Another inconsequential update.
Heeding
@Webbo2's advice I'm now restricting the hangs to almost completely active / with shoulders engaged. I do allow myself a little, short dip (a couple of seconds) into a fully relaxed hang since this often gets a pop out of my back and usually three consistent ones from my neck if I angle my head down left, right and forwards during the process... which does seem to free everything up.
I've ramped up the static holds and rows to two sets per sitting (I was originally doing three, then cut it to one due to illness / fatigue and struggled somewhat to come back from this). Thanks to a bit of weight loss recently both exercises have improved a little and while my abilities remain extremely limited the support hold especially feels increasingly comfortable and controlled. I can consistently turn the rings out to about 45 degrees now and IIRC managed 1:30 mins recently on the first sitting although 1-1:15 is more normal.
I have a few ideas for progressions from here - perhaps I need to try and push for a bit more outward rotation at the wrist although I feel like I'm pushing my range of moment currently.
I'm gradually trying more forward lean as this pulls my forearms away from being braced against the rings and requires more strength / control as my arms move away from the vertical as that turning moment needs to be reacted. I also want to try and straighten my body out as my posture is currently pretty "hollow" with my legs extending out in front of me a bit.
The natural end-game to heading in this direction would be a planch, which is basically like holding a pressup position with horizontal body on the rings. This takes an insane amount of strength and control - probably a level I'll never reach but I can dream..
I'm also looking to try a bit more rearward lean in the support hold too; and will try and get my legs out in front of me for an L-sit which seems a bit less unachievable but still taxing.
Like everything else on the rings the smallest progressions aren't easy and often feel like starting from scratch such is the instability present when daring to make even the tiniest of changes.
In keeping with this I recently attempted what I think would be tucked inverted rows as a progression from the usual inverted rows (with my heels on the ground) - this is essentially hanging beneath the rings with back horizontal and knees tucked to the chest and pulling upwards into the rings.
Predictably I failed to even hold the form let alone do any reps... I did discover I was able to hang mostly upside-down with my toes pointing to the sky and legs vertical... which felt pretty good. I can only get into this position currently with the rings low and from kicking up from lying on my back so my shoulders remain rounded and my neck bent as there's not enough space for my head..
This exercise has piqued my interest though so the plan will be to try and raise the rings and improve the form so I'm both fully vertical and straight. Two days later this first go has punished the outside of my shoulders and my side-abs, which are bits evidently not seeing enough attention from other exercises.
I've also become a bit more confident on the monkey bars - now being able to swing from one to the next (rather than the "half measures" of stopping in the middle with both hands on the same bar) although my technique remains shoddy with legs flailing all over the place. Something else to try and get better at though which no doubt will bring transferable strength / skill.
On a different tack I was advised of an assisted pull up machine in a local park recently and gave that a go. Whilst initially put off by how easy it was (I went on to do 20 reps versus the zero I can do unassisted) the effects were certainly felt over the following days - especially in my upper lats although I'm not sure how much my shoulders appreciated it. I think while the ring rows are definitely hitting the lats too it's a different area / in a different direction so is only going to contribute so much to aiding my pull up ability.
I've visited a number of times since this discovery and am now up to about 30 reps. I reckon the machine probably gives in the region of 2:1 assistance and also has value in dictating the correct wide-grip, which previously I was missing before - the narrower grip with near-full arm extension only serving to make the whole process even more impossible.
This excursion has also highlighted how potentially I need to be doing more on the rings, since despite the last session feeling like enough at the time I suffered zero DOMS in the days afterwards, perhaps suggesting I'd not worked hard enough.
In other news my upper arms remain undeveloped so I continue to target these with arm curls; I hear inclined benches are good for this but I have no room for one. I'm also trying to do more narrow-ish grip press ups to hit the triceps; something I've always struggled with but I think my reduced weight has actually made these achievable. I'm also not sure how "good" my previous wide-grip efforts were for my shoulders.
All this currently seems like a bit of a mess - with opportunities scattered across two parks with the weights at home; really I need to figure out some sort of cohesive program to most efficiently fit everything in / factor in recovery time... as currently everything just gets done ad-hoc / when I feel like it... although I suppose this is better than nowt
