u/Kawabunta

Hello all!

34M, 1,83m, 73kg. I'm mainly following the 3x/week full body recommended routine with inputs from OG2 and after consistent progresses, here's my routine :

1. Table pike push up 3x8 -- Pistol squats 3x8 (or BW squats 3x50 when I need an easier leg day)
2. Rings tuck FL rows 3x5 -- Harop/Razor hamstring curls 3x5 (or 24kg kettlebell swings 3x25 when I need an easier leg day)
3. RTO PPPU 1 small step forward (rings go between navel and chest) 3x8 -- Rings L wide pull ups 3x8
4. Ab wheel (1 step from full) 3x5-8 -- arch rocks 3x25

Current goal is mainly BA BB press to handstand with secondary more long term goals being L-sit to handstand, Planche (and planche push up) and Front Lever (and FL rows).

I have the following questions regarding the paths to take :

1. I'm not a fan of archer rows and can perform 3x6 clean ones with feet on floor. I can perform 3x5 clean tuck FL rows but my hands don't fully reach my chest yet. Is it ok to switch to FL rows and work on the ROM before adding reps? Am I not missing work on my rear delt/back by doing so instead of staying in the regular row progression?
2. I prefer RTO PPPU to archer push ups so I skipped the archer and work on increasing the leaning forward from RTO PU. Should I stick with this approach or try to go the planche push up route? I like the ROM given by the RTO PPPU and the movement itself and holding a tuck planche is still difficult. Also, I think adding planche work to my routine will be too much for me as the workout is already intense enough.
3. I feel the ab wheel is a more "complete and general" exercise than the L-sit but in the end, I would like to work on the L-sit to manna progression and L-sit to handstand. How should I approach this? Remove the ab wheel for L-sit? I can already hold it on floor for 3x15-20s and am working on my flexibility. More compression work?

Thanks for your help!

Hello guys! First time posting here but I read a lot of your posts after going through Overcoming Gravity 2 and that helped me a lot. Thanks!

Male, 34yo, 1,83m, 73kg, I've been interested in gym rings, first to increase my strength as I want to be able to play for a long time with my kids, now because it's fun and I like being in my best shape ever (muscular physique is a nice plus).

I began on and off lets say 2 years ago then took it more seriously 6-8 months ago with the RR in conjonction with my reading of OG2.

This has been my full body workout lately after few changes, goal being at the time handstand push-ups, 5 one arm push-ups, 5 tuck inv. row, 12 L-pull-ups and 15s floor L-sit:

• Chair elevated pike push ups (going slowly through to not hurt my shoulder) 3x8 + slow pistol SQ 3x5
• Wide inv. rows 3x8 + harrop curls with hip extension at the end 3x5
• RTO push-ups 3x7 + wide pull-ups 3x8
• L-sit 3x15s + Hyper extension straight legs 3x15 + compression work hold, pulse and max.

I try to go quite hard during my workout but always keeping it at least 1 rep before failure.

I know that if it works, no need to change but my sleep/recovery is not always good/long enough because of my 2 young kids waking up veeeery early, jumping on me all the time, cycling to here and there, works at home, etc... It feels like my body can keep up with the recovery just in time but harder and harder as time passes and after 3/4 weeks of a cycle, I'm almost never 100% fresh anymore.

So I've been thinking about switching to a 4 days split Upper/Lower (U R L R U LR). The goal of this switch would be to get more recovery between similar workouts, reduce (a small bit) my workout/warm up time and also maybe to work on some additional exercises, especially for legs as one of my goal is to stay/be more athletic.

I thought about keeping the same weekly volume to compensate for the lower frequency as I think my body can handle the extra work, problem being more on the recovery side between workouts. I would therefore add 1 push and 1 pull and 2 leg exercises to my current routine. Other advantage would be that it lets me dream about having an additional goal: rings planche progression.

My +/- short term goals would be (improve my shape and overal strength of course, and):

1. 1x L-sit press to handstand
2. 5s rings tuck planche
3. 5 front lever tuck rows/5s adv. tuck front lever
4. 5 archer pull-ups (just tried and can do 1 very hard yeah!)

I would therefore add planche work and front lever to compensate it with a pull as it seems an exact opposite movement.

My Upper/Lower workout would look like this at my current level (after warm up, positional drills and wall handstand skill work on upper days), trying to focus on goals and weaknesses first:

1. Upper+abs
   • Elevated pike push-ups 3x8 + wide inv. rings rows 3x8
   • Planche progression (SA frog to tuck planche) hands backwards -> 3x20s + front lever progression (tuck to adv. tuck) -> 3x20s
   • RTO push-ups 3x8 + wide pull-ups (soon with L) 3x8
   • L-sit & compression work + (maybe rings pelican curls to add biceps as they seem lacking in this routine to me)
2. Lower+lower back
   • Pistol squats 3x5-8 + elevated single leg glute raise 3x8-12
   • Harrop curls to nordic curls 3x5-8 + sissy squats 3x5-12
   • Back hyper extension 3x15 + tibia 3x max (calves done with jump rope few times a week)

What do you think about this idea?

Is the front lever a good compensation for planche work? In the book it says that front lever should be worked with or after back lever (I can do a tuck BL but I don't train it).

Or would I rather add dips and a pull (like face pulls or biceps) instead for overall strength?

Is the pelican curl needed at the end as accessory? I have the impression that biceps could use some work for balance. Or do you see another weakness to work on?

Thanks for your inputs and sorry for the pile of text!