Stronger, Higher, Further
Here at Men’s Health we encourage our readers to strive to be the best you can be. To take on challenges and leave your comfort zone, even if there’s a chance you might fall flat on your face. Well, in a case of what’s good for the goose… we, the MH team, felt it was time we pushed our own limits.
On this occasion our challenges are physical. Each MH staffer identified an athletic feat he wanted to achieve. These ran the gamut from CrossFit to ocean swimming. Some chose exercises they’ve previously struggled with. Others opted to try and enhance a strength they already possessed. And some tried to recapture former glory. As always, we sought expert advice, with top-level coaches guiding us through intensive five-week training programs.
Did we succeed? You’ll have to read on to find out. But you can rest assured, each of us gave our all, learned new skills and discovered much about ourselves – to paraphrase Pulp Fiction’s Marsellus Wallace, “pride f*cked with us”. Our efforts were certainly aspirational. We hope you’ll find them inspirational.
“A HANDSTAND STUMBLE IS A BETTER DESCRIPTION OF MY CURRENT ABILITY”
FLIP THE SCRIPT
DO THIS WORKOUT 5 TIMES A WEEK TO TURN YOUR WORLD TOPSY-TURVY
WARM-UP
• Shoulder Floss – 3 minutes per side
• 20 Gentle Kip Swings
• 15 Empty Bar or DB Press
• HS hold – 20-40 sec
• T-Spine Peanut Smash – 3 minutes (Hug a 20kg plate while lying on a peanut massage ball)
FORWARD ROLL
Perform 5-8 forward rolls
Focus: Practise safely forward dismounting and orienting yourself to being upside-down in case of a fall. Use a mat or perform on grass.
HANDSTAND WALK INTO WALL
For five minutes, assume the inverted position and practise walking toward a wall
Focus: Start as close to the wall as needed. Even if it’s one step and then you hit the wall, that’s fine. Record distance.
HANDSTAND HOLD WITH WEIGHT SHIFT
3 x max duration Shift weight from one hand to the other
Focus: Maintaining a perfect hollow position against the wall.
After dabbling in CrossFit for almost five years, it’s down to pure luck that I’ve never been dealt a handstand walk in a competitive workout.
