I have been making massive progress in so many areas. The biggest area coach and I have been focusing on is front handsprings. This technique has caused issues for 2 years and twisted me knee 7 times. The fear was real as I kept hurting myself. For the last three months I have been working with coach on the floor and coming off a springboard and if you read recent posts you can read about the challenges and progress. Well yesterday coach got me to start on the blocks again and very quickly we regained good form and then he said lets take it to the floor. I was reluctant but trusting and sure enough after a couple of survival turns I was able to make one and then made 6/7. Going to do more today to get it into the body.

I was working on back handsprings as well and then standing back tucks which will  be going to be floor very soon as well. Then coach said lets got for Front Tucks. So I was able to do that on the padded tumbltrak very quickly and he goes lets test something Bobbie. I want to see Front Tuck followed by a rebound in anticipation of Front Tuck-Front Tuck (which is going to be my Level 8 Floor Front pass)  Sure enough I was able to get the rebound and so we started work on it. I did not get the second Front Tuck it looked more like a Front Tuck diving somersault but the principle is there to build upon and I will get this very quickly. I love it.

I then got to have a photo shoot for some more magazine requests. Jennie Edwards my angel photographer came in and did a photo with myself and coach for ‘Coach’ magazine. We also did five more covers for other magazines as well. It was fantastic and I am so looking forward to seeing the proofs. Thanks Jennie.

My flexibility is increasing. One of me PST (Physical Support Team) Heather who does massage has this incredible tool for assisting in breaking up scar tissue so twice a week I get to lay in an bridge with my ribs wide open snd she gets to work all the small muscles between the  ribs and using this decide break up and remove the scar tissue. Yesterday she came across this big knot of tissue and worked on it for a couple of minutes and by the end of it it was gone. I then stood up with assistance and WOW could I feel the ribs opening up even more. It feels comfortable and as the muscles get worked and trained they will be able to handle the extra workload. So I am expecting even more breakthroughs today. Go Heroes!!

Another great day down at the gym. My rib was playing up a little and rather than push it I decided to focus on handstands and other techniques. I upped my handstand requirement to 3z from 2z and still got 3/10 which was great. So this was huge progress. I then did some average pirouette turns and then began work on Beam handstands. I have hit a key distinction and that is to focus on getting the feet together. When I focus on that I have a MUCH stronger chance of hitting great form and being able to hold it to 1z. My first set was mediocre but was next set was 5/10 which is incredible.

I followed that with Press Handstands. So much of this is the kickup which at the moment I need to do. In time there will be no kick and it will be totally controlled through strength and balance. I started off with much higher expectations than yesterday and still only made one completely to handstand (1z) but many others were strong showing me the technique is improving. This is now going to be an automatic part of my regular workouts.

I then did my handstand walks which were good but not spectacular. It is important conditoning because the more steps I can take on my hands in good form the faster I am going to be able to do 100 steps. Which is my best big goal (after 50).

I then did a lot of other techniques to be back in doing them down the gym as well. There is so much I need to work on to get where I want to but then if I look back at all the hard work I put in every day I can see the results. Techniques I take for granted today were impossible months ago. Discipline and rigor are the keys to accomplishing miracles in your life and do not judge the daily ups and downs. They are an inevitable part of success. Just understand success will come with time. To success and beyond. Go Heroes!!!

I love it when the pieces just keep coming together. After lots of breakthroughs yesterday I decided today was going to be another awesome day of progress. I went in and started stretching. Initially I was relectant to go for it all out but made a commitment to go for a Sexto slinky and see if I could go further. Well I did an Octoslinky as my first technique. Now an Octoslinky used to be my Holy Grail that OMG if I can do that it will be the best ever. To make it my first technique in the morning just blows me away. It will not be long before I am doing a Decaslinky to warm up each morning. Wow!!

Next I did Double Slinkies using my off leg. 5 weeks ago I could not even do one using my off leg and here I am doing four Doubles and just fell short of a Triple slinky using my off leg. If will not be long before I am doing multiple Quadslinkies using the off leg and beyond.

I then did 5 perfect Upslinkies (L-2) but my separated rib was causing stress so I decided to wait and then focus on handstands. My first set was UGLY!! once I was warm however I was able to do 7/10. I have never done that many counting to 2z. Huge progress. I then did mediocre piroutte handstands before going for beam handstands. Again the first set was mediocre and I then went for it again and got my best ever of holding it to a count of z. That is going to start making a huge difference on the beam in holding a handstand.

