Charles’ Parkour Training Blog

One full year after the launch of www.RochesterParkour.com we now offer girl jams! The female only jams are designed to introduce new or interested traceuses to parkour in a more welcoming environment. Jams are lead by RocPK’s own Jessie K who has been in the discipline for almost a year now.

At the moment, RocPK Girl Jams are hosted at Manhattan Square Park at noon. We feel this is the best move for beginning traceuses as it gives you more direct attention to learn new skills, while also allowing you to stay after the girl jam for the normal meet up at 2:30pm to socialize and train with the rest of the community.

Do not be afraid to ask questions about this event! Here are some pictures of the fun had last weekend:

Doing a great job girls! Keep up the good work! For more pictures, please visit my Flickr.

Several years ago I ran into this wonderful lecture given by one of my favorite modern philosophers, Alan Watts. Alan explains:

This past weekend I ran into several younger traceurs who, while being incredibly devoted to progressing in the art, were progressing for the wrong reasons. This post is to serve as a gentle reminder that your journey through parkour, and life in general, is a beautiful musical composition and no one part of it is more significant than the others.

While we all, to varying degrees, strive to become something better, oftentimes that drive is influenced by the wants and wishes of others. No one expects anything of you. And while everyone wants to act and train the same way the more experienced traceurs train, don’t forget to sit back and enjoy your time as a beginner. Without frustration and failure, success is nothing and means nothing.

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Today I head off to see the wonder that is Seattle, Washington. I’ll be there for about two weeks and I’ll be hanging out with the Parkour Visions crew Tyson Cecka and Janine Cundy! Going along with me are my two roommates Artem Sivak and Zac Cohn as well as our NYPK friend Jesse Danger.

This is my first time being out west and I’ve been told that Seattle is definitely one of the most beautiful places in the United States, not to mention on of the greatest places to train parkour.

I purchased a new lens for my camera and plan on documenting my trip. I may update a couple times while I’m there.

Peace!

Sleep - Only about 3.5 hours…I need to work on this

Warm up -

supersonic oasis

500m row 1:34

Work Out- (pressed for time)

Squats

• airsquat x 10
• 135# x 5
• 185# (High Bar Position) x5
• 255# (Low Bar) 3×5

OAC (right arm only)

• 3×3 3 finger assisted, slow negatives

No dips because the gym has yet to replace the weight belt…sigh…

Front Lever

• Adv Tuck 1 minute – 12-15 second holds

Deadlifts

• 135# x 5
• 185# x 5
• 225# x 5
• 275# x 5 (New PR)
• 295# x 5 (New PR)

 

I was pressed for time today so didn’t get too much in. The weight belt not being replaced is really starting to piss me off. I would love to get back on the road to my 2xbw dip. Squats didn’t feel too bad although still fairly light. I wish I could get back into my normal schedule and squat every other day, but work and school has been consuming my life.

I didn’t set out to PR today in the deadlift, but I was cutting in with another guy today, and after doing the set of 275# and realizing how easy it was I decided to push it further. The 295# was definitely heavy but not “hard.” I’m excited to see where this goes. 

I’ll update my equilibre practice tomorrow. Need to rest the right shoulder (supraspinatus). I’ve been pushing it kind of hard.

“You’re pretty thin for a weight lifter..” exclaimed the border patrol agent. I smiled and calmly replied, “I guess I’m deceiving, officer.” He gave me an interesting look, paused, and turned back, a smirk coming to his thin lips. “Show me your hands.” I chuckled to myself and did as I was directed…

 

 

“Yeah…you weight lift…” was his reply. “Go on through. I hope your friend is okay.”

