SL/PE1 Arch Body Hold (ABH)

I'm going to repeat a microcycle of this one as well. My ROM is actually pretty good... at the start, but then the in the last seconds of the last set I'm barely arched at all, so I've technically failed 5x36 s.

I'm starting to thing that having a hot plate in front of my face might work as incentive .

Now seriously, there are two things that are helping me in this exercise:

Focus on breathing correctly, shallow but steady breaths. One will never get 5x60 seconds of anything without breathing correctly I think. I find that focusing on breathing helps me not focus on how much the holds sucks . The other thing is, not only arch your body, raise heels and hands but also press with your belly, like I assume is what will be your pivot point when one graduates to AB rocks. This is tricky to do with and keep the breathing but I feel that I'm getting better at it and I find it helps with ROM. So now for me is really a matter of endurance.

dritar said:

(...) having a hot plate in front of my face might work as incentive

Scorpions... = instant mastery

I just did 3x24s on these now with the "butt to head" technique, and I'm not sure if I am arching high enough but I do manage to keep the same amount of arch throughout all sets, so that's a plus

We've to think that we're training things and aspects of our bodies that gymnasts started to do at very early age with so much ease due to their age. 

It is not a excuse, it is a fact. We've to expect some time of adaptation from our bodies to this type of training and don't think of to obtain the same things that "kids" in a shorter time

I've been working my bridge on the same days as I do the ABH, and I've found it to be really useful for improving my arch.

So thoracic mobility is the culprit, correct? Is there anything else preventing me from getting my head and arms further off the ground at a higher angle? 

I find that forcefully pushing my feet together helps generate extra tension to lift my legs higher as well.

Julian Wilson said:

So thoracic mobility is the culprit, correct? Is there anything else preventing me from getting my head and arms further off the ground at a higher angle? 

if you look at how the Psoas and Iliacus hold the leg into the hip and how the Psoas connects to the back of the spine, short hip flexors are the culprit for less leg extension. (which is what this guy right here is working on to address that) 

so it can be one, the other or a combination of both. 

Perhaps you gentlemen just lack sufficent motivation.  If you like, I can help you with these at the next seminar.  

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach, it seems we have all taken to various paths to try and sort this out. Is there any recommendation on approach or is our free for all acceptable so long as we get there?

- Chris

Actually for those of you with zombie-like mobility (I honestly do not know how some of you manage to tie your shoes in the mornings!), there was an interesting list of 6-7 pre-preparatory elements mentioned not too long ago.  With a few adjustments I thought that the idea was intriguing enough to consider filming them for you guys and labeling the course "The Zombie Back Attack".  

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach Sommer said:

Actually for those of you with zombie-like mobility (I honestly do not know how some of you manage to tie your shoes in the mornings!), there was an interesting list of 6-7 pre-preparatory elements mentioned not too long ago.  With a few adjustments I thought that the idea was intriguing enough to consider filming them for you guys and labeling the course "The Zombie Back Attack".  

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

I'm more of a Thriller kind of guy, but I can dig it. the only thing's i'm having trouble with right now is hip related. everything else is going according to plan and i'm worried that it's because I'm performing the Hip elements wrong. 

Doubtful that you are performing them that badly.  Probably just the residual joy of too many years of desk patrol.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

I "hate" this movement as well

I first started in week 5 and repeated the 2nd cycle twice, after I realized that my ROM sucks badly.

Went back to week 1 used all queues (like ass to head) and this is picture of week 3 3x24sec.

Would you consider it a sufficient arch? Should I proceed to 2nd cycle now or repeat first cycle again and try to improve ROM? Thank you

Coach Sommer said:

Doubtful that you are performing them that badly.  Probably just the residual joy of too many years of desk patrol.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

I guess i'll refilm it from front and side angles and post it on the Foundation Forum to get a form check, then. thanks Coach

spyro7800 said:

I "hate" this movement as well

 

I first started in week 5 and repeated the 2nd cycle twice, after I realized that my ROM sucks badly.

 

Went back to week 1 used all queues (like ass to head) and this is picture of week 3 3x24sec.

