Achieving A Better Straddle-L

Hi guys,

I can do a 10 second straddle L on the ground with no rolling on my back, but when I go to do it on the parallel bars, I realize that my legs don't go as high. On the ground my hands are about 2/3 the width the parallel bars are because I was always rolling.

Do I need to start all over again with the rolling straddle-L with my hands wider, or should I continue doing straddle-L on the parallel bars and hope my legs get stronger over time to raise?

Thanks for any responses.

Pro

P.S. Also, my flexibility on the ground in a straddle is FAR beyond my strength level, so passive flexibility is not the issue~.

You need to build the active flexability. You can do this on the ground. There are a lot of drills but most involve doing reps of bringin your legs far up as you can for reps. You can also do one leg at a time if coordination is an issue in the beginning.

Do straddle L's with one hand in the centre help build active flexibility? that's what I've been doing to increase my active flexibility but I'm not sure if it's just building hip flexor strength.

I've used the exercise you are describing with some benefit. It was decently helpful but ultimately I came up with a way to attach a band and lift against that which gave greater benefit.

About the hip flexor. Straddle l holds the legs in a flexed position about the hips. Which means the hip flexors are providing the lift for your active stretch.

this exersice was very helpful and is still being

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNvTRhwPwGg

just keep yourself in a straddle position between sets, or trough your workouts..

one month ago, i wasn't able to wor straddle.... this is from last week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS2X-Nm2pXE

Thanks for the replys everyone.

I get that I need the active flexibiity, but I need it at a wider base. I can do a straddle L. I just need it with a wider base.

3D guy: Good job on the straddle. My only question is if you can do a straddle to that degree on the parallel bars. Doing it on the ground with hands closer is much easier.

Also, doing straddle L with one hand in the center is far easier, and I can do one for quite some time and it doesn't have much carry over to the parallel bar straddle.

Thanks everyone.

Didn't want to start a new thread, so here goes:

I am doing the hand in centre straddle L-sit and have worked up to 5x18 seconds. I will probably work up to 5x30 seconds, but my question is this:

Even though I'm able to hold the centre straddle for 5x18, I'm still nowhere near being able to roll into the full straddle L. Should I just keep trying to roll into it, or should I insert the seated straddle pike leg lift rotations that 3D guy is showing above as an intermediary progression before moving on to full straddle L?

If so, is my time better spent working those instead of building up to 5x30 in the one hand centre straddle L?

Thanks.

Ravn said:

Didn't want to start a new thread, so here goes:

I am doing the hand in centre straddle L-sit and have worked up to 5x18 seconds. I will probably work up to 5x30 seconds, but my question is this:

Even though I'm able to hold the centre straddle for 5x18, I'm still nowhere near being able to roll into the full straddle L. Should I just keep trying to roll into it, or should I insert the seated straddle pike leg lift rotations that 3D guy is showing above as an intermediary progression before moving on to full straddle L?

If so, is my time better spent working those instead of building up to 5x30 in the one hand centre straddle L?

Thanks.

How's your support? Have you got your lsit down yet?

Jon Douglas said:

How's your support? Have you got your 5*30lsit yet?

(we didn't do that at seminar; its mentioned in Foundation intro alongside a 10 sec straddle pl and Nic later stated Lsit - straddle L - msh)

Aha. Haven't tested ***** L-sit yet, I think I could do something like ************ on parallettes, probably less on floor. However, for the straddle L it's the compression and active flexibility I'm having trouble with. When I do passive, loaded pancakes, I can get my nose to my knees, but that helps absolutely f*** all when actually trying to lift my straightened legs from the floor. The few times I've dabbled in those seated pike or straddled pike leg lifts, I've been amazed with how hard they are, so obviously that constitutes a HUGE hole in my conditioning.

I'm not really inclined to do L-sits at the moment for other reasons, but maybe my straddle-L effort is best spent addressing this mobility hole with a few sets twice a week of what 3D guy is demonstrating. Just seems a bit more fruitful than hand in centre straddle L holds at the moment, because that doesn't seem to increase active compression enough.

Hmm, all this speculation makes it painfully clear how inadequately equipped I am to engage in my own programming. 

Oh *milkshakes,* this isn't F forum >.<

Mind editing your post to remove programming info? I'm on my ph and mod tools are clunky.

Jon Douglas said:

Oh *milkshakes,* this isn't F forum >.<

Mind editing your post to remove programming info? I'm on my ph and mod tools are clunky.

No problem, it's done.

If I remember correctly Coach wrote an article years ago here on Active straddle flexibility, or was it someone else and coach contributed. Would be worthwhile to dig it out.

One of the mentioned excercises was to sit in a straddle position on floor and then lift up your feet up in the air and do circling movements with straight legs and pointed toes