 

Alright, so it wasn’t really a lie I gave to the fine young gentleman that protects our nation’s borders. I was, in fact, in Canada for the weekend to “exercise” and a parkour jam could, technically, be referred to as a “seminar.” I understood how strange it would be to not only have to explain parkour to an already suspicious-by-nature federal agent, but to also be driving a vehicle not registered in mine or any immediate relative’s name. But these are the twists I must deal with in my life and I never imagined the injuries my left hand sustained this weekend would make my explanation easier when crossing the border. Sometimes things just work out…

 

This past weekend’s turmoil took place at none other than The Monkey Vault, a unique parkour gym owned by Daniel Iaboni in Toronto, Ontario. Toronto is an easy three and a half hour drive across the border from Rochester and we figured it was time to take some of the RocPK kids for an adventure. We packed our bags and set out late Friday afternoon.

 

After dealing with the border patrol grilling us to find out more about what parkour was and why we were traveling to Canada for it, as well as several wrong turns, we finally arrived at our destination. The gym was nothing at all what I expected.

 

Danno’s gym is everything you could possibly dream about when you think of a hole in the wall “gymnasium” that does it right. Upon entering, you will be hit with the sight of gymnastics, bouldering, and parkour all coming together to make a wonderful training friendly environment. Much of the bottom floor is covered in expensive gymnastics style spring flooring accompanied by a medium sized foam pit (conveniently located under the second floor balcony!). In the back is a small bouldering area that wraps its way around much of the right wall. The rest is rather undeveloped still.

 

Upstairs you’ll find a quaint, but entirely functional barbell lifting area equipped with a squat rack, pull up/dip/leg raise machine, bench station, and a GHR (as well as assorted dumbells, kettlebells, and medicine balls). Also upstairs is a full bathroom with a shower that spews nothing but Canada’s finest freezing water. I forgot to get a shot of the upstairs, so here’s Zac sleeping!

 

When I arrived, the others were already waiting patiently in a circle, eager to start moving around. We started with a dynamic core workout which looked something like this:

 

3 Rounds 10-20-30 of:

 

Reclined explosive knee raises (I’ll explain this in a later article)

V-Ups

Toe touches

Candlestick raises (explain later as well)

 

V-Ups killed me and this is the first time I have experienced abdominal DOMS in a very long time. We moved onto the lower body and began doing box jump circuits which tranistioned into tic-tac rebound training where we had to tic-tac from one wall and double leg bound to the opposite wall in as little leaps as possible. After this, Danno placed a vaulting box in our path and instructed us to tic-tac and box jump onto the box utilizing only one jump.

 

It was late and we were all tired. One by one we fell asleep inside the gym.

 

Saturday came and we woke up to the disturbing sight of parking tickets. Jesse and I grabbed a shovel and hammer respectively and began smashing away at the wall of ice that was blocking the way to safe parking. Once the situation was handled we headed off into Toronto for some quick breakfast before bouldering.

 

We spent about two hours at the rock gym and I managed, as I usually do with bouldering, to give it my all until I physically cannot grab a hold. I have an issue with obessing over bouldering problems until I have them complete and this one was particularly frustrating. I was too short to make the reach presented below and each time was required to lose my footing and jump to the next hold with my left hand. I accomplished this several times. My final attempt at completing the problem seemed promising but my strength was gone. I fell to find that the final attempt had demolished my left hand and left several, large open wounds.

 

We were met back at the gym with some younger PKTO traceurs who were already practicing and training. I joined in with the others after tending to my wounds. This part of the session was very loose and open and involved much creativity. Instead of explaining I will simply post a series of photos taken during the session.

 

 

The session was fun and exciting, but not without consequence as one of our own, Sam Owen, would come to sustain a devasting broken ankle. I hold Sam in high regard and have nothing bad to say of him as I’m sure he has learned his lesson, however, I do feel a need to reach out and express to my readers that while flips, tumbling, and tricking are fun and exciting…they are dangerous and taxing to the body and need to be assessed as such. Your body requires a lot of time to adapt to the strain you place on it and as a beginning traceur you should always take the time to step back and make sure you are not progressing faster than your body can handle.

 

 

 

“That’s a bitch of a circuit,” the mastermind of that night’s upper body pain mumbled upon completing his final round. Saturday carried on that day’s emphasis on upper body annhialation with a circuit around the gymnastics floor. This next video is Danno’s final round. Don’t judge him; This round was completed after four previous rounds and was his first try at RTO (Rings turned out) Dips.

