when to start with straddle l-sit and mana progressions?

let me introduce me first

i do gymnastics not for the sake of its own but i follow the crossfit idea of fitness and like gymnastics training very much. i am now following the integrated training method 4 days a week as laid out in the GB basic strength book. i only skip the leg training because i do oly weightlifting too. i trained front and backlever and l-sit. i am now going to start with the plance progressions because i advanced in the back lever.

to follow the programm was not only fun but lead to some great gains too. indeed it is hard to say if it was mainly the GB training which brought up the results. but in the last 2 month my deadlift went up from 265lb to 420 for 3 or 5 reps. but as mentioned i have to admit that 2 month ago 265lbs where all weights i had (and now 420 are all i have ). but which is even more impressiv that i did nearly no Dl or squatting. every time i did DLs i got new PRs which was exactly three times first time i got 350lbs then 420 for one rep then 420 for 3 or 5 reps (could not remember). i followed the CF WODs and the GB basic strength programm besids the leg training. i think that is a pretty impressive testimonial for gymnastics now my core is much stronger than two month ago.

i should add that i am 6'2'' tall and 194lbs heavy.

now here is my questions.

when shall i start doing straddle l-sits and mana progressions? should i do them to substitute some of the l-sit training or in addition? that is the only drawback of the GB book, as it does not mention how to deal with the different l-sits and the mana.

thanks!

For straddle L try doing it y elevating your hands on books and try to get your legs higher every time and also do the straddle stretch on the ground.Oh,and be prepared for cramps the first time you try it.As for the Manna>> viewtopic.php?f=13&t=574

I still have some thoughts currently of whether I should focus on getting my straddle L horizontal and on floor before starting the manna progression or doing both in tandem.

I say start traing straddle L ASAP. While it does require some abdominal strength like an L sit, it's not as bad and it tends to be your quads or hip flexors that die out first ( but not always, one of my boys can easily get into the position but not hold it due to weak core strength ).

If you aren't doing any of the GB leg movements how can you contribute them to improving your DL. If you are training olympic lifting, that is why your DL is improving. It also helps to learn how to squeeze every muscle in your body which should help your DL as well besides pull and grip strength.

Has your BS gone up? I could see your FS going up with the GB stuff but the points of that you didn't have enough weight and you are doing Oly is why those numbers are going up.

What's your L-sit like? Those manna progressions kind of are in a different route than the L-sit progressions because they use the straddle and focus on leaning on the triceps.

should i do then straddle l-sit instead of l-sit or in addition to when i follow the integrated training as laid out in the BTGB book?

i can do a normal l-sit on the floor but i can not tell how long i can hold it as i hold it in total for 1 minute - "felt" not measured. i get to the minute in 6-3 sets but i do not know if i cumulate it for a minute, longer or shorter.

so as the mana is a different route should i train it in addition? than that is to be classified as a pushing motion (at least for programming fpr integrated training as laid out in the book)? that was one drawback of the book that there was no classification of the static positions in pressing, pulling, core, combinations of both for the integrated approach. maybe this is easy for gymnasts but for someone how is new to that kind of moves/positions is it a litte confusing.

my BS and FS did not get up that much. i also do not think that my weightlifting did improve my DLs and squats because i DL much more than i can clean and my squats and general technique are the limiting factor of my lifting. but i think that the week link in my DL was my lower back and my grip and both of them improved through the levers i trained. learning to build up tension in a static position did help a lot too i think, as most people would not fail the DL when then get the bar off from the ground.

I dunno, but you would probably be ok with skipping L-sit training. I will have to try out doing straddle L and the first manna progression paired up. While I'd like to introduce it to my boys, their straddle L is poor or their support strength is poor. In my case, both are, but I will probably use myself as a test dummy.

throw in some occasional L sits every once in awhile and you'll probably be fine. I've been meaning to do straddle L work before hitting the WOD but forget to.

Guess we need to start a thread asking whether straddle L competency should be mastered before working on the manna progression or if they can be worked on concurrently in a workout or in a programmed week.

I'm also struggling with the straddle L-sit, and I'm trying to learn the straddle L-sit press.

My pancake and straddle flexibility is good, but when I go in a straddle L-sit I can't keep my legs up for very long. In a straddle L are your legs supposed to be somewhat resting on your elbows? If not, I don't see how it's possible for me to get my legs up and level to my hips, and when I start to press up my heels immediately touch the ground.

My core strength doesn't seem to be the problem and as Blairbob pointed out it's usually quads or hip flexors that give out first. So what exercises can I do to aid in learning the straddle L?

Do active flexibility drills.

For example,

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=491&start=0

^ Thanks I'll try working on negatives.

Peja, I believe Coach has said your legs should not rest on your arms when training. However, mine do when I am training or I can't even get in the position.

Blairbob said:

Peja, I believe Coach has said your legs should not rest on your arms when training. However, mine do when I am training or I can't even get in the position.

I read that too, but it's just not working for me unless my legs rest on my arms and that's hard enough.

Currently I'm working on straddle leg lifts and will incorporate ankle weights later on. Any other exercises to strengthen muscles required to do straddle L-sit?

I've been working single rail straddle L. Sometimes I do these on a low balance beam or one parallette. My legs aren't on my arms which is kinda nice.

Sit in straddle, lift heels off ground up and down.

" and hold for intervals of time.

Hanging straddle hold and hanging straddle leg lifts.

Sit in straddle roll legs forward or backward in small circles.

The way I incorporated it was a rotation into my schedule. L-sit, MSH, and straddle L were rotated until I decided my L-sit (even on the rings) was not giving me as much bang for my buck so I dropped it. I now rotate back and forth between straddle and MSH. Does this help?

I've also been wondering the best way to train the 3 holds. I thought about rotating the 3 them, but I wasn't sure if that was the most optimal way. Currently I focus on MSH as part of my regular workout. I believe it has had some carryover to my L-sits as my hips are getting further from my arms. But I also do HLL V to L, and wide front pull ups with head going behind the bar in an L-sit position. I believe these have helped as well. I don't have a schedule for straddle-L though, and I just practice them at random times.