 

fotka.PNG

 

Would you consider it a sufficient arch? Should I proceed to 2nd cycle now or repeat first cycle again and try to improve ROM? Thank you

probably better shoulder angle. mine is the opposite xD need to work on the hip extension for surrrrrre

thanks, I did not realize that that will be difficult to improve :/

I performed these as per the week 9 rep scheme and my god they were hard, firt time I'm a long time I've ventured into proper lactic energy system and felt some real muscle fatigue.
Interestingly I awoke two days afterwards to a feel like my back had been worked on by an osteopath and rearranged everything, quite sore and a little uncomfortable but good. A feeling like everything is in the right place
Worked out today with no ill effects other than being slightly tired, got them again tomorrow and I'm determined to maintain better form towards the end of the final set!

spyro7800 said:

thanks, I did not realize that that will be difficult to improve :/

not if we have the tools! which we do, FL iM incorporates bridge work which will improve hip flexor mobility for sure, FL PE will strengthen the abs, so they will get toned and not allow the hips to stretch backwards, SL PE 1 will strengthen hence create more connective tissue in the lower and throughout the back, so the hips will be able to fall in place while we are also working on MN/PE>iM and SLS/SE>iM which works with hamstrings. 

I'm seriously stunned with how much ground is being covered here. 

KeilaniG said:

not if we have the tools! which we do, FL iM incorporates bridge work which will improve hip flexor mobility for sure, FL PE will strengthen the abs, so they will get toned and not allow the hips to stretch backwards, SL PE 1 will strengthen hence create more connective tissue in the lower and throughout the back, so the hips will be able to fall in place while we are also working on MN/PE>iM and SLS/SE>iM which works with hamstrings. 

 

I'm seriously stunned with how much ground is being covered here. 

Sure, but you don't get to the hip flexor helping iM work in the FL series until later -- so, in the meantime the SL series just stagnates?!? It seems really odd placement though, because in order to get the arch necessary for SL/PE1 you have to have some crazy mobile hip flexors, but if you had those, then things like the table in the FL series would be trivial. I am sure there is some other weakness that could crop up giving one grief with that iM, but when you have a problem like ours with the hip flexors it is easy to see everything through that lens.

- Chris

I despise this exercise.  It was fairly hard to begin with and then I came here and realized my feet needed to touch.  I had to go from 48s to 12s....

And it is still hard.  I fear I will be doing 2min handstands and cirques before I move past ABH.  

Coach, we are no longer friends because of this.

chobbs said:

Sure, but you don't get to the hip flexor helping iM work in the FL series until later -- so, in the meantime the SL series just stagnates?!? It seems really odd placement though, because in order to get the arch necessary for SL/PE1 you have to have some crazy mobile hip flexors, but if you had those, then things like the table in the FL series would be trivial. I am sure there is some other weakness that could crop up giving one grief with that iM, but when you have a problem like ours with the hip flexors it is easy to see everything through that lens.

 

- Chris

Things like the table are primarily mobility  elements, not necessarily directly to build strength (although they will if you are opening up new ROMs with them)

Charm said:

Things like the table are primarily mobility  elements, not necessarily directly to build strength (although they will if you are opening up new ROMs with them)

Yeah. My point was, if you are tight in the hip flexor area, then it is a beneficial movement, but it comes well after you need it for building the ROM for SL/PE1. It is a vicious circle that you need the later mobility elements to address the ROM issues in the earlier PE movements.  Well, maybe not "need", but some sure seem like they would help.

This evening I experimented more with the isolated lifts - leaving my trunk on the floor this time and lifting solely with my legs. That was the most limited ROM movement I have done in a long time - my thighs barely clear the floor. I have a long, long road ahead of my for this one it seems.

- Chris

Nick_EOD said:

(...) Coach, we are no longer friends because of this.

ROFL! 

chobbs said:

Sure, but you don't get to the hip flexor helping iM work in the FL series until later -- so, in the meantime the SL series just stagnates?!? It seems really odd placement though, because in order to get the arch necessary for SL/PE1 you have to have some crazy mobile hip flexors, but if you had those, then things like the table in the FL series would be trivial. I am sure there is some other weakness that could crop up giving one grief with that iM, but when you have a problem like ours with the hip flexors it is easy to see everything through that lens.

 

- Chris

I included in my cool down, specifically the Table iM(for glutes and hip flexors), Straddle running man(for the glute/hip), SLS/SE1>iM for hamstrings and a PPT iM from H1 to help me with this. I do the same number of sets that im performing in that F1 week(so since im in week 6, i do 4 sets of the iM's without rest) 

in another thread i posted how the other adv beginner GST'ers who've mastered F1 incorporate iM's into their work and for the level I am at, this is the best route or to use it as a warm up for my F1 and H1 WOD.