This is a brief post about wrists. Your wrists are good to you, be good to your wrists. If your wrists are hurting, it’s your fault. Not theirs. Stop being a dick to them. As per normal, I’m just going to link to people who are smarter than me. Actually it’s wrist and shoulders… moving on.
This post isn’t really for regular folks, it’s for people who ask more of their bodies. If you’re a regular folk whom happens to have pain from too much time on the computer or other repetitive, sit-on-your-butt work, try this post from the good folks at BoingBoing. And remember to “hold your wrists in a neutral position” while using a keyboard or mouse. That means elevated (flat). Not wresting on the desk or a gel pad. Actively holding up your wrists like a pianist will take care of most simple pain. It will also make you stand like a dinosaur for a while, but you’ll get through it.
For athletes — hand balancers, equilibre, acrobats, aerialists or anyone who asks a more from their wrists:
Start with this forum post. Did you click on it? Those bold-blue words are a link. What? Are you new to the internets? It’s like a series of tubes, invented by Al Gore or some bullshit.
If you’re lazy or in a hurry, the short version is:
Get into a pushup support position on your fists with your hands turned sideways. As you lower into the pushup, allow the wrists to bend outward and your bodyweight to descend upon the back of your wrists and hands. As you ascend out of the pushup, straighten the wrists simultaneously along with the elbows returning back up onto your fist.
– Coach Sommers
And watch this:
But really, that forum is great. Go spend some time there.
That was from Coach Sommers, who has raised a lot of Olympians and has long preached gymnastic training for strength.
As you can imagine, pushing his kids through such rigors he’s also very concerned with keeping them healthy. Thus, the wrist exercises.
I came to his website through this post by Ido Portal (who I was lucky enough to train with last fall). And this excellent post on daily preparation for training.
If you’re lazy, then there is no help for you. Go read that post.
I do all the wrist stuff he lists there, as well as all the shoulder stuff there and on his other post here.
I don’t do the capoeira stuff. Just the shoulder stuff.
The two important shoulder series are here:
And here:
And another great one from Coach Sommers is an exercise called Wall Extensions.
Just as a frame of reference. Ido had us warm up any handbalancing with:
1) 10 dorsal pushups
2) 10 finger-tip pushups, elbows in. The fingers should “gather” the ground actively, not passively resting on your fingertips.
3) 10 wrist pushups
4) 10 “first knuckle” pushups. That’s just a pushup where your elbows are locked (they never bend during the exercise) the thumb stays off the ground and you push the palm off the ground until vertical while leaving the fingers flat. Push into the knuckle behind the index finger. Don’t let your thumb touch the ground. Lower back down to your palm. Never let your thumb touch the ground. It’s only a movement in your hand, not your arms. The elbows stay locked, the inside of the elbow angled toward the wall in front of you (like you’re doing a handstand).
Why should you listen to Ido? Because Ido is an unbelievable badass!
OK. That’s the short version. Now go do wrist pushups!
-UglyElf
Spring has sproinged and I’ve notice a lot of my friends are making newly-woken-from-hibernation grumbling noises about wanting to eat better.
Awesome!
Of course I encourage this. I’m posting a primer on how to eat well, linking to some good articles on MDA. Mark’s Daily Apple can be a little overwhelming, so I’m suggesting you start with four specific articles, acquaint yourself with the site in general, and read more when you have time.
Congratulations on eating better! You’re doing a great job!
Caveat: this site (and my own diet) are on the extreme side. I think if you push yourself too far in too fast, you’ll abandon it. Maybe I’m wrong. But my gut says that for you, you should learn all you can and implement what you’re comfortable with. Think of it like a dietary grammar, you should know the rules before you break them.
This (go briefly glance but then come right back) — http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ — is the site I get much of my information from. But please do click through the links within the articles to their sources. I sometimes disagree with MDA, but I also often agree. It’s a little dizzying, so to get started, go to the getting started page (again, just a quick peak please, then come back): Getting Started.
Maybe read all the titles before you click on any of the links? Did you notice there’s an entire section with eleven articles on Eating Well on the Cheap? So don’t think you can’t afford it. You can!
OK, that’s still overwhelming. For you, start with the discussion about protein, then learn about sugars, make friends with fats, and last (for now) get to know grains.
2. Sugar — Definitive Guide to SugarsNote: This is really important. Remember when I said you should click through to the links in these articles? You SHOULD. One of the best sources of information on how the body actually WORKS with food is in this article. It’s the link to Dr. Lustig’s Video, The Bitter Truth About Sugar. It’s long, but you really really should watch it. I watched it a little bit at a time. That was the only way I could fit it into my schedule. So even if you can only watch the first five minutes now, go ahead and start. I’m not linking to it, you should have no trouble finding it in that sugar article if you’re actually reading it!