My handstand walks were average today and then I decided to test doing part of the press handstands. This is where you start with hands on the ground and then using feet on the ground, kick up and going through the sidesplits bring the feet into a perfect handstand. I am going to need this for handstands on the bars so I decided to go for it. First srt, good foundation, second set stronger, third set stronger, fourth set glimpes of excellence and on the fifth set I made one up into perfect handstand position and counted to z. Now I have a whole new benchmark. Absolutely incredible.

I finished up doing some kicks and also doing coupe and passe walks. I need to do more of this to assist my turns. I used to do these for a while and then stopped. I am going to be changing my routine a little and doing less of each technique and doing more different techniques. I really want it back to four hours every day or five when working with coach.  I have so much more conditioning to get my body into elite shape. I am on the right track though. Go Heroes!!!!

Wow what a couple of days. I forgot to take  my camera yesterday to train with coach which was frustrating because I knew big things were up. We did our Level 6 Vault and began flipping it from the beginning. We were making great progres and then coach put these giant wedge shaped mat between the springboard and the vault table so I had to go higher in good form. Kinds freaky weird but over I went. Coach rocks. Made a lot of progress. Our goal is to keep tightening this vault and then we start working on the same vaule with a full twist. To do the full twist I need to be tight form like a layout.

We next made massive progress on Front Handsprings. We carried on from the setup coach had the day before where we put all these large blocks and then did the front handspring off that onto matting at a lower level. The other day I was able to flip these consistently in good form which is what coach needed so yesterday we did more in great form and then we gradually added another mat and coach let me loose. I made it multiple times then he added another mat to bring it up almost to floow height. I started making them by myself as well. one of the biggest challenges of this technique is getting the body shape which is counter intuitive.

We then did more work on Back Extension Roll. I have been working on my Level 5 Floor Routine for ages now and there has been three major blocks. 1) Back Walkovers. These I can do when my back is warmed about 96.76% of the time. Can be tighter but not an issue blocking us anymore. 2) Front Handspring. I had twisted my knee seven times doing this technique and it severely put me back in so many areas. No I am approaching doing it on the floor. So within 2 weeks this should be moving into conditioning rather than having the body understand the technique like it is now. 3) Back Extension Roll. This is a challenge becausr my shoulder still has some issues. It is getting better through certain exercise drills but having problems on the floor. This is now the biggest block and something I get to focus on.

After those I moved onto Front Tucks. Nailed five of those. Coach was ecstatic. Then standing Back Tucks. I did both of these on the TumblTrak with the additional padding. Next it will be to the floor. I finished with a mediocre bar routine and was down on myself but in reality I did awesome!!

Afterwards coach was saying, Bobbie your tucks are fantastic. I asked him when can we take the Front Tuck and Back Tuck back to the floor. He said next week. He said he will spot initially but I am so strong I will be able to do it by myself very shortly. He then said we will be working soon on Front Handspring Stepout Front Handspring [L6] and then Front Handspring Stepout Front Tuck [L7] and then Front Tuck Front Tuck [L8]. He said I will need that to be doing Front Tuck on the beam for Level 8 Beam.

Today I went down to LA Fitness to do my conditioning work and my body felt great with lots of sleep. After my initial stretches I could feel my chest opening more with the recent adjustments of Doc and the massage work from Heather. Wow. I went to do my first technique and then did a Sextoslinky as my first warmup, followed by an Elvaslinky (11) . This is the first time I have ever had the strength to do 11. Up until now I have done 10 three times. I can see now at some point doing Femtoslinky (15) and more. Hmm Possibilities. (I do not latin above 10 so I am using Swedish) (11-Elva, 12-Tolva, 13-Trettio, 14-Fjorta, 15-Femto, 16-Sexton. 17-Sjutto, 18-Orta, 19-Nittio, 20-Tju)

I did some other techniques and even thought the handstands were good they were not record breaking and it was not until I got to Handstand Walks that the next mega breakthrough. My highest average has been 15.3 steps per walk. Today I felt great. I did a 19 walk then soon after a 38, a 32 and a 34 walk for a total of 203 or 20.3 steps per walk or a 33% increase in performance.  Incredible and I can feel walks of 40-50 coming up soon. My goal is to get to 100 steps and walk the full length of the space available.

It is amazing feeling all these breakthroughs. So many. Looking forward to tomorrow where I get even better. Go Heroes!!!

