[Noskill]

Keith I read your article about improving the press, I know you did 315x4 on the seated OHP, did you ever try free standing handstand pushups? I've been wondering for a while what OHP/BW ratio was required to do that. I know there should be more to this than this simple ratio, as it must require quite a bit of skill, but I'd like to know. Whatever your weight, I would guess you could crank out a few of those if you have ever worked on your handstand.

[Alon]

I think that's more of a co-ordination and core stability issue than a strength one (especially since the press is most difficult in the first 4 inches off the shoulders). I was able to do a handstand pushup when I weighed 83kg and pressed 65-70kg for a very very hard single. Locking out/tricep strength may be more useful.

[CarnalSalvation]

Keith Wassabe could do handstand pushups using only his mustache back in the day.

[initialdproject]

it's more balance and such like alon said

[CarnalSalvation]

That is true, and while as a big man, I've never been good at BW exercises, handstand push-ups are one of those things that LOOK really impressive, even if you're 145, and essentially doing overhead rack lockouts with 145 with no core support.

[Keith Wassung]

I can walk on my hands for some distance-when I was younger I could go the entire length of the basketball court, though I doubt I could do that now.

[King Kabuki]

Keith, first of all honored to have you on the Dog.

Did you do any aesthetic plyometric exercises to train to be able to walk on your hands for that far?

I ask because I'm going Pro in Boxing, and find myself lately fascinated with agility and BW strength-training. I just have this notion it'll make my balance and delivery of natural punching power very acute in the ring.

I've been doing Capoeira bodyweight exercises and it helped, and in the past month executed my first hand-stand push-up. People always told me for moves like this you have to have a very strong core but I never really understood how strong until I attempted it. But my balance sucks. Any advice?

[Keith Wassung]

just keep working at it-repetition will fix just about anything.

Best of luck in your professional boxing career-keep me posted

Keith

[King Kabuki]

Will do.

[HULKAMANIA]

Some guy I work with at Starbucks last night mentioned the fact that he could handstand, and I had to call his bluff. He's a rather tubby fellow so I told him he could get 2 seconds of vertical max. He gave me a sort of, "I'll prove it, JERK!" look, took of his apron, emptied his pockets, tucked his shirt in, and started doing those little, short I'm-about-to-do-something-hard breaths. Then he proceeded to kind of fall forward on his hands and raise his rear about 60 degrees of the ground. Everyone erupted in laughter, and I felt kind of bad.

But he told us that he was just worried about falling forward so I offered to spot him. On the second attempt, he actually did execute a handstand for a couple seconds.

Then I scooted over in front of the drivethrough window, took off my apron, emptied my pockets, and popped down into a handstand. Just to make my abilities clear, I started walking around behind the bar down to the frappucinno machines.The manager girl who recently hired me was all like, "Ohmigod. Make sure he doesn't fall onto anything!" So some other coworker newb grabbed my ankles. He was throwing off my groove so I told him just to hold my ankles upright, and I started counting out handstand pushups. By the time I got to five or so, we had a customer and it was back to business.

Later, the original handstander came up to me all quiet and was like, "I'm ashamed of myself."

I chuckled and asked, "Why?"

He said, "Well because you can do that and I can't. I feel ashamed." I felt bad again, but I told him it was alright--all he needed was a little bit of practice on his hands.

HULKAMANIA: 2
Hapless Coffee Shop Coworkers: Still 0