3. Fats — Fats and Getting over you fear of fats (and getting rid of your mood swings). Do click the link to read the rest of the story.
Optional (I promised you’d only have to read four). I thought the article on cholesterol was really interesting.
True story (and I can show you the letters from my doctor), a year ago my doctor threatened to put me on statins. This year, with nearly the same scores, he says I’m super healthy and doing great. He now believes the same things that article says, but a year ago he didn’t at all. Doctors are funny people.
Notice you’re missing something SUPER important in that list I gave you. Vegetables. For now, eat as many vegetables as you can of as many colors as possible. What you’re building towards is five colors of vegetable per meal, every meal (even breakfast). But for now, just eat a lot of vegetables and have a lot of variety. Then look up better information when you have time. (hint: make the time.)
When considering fruit, it makes a great dessert and a great snack. Enjoy. But keep it to snacks and desserts. Don’t let it kill your appetite for protein or veggies.
Wait! You say. What about my ?! Everything in moderation? Right!?
We need to define moderation. Moderation is an exception to the rules that keep you within your goals. Are you within your goals? If so, there is some room for “moderation”. If you’re not, there is no such thing as moderation. Don’t cheat yourself.
That said:
I think the most important thing you can do with food choices right now is to celebrate your successes and not dwell on any lapses. Positive reinforcement will guide you down the right path. The mind is a powerful thingum. If you try this way of eating, you’ll see positive changes and like them. Don’t think about your weight, just watch your shape. Give it two months and be amazed! Last note: this is not a diet to be followed for a short while before reverting to your previous crap way of eating (yup, I said it — crap), better eating is a way of life.
I’m excited. So there’s this awesome guy what travels the world and solves peoples problems. Like Caine from Kung-Fu.
Which is a total lie, but I really wanted to put Kung-Fu in here somewhere.
Now that’s out of my system, I actually am very excited. There’s this awesome guy that travels the world teaching classes and seminars on a bunch of different things. Capoeira, Equilibra (hand balancing), Strength, Flexibility etc. Apparently he came through Portland in August, and I never heard about it.
He’s coming back at the end of October for a two day seminar. [Shout out to Cross Fit Portland for hosting. Thanks guys. And for my readers, no I don't really have an opinion on Cross Fit. Maybe positive? I don't know, I don't have time to investigate.] For details or to sign up, click HERE.
“Full two days of in-depth training on gymnastic strength, mobility, and acrobatic skills.” — so says the blurb.
The blurb goes on: “Learn how to sequence and develop your own training programs to achieve physical development above and beyond the norm.”
So um. That’s cool. Right?
I’m not selling you on this. Check out this awesome video and you might understand:
Awesome, right? Totally awesome!
So he can do stuff, but a lot of people who can do stuff can’t teach. This guy can. He’s even got excellent instruction on the “Body Line Wall Drill.” A fundamental exercise for learning the handstand. In my personal experience, this is the most important single exercise to do if you want to start learning, or continue to gain control of, handstands.
Be sure to read the post below the video too.
While you’re there check out the “Blog Archive” on the right. You might want to look through the July & August posts from 2009. There’s a boatload of good info and instruction.
He’s also very active on the Gymnastic Bodies forum (a place I lurk a lot when I’m actually doing my conditioning). For example the handstand section of the forum.
Many of you know I follow that advice. And many of you think I’m crazy. I maintain that more than anything else I’ve done, that single change in my life has improved my health, my strength, and removed joint / back pain and stiffness. Try it for two months. You’ll never go back. And hey, it’s just two months; you can do that whilst sitting on your hands. Think of how quickly the last two months went by. Or the last six. Or the last three years. Crikey! I’m getting old.
So yeah, I’m excited about the seminar. (<-- click that!)
One last note. I get asked in meat-space a lot of health questions. I've become more reticent to answer because people argue faster than a tick draws blood. You asked me how I do something; now you're telling me that how you do it, which isn't working for you, is the right way and I'm wrong? Seriously? I didn't ask how you do it because we can both see it doesn't work. You asked me. Don't do it, I don't care, but don't argue.
Similarly, when I started this blog I thought maybe I could give consolidated health advice too. Or at least training advice. But I don't think I will.
