The “Accidental” OAOLPU

Categories: Blog Jul 15, 2015

What in the world is a OAOLPU?

Sounds like some kind of Hawaiian something or other, doesn’t it? Maybe a remote island off the coast Kauai where they grow only pineapples or something like that…

Mmmmm… Hawaii…

Sorry - back. Lost me there for a minute.

Where was I?

Ah yes, the OAOLPU.

The One Arm One Leg Push Up.

Here’s what it looks like:



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Yes, that's Tim. My camera-person was unavailable... As was my set designer, my wardrobe guy...)

My mother was recently in town and for the 4th of July we went to a quaint little mountain town with the whole family. (Got a great parking space down one of the side streets.) We poked around in the shops, and got the boy an big ol’ chocolate ice cream cone, which he shared with his little sister.

We grabbed a late (for us) lunch at a little coffee house (trout omelette… Mmmm…). Then the kids started melting down. To make matters more interesting, it started to rain… Sideways. Fortunately the car was about 100 yards from the coffee house and I grabbed both kids and took them to the car, with their mother and their Nana a couple minutes behind.

The boy went in his carseat first, then my daughter. As I put her in, my sunglasses fell off my shirt and clattered on the ground somewhere. After strapping her in, I stooped down to look for my sunglasses.

They were under the car - way under the car - about the center of the car - just about an arm’s reach away. With the ground wet, and the rain coming down, I didn’t want to mess around any more than I had to. So I assumed a push up position and reached under the car with my right arm, balancing on my left. I really had to reach to get them so my left leg popped up to counterbalance my right arm and I found myself balancing in the push up position on my left arm and right leg. I grabbed my sunglasses with my fingertips, and pushed myself up without my right hand or left leg touching the ground. And you know what? It was amazingly easy.

The last time I thought about doing a OAOLPU or even did one, that I can remember, was October 2012 when I trained for and took the Specialist in Bodyweight Strength course taught by Pavel Tsatsouline.

How then I was I able to do the OAOLPU without practicing it?

Was it some kind of adrenaline-fueled “fight-or-flight” situation?

Hardly.

It’s simple.

Consistency.

I consistently, diligently, and patiently drag chain - while crawling.

Yep.

Crawling. Loaded.

Quite honestly, I don’t really like it.

However, over the last 5 years or so, I’ve experimented with it so many times by taking it out and leaving it my programming, I can’t argue with its results.

I “test” the validity of the loaded crawling in my training with an unloaded bodyweight, rock-bottom, butt-to-ankle, single leg squat (also known as a “pistol”). When I take it out the loaded crawling, I tend to lose my pistol. And my knees start to get that old ring of soreness.

Put the loaded crawling back it and “Voila!” - the bodyweight pistol returns and the soreness goes away.

I can’t explain it other than I’ve repeated this test every year for the past 5 years.

Here’s what else:

When I load up the crawling (I prefer dragging chain instead of a sled or a weight vest), my overall work capacity improves. My ability to train harder with the “regular” weights improves. And so does my recovery time.

I’ve learned that the benefits of doing loaded crawling far outweigh the downsides of not doing it.

Back to the OAOLPU -

I mentioned that the last time I even thought about it was October 2012. I tried training the traditional way for it when I was training to do it. But I just couldn’t make it work. Instead, I primarily did backward crawling and loaded backward crawling.

And you know what?

When it was time to do the OAOLPU?

I nailed it.

Easily.

Repeatedly.

So what’s my point in sharing this story with you?

Simple.

Loaded crawling makes you strong.

Really strong.

It ties your “X” together really well. Probably better than anything I’ve ever used. (And that’s especially important for me considering my “X” was virtually untied when I started the crawling.)

And I keep my “X” strong with loaded crawling.

You can too.

Accidental OAOLPU?

Nah… It was planned.

It just showed up when it was needed, but the planning has kept it there all along.

Learn more about the benefits of loaded crawling here.

---