Can anyone actually do L-Sit dips (elbows backwards)?

Hi all. I've been interested in integrating the L-shape body position into a lot of my movements, as well as making dips more taxing on the triceps. So I tried doing L-sit dips. 

Sounded easy enough. But I can't get to the bottom position if I try to maintain a perfect 90-degree L-shape with legs parallel to the ground and with the elbows pointing backwards, it feels like my shoulders reached their limits. Does this happen to other people or can I work around this? 

I can go all the way day if I keep legs parallel to the ground but sacrifice the perfect 90-degree L and adapt an acute body pike angle. But when I do then my shoulders rise up to my ears (at bottom position). 

Which is another question of mine. If you can do L-sit dips, should you keep your shoulders depressed throughout the entire movement? I can do L-sit dips with elbows flared out but I really want to do elbows in if possible. 

Please help, thanks.

If you don't flare your elbows, then it is essentially a dip with no lean, and your elbows (and body) will be 4-6" behind your hands. Pretty hard and rare!

I can only do partial reps of these elbows back L-sit dips. It gets significantly harder as your forearms reach horizontal and I can't do them starting with the forearms resting on the bars because it's the hardest part of the ROM and is from a relaxed position.

B1214N said:

I can only do partial reps of these elbows back L-sit dips. It gets significantly harder as your forearms reach horizontal and I can't do them starting with the forearms resting on the bars because it's the hardest part of the ROM and is from a relaxed position.

I don't think OP meant L sit russian dips.  Pretty sure he just mean elbows in line rather than flared.

Bipocni said:

I don't think OP meant L sit russian dips.  Pretty sure he just mean elbows in line rather than flared.

I don't mean L-sit Russian dips either. I believe he means a no-forward-lean dip which requires a lot of triceps strength. It's almost all triceps extension except with a little bit of shoulder flexion. It's called the "Impossible" in the street workout community and it's much harder than L-sit Russian dips.

B1214N said:

I don't mean L-sit Russian dips either. I believe he means a no-forward-lean dip which requires a lot of triceps strength. It's almost all triceps extension except with a little bit of shoulder flexion. It's called the "Impossible" in the street workout community and it's much harder than L-sit Russian dips.

I'm pretty sure he just mean L-sit dips.

Any relation to the Close To Impossible?

There are two kinds of L-sit dips: one is done with the elbows flaring out and the other is done with the elbows kept in and forearms lowering down to horizontal so it's a lot like a triceps extension. I'm pretty sure he is talking about the latter. 

The "impossible" has no relation to the CTI. I don't know why someone would call it the "Impossible". I personally call them a triceps press dip or no-lean dip. 

i think that what you are saying is very similar to a single bar slow muscle up in L position. no way to move yourself over the bar if you try to lean forward. developing this type of strength on the transition let to you to perform a no lean L-muscle up on the rings.

OK for clarification I did actually ask the question while referring to dips in the L-position with elbows not flaring out (sideways) but also not going onto the bar. In short, I was not referring to the "Impossible" (as B1214N referred to it). 

B1214N said:

There are two kinds of L-sit dips: one is done with the elbows flaring out and the other is done with the elbows kept in and forearms lowering down to horizontal so it's a lot like a triceps extension. I'm pretty sure he is talking about the latter. 

 

So there's no such thing as the L-sit dip I described? This "Impossible" technique is quite new to me, I've never heard of it before. If it's a triceps extension as you described I wouldn't suppose there's any chest work involved?

We need pictures I think.

OK the first dip is my attempt at the L-Sit dip that Im trying to explain (elbows backwards, not flared sideways). Please note my shoulder movement and tell me if it's avoidable.

The second dip is my attempt at the Impossible. It's looking pretty impossible at the moment lol. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzelKXus0Hw&feature=youtu.be

The ideal form is without any shoulder-to-ear motion. But if you are doing any dip that is close to a max effort / or a grind, then your shoulders may rise/elevate a little bit.

But yeah, there are 3 ways to do the move:

1) elbows in dip with a forward lean (this is only possible if your active pike flexibility is really good)

2) elbows flared with no lean (this will put your body in-line with your hands)

3) elbows in with no lean (this will put your body slightly behind your hands)

ForzaCavaliere said:

OK for clarification I did actually ask the question while referring to dips in the L-position with elbows not flaring out (sideways) but also not going onto the bar. In short, I was not referring to the "Impossible" (as B1214N referred to it). 

 

 

So there's no such thing as the L-sit dip I described? This "Impossible" technique is quite new to me, I've never heard of it before. If it's a triceps extension as you described I wouldn't suppose there's any chest work involved?

I personally don't call those L-sit dips in the ones you shown on your video because the legs are not horizontal throughout the whole ROM. I call those piked dips in your case. There are 3 types of L-sit dips as Jono mentioned.

Yeah I guess I have to work on active flexibility more to keep the legs horizontal.

@Jono thanks a lot for the help! Very insightful, will work towards getting these moves down now.

ForzaCavaliere said:

Yeah I guess I have to work on active flexibility more to keep the legs horizontal.

 

@Jono thanks a lot for the help! Very insightful, will work towards getting these moves down now.

No problem.

The best I can do is about a 1/2 rep no-lean L-sit dip. I can almost do a slow L-sit rings muscle-up, but my legs drop slightly

I hope it's not too late to add, but would anyone be so kind as to critique my L-sit pullup technique? (kinda obsessed with the L-position, I don't know where to progress to next so just adding L's to everything). 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJJ2qPrqAk8

If you notice after the first rep, my lower back starts to arch significantly. I do not know if this is meant to happen or not, probs not but I would like some confirmation. 

ForzaCavaliere said:

I hope it's not too late to add, but would anyone be so kind as to critique my L-sit pullup technique? (kinda obsessed with the L-position, I don't know where to progress to next so just adding L's to everything). 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJJ2qPrqAk8

 

If you notice after the first rep, my lower back starts to arch significantly. I do not know if this is meant to happen or not, probs not but I would like some confirmation. 

#1) You should make your legs perfectly straight (quads contracted) throughout the whole rep. This will make it much harder.

#2) An arched back is not good. You should focus on keeping a hollow back.

#3) If you focus on #1, it will be pretty much impossible to arch your back. So just focus on a perfect L and everything should fix itself.

No idea if the back is meant to arch or not (I'd guess not?), but your feet are dropping by the end of the set.  Try to lift them even higher than your waist, if only by a little bit.  You probably wont be able to (I've never seen a V pullup) but keeping the concept of maximum compression in your head should keep them elevated and help with your pelvic tilt.

I occasionally do these for tricep strength, I will try and get a video