December 2020 Mandatory PT Announcement : Handstand Pushups

Last month I put weight overhead daily, doing standing dumbbell press variants most often.

I’m close to the Sig Klein challenge, have decided to mix it up some, and will still be focusing on shoulder work.

The decision : daily handstand pushup work.

I’ve decided consistently being good for one rep head to floor isn’t enough.

Instead of constantly maxing out on what is temporarily a low rep movement for me, I’ll be training it.

•Timed Holds
•Progressive Partials*

Amongst other things.
(Freestanding practice, walking, negatives, full reps, etc)

This will function as calisthenic bodybuilding while base building for the barbell clean & press.

Hands raised for full “off the shoulders” range of motion starting from the bottom is harder than a bodyweight military press.

My key is going to be doing progressive range of motion.

*Partials the first stage of increasing range of motion.

Day 2 was a set of 10 with two thicker books under my head, cutting rom to 60% of head to floor.

That ~5″ shortening brought me from 1 rep to 10 reps.

It’s a short range of motion, and reps build fast in short range of motions.

Somewhere in the 20-50 rep range I’ll replace a thicker book with a thinner book, and repeat the process.

First head to the floor, then putting books under the hands.

A cool side effect is the short range of motion for reps is a serious tricep builder.

I’ve noted in the past that more triceps means to more handstand pushups just as more biceps leads to more pullups.

This month I’m training handstand pushups.