INTERVIEW WITH KONSTA KOIVURANTA FROM FINLAND

ATHLETE INFORMATION:
Full Name: Konsta Koivuranta
Age: 23
Country: Finland

SOCIAL INFORMATION:
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/konsta.koivuranta
Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/FunkyMonkeyFIN

EXTRA INFORMATION:
Time doing street workout: I started doing street workout seriously just a little bit over a year ago.
Important events:
Street Workout World Cup: Stage 3 – Norway, Fredrikstad. (7th)

QUESTIONS:
How did you get involved in the street workout world?
I have been doing breakdance, parkour and martial arts  tricking on and off since I was 11 years old. I started doing chin ups seriously 3,5 years ago as chinups/pullups is a competitive sport in Finland. 3 years ago I  saw videos of street workout on youtube and I thought it looked cool. I started doing some street workout among my other trainings but started it seriously in Spring 2013.

Why did you choose to practice street workout?
I have always been interested in acrobatics and strength. In street workout they are allied so it is a perfect sport for me. In street workout there are no strict regulations, so you can be creative which I like a lot!

How is street workout reflected in your life?
I’m a chairman of recently founded Street Workout Association of Finland. Our goal is to promote street workout in Finland as it is not well known in here. Among promotion work for street workout I also teach it and train it myself. I have a AC-joint osteolysis going on on my left shoulder so I’m not able to do pushing movements at the moment. I had the same condition on my right shoulder 2 years ago and it healed itself in 10 months and I believe the left one will do the same!

What are your short term, mid term and long term goals with street workout?
My short and mid term goals are to make street workout popular in Finland. Another goal is to get my AC-joint healed so that I can do pushing movements again.
My long term goals depends on if there’s weight classes coming to street workout competitions in the future. I have no chance against light weight competitors as I weigh over 80 kilos. If weight classes will come, street workout will be a competitive sport for me. If not, it will be just a hobby.

How many times do you workout during the week?
At the moment I workout 5 times a week. I have a recovery week in every 4 weeks when I do light intensity training only.

Do you have any specific workout plan or you just improvise and do your thing?
I have a specific workout plan for chin ups and some other movements but most of the movements I train mainly in intuitive manner.

Which would be the most complex move you achieved (tell us about the process it took you, to achieve it)?
It’s hard to point out just one move, but it could be strict form handstand clap pushups. To be able to do it, you need a lot of explosive vertical pushing strength and also handstand skills. You can watch the move in this video at 0:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn0jzL9zt_U .

Which would be the best experience you had doing street workout?
I don’t have a specific best experience but it is awesome when I manage to get in a flow state where I have 100% concentration in street workout.

What inspire or motivate you to keep on doing street workout?
My personal progression and other athletes’ performances! Also the good feeling I get from it and the community.

Which would be the worst experience you had doing street workout?
Injuries suck. I have had quite a many injuries during my life. In street workout it is important to do movements in every directions, so that there won’t come muscle imbalances. I have done too much vertical pulling and pushing compared to horizontal pulling so my shoulders are rotated forward. I have done corrective exercises for a year and I still have a lot of work to do to correct the issue.

What do you expect from the street workout community in the next couple of years?
I hope that the community will grow and become more tolerant. There are some intolerance in street workout community towards crossfit and weight training in gym. It doesn’t matter to me if the strength is acquired from weight training or calisthenics. It also doesn’t matter to me if there is people doing butterfly pullups. Let the people do their thing!
Also I hope that there would come weight classes in street workout competitions so that heavy people would be able to do it in competitive manner.

Can you give an advise for all the people that would like to start doing street workout?
Give it a try! There are lots of tutorial videos on the internet so it will be easy to start. I also recommend you to contact your local people who do street workout so that you can get help from them.

Share some words to inspire the community:
Train wisely and have fun!