Warning: Undefined array key "inject_bottom_color" in /home/0excusesfitness/public_html/wp-content/plugins/newsletter-leads/plugin.php on line 143
Warning: Undefined array key "inject_bottom_color" in /home/0excusesfitness/public_html/wp-content/plugins/newsletter-leads/plugin.php on line 159
Warning: Undefined array key "" in /home/0excusesfitness/public_html/wp-content/plugins/newsletter-leads/plugin.php on line 159
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/0excusesfitness/public_html/wp-content/plugins/newsletter-leads/plugin.php on line 160
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/0excusesfitness/public_html/wp-content/plugins/newsletter-leads/plugin.php on line 161
Dear Reader,
Way back in the day when I was a skinny lad trying to pack on some much needed muscle and STRENGTH to my frame, I was given a lot of advice.
One of them was to “lift 5kg dumbells repeatedly for 15 minutes daily on both sides” as that “is really what builds strength”.
While those of you in the A.M. are no doubt spitting up your coffee as you read this – and those of you fixing to go to bed are no doubt goggling as well, the fact remains that this was but ONE of the MANY useless pieces of advice I received in this regard.
I was told to “jog for 15 minutes a day as that would get me looking more like a wrestler”. Not kidding you, my friend. That was also supposed to build up upper body!
I was told to visit the gym – and pound weights – and years later, I have got folks routinely asking me if I go to the gym because “my back is built” – or “because I look like I go to the natural gym“.
And so forth.
Anyway, as I’ve said before, pushups were one of the keys to building up my shoulders to the point where I can knock of hundreds of pull-ups per set and not feel it – ditto for hundreds of pushups, and the 0 Excuses Fitness Videos are but one example of a 500 pushup workout accomplished in a day.
So are the workouts – but while the pushups added plenty of strength and mass to my upper body there was ONE exercise missing from my regimen, and those in the know KNOW what I BE talking about.
That was the handstand pushup – an excellent exercise overall, and the very best thing you can do in terms of building both barndoor lats and shoulders so wide you’ll have to turn sideways to go in through doors!
But beware. The way the people most people teach this great exercise is flat out WRONG.
When I first started out doing these, I ended up with wrist pain from doing ’em incorrectly – – and also – – watch this space – – from NOT being ready to do ’em properly!
The second is key, my friend. It’s not enough to “want” to do something – you have to be READY to do it – and while I’m not going Napoleon Hill on ya again, ’tis a fact that you have to BUILD your body up to the point you can knock off handstands, and then handstand pushups in all their shapes, forms and variants!
What if you can’t even get into a handstand – let alone knock out handstand pushups?
Well, take heart for one. You ain’t alone – and the first step, of course is to do what is mentioned in Shoulders like Boulders – and get good – REAL good at the SUPPLEMENTARY movements in there.
That’s right. Get good at the Hindu pushups and reverse pushups – and the others mentioned in the book BEFORE you jump into handstand pushups.
Apart from these, there are a few other shoulder blasters that are superlative exercises in their own right, but are exercises I haven’t covered as yet in any of my courses.
Por ejempelo, the PIKE pushup. This is not only a great exercise by itself, but is a great way to build up to doing handstand pushup – and again – form and FOCUS while doing the exercise are KEY here.
There are many more of these, and I’m planning on putting together another “intermediary” course on building the shoulders very soon. Perhaps I’ll include it along with “Shoulders like Boulders” – who knows!
Stay tuned – – and in the meantime, if you haven’t already picked up a copy of Shoulders like Boulders, and if you haven’t already started pumping out handstand pushups by the dozen – do so NOW, my friend.
It truly is the best thing you’ll ever do for your shoulders!
Best,
Rahul Mookerjee
P.S. – Belief is what makes thing happen. When you operate with TRUE BELIEF – the bricks in the game of LIFE – and FITNESS as well – truly DO fall into place as though a magic wand had touched them. Results will certainly follow in a most astounding manner — and while that bit is paraphrased from Claude Bristol’s the Magic of Believing, I can ATTEST to the truth behind this – and when it comes to handstands – and believing you can do ’em – and believing you can build them Shoulders like Boulders – – believe me now and trust me later – – the above holds true indeed!
P.S #2 – If there is one book you MUST read – it’s the Magic of Believing. It’s changed countless lives over the globe, and has changed mine too – along with others I advocate – all must reads!
P.P.S – Stay tuned for more on my China “return” trip. Watch this space for more on that! That hill BE awaiting, and so are many new products I’ve got in mind. Stay TUNED.
Sign up for the 0 Excuses Fitness newsletter.
Thanks for signing up. Remember to confirm your subscription via the link you get in your email.