A question on myStatic Hold exercise

Hi all. 1st post here, I'm new to gymnastic training but have regularly trained with weights and variuos fitness areas most of my life. I'm 37 years old so pretty old to be starting a new type of workout, but I'm fairly fit so handling it fine. I will post my routine up soon for anyone to critique it but for now just a quick question on my static hold work:

I'm working towards an L-sit. Started with the L-sit PB low but found I could hold them for 15 seconds or more. Going on the books advice I tried the L-sit PB with legs straight. I can hold these for around 7 secs so I looked at how to make them into a set.

I read the programme design section and tried to equate it to my ability and I came up with this formula:

Total hold time = 7 seconds therefore a rep is about 3 or 4 seconds.

I want a total work time of 60 seconds therefore I aim for reps of 4 seconds for a total of 15 sets with approx 60 secs rest between each rep.

Is this right? Am I always aiming for 60 seconds total work time? I'm finding them ok but hard work and my legs really struggle to get up for the last 2 sets! :oops: After I've completed these I go on to my Basic stregth workout.

I'm loving this new way of training by the way and really working my whole body like never before!

Bingo.

I personally strive to have the shortest rest period possible, ie you can still do the set with good form. Other than that you seem to have a good grip on whats going on.

Thanks for replies, good to know I'm on the right track. To be honest I need the 60 seconds between reps, it's not too bad at the begining of the set but towards the end I really struggle to get my legs straight, just keep working I guess and progressing!

Alimac,

One of the greatest gems in Coach's book is the pairing of the static holds with the corresponding pull or press movement, e.g. pairing your planche work with pushups or dips or HeSPUs. I like it because it helps break up the planche sets. Like right now, for that particular part of my steady state cycle, I do two sets of 10 seconds tuck planche, and then do 1 set of my press workout. Then i do that three times to get my 60 seconds of planche work in and my 3 sets of 3-5 reps of the pressing movement for the day. For the L-Sit you pair core work.

Mark

Thanks for your reply Mark, what you're saying is like Supersets in weight training. Just one thing that strikes me though - as L sit training works the core itself to pair it with another core exercise doesn't seem to make the most sense. Wouldn't it be better to pair it with another part of the body - for instance XR push or pull? As in weight training you superset opposite muscle groups. The PB L sits are hard enough for me without adding another core exercies in between reps :oops:

I can see that it helps tro break up the static sets but I seem to remember reading somewhere in the book to do static holds then move onto the basic strength work. Can't say this is 100% true but I have it in my head from somewhere

With L-sits, it sort of depends on what is the weak point. Is it the triceps and lat supporting, hip flexors holding the legs up or the abdominal strength to hold up the legs. I'd wager it's the hip flexors strength and lack of midline strength onto themselves or in coupling. Tight hamstrings will limit your L sit height as well.

Personally, I rarely train L-sits by themselves any more and can hold them for long enough. I'd like to get into the 2-3m range but that might take more dedicated work. It's done a bunch as starting in an L for pressing to shoulderstand or swinging on rings or PB. I'm limited in my L moreso in my hip flexor activation so I can hold the L higher. I'd like an L at horizontal on rings not droopy. I'm sort of focusing on straddle L more than L right now so I can eventually train the manna progressions.

It's been said before that if you can't do a decent L, it's fairly pointless to be working on planche. Right now, the weakest team boy I have is very poor at training in his planche and back/front lever stuff. It was imperative we trained his L stuff during the season, so he wouldn't miss his required 2s L-sit in his PB routine and 2s L-hang on rings. Frequently he missed it or was deducted it for holding it too low or not horizontal. He can momentarily tuck planche for <1s but then he's done. Just the other day he pressed out of HeS from the bottom to HS but was unable to do it again at all, even close.

He is currently working front tuck lever and back tuck lever negatives more so than holds and has very poor quality skin the cats. I have him doing straight arm frogstand since his frogstand is good and we'll probably work on some planche stuff like push/pulls on a swiss ball from planche to extended hollow besides planche work. An anomaly he is capable of doing a 3m wall HS to the wall (wrist HS) and has very good form while the other boys never hold it up all the work time and tend to have form issues. However, since we all train the planche/lever stuff at the same time, he will be training it as well in his limited form vs concentrating on L work ( which we also do a couple times per week with straddle L stuff ).

Alimac,

I don't know hardly anything about weight training. I think Coach calls them giant sets. A good example is the WOD for March 12, 2009. He pairs pressing, pulling, and core with the PL, BL, and FL. I can't remember exactly what the book said about why it's beneficial to pair the dynamic exercise with the static, I'm on a break at work and don't have my book.

As far as opposing muscle groups, since the entire workout would end up working opposing groups, e.g. pushups for your press and then rows for the pull, maybe it doesn't matter as much that they're not right after each other. Currently for my 8-week steady state, I'm not even doing the L-Sit paired with core work. Lazy, I know, but I'll shoot for it on the next one.

mark