Progression?

I just finished the bent leg hollow rocks which I found excruciating.  However, I find the straddle hollow body hold much, much easier.  I was not going to move on from the bent leg hollow rocks, but I did seeing as I have no problem with the holds.

Similarly, I found the parallel bar negative dips fairly tough.  While the parallel bar dips I find quite easy.  I could knock out the mastery level of these before I began.  I don't know where I'll go with the dips at this point.

Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thank you!

Congrats dude, that's awesome!
Many have said that the progression tends to come quicker after the first few PEs. So long as you're fine with the associated iMs and rest times and everything is being performed correctly then you're good to keep progressing until you find your next sticking point. F2 is the next obvious step once you've worked through all of F1.

as long as the PE + iM is mastered(in your case, 5x60sec of bHBH/5 cat cows and 5x60reps of bHBH rocks/Table 30sec) you can move onto the next one  

I've seen a few people who've once mastered the first hold and rock, the subsequent one's were not so challenging, so i'd just move on when you can prove you can.

as for the dips, same applies. move gradually from PE +iM to the next one as you prove you've mastered them. 

get some!

Just a small tip: It is perhaps a good idea already at pe1 or 2 to begin contracting the abs ridiculously hard, both to gain extra endurance but also to produce an exaggerated hollow body. This has been my main problem now that I'm at pe6 where the extra leverage required for hands over the head fries my abs completely, and leaves me unable (for the time being) to produce a proper hollow hold.

yeah the hands positioning makes the version harder. i had previously mastered the HBR with hands near the hips but this is too similar to sHBR, since i moved to the complete HBR with hands near the wars the difficulty comes out, and i'm enjoying all the cramps linked to it.

Yeah. I'm also back at HBR with hands over head. Working towards new mastery here and then doing F2 FL work. I like the combination.

Straddle Hollow Rocks, that's where stuff gets real .

The progressions are not necessarily about just an increase in difficulty. If you find straddle hollow hold easy take the suggestion in the exercise description of widening the straddle it'll give you something else to do. If it's still easy, enjoy that you can move over this one faster ,

Great advice.  My one gnawing question is, should I move on from the "bent hollow body rock" if I haven't mastered it?  It really fries me to do those 5x60r back to back.  However, the straddle hold seems quite easy.  I'm not sure I couldn't do 5x60s of those right now.  I'm guessing that the rocks are harder for me because I CAN hold the hollow position.  Without a good "hollow" they are easy and I suspect that these rocks might be just a step in learning to keep a hollow.  Having said all that, I'm probably completely full of $hit.  

Again, advice is appreciated.  Of all the exercises that I've done on here, those bent leg hollow rocks are by FAR the hardest for me.

If you found a weak point go back and train it up IMO. No point skipping ahead to be bitten later on. That is the entire reason for this foundation course to exist.

One other thought, if the straddle position is easy, but the bent knee position difficult it may be an indication that some hip stretching is in order. How are you on the other elements that require knees together (SL/PE1, MN/PE1, etc.)?

- Chris

i had in my head same thing..  i could not mastery.  i was thinking to go to next exercise without mastery..  but i was stronger in my head,more than muscles..  dont skip,be patient

Also, hollow rocks begin to train you to hold the position with movement and transitions. You aren't going to have the luxury of a hollow hold in isolation any further in GST Recommend you stick with the bent hollow rocks until you hit that mastery benchmark. Otherwise I am fairly sure your hollow *will* collapse doing F2 straight body work.

Besides, if you can do the straddle hold now, you won't have any trouble doing it in a few weeks when you have the rocks, right?

@Chobbs:  Arch body holds were, by no means, easy, but they were doable and masterable (I made that up).  MN/PE1=no sweat.  It may be that being nearly 6'3" is another hinderance.

Based upon your suggestions, I will go back to the bent hollow rocks.  However, I don't see that I've made much progress at all on these.  I've been on them for weeks and I don't see me getting to 5x60s without shaking, vomiting, etc.

Milkman said:

@Chobbs:  Arch body holds were, by no means, easy, but they were doable and masterable (I made that up).  MN/PE1=no sweat.  It may be that being nearly 6'3" is another hinderance.

