Pseudo Planche Push-ups

I just started the Psuedo Planche Push-ups and love them. My wrists were 5cm from my waist, which was closer than I thought I would get. I did try one at waist level and it was so much harder.

I can already see how beneficial this exercise is going to be.

Mark Collins said:

I just started the Psuedo Planche Push-ups and love them. My wrists were 5cm from my waist, which was closer than I thought I would get. I did try one at waist level and it was so much harder.

I can already see how beneficial this exercise is going to be.

They're one of those love-to-hate exercises that grows on you between sessions of swearing at them, IM I found that while learning these (and Russian dips, but thats another story) that paying more attention to the placement of my wrists/hands while pushing seemed to determine whether I could complete the rep properly or not. I think in retrospect that it's more about feeling the stretch in my wrists that lines up with my PL Leans (thus indicating that I'm in the right position).

Excellent, but technically difficult exercise. I know that we're supposed to keep protraction of the scapulae, but is this possible at the bottom of the rep? I descend with the chest all the way to the floor so that my body is totally straight along the floor, but not on the floor. Protraction does not seem possible to sustain in this position, so in my case I reestablish protraction in the upward motion, as soon as I'm a few inches of the floor. Is this correct?

Edit: The above sounds too confident. I *attempt* to establish protraction when pushing upwards. Any pointers on when full protraction should be reestablished?

Ravn said:

Excellent, but technically difficult exercise. I know that we're supposed to keep protraction of the scapulae, but is this possible at the bottom of the rep? I descend with the chest all the way to the floor so that my body is totally straight along the floor, but not on the floor. Protraction does not seem possible to sustain in this position, so in my case I reestablish protraction in the upward motion, as soon as I'm a few inches of the floor. Is this correct?

Edit: The above sounds too confident. I *attempt* to establish protraction when pushing upwards. Any pointers on when full protraction should be reestablished?

This is something I've been wondering about too.

How does this look? I can tell that form goes bad on the last reps, where my back goes hollow. I really like this exercise, feels like a real strength move, unlike HBP/PE2 which was much more about endurance.

Hey I am really impressed sir. It looks really good.

Only thing that I really saw is the back part of the iM. It not really a straight line, maybe a little bit too much weight?

Other than that you will probably progress pretty fast through those

Yes, I'm deliberately using a weight that's slightly difficult to handle for me. I think of it as overpreparation. When PPP volume gets intense during week 9-11, I can lower the Xiaopeng weight slightly, and keep progressing. We'll see.

I noted that I lose lean towards the end. Gotta fix that

Edit: first time filming reverse xiaopengs, and I didn't realise that I was moving the weight in an arc over my head. Gotta fix that too, but it's not due to the weight being too heavy.

Ravn said:

Yes, I'm deliberately using a weight that's slightly difficult to handle for me. I think of it as overpreparation. When PPP volume gets intense during week 9-11, I can lower the Xiaopeng weight slightly, and keep progressing. We'll see.

I noted that I lose lean towards the end. Gotta fix that

Only use weight that allows perfect form. Don't overshoot the mobility exercises. These are especially important to concentrate in the best form. Even a slight deviance can really change them and limit effectiveness.

My personal opinion on using a weight that is somewhat difficult is "don't."  My personal experience with the Xiaopings, both forward and backward, is that if you work with the same weight for 4-5 months you will be ready for a 3-5 lb increase, and it won't really feel any different.

 

I'm using 20 lbs now, at a fairly slow tempo. for 4 reps. The 5th rep takes too much effort, so I only do that occasionally to see how it feels, and it's getting easier.

 

What I see in your reverse Xiaopings is a bent elbow when your arm is coming down in front of you, and that is basically making the exercise ineffective in the long run. These are a pretty good elbow conditioner when done correctly (with meticulously straight elbows).

 

The PPP are looking pretty good! If you make sure you get full protraction at the top of each rep, and work on trying not to lift the hips at the end, you'll be pretty much perfect on these.

 

Excellent work, keep training smart!

Thanks Josh

Just finished 4x6 PPP, and it's clear the weight is too heavy now, so will drop it. I'll keep an eye on those elbow angles, no reason too look like a hack!

That particular iM is a Xiaopeng; named after the great Chinese Olympic Champion on vault and parallel bars in the early to mid 2000s.  

 

Xiaoping is a good friend of mine who was the 1983 World Champion on pommel horse and who also ran the Gymnastic Competition during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

 

And to further confuse the issue; Xiaopeng is now married to Xiaoping's daughter!  

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach Sommer said:

That particular iM is a Xiaopeng; named after the great Chinese Olympic Champion on vault and parallel bars in the early to mid 2000s.  

 

Xiaoping is a good friend of mine who was the 1983 World Champion on pommel horse and who also ran the Gymnastic Competition during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

 

And to further confuse the issue; Xiaopeng is now married to Xiaoping's daughter!  

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

*brain explodes*

Oh and they both have the same surname.

xiao p- E -ng vs. p- I -ng

The trouble comes when you use English to refer to them.

I assure you, in Mandarin they can easily be differentiated.

B1214N said:

Oh and they both have the same surname.

Missing the point in style, I like it. 

B1214N said:

Oh and they both have the same surname.

It's a double bluff - they are both Li. 

I do PPP's using a circular rotation around the shoulder joint, being careful not to use any straight up/down vertical pushing power.

 

The result is that sometimes my feet leave the ground briefly at the bottom of the movement.  Is this correct?

Don't quite get what you mean by the circular movement? Do you not keep the lean on top? Anyways feet lifting at the bottom is called PPP+ in BtGB, so a harder variation of PPP.

Christian said:

Don't quite get what you mean by the circular movement? Do you not keep the lean on top? Anyways feet lifting at the bottom is called PPP+ in BtGB, so a harder variation of PPP.

It feels like I hinge around my  shoulder joint the way a door swings around a hinge.  My feet sometimes lift up briefly near the bottom of the movement to balance myself so I don't fall forward.

It should feel basically like a normal pushup, only harder. 

I got 5 sets of 2 with my wrists in line with the hips. I think I was tensing every muscle in my body. The next day was hard working with cooked shoulders

Joshua Slocum said:

It should feel basically like a normal pushup, only harder.

Push ups now feel very easy!