Form check hollow positions Fl/pe4-6

Having a bit of trouble with hollow body rocks. They've become better since holding the position tightly using full body tension. I've also reduced the amplitude of the movement, but I think that I'm kipping too much at the hip, and the arms don't appear to be rigid enough. Opinions?

Sorry about the lighting, by the way. Even though it's difficult to tell, my shoulders and upper back don't touch the deck in hollow body hold.

Is my back too straight?

Have you tried the HBR with arms at the side? That's allowed if you check the notes. You also use legs to throw your body a whole lot. Try with less force and don't pike the hips so much when you roll on your back.

I see. I haven't used the hands by hips option, because that seemed the easy option. Hand above the head must be harder due to leverage, right?

Hands over head is harder i would say, but there was a thread about the hands at hips being more similar to the FL position. If you really want the hands over head option, get mastery first at hands by hips and see if the form issue gets solved and then try with hands over head.

Sounds reasonable. Any references to that thread?

I do the exact same hip thing you do. 

when it's the arms above position, i just use my hands to initiate the rock and keep my hips as stable as possible (my thoughts, since i dont have abs of steel yet to not allow me to cheat )

Can't remember the thread. I think it was Zach saying this. Or it could be my sleepy head playing tricks on me. Give it a shot though to see if it helps.

Thanks Zach.

I think it's both a strength and movement issue. I feel like I can't roll, but have to kick/kip to keep the motion going. I've been wondering if my back is too straight to roll smoothly. I probably lack the strength to contract the abs hard enough, but I ought to have the prerequisite mobility since Jefferson curls are ok. I really try to tense everything hard, but there are two bumps during the roll: one is the glutes returning to the deck, and then the middle back / lower scapulae. I imagine that I should feel zero bumping when done correctly?

Ok, that makes sense.

I'm considering doing a few sets of rocks + the PPT correction during the day GTG-style, just to learn the movement.

Look like I've got some reinforcing to do - probably back to at least week 5 for this one, if not week 1

Again, thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!

Great advice once again Zach.

Maintaining and moving the body as one unit is the tough part here Ravn: it is true in martial arts, in gymnastics, in track and field, etc...

Although your rocks are not bad, you are still a little too weak to maintain the form throughout, this is especially visible in the short HBH you demonstrate.

Keep at it following Zach's advice about shape and whole body tension, and you'll get there - it is just a matter of time now.

I have the dreadful thud also. Especially after the 3rd set or so. I might be on the rocks for a year. I'm along ways from being under control. I am at PE2 on this 1 though. F1 will always be a work in progress for me LOL. Good luck with your progress on this 1 Ravn

Yeah, I'm having ego for dinner tonight. A big, hard to swallow portion

The important part is moving forward. I think that I am presently to weak to contract my abs, so my back forms a round surface, when the arms are extended overhead. That's probably why the straddle hollow hold feels so much easier in comparison.

So wait, even in bent hollow rocks our angle at the hips should remain constant?

How do you initiate the movement and keep it going then?  I can't imagine just intense ab contractions would create enough momentum...

Bipocni said:

So wait, even in bent hollow rocks our angle at the hips should remain constant?

 

How do you initiate the movement and keep it going then?  I can't imagine just intense ab contractions would create enough momentum...

It looks constant to me in the course material. I think it is a question of rounding the back sufficiently to roll on, so that much less energy has to be spent maintaining the movement.

less energy.. easier said than done as far as my experience with PE2. I know its a basic exercise but to do it properly to me it is advanced. This will be a few micro-cycles for less energy to happen. Nothing is easy here . Always building a foundation. Fun times

(when doing Hungarian)

guys....I remember when I was still on F1, H1....every WOD was like

#goodtimes

honestly will we ever stop doing the rocks. I really dont think so.

KeilaniG said:

(when doing Hungarian)

guys....I remember when I was still on F1, H1....every WOD was like

g1378503133376414933.jpg

#goodtimes

Haha, second that. Gotta love Office Space...

I thought I would get Bent Hollow Rocks this cycle. I have improved my PPT, which has made it harder! So now I expect it to take another 4-8 weeks. Although I cannot do as many the quality is a lot better. I think this will serve me well as I progress after on. These first few exercises seem critical to master so that later we can progress really quickly. Although I will probably say the same about each level I progress to.

Ravn said:

Haha, second that. Gotta love Office Space...

I'm the opposite; I look forward to when my strength sessions are very hard/detailed but short; I value time efficiency highly. This is why I want a manna; not because it's bad ass (although it is) but because pressing up to a full manna even with only a short hold blows any other core work out of the water and only takes a few seconds

would you recommend to master the HBH with both hands over the head and hands in front of the hips?

Also for me the HBR with hands over the head seems way smother than the one with hands in front.

it even seems smother then band HBRs...

anyone noticed the same?

P5yx said:

would you recommend to master the HBH with both hands over the head and hands in front of the hips?

Also for me the HBR with hands over the head seems way smother than the one with hands in front.

it even seems smother then band HBRs...

anyone noticed the same?

As Zach said testing standard requires hands over head, which I can't imagine anyone finding easier than arms by side anyway. Personally, now that I know that, id only use arms by side if i were working up to the full one

Zach Armijo said:

I have always been of the mind that if there is a harder variation, such as the case with hands by the side or overhead, you might as well endure the suck of the hardest one just so you wont get your ass kicked all over again when you try it on the one up.

Agreed, just efficiency IMO.

the activation to bring the pelvis into maximum tuck was the defining feature for me. even in the bent HBH, it's like a whole nother level of sadness once you introduce this.  A couple of queues that helped me:

- Lift the butt off the ground as HIGH as you can

- Press the small of the back into the ground as hard as you can

- Lift the shoulder blades off the ground as high as you can

Once I got this sorted in the bent HBH, the other progressions sorted themselves out