V-Up Challenge: Day 1

 

Today is the first day of Vertical Fitness’ V-Up Challenge. There are two versions of the challenge. One, see how many V-ups you can do between February 14 and March 15. Two, see how much you can improve your V-up from day 1 to day 30.

I’m opting to see how much I can improve.

Things I need to work on:

• Not jumping up to get momentum
• Diamond legs all the way up
• Straighter legs when extended out
• Hips higher towards my hands once inverted
• Looking out/forward, not up at my hands
• More controlled exit
• Inverting with straight legs (goal)
• Inverting in the air, not from the mat (goal)

This is going to involve a lot of at-home conditioning work. V-ups on the floor, all of the Scott Fun moves Scott showed me, leg lifts on the pull-up bar. Plus continued work on releasing my lower lumbar, lengthening and strengthening the hip flexors, stretching for splits (to help with straight extended legs). Not to mention, drilling straddle back inverts whenever I have the opportunity.

It’s all stuff I know I should be working on all the time. But haven’t been. The challenge format should hopefully get me up off my butt and do it (figuratively and literally).

Climbing On Up

In class last night, Leylen taught us two new climbs (and didn’t make us drill “Push Me, Pull You,” bless her!). That brings the total number of climbs I know to five: French, Russian, ninja, bicycle, and crochet. I still can’t do a straddle invert, but I can climb upside down!

Tonight Scott showed me four exercises that should help with getting that straddle. The single leg lifts Kimberly taught in lyra about a month ago (and that I honestly haven’t been doing on a regular basis). Straddle leg lifts, lifting both legs at the same time. A variation of V Ups, bringing your legs up in a straddle rather than a pike. And finally, while on your back, lifting your legs, circling them out into a straddle as you bring them together overhead, and then circling them back down. Hard. But if it helps me get that invert, I’ll do them without (too much) complaining.

 

Lyra Class #3

Lyra class at Vertical Fitness yesterday. It’s been so long since my last one (July?), and only my third one, I wasn’t expecting Kimberly to comment that it was good to see me back in class. That felt nice. I do plan on adding lyra classes in on a more regular basis.

It’s still not my go-to aerial apparatus, despite the fact that the hula hoop is my circus apparatus of choice. Back balances hurt! However, I did learn three conditioning moves during warm up that should help with achieving an inverted straddle on silks. The first two specifically target the hip flexors; the third involves straddle inverts on the floor.

Hip Flexors Move #1: Sitting in a straddle position, place hands on either side of one knee. Lift and lower the leg from the hip as high as possible with control, set of ten. If it’s too hard, move the hands towards the torso; too easy, move the hands farther past the knee. Repeat on the other side.

Hip Flexors Move #2: From a straddle position, hold your arms outstretched in front of you. Lean forward, pulling through the arms, and lift the hips off of the floor; lower back down with control. Set of ten. (I have so much trouble with this right now.)

Floor Straddle Inverts: Lie down with hands overhead, anchored (either by someone standing on them, or holding onto something solid). Raise legs off of the floor, widen into a straddle, and lift hips up into a tuck. Roll back down, still in a straddle, before bringing legs back together.

Warm Up & Conditioning: Beginners

Because I won’t remember specifics make time for conditioning while climbing at Clown Gym without a checklist, the warm up and conditioning sequences we did in the beginner’s level classes.

Warm Up

• Arm circles forward & back
• Neck rolls
• Shoulder circles
• Chest circles (Ahkanah’s choice)
• Hip circles (Ahkanah’s choice)
• Knee circles (Ahkanah’s choice)
• Straddle reaches: ear to knee & forehead to knee each side; center reach
• Pike reaches
• Butterfly stretch
• Pulling taffy

Conditioning Moves

• Squats with pulses every tenth one
• V-sits with pulses every tenth one
• Starfish (Kabir’s choice): While lying on back, lift left leg & right arm to touch toes overhead. Repeat with right leg and left arm.
• Side touches (Ahkanah’s choice): Lying on back with knees bent, arms at side, and shoulders off the mat, touch right hand to right heel, then left hand to left heel. The farther your heels are from your butt the more of a challenge it is.
• Plank sequence with straight arms: Standard (20 seconds); side planks (10 seconds each side); one arm out (10 seconds each side); one arm forward (10 seconds each side)
• Plank dogs (Ahkanah’s choice): elbow plank to dolphin pose