Scaled tabata wall runs

[Ryan Libke]

I felt like closing out a strength workout the other day with some conditioning, and wanted to do something different than my usual resort to burpees done in a Tabata interval session. Since I cannot do wall runs for too long, I tried a scaled down version of the handstand push-up found at the top of page 77 in BTGB (Box version). This proved to work pretty well. I was able to complete 8 rounds at 20 seconds of work, and 10 seconds rest, but my arms and shoulders were very challenged to do it. It wiped me out, really, but more in the muscles than in the heart, if you can gather what I am saying. I thought I would share the experiment for others like me trying to build up their wall runs or looking for new conditioning drills.

[Blairbob]

Basically you are working your strength endurance. BTDT. It's good but I never got decent gains from using a protocol like that other than metabolic gains.

[Weib]

i agree, doesn't serve any purpose at all.

There are safer/better ways to do the 20/10 interval training.

[Ryan Libke]

Coach Sommer's post concerning HS wall runs, which is listed as a "sticky" in the handstand index, described an ideal of doing 10 minutes of HS wall runs, 1 to 2 times a week. Since I am not able to do that yet, doing HS runs with a "box" instead of a wall seemed to be a good place to start. Coach Sommer also recommended starting the HS wall runs at shorter intervals (10-30 sec.), so I just borrowed the ever dependable Tabata interval as a familiar place to start.

I agree that this is drill would be more of strength endurance exercise, but I had already completed my work on developing the other aspects of strength, and I usually place conditioning after strength training (dynamic or maximal, etc.) I don't think I will be able to work up to ten minutes of HS wall runs without improving my strength endurance. Also, at my age, and with my occupation, I need to work the ticker as much as the skeletal muscles. :shock: I also have to watch out for expansion of the midsection, so any ideas on integrating conditioning with gymnastics is welcome.

[Weib]

depends on what you regard as conditioning -

gymnastic conditioning is specialized to cater for gymnastics there will be cross overs(wall runs) if your job requires you to be holding stuff up above your head all day or walking around with your arms.

For me, I usually plan conditioning sets(long cycle/intervals/metcon circuits) by breaking down the general movements of the sport/job and match it with an exercise/drill - it'll make more sense that way.

Gymnastics conditioning is a tool for gymnastics related activity(calisthenic), IMVHO we can adapt and copy it whole but lets not bastardize it for the sake of "making it harder to get my ass whooped"

hope this helps.

[Joshua Naterman]

His wall run tabatas could certainly help increase his work capacity in that position, if he doesn't overdo it. I've found that following Ido's example and using the wall handstands is working well for me. I am now rocking slowly from one hand to the other, putting most but not all weight on each for a few seconds and then slowly swaying to the other side. I'm slowly getting stronger and stronger, and a lot of things that used to give me a little trouble, like lowering down in a controlled fashion from a handstand, are becoming very easy. Ido's locomotion drills have also become an almost daily practice for me, just one round a day instead of multiple days, and it's improving my strength in almost all areas, including the handstands. Wolf, if you're looking to be able to do the wall runs, what I described is a great tool to help you.