OH! Magazine - Australian Version January 2015 (Australian Version) | Page 14

BODYWEIGHT

MIKE
CAMPBELL

BLITZ – Part 2 of 3

Mike Campbell follows on from last month’s
article by showing you some key moves.
ast month we introduced the
concept of more advanced
bodyweight training. The idea being to
benefit the body both from the challenge,
but also respite from a heavy, external
load. I mentioned a few principles and
demonstrated a tougher variation on the
standard push up: the decline push up.
This movement is ideal if you want to
graduate towards doing actual handstands
and then handstand push ups (reserved
only for the really serious guys out there!).

L

So, let’s start progressing...
The handstand
Assuming you’ve mastered last month’s
decline push up, I will next introduce you
to the wall-facing handstand and the
Swissball pike. You can watch my
demonstration of these moves in the video
provided, which also includes the big
daddy progression: the handstand push
up.

position. Try and accumulate time up
here, slowly working to remove the amount
of pressure your feet have on the wall (one
at a time, and then two, if possible). Either
walk yourself down or twist and drop out
(as shown in the video).
Swissball pike (to handstand)
This exercise is to increase the strength
of your abs in controlling your handstand
from around the pelvis, as well as slowly
learning to take the weight into your
hands and arms from this position.
Start with your hands on the ground and
lower legs on the ball, just below the
knee. Slowly pull from the stomach and
roll the ball in towards your hands as you
raise your hips in the air and bring your
shoulders over your hands. You should
now be in a ‘pike’ position. The aim is to
have your torso vertical, matching a
handstand. Very slowly roll back out to

Wall-facing handstand
The goal of this movement is simply to
practice being upside down and to get
used to balancing on your hands. Much
like when we learn to walk as infants, we
must continually practice the skill and
condition our body to this new position/
movement.
Simultaneously walk your legs up the wall
and your hands towards the wall. Come to
a position that sees you as vertical as you
are comfortable with to start. With pointed
toes, start with both feet on the wall. Once
you’re a bit more familiar with that,
remove one, holding it in a neutral
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JAN 2015 ( OH! MAGAZINE )

http://youtu.be/WElcu_qN7ls

start position and repeat. Aim for 10
reps. Progression - As you can, slowly
start trying to take the weight of your feet
and legs off the ball and place more
weight through your hands. From here
the next progression is to take one leg off
the ball and raise straight, eventually
working towards a handstand - see video.
Give these a try, let me know how you go
and I’ll provide the last of my progressions
next month.

http://unleashyouralpha.com

( Men’s Health )