"kipping" on bent hollow rocks?...and incline pushups...

I've watched the video for bent hollow rocks over and over, and I can't tell if the athlete is doing this, but I find I have a hard time rocking back up (head coming up, feet going to floor) without a slight twitch in my legs to get momentum. Is this ok to do? Also, exactly how much are you supposed to rock? I'm doing shoulder blades of the floor to butt off the floor but was worried this might be too much of a rock. Should my rocks be slighter than that?

Also, I was wondering about the pushup progressions. I did the mastery level on incline pushups (bar set to hip height) easily enough, but found that I couldn't do the week one progression on regular pushups without my body sagging slightly at the bottom. Would it be ok to add in maybe one or two mini cycles of incline pushups, but with a bar set somewhere around knee height instead of hip height, just to work up to doing them on the floor?

For the push ups I started with the height of the object slightly below hip height because in the video the athlete has his feet elevated and I'm pretty sure if he was standing on the platform that bar he uses for push ups would be more like thigh height. Also make sure your elbows stay near your sides when doing these push ups like in the video. Don't let them flare out.

As for the kipping I don't see how it's possible to rock back and forth without starting some sort of kip for the motion otherwise you will just be doing the progression before. Although your body position shouldn't change at all while you rock.

Erin said:

I've watched the video for bent hollow rocks over and over, and I can't tell if the athlete is doing this, but I find I have a hard time rocking back up (head coming up, feet going to floor) without a slight twitch in my legs to get momentum. Is this ok to do? Also, exactly how much are you supposed to rock? I'm doing shoulder blades of the floor to butt off the floor but was worried this might be too much of a rock. Should my rocks be slighter than that?

A video would help confirm, but it sounds like you're doing these about right. You need some little movements to keep the rock going, and butt/shoulders off the floor on each side is about where you want to be.

Erin said:

Also, I was wondering about the pushup progressions. I did the mastery level on incline pushups (bar set to hip height) easily enough, but found that I couldn't do the week one progression on regular pushups without my body sagging slightly at the bottom. Would it be ok to add in maybe one or two mini cycles of incline pushups, but with a bar set somewhere around knee height instead of hip height, just to work up to doing them on the floor?

That sounds like a reasonable solution. 

What you're doing in the rocks is correct. You have to create the momentum with each rep.

For the push ups, Hari's advice is spot on. I would lower yourself down 5-10 inches at a time, and achieve mastery there. I've done this with my girlfriend, using a smith machine at her complex's gym, and she's doing 5 perfect man push ups on the ground now, nose to ground.

Pretty good for a girl who had very little upper body strength, and she's just getting started.

You will get there too, and beyond! Keep working hard

Thanks guys! I'm always impressed by how quick everyone is to give advice on this site