Skill Increase: Balance

FYI This takes a lot of core strength. I've been working on my superman's for almost 9 months, and it could still use some work (I think my stomach should probably be tighter and my back should be straighter, rather than arched, but I'm really shocked at how much progress I've made.)

So Wednesday I went to Urban Evolution in Manassas, as is my thing, to learn silks from the very talented and experienced Robin Berry. I also braved the static trapeze for the first time (In the background behind me in this photo). I decided that I really like static trapeze, and I'd really like to develop my skills at it. It takes a lot of strength and balance, but, thank god, not nearly as much endurance as silks does. Hopefully sometime in the near future I'll have some pictures up. My real challenge learning trapeze is that I really don't have anywhere to take classes. While Urban Evo has a trapeze, it's not actually hung correctly and no one is available to teach a class. Eventually I'll probably have to go somewhere for proper training. For now, though, I'll have to rely on YouTube videos and luck to see me though, with occasional input from Robin.

Anyway, after aerials, I stuck around on Wednesday for gymnastics, my first time back in about six months. So, I am not good at gymnastics. I am working on my strength and flexibility, and they have dramatically improved, but at the end of the day, I have dexterity of like 8. I.E. I am so fucking clumsy it's a miracle I haven't broken my neck yet. This is especially bad because whenever I think of gymnastics I think of tumbling. I really, really want to tumble. Specifically, I really, really want to learn to do a back handspring, because I consider that to be an automatic qualification for being a superhero. Read a marvel comic sometime. I'm fairly certain the handsprings account for approximately 76% of the best defensive and offensive skills. In fact, I'm fairly certain there are a few characters whose powers derive solely from their capability to perform a handspring, and I want to save the world and hang out in the Avengers Mansion, just like them.
I did not actually do a handspring on Wednesday. I worked on the much less offensively effective cartwheel instead. But I'm hoping that once a week doing gymnastics will eventually allow me to build my library of power attacks and help me to be an overall better fitness nerd. Also, gymnastics kicked my ass. Like, literally for two days my ass hurt like someone had taken a bat to it. Respect gymnastics, everyone. It will spank you like BDSM enthusiast.

Friday, I am proud to say, I finally won an argument against my boyfriend, who insists, time and again. that the little gym at our apartment complex sucks because there are no bar bells and therefore nothing to do there. True fact: THERE IS SHIT TO DO EVERYWHERE. So on Friday night we put on our workout gear and headed to the little community gym. We warmed up on the treadmill, and then went on to work on other things. I did dumbbell goblet squats, hollow body rocks, planks (my enemy...) and handstands in three rounds while working on the treadmill for a few minutes in between each round. Then I did some aggressive stretching. The BF worked on chest presses, handstands, and cardio. I was really excited because I actually tolerated working on the treadmill. This is a big deal because generally speaking running is my greatest enemy, the bane of my fitness existence, the terror that haunts my dreams. Getting better at running is super-exciting, and I'm looking forward to going back to the gym this Friday to work on my running a little more. After all, if you're going to survive the zombie apocalypse you have to have a couple dots in running. It's the rules.
So then we watched Skyfall. SPOILER ALERT: Holy shit Skyfall. Holy shit holy shit holy shit Skyfall that is all.

Saturday I was back at Urban Evo. My friend brought her lyra, so we worked on the trapeze, lyra, and aerial silks. Lot of work, lot of fun. I was a lot of tired afterwards. Here are pictures.

 

On Sunday I went for a zombie walk/run, but it was my first time; kind of a failure, I got eaten by zombies. Guess it's something to work on!

'Til next time!