I mentioned in previous posts about getting into the Breakthrough Zone where a combination of conditioning and skill acquisition have kicked in where breakthroughs are about to happen. The last couple of days have been incredible. I have been working on slinkies as my warm up technique for a while now so I stretch out my back using the cobra pose and then go straight into a slinky (band bend-Kickover) I was doing one and then increasing the number. For a while I was able to 1,3,5 meaning a slinky then triple slinky and then pentaslinky. This has now changed. A couple of days ago I did my a single slinky folllowed by a pentaslinky followed by a decaslinky. I have only ever done three of those in my life as they are so exhausting on my body and now to be doing it as the third technique in the morning is so incredible.

I then started work on slinkies using my off foot. If you read earlier posts you will know that just over a month ago, this was impossible for me and when I had gone for it, I had hurt myself. Well I am now doing double slinkies with the off leg and on the verge of doing Quad slinkies. I still have some technical aspects to work on but they are getting better. Once the technical aspect of foot placement is improved it should be bam over and over. I love it.

Then I worked on my Combo (See earlier posts) and was able to do three in a row in perfect form and then decided to go for a double combo and sure enough I nailed it perfectly. To go from a single to a double combo is to double the already five techniques making it almost like a decaslinky because of the ten different back moves.

I did some more work on handstands which are getting stronger and stronger and then began working on  my Handstand walking. It was awesome out of the gate when I did a 25 step walk already beating my personal best. From there it got even better. Over half the walks were 20+ steps and I did my first ever 30 step walk. Now my basic handstand is so solid, this is a huge step because it allows much more sense around balance, motion and weight adjustments which will be critical for the beam and handstand pirouettes.

I am now training with coach 11 days over the next three weeks and cannot wait to see the incredible results I am going to get. I am loving my life, loving Kenny and loving my Heroes. Go Heroes!!!!

It is amazing watching the journey unfold as I move from the impossible to consistent to effortless. I recently started working on Kickovers off the wrong leg. With the now healed ribs there is still a lot of tension in the body as I go off my off foot. Two weeks ago it was impossible. I had never even attempted it because I could not even do it off panel mats. Now I am doing 9-10 every morning and often I kick over cleanly and other times it takes me a couple of attempts. As my shoulders open up and my body conditions more I can clearly see it becoming effortless very quickly and even moving to doing Back Walkovers off the wrong leg.

I have also been working on Front Walkovers and doing ten every day. I am currently using spotters to make this happen and as my back continues to get conditioned I am going to be able to nail this technique. This technique really requires the ability to block off the hands and maintain the arch while moving through it to stand. I love it and it will end up joining my combos at some point.

My handstands are looking nice and while not as consistent as I would like I can do many nice handstands. I look forward to getting back to LA Fitness and drilling every day and also to be able to walk on my hands for 22+ steps. I am most excited about working with coach again. It tests me every time I need to go away from coach but I am very healthy and strong and am getting fitter and stronger every day. So looking forward to getting back.

Here is a picture of Rebecca Bross and the flexibility she has is amazing. I am working on getting this flexible as will. I will get there.

I have been wanting to work on my offside for a while. For most gymnasts we have our strong side and we train that continuously and do not spend a lot of time working on the weak side. For me I have done literally thousands of techniques on my strong side and yet cannot even kickover off the floor on my weak side. It is not the flexibility based on the effortlessness of the strong side so it comes down to technique and strength.

Yesterday I just had a feeling that my back was in great shape and felt it was time to do it. Last time I did it at LA Fitness I broke one of my ribs badly. That time I also was doing it off panel mats and my body was very twisted as I had not had a chance to see Doc. This time I decided a change of technique and decided to just go for it off the floor and keep building up my strength. Yesterday I did 8 and failed and finally made it over on the 9th. First time ever I was exhausted and so excited.

This morning when I went to see if I could improve on it, I set the goal of kicking over three times. I started and failed and failed and failed. After 11 attempts I felt I would have been content with two. When I kicked over on the 12th I justified that any I did was assisting in conditioning. I then proceeded to kickover on the next seven in a row. So the final were 100% or 8/8. I think the body is finally allowing it to flow which is so exciting. The goal now is to cement it into the body and then start doing all the techniques such as Back Walkover and Front Limber Kickovers etc off either foot. So excited about where it is going. Loving Life. Go Heroes!!