 

 

Danno’s Monster Arm-Annhialating Circuit from Charles Moreland on Vimeo.

 

 

Jesse and I ran off into the chill Toronto air to find a feast as others slowly passed into slumber. When we returned, Graham, our wonderful EMT-trained friend, informed us that Sam’s ankle was not getting better and was probably broken. Sam needed to get to a hospital. Graham took Sam back across the border that night and left the keys in my hands. “This should be interesting…” I sighed.

 

Sunday was a rather lazy day and the rest of RocPK, minus Zac, Jesse, and myself, took off early. Not before Adam, the new recruit to the crew, beat the gym’s current pull up record, completing a not-too-shabby 23 pull ups before falling. After the crew departed, Danno jumped in our (Sam’s) car and took us to Cloud Gardens to give us a horrible teaser as to what to expect from the big Toronto jam at the end of July. I felt like a kid in a toy store…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the ride there, Danno showed us the major spots that Toronto housed, and by major spots, I mean entire blocks and entire streets of hot spots. Toronto is a traceur’s dream come true with hotspots in literally every direction you turn. It is no longer a wonder in my mind as to why this city has such a massive and thriving community.

 

 

 

With that, we said out goodbye’s and were on our way back to the parkour desert that is Rochester, NY. Toronto is simply a dream for me and the friendships made there during our short visit will surely be taken to heart. Danno’s attitude toward training is greatly inspiring and I cannot wait for July to roll around.

 

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Danno and the PKTO traceurs we met along the way that made our adventure so exciting and beneficial. You have my greatest appreciation.

 

Charles

 

Warm up -

     2×30sec RTO support hold (rings)
     2×20sec  floor handstand
     2×5 pullups
     2×5 dips

Workout -

     4×5 Bulgarian Rows
     4×5 Bulgarian Push ups (RTO)    
     25min Shoulder stand practice (longest hold 8sec, jump into position)
     1min L-sit 
     3min Adv tuck FL ~17 reps
     1min Tuck planche  ~5 reps     
     2min Adv tuck BL ~ 8 reps     
     1min Straddle-L  ~5 reps (needs a lot of        work) 

Cooldown

     20 minutes intense mobility stretching of the hip, torso, and shoulder girdle

A new issue I found relevant to bring to the table this month is the concept of solo training. I feel almost spoiled by the fact that since the beginning of my training and becoming a traceur I have been surrounded by a wonderful group of friends that I train with on a day by day basis. However, it is important to note that solo training has two very distinct facets that can either hinder or speed your progress.

Thankfully (or not, depending on how you look at the situation) I started parkour right from the get go with a dedicated group of people. I can only imagine that this played a major factor in my speedy obsession with parkour and my level of enjoyment during training sessions. Training was always fun and exhilirating.

The outcome of my own situation is the reason why I decided to bring this topic to light this month. Despite my level of skill and my calm personality, I have yet to look back at a solo training session where I have not felt anxious, nervous, or generally awkward. I hesitate to say that this is the experience of everyone, but rather imply that this might be something that needs more emphasis in a traceurs training in the future.

Parkour is expanding exponentially and everywhere more and more rock solid communities are forming of dedicated and casual traceurs alike who schedule events, training sessions, workshops, and other fun get-togethers. And while this is absolutely wonderful to see, change is change and we need to look back and assess how this new sort of environment will affect newer traceurs.

For many of us that began our conquest for ultimate self-control many years ago, or began in a lesser developed parkour region, solo training is simply the only way to go. In many ways this pathway is beneficial. Parkour trained solo becomes an immensely personal sort of experience that allows the trainee to become deeply intuitive to their body. They make progress at their own desired speed and as a result become more comfortable with themselves. Mentally, a traceur who began training alone values the concept of training, in general, at a higher intrinsic level.

