Handstand Push-ups and L-Pull-ups

Workout 16 February 2009:

Time for:
13 HSPUs - 03 L-Pull-ups
11 HSPUs - 05 L-Pull-ups
09 HSPUs - 07 L-Pull-ups
07 HSPUs - 09 L-Pull-ups
05 HSPUs - 11 L-Pull-ups
03 HSPUs - 13 L-Pull-ups

Results: 18'40
Previous Best: 23'50 (4 Aug 08)

Today's workout went a lot better than expected. I was not expecting a 5-minute improvement especially since I forced myself to do full range of motion on the pull-ups. In the past when doing L-Pull-ups, I generally did not lock my elbows out at the bottom position. In other words, I was cheating, and I forced myself to stop today. The improvement is due to general increased upper-body strength and also better proficiency with dead-hang ("normal") pull-ups. Starting a month or two ago, I included dead-hang pull-ups in my warm-up instead of just kipping pull-ups. I think this played a big role in me feeling more comfortable with a full range of motion on the L-pull-ups.

Here's some advice and explanations for those of you who might try this workout.
Handstand push-ups are just like they sound. Do a handstand, lower your chin to the floor, then push back up until your elbows are locked out. Do this against a wall for safety and support. If you're not quite strong enough to touch your chin, touch the top of your head instead. If you can't do these at all, elevate your feet as much as possible and do "traditional" push-ups.
An L-pull-up is done much like a normal pull-up except you raise your straightened legs so they're at 90 degrees to your torso. You will look like an "L" from the side. Keep your legs at 90 degrees for the full pull-up.