OK, back in the gym after a really strong class on Sunday. Unfortunately that had some consequences.
[I think @timetoball123 might enjoy this] Sunday involved doing cambrés in one count - that’s the one where you bend forward all the way, following your working arm like a deep bow, and then hinge back up on the beat and bend backwards. As you pass through the vertical, you reverse it just a bit to emphasis just how outrageous the next move is going to be - then you do it, bending backwards from the hip, using the core and chest muscles to unload the back (as one of my teachers said - “the Pilates moment comes before the ballerina moment”), keeping the hips pointing straight forward and the knees locked. You’re still tracking the hand, and you roll your head towards the outside of the movement (usually towards the audience) so your eyeline is through your elbow.
This is usually done real slow. But you can also do it in one count of the music - rip straight up from the floor, through the vertical, and back. In this case you cut the reverse bit or minimise it down to just the tiniest flick. You have the option of doing it with an equal accent on the up and the back, or else powering up and releasing into the back bend.
I did it the first few times under power all the way and then decided to style it up and do the “blast up…and break” version. And yup, our teacher is practically cooing. This morning, though? First overhead press and YANG my back hurts like fuck and I’m staggering about the gym going “Aaah…shit…ballet, motherfucker!” I should probably have paid more attention to that correction about unloading the back.
Anyway this morning some guy with a huge chest and a gut has tied up the goddamn rack, so I thought I’d hit some complexes. This has been on my list of stuff to try for a while, so…
60kg bar. Dead lift, power snatch, front squat, push press. 5 reps. Go.
This went for 6x5 and it was AWESOME. Pouring sweat and sucking so much air, and great to hit really big range of movement too. Complexes are as bad-ass as everyone says. Certainly going to do a regular complex day.
To stretch out the back and work the shoulders, and also because I like them, I did 6 sets of 5 pull-ups.
Finished up with a minute of 24kg kettlebell swings. Got I think 72? Anyway a bit more than one a second.
I am now sweaty, hungry, but my back is still furious. After the first AARGH it didn’t actually give any trouble lifting, but it’s definitely complaining.