While the previous paragraph looks rather perfect, solo training can also be a detriment. By having to begin your training on your own, your progression and safety are completely and totally on your own terms, and for some, those fine lines of what is safe and what is effective are not there or not fully developed. This can cause speedbumps in your progress as a traceur and may even foster into injuries or worse.

Training in a group or at jam-like settings is a truly exciting experience I hope everyone who is reading this has or plans on experiencing. By entering your training with a group of traceurs, you have already boosted your initial knowledge base simply by associating yourself with others who are more experienced. The training you do in this setting is often guided by the group, who then become one acting unit in furthering progression and knowledge of parkour.

However, because the following is true, often times one becomes too wrapped up in the community and can no longer effectively function solo. Creativity flow becomes harder to find on your own, without the input of your piers, and your progression while solo starts to slow down dramatically. The community becomes a crutch that you lean on. An extreme case, but a detriment no less that everyone needs to know and understand.

So what does this all mean and what the hell am I getting at? To finally tie all of this back in, I have been noticing a strong logical trend that accompanies the growth parkour is experiencing today. Parkour training can be accomplished several ways and can be done either solo or with a group. It is important for each one of us to realize that either end of the spectrum is an extreme and by associating oneself solely in one end of the spectrum you are limiting and hindering your growth as a traceur.

This is all to say that as communities become more and more established and continue to become larger, solo training is going to be something that all traceurs (mostly newer ones, though) need to consciously incorporate into their normal routine, or simply accept the fact that they are choosing to limit their growth as a traceur or traceuse.

If you don’t like it, get out there and start getting creative to make it enjoyable and productive. Maybe incorporate music, games, make up challenges for yourself, or just go out and explore on your own. This month, I want everyone to make it a solid effort to get out there and have at least one truly effective and special solo training session. And not only that, but also work to make solo training an important equal to the training you do with your community or friends. Make solo training a staple in your routine as are the jams and classes many of us have become so fond of.

Happy Training,

Charles Moreland

Sleep – 3.5 hours bleh

Warmup -

1.5 mile bike ride to gym
20 airsquats
20 push ups

Workout -

Deadlift
135# x 5
225# x 5
275# x3
295 x 2
305 x 1
315 x 1
325 x 1

Squat
135# HB x 5
185# HB x 5
225# HB x 5
265# LB 3×5

Weighted PU
10# 3×5

Stretching

I was very dissatisfied with my deadlift performance. I figured I’d get 350+ for my 1RM test, but my form dropped significantly past 325. Perhaps I’ll test this again in a month. 

I’m beginning to like the high bar squat position, although I’ve been doing LB for so long that I need to recondition myself for it. 

This is also my first time adding weight to my pull ups since my bicep tendinitis a year ago. 

Weighted dips I’ll do tonight at work.

Weighted Dips
BW x 10
25# x5
50# x5
70#  3×5sweat kool the gang mp3 download

Gymnastics today. I’ll take more film of my straddle presses for critique and I’ll test my OAHS progress. Training circles as well as some PBar work. 

Good news, my boss finally said she would be setting up competition rings in the gym for next session. Very excited to not have to use the ones hanging in my doorway anymore!

Warmup -

Consisted of simple tumbling drills and handstand work

Work out-

Straddle HS press negatives 3×5
-video soon

Attempted OAHS, lots of pain in supraspinatus. Need to rest. Re-asses on Thursday.

Mushroom circle work 25 minutes – probably 100+ swings
-my two consistent circles feel much much more comfortable now, however I still have a very difficult time going for a third. I believe that problem is swing related. Might have decent video of this as well.

HS Pirouette – 15×1 turn

Front support crawls 3×25m
-basically pushup walking but with your feet on a slider

Adv. Tuck FL – 15 12 12 11 11

HS hold for time
-gym record is only 60 seconds or something. I got to 53 seconds before losing my balance and had no strength left to save it. I’ll test this again before my workout next time. I was really fatigued by this point.

ROAC 3×3 3 finger assistarmy of lovers gods of earth and heaven mp3