isn't crippling from fear. [FT] #presstohandstand See more
01.01.2022 "Do your best" does NOT mean going beyond what you can safely do. In a students training program I would occasional write something along the lines of; do this exercise for as long/many reps 'as you can'. This note is often in addition to the sets and reps/seconds they have in their program. ... 'As you can' means = Working with good technique to a point where you are still working within your actual capacity. 'As you can' does NOT mean that you go beyond your capacity where you are in the risk zone for hurting yourself or entering a breaking point. In Handstand training this can be pretty difficult because on one hand we want to fight fight fight to stay up there so that we condition ourselves to save the balance quicker and more efficicently. At the same time, this can wreck the hands and forearms and you end up getting super fatigued. Sometimes early and the rest of the session ends up being so-so. But also, doing this long-term can create overuse of certain areas and you may wake up with sore fingers one day that lasts for a few weeks (that was me a couple of years ago). So what is the solution? 1. Listen to your body and give it rest if/when you start getting too fatigued to do any good in your training. This is obviously super difficult to learn, but continue to listen in and try stopping earlier to see what effect you get from it. Not doing as many shape changes in a set may make you better long term. 2. Depending on your level, this will look very different. But I am personally currently trying to realise when I cannot complete another 1-2 good repetitions/hold for much longer in a Handstand then I come down for a rest. I guess it's something similar to RIR (Reps in reserve). I'm trying to stay in the sub-max bracket rather than going into failure in each set because that'll accumulate fatigue waaay quicker and may ruin the rest of my session. Working submaximally gives you the opportunity to recover more in between sets and be fresh to do your HS with quality. This is a bit of a research area for me in my own and students training atm. Who knows, maybe RIR will make into some HS programs [FT] See more
