#goals
It can certainly be gratifying to reach a weightlifting goal. Passing a benchmark goal – like a bodyweight strict press, or a 2xBW back squat – can be the project of a very long time and bring a lot of satisfaction at reaching it. But in the end, that’s just a number, and our feelings about the value of arbitrary numerical accomplishments can be notoriously fickle.
When it comes to gymnastic skills, though, there’s an undeniable yes/no question for each one: can you do it? You can or you can’t… yet. That first rep is an immense sense of accomplishment that, for some people, can stay with them for a lifetime. The first pull up. The first muscle up. The first handstand pushup. Clear, unambiguous thresholds that are tangible proof of your progression.
Now this is not intended as a knock on the value of improving skills beyond “Earning the achievement”; mastery of a movement requires dedicated practice. It’s just an acknowledgement of that dopamine hit that comes from accomplishing a new skill, as opposed to refining a skill to mastery. There is a world of difference between my first freestanding handstand – which I was quite proud of! – and a handstand that a Cirque du Soleil acrobat would consider barely adequate. But with the quality of gymnastic movement it can be hard to quantify that difference sometimes… and I already mentioned how consistent our feelings can be.
Today’s handstand walks provide a bit of both things: the pride of a first time attainment of the skill, and then the easily quantifiable benchmark of reaching a full unbroken walk of 25 feet.
Now if all of this sounds like crazytalk to you, that’s okay. Your coaches have gobs and gobs of substitutions for HS walks (and everything else for that matter) that will challenge you today, and build your capacity towards attaining those first few steps tomorrow.
WOD:
50ft Handstand Walk
25 Toes to Bar
50ft Handstand Walk
50 Alternating DB Snatches (35/50)
50ft Handstand Walk
25 Toes To Bar
50ft Handstand Walk