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Strength & Conditioning – Pamela Gagnon: Week 3

Follow this four-week cycle to achieve better handstands, freestanding handstand push ups, press handstands, and handstand walking.

Pamela Gagnon

Written by Pamela Gagnon Last updated on October 13, 2014

EDITOR’S NOTE: Pamela Gagnon was introduced to CrossFit in 2010 andrecently finished eighth at the CrossFit Games Masters Division. Pamela has made Regionals as an individual for four consecutive years. She coaches at Rising CrossFit Ballantyne in Charlotte, North Carolina and travels the world as a Lead Coach for CrossFit Gymnastics Certifications with Jeff Tucker. As a busy mother and wife, she feels lucky to be able to coach, train, and do gymnastics into her forties.

Four Weeks of Handstands and Handstand-Based Skills and Strength

Throughout the next four weeks, I will be programming essential movements to help with your balance, shoulder and core strength, and coordination – all essential components of handstands, freestanding handstand push ups, press handstands, and handstand walking.

Focus on these four things when doing handstand work:

  1. Form matters! Pointed toes, tight core, and active shoulders are all important.
  2. Keep the majority of your weight mid palm but use your fingers to “grip” the floor to find balance.
  3. Gaze your eyes in-between your thumbs (without moving your head too much). This will help you find your balance.
  4. Spread your fingers for more surface area.

*** Always ask for a spot when needed or scale the movement.

Click on a week to go directly to any of the four weeks of programming:

  • Week 1:Balance, Handstand, and Core
  • Week 2:Walking and Core
  • Week 3:HSPU, Pressing, and Core
  • Week 4:Putting it all Together

Or, click here to download the PDF including a link to the YouTube playlist.

Week Three – HSPU, Pressing, and Core

Day One

Rx’d work:

8 minute AMRAP of

  • 4 strict HSPU *rx+ = do them freestanding!
  • 6 strict knees to elbows (get knees to elbows, not armpit)
  • 80ft handstand walk

Scaled work:

8 minute AMRAP of

  • 4 strict HSPU (off box)
  • 6 strict knees to elbows (can do laying on floor holding pole)
  • 8 plate walks
Handstand Plate Walk

Video: Pamela Gagnon - Handstand Plate Walk, Scaled

Day Two

Rest as needed between sets.

Rx’d work:

  • 5×5 deficit HSPU, 12″ or more
  • 3×10 L-hold to standing press (off parallettes)
  • 5 max-effort floor slides in pushed out hollow position (use frisbee to slide)

Scaled work:

  • 5×5 deficit HSPU (off box)
  • 3×10 L hold to standing press (off box)
  • 5 max effort floor slides in pushed out hollow position (use frisbee to slide)
Video: Pamela Gagnon - Hollow Body Slides

Video: L or Tuck to Pressing Stand with Pamela Gagnon

Day Three

Rx’d work and scaled work:

10 min emom

  • 8-10 strict HSPU (small deficit for RX+)
  • 8-10 strict toes to bar or scaled: hollow ball press
Hollow Ball Press with Pamela Gagnon

Pamela Gagnon

About Pamela Gagnon

Pamela discovered gymnastics by happenstance. She was six years old and loved playing around the empty living room in her house. Her mom saw her doing splits and signed her up for a local gymnastics class the following week. After the first class, the teacher told her mother to send her to a “real” gymnastics club - and so it began. Pamela reached the national level in high school and continued her endeavors as a scholarship gymnast at a Division I university.

After college, Pamela continued coaching gymnastics at night and received her Masters in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She began her career in New Jersey as a fourth grade teacher and continued teaching sixth grade in North Carolina until she had her own family. While raising her two boys, and going to countless tennis and spinning classes, her sister introduced her to CrossFit in 2010, knowing Pamela would love the thought of competition each day and being on her hands again - in handstands.

Pamela recently finished eighth at the CrossFit Games Masters Division and has made Regionals as an individual for four consecutive years. She is currently a coach at Rising CrossFit Ballantyne in Charlotte, North Carolina and travels the world as a Lead Coach for CrossFit Gymnastics Certifications with Jeff Tucker. As a busy mother and wife, she feels lucky to be able to coach, train and do gymnastics into her forties.

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