My progress through Convict Conditioning

[camaro Senior Member Member of the month June 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close camaro]

I'm stuck on kneeling pushups.Any advice?*

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

What routine are you using (i.e which progressions in which days)?


Looks like your progressing into wall handstands! One piece of advice: forget the 2 min progression standard. Being able to do 3 sets of 1 min is more than enough. 2 min is ridiculous, it'll take forever and the difference between it and 1 min holds is minimal (it's all endurance after all, not very relevent for your success in the next steps). I hit 3 x 1 min, then progressed to the next step. No problems whatsoever.

I don't have any specific routine. I think to myself, what do I want to work on today? Then I hop to it.

Not all of the handstands are 2 minute progressions. The crow stand is 1 minute, which I mastered. Otherwise, I think I'll be sticking to what the book recommends. For what I want to do in the later stages, I'll need that endurance. Besides, I'm in no hurry to get to a 1handed unsupported handstand pushup. It'll come in time.

I'm stuck on kneeling pushups.Any advice?*

Have you mastered the previous steps?
You can try lowering your range of motion and using high reps.

[camaro Senior Member Member of the month June 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close camaro]

I did.I am on step 10 of the leg raises and doing half one leg squats.I rapidly progressed through the others but am stuck on pushups and pull ups.Why? My arms are quite weak and refuse to get strong.Even my bridges are hindered because of this.

[mikeguima Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mikeguima]

Not all of the handstands are 2 minute progressions. The crow stand is 1 minute, which I mastered. Otherwise, I think I'll be sticking to what the book recommends. For what I want to do in the later stages, I'll need that endurance. Besides, I'm in no hurry to get to a 1handed unsupported handstand pushup. It'll come in time.

I'm talking about your next step, wall handstands. It's a 2min progression. Be advised getting to those 2 min will take a very long time. You don't need endurance. From that step onwards it's all about strenght. Making it to a 2 min handstand isn't going to help you in any way with the half handstand pushups. Some people even start attempting handstand pushups after being able to hold only 30 sec handstands and did very well. 1 min is more than enough.
Anyways, it's just some time saving advice.

I'm stuck on kneeling pushups.Any advice?*

Here's what I did when I got stuck. I increased the sets and decreased the reps. Instead of doing 3 x 15, I'd start doing 5 x 10 and then I'd add 1 or 2 reps to the workout each time I did it. I'd do that for about 2 weeks, then go back to the normal 3 sets. The plateau would have been broken by then.

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

I did.I am on step 10 of the leg raises and doing half one leg squats.I rapidly progressed through the others but am stuck on pushups and pull ups.Why? My arms are quite weak and refuse to get strong.Even my bridges are hindered because of this.

I can only think of maybe playing with the tempo of the movement, and doing them more often.
Rather than doing them 2-1-2-0 (2 seconds down, 1 second pause, 2 seconds up, 0 pause), Try doing them 4-2-4-1, or 1-1-1-0.

Strength is a skill and like any skill you'll want to practice it. Try doing the pushups more often throughout the week.

I could use some tips on the uneven squat.

I'm talking about your next step, wall handstands. It's a 2min progression. Be advised getting to those 2 min will take a very long time. You don't need endurance. From that step onwards it's all about strenght. Making it to a 2 min handstand isn't going to help you in any way with the half handstand pushups. Some people even start attempting handstand pushups after being able to hold only 30 sec handstands and did very well. 1 min is more than enough.
Anyways, it's just some time saving advice.

I'm actually able to do 8 full handstand pushups with a 2-1-2-0 tempo. However, I restarted the whole process because I wasn't able to do the first 3 steps to perfection. Before I restarted, I could do a little more than a minute wall headstand already. I appreciate your advice, but I'm not looking to rush through these steps.

Here's what I did when I got stuck. I increased the sets and decreased the reps. Instead of doing 3 x 15, I'd start doing 5 x 10 and then I'd add 1 or 2 reps to the workout each time I did it. I'd do that for about 2 weeks, then go back to the normal 3 sets. The plateau would have been broken by then.

This is good advice too.

[mikeguima Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mikeguima]

I'm actually able to do 8 full handstand pushups with a 2-1-2-0 tempo. However, I restarted the whole process because I wasn't able to do the first 3 steps to perfection. Before I restarted, I could do a little more than a minute wall headstand already. I appreciate your advice, but I'm not looking to rush through these steps.

Sorry man, didn't know you had that skill already

[Nachos87 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nachos87]

Can the basketball be replaced with something? I reached basketball pushups but I aint buying it for this lol

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

no worries. I appreciate everyone's comments

Can the basketball be replaced with something?

I use a 10lbs weighted ball.

[mikeguima Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mikeguima]

Can the basketball be replaced with something? I reached basketball pushups but I aint buying it for this lol

Yes. A soccer ball You can replace it with books, for instance, although the exercise won't be nearly as effective. The point of doing it on an unstable surface is to strenghten the rotator cuffs. They're very important.

[Nachos87 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nachos87]

Well unfortunately I have no... ummm... balls. It's either my brother's head or this extremely fragile clam holder:

DSCN3273.jpg

But I understand the significance. I tried to skip this one with no success.

EDIT: Is it me or Leg Raising Master step is ridiculously easier compared to 100 one armed pushups for example.

[camaro Senior Member Member of the month June 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close camaro]

Paul wade has said that leg raises are the easiest master step.V raises are the real master step IMO.The ball is just a tool to ensure correct form.You can use anything that is as high as that.A chips can for example.

Toad - The uneven squat is about as hard as a one leg pistol.Skip that, go to step 8.Then go back.I damn near popped a knee doing those uneven squats.

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

Squats and Leg Raises+Ab work

Squats
Warm up set 1 : 20 close squats
Warm up set 2 : 20 close squats
Work sets : Various attempts at a full uneven squat without a weighted ball, anywhere between 3 and 10 reps in a set per leg.

Leg Raises+Ab work
Warm up set 1 : 30 flat bent leg raises + 10 russian ballet leg thrusts
Warm up set 2 : 20 flat bent leg raises + 10 russian ballet leg thrusts
Work set 1 : 25 Flat Frog Raises
Work set 2 : 25 Flat Frog Raises
Work set 3 : 25 Flat Frog Raises (I'm refraining from saying I mastered this because I had to pause and break throughout)

[camaro Senior Member Member of the month June 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close camaro]

You did the uneven squats?

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

Not perfectly. I'm getting there. My knee keeps coming inward and I'm trying to push it out. This is a really hard exercise. My ass is closer to the ground. I'm maybe 80% of the way?? I don't know.

Oh i see what you're referring to. Okay I edited that. I meant to post 20 close squats.

[camaro Senior Member Member of the month June 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close camaro]

IMO, it's best to do the one leg half squat first.It gets the knees adapted to the tremendous pressure of doing uneven squats all the way down.