The truth is, the information out there is SO good, from people like Ido Portal, I'm worried I might do more harm than good by diluting the pool of knowledge. Just look at those links up there. Between Gymnastic Bodies and Ido's blog, the only other thing you need for optimal health is diet: try Mark’s Daily Apple. Scroll down. Scroll way down. Start with the eleven, count ‘em ELEVEN, links on Primal on the Cheap. Yes. You can eat healthy and probably for less $$ than the shit your shoving down your pie whole right now. Mmmm Pieeeee. (Super secret hint: If you want healthy and delicious desserts, check out raw food recipes. There’s plenty of them on the web. Many of them, like the nut crusts, are even better when baked. Just take whatever sweetener they suggest and cut it WAAYY down. Yes, even Agave Sweetener and Honey are sugars. Use less. You’ll be happier.)
Now you know everything you need to have a better body into your mid thirties (where I am now) than you had in your late teen / early twenties. No bullshit. Right down to healthy teeth and shinier coat (woof!).
Right. ‘Nough of that. I’m excited and you should be too. Go do something healthy, and by healthy I mean fun. Try a bridge. Or a handstand against a wall. Or a cartwheel. I highly recommend the cartwheel. Yell ‘SQUEEE!!’ while you’re doing it. You’ll thank me.
-Ugly Elf
[edited October 19th: Thanks to Doctor Dravier for pointing out I needed a link to the seminar.]
I’m so busy I don’t know how to handle it. And thus the next exciting installment of Euroland hasn’t been started yet.
Brief and uninteresting life news that no one will care about but me. The weekend was spent in Eugene, where Stephanie’s birthday was lovely. Poor Andrew and Stephanie, the day after the party they had to put their wonderful cat Grimple down. We’ll miss you Grimple.
I continue to train, but without any real progress. My elbow has been living hell, so I took last Thursday off, which turned out to be a good choice: yesterday for the first time in three years, I got a V7 at the Circuit. So awesome!
OK, that’s enough. Shouldn’t bore too much and should let you know I’m not stopping the blog.
-UE-
Today was the last day of summer. Though it started with a nine-hour, stressful work day, it ended with two hours of tumbling at Rose City Gymnastics that was the most fun I’ve had since early in July.
Five new faces were there, all of them visiting from the Bay area. They were a mix of folks from the Vulcan (which might be this?) and the San Francisco circus school (which might be this?).
We’re talking MAD SKILLZ: juggling, tumbling, poi, hoops, silks, trapeze, etc. But more important they were the sweetest nicest folks. Every time I said “that looks so cool” the response was: “Come try!”.
Maybe the coolest thing for me? The reason they were there: one of the girls, Emily, found the open gym from my circus page! Woo hoo!
Oh, and I have to update it, because I need to put Harmony’s hoop classes on there. Harmony, by the way, is our “teacher” on Tuesday nights. I use quotes, because we’re not supposed to have a teacher, it’s an open gym, but she teaches us anyway and does a fantastic job! I’m also super impressed because of her mad rope climbing talent (no feet!).
Personally I kicked into and held the longest handstand I’ve yet achieved, continued bridgework and got back my kick-over, worked the pike-kip-up on the uneven bars, had a first lesson on the mushroom, and continued my sloppy execution of the front handspring. I failed miserably to get an aerial. There hard. It was fun!
I don’t think I’ve posted a video of the sorts of things I do here, but I meant to. Maybe I did, if so, tell me and I’ll remove it:
Monday night. Maybe that’s all that needs to be said.
I’ve returned from tumbling class, my fourth tumbling class, and I’m bitter, and a little sad, and a little disappointed. All emotions that are totally out of place. I should be totally happy. Honestly, part of it is that I have an unwritten story do tomorrow for class, and the stress colors everything ugly. But I am the Ugly Elf, so what did you expect?
After the first class I was as optimistic as a kitten with gallon of milk and a belly full of worms—things hurt, but I was going to finish the whole damn thing. By the next week my body was not put back together; I had pain, but I also had less ability. I wanted to go forward, and instead I’d gone back. I was OK with it. I knew there was some serious body adaptation that was needed. Now that the fourth class is over, and I’ll have to pay again next week, I’m disappointed that I’m still not up to where I was after the first class. I can’t do a back tuck. My front handspring is worse, not better. My handstands are non-existent, and my wrists and my pride hurt.
But this is what I signed up for. This is what I do. I’m not good at things, but I get better. Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more; or we’ll fill the wall up with our English dead.
Why else do I do it? Because of the people. I know I’m being healthy (or whatever), and it’s fun stuff, but above and beyond the monkey goodness are the people. They’re wonderful, friendly, helpful, and inviting. What more could I ask for on a Monday night? It’s pretty much that or skulk at home with the cats (thick as foxes). Fuck that.
So thank you, wonderful people of the Rose City Gymnastics, thank you. I’ll see you next Monday.