 

Based upon your suggestions, I will go back to the bent hollow rocks.  However, I don't see that I've made much progress at all on these.  I've been on them for weeks and I don't see me getting to 5x60s without shaking, vomiting, etc.

pop a senzu bean, you'll be good as new

Milkman said:

@Chobbs:  Arch body holds were, by no means, easy, but they were doable and masterable (I made that up).  MN/PE1=no sweat.  It may be that being nearly 6'3" is another hinderance.

 

Based upon your suggestions, I will go back to the bent hollow rocks.  However, I don't see that I've made much progress at all on these.  I've been on them for weeks and I don't see me getting to 5x60s without shaking, vomiting, etc.

Seriously that bad, or is that an exaggeration? Have you tried straddle rocks?

It's not that bad.  It goes something like this; I can do the first 2 sets of 60 reps, but it does hurt.  The last three are broken sets usually something like 45 reps, rest for 10 seconds, 10 reps or 30, rest, 20, rest, 10.  But very little progression from workout-to-workout or week-to-week.

Milkman said:

It's not that bad.  It goes something like this; I can do the first 2 sets of 60 reps, but it does hurt.  The last three are broken sets usually something like 45 reps, rest for 10 seconds, 10 reps or 30, rest, 20, rest, 10.  But very little progression from workout-to-workout or week-to-week.

How long have you been working them? And were you very comfortable with bent hollow hold?

Been working them for about 3 weeks.  I remember the holds as not being easy,  but nothing like the rocks.

Try some visualization trick to focus on your position in the rocks. The trick is to not break your hollow position toomuch when you are moving so as not to spend too much energy.

I think you are right that you should go back to Bent Hollow Rocks if they are "excruciating". The rest of the work will still be there when you get to it .

What about dropping back to bent hollow body holds for a micro cycle - really cement that upper hold position with as hard of a contraction and pressure against the mat with your lower back that you can manage? Then come back to the rocks for a micro cycle and see if the extra gain in the holds bumps you enough to hit mastery in the rocks.

When wheels are spinning back off and build back up. Just an opinion, but if nothing else it is less frustrating than doing the same thing over and over and getting nowhere.

- Chris

If you're really struggling with the rocks, then Id recommend you go back to the bent hold as Chris said ^. If you just need a little more you can't quite seem to overcome for the rocks, then Id recommend you keep working the rocks and add some straddle holds afterwards. If you pass those, add shorter sets of straddle rocks afterwards. Keep working em until they stop bbeing uncomfortable.

One way or another you're going to have to complete em, and the straddle and full hollow rocks are likely to be prohibitively difficult if you are struggling with the bent ones.

 

 

It's not that bad.  It goes something like this; I can do the first 2 sets of 60 reps, but it does hurt.  The last three are broken sets usually something like 45 reps, rest for 10 seconds, 10 reps or 30, rest, 20, rest, 10.  But very little progression from workout-to-workout or week-to-week.

As I'm understanding it you are trying mastery every workout?

Why don't you start at say week 5 and do 4x24 and proceed from there?

Milkman said:

Been working them for about 3 weeks

This seems to be the common theme on this site. Everyone overestimates their ability on where to start a mini cycle. 3 weeks and you're all ready failing miserably at mastery level? You need to drop down a whole mini cycle or two, at least.

Milkman said:

Been working them for about 3 weeks.  I remember the holds as not being easy,  but nothing like the rocks.

Hehehehe......... you are at the point where ambition meets reality!

Go back to week 5 and pay your dues!

FredInChina said:

Hehehehe......... you are at the point where ambition meets reality!

Go back to week 5 and pay your dues!

I hate that point! >.<

I don't know what a "mini cycle" is, but I've just been following the program as it is produced for me.  Other than the fact that I've been repeating the bent leg hollow rocks because they've been so tough.  I did not start this program at the bent leg hollow rocks.  I progressed to them just as the program plays out.  However, my progress at this particular exercise (BLHR) seems to have not kept up with my progression in other areas.  Thus, I repeated the 5x60s portion for a few weeks.  I hope that clarifies things.

If I am doing something wrong with the programming, please let me know.  Believe me, I'm not overestimating my abilities.  I know that I suck.