Manna

Hi,

So I have been training for manna since january this year. At first I could only hold very tucked L sits for a couple of seconds, then I got the L sit, V-sit, and now my goal is the manna. Back in january my goal was to be able to do a v-sit by the beginning of 2014, but since I already achieved that, I am now going for manna by beginning of 2014. That goal may be too high, but at least I can try.

For the first months I trained everything with my hands pointed forwards. Then in august I started training my L sits with my hands backwards, as I knew it was necessary for a manna. However it still felt unnatural and I was not at all able to do a v-sit with my hands pointed backwards. However after a while I started to get more coordination I think, and I was able to do it. So this is my current level:

I noticed already that I should focus more on pointing my toes.

Is it a problem that I get into that positions with my legs tucked? I tuck in, knees to chest, raise my hips and then straighten my legs. Would it still be possible to achieve a manna that way? Or is the MSH absolutely necessary?

I am not strong enough (yet) to raise my legs from an l-sit to a v-sit. So should I focus more on that? And if so, how exactly?

Also I haven't been able to train my manna for two weeks now, as I hurt my right forearm during these attempts. It was on the side of my pink. What exactly did I hurt? I know that rest is the solution, but I am just curious.

Thanks in advance!

Very nice Paul3

That's awesome that you made so much progress.  Has your flexibility/compression always been that good, or has that improved over the last year as well?

FredInChina said:

Very nice Paul3

Thanks

tri4ben said:

That's awesome that you made so much progress.  Has your flexibility/compression always been that good, or has that improved over the last year as well?

Thanks, well actually I started doing gymnastics/calisthenics in January this year, with no real prior training experience. So I basically made all of my improvements over that period of time. When I started I think I was about flexible enough to touch my toes, but when I did I really felt it in my harmstrings. So it has improved over the last year.

So can anybody tell me whether MSH is absolutely necessary to achieve manna?

Yes.  Learning to push the hips forward is probably the hardest part of the manna.  MSH is where you learn to do this.  Otherwise you will just end up in a super compressed V.

Daniel Burnham said:

Yes.  Learning to push the hips forward is probably the hardest part of the manna.  MSH is where you learn to do this.  Otherwise you will just end up in a super compressed V.

Thanks for your response. But would this be a super compressed V?

Very nice.  I think the problem is that it's hard to go from a V sit to a manna.  Coach mentioned in BtGB he likes to have his athletes start with middle split hold and push the hips forward until they're at the right level for a manna before they bring their legs together.  Something about how progress seems to stall otherwise.

Either way, you look like you're pretty close.

paul3 said:

Thanks for your response. But would this be a super compressed V?

I am probably missing something but am I not already pushing my hips forward?

Learn to push your hips in front not just up. Also press from a straddle. And hold straddle to the top. This makes it easier to learn. You are in the compressed v stage. Good progress but still a ways from the manna I'm afraid

Just remember the press and extension comes from the shoulders which are being held by the triceps.

Don't fall prey to trying to push up from v to manna. Many have tried and few have gotten to it going that route. I do know several who can now but learned the manna the way I described years ago.

Bipocni said:

Very nice.  I think the problem is that it's hard to go from a V sit to a manna.  Coach mentioned in BtGB he likes to have his athletes start with middle split hold and push the hips forward until they're at the right level for a manna before they bring their legs together.  Something about how progress seems to stall otherwise.

 

Either way, you look like you're pretty close.

Daniel Burnham said:

Learn to push your hips in front not just up. Also press from a straddle. And hold straddle to the top. This makes it easier to learn. You are in the compressed v stage. Good progress but still a ways from the manna I'm afraid

Just remember the press and extension comes from the shoulders which are being held by the triceps.

Don't fall prey to trying to push up from v to manna. Many have tried and few have gotten to it going that route. I do know several who can now but learned the manna the way I described years ago.

Thanks, both of you, for clearing that up for me

Awesome work! 

The way I got my V Press into a Manna was handing someone hold my feet in a Vpress and start tilting them backwards as I lifted my hips.

This REALLY works your triceps and crucial strength for Manna.

Make sure you shoulders are flexible enough to get into manna  position.

From V press, start leaning bwds as you lift your hips and look bwds, not just at your toes as this will stop you.

But actually try to look at the wall behind you. 

Easiest to first attempt this like you are doing against your bed but maybe a little further away

Hope this helps!

Check out my video of my manna, and Vpress to Manna.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05f9FiCs0bg 

gymnast-Jessie said:

Awesome work! 

 

The way I got my V Press into a Manna was handing someone hold my feet in a Vpress and start tilting them backwards as I lifted my hips.

 

This REALLY works your triceps and crucial strength for Manna.

 

Make sure you shoulders are flexible enough to get into manna  position.

 

From V press, start leaning bwds as you lift your hips and look bwds, not just at your toes as this will stop you.

 

But actually try to look at the wall behind you. 

 

Easiest to first attempt this like you are doing against your bed but maybe a little further away

 

Hope this helps!

 

Check out my video of my manna, and Vpress to Manna.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05f9FiCs0bg 

Thanks for the advice, I had not been able to train for a while so I have lost some flexibility, but I am working on everything now and I will take your advice into account. However training MSH is my main goal at the moment. And great work you too!