Back Lever Strength

G'day guys

I use to be able to do a completely horizontal back lever with straight legs with some ease by starting from a straight hang and lowering down with a straight body (less than 3 months ago), but now I try them on my xtreme rings (which I got in the mail last week ) and can only get down to about 45 degrees before I can no longer remain straight and pretty much just drop.

I took a few months off from gymnastics after hurting my ankle, but have been continuing doing strength conditioning and yet I can no longer do the back lever. Quite a disappointment for me considering how easy I use to be able to do them and now I can no longer even get into the proper position.

I'm assuming I should slowly work my way up to them with tuck, flat tuck, straddle, bent knees and then finally trying the straight leg again but are there any other exercises I can do to assist with building the strength I need for the back lever again?

Cheers

Kai

Negatives. Skin the cats/360s.

The same has happened with my tuck planche.

If your performance is regressing you may need a backoff week

braindx said:

If your performance is regressing you may need a backoff week

Not in this case,..he had two months off.

Sometimes is best to change exercise...

Thanks guys. Skin the cat also feels a bit more of a strain for me than what it use to be, so I'm going to start practicing them often as well. I'm not to sure what Negatives are though.

Lowering down through the motion slowly. Think 5-8s.

ex.

get into invert hang and slowly lower through the BL.

holy crap, kaiwos from wa parkour

Gregor said:

braindx said:

If your performance is regressing you may need a backoff week

Not in this case,..he had two months off.

Sometimes is best to change exercise...

Sorry Gregor but you're wrong on that count. I definitely read his post:

I took a few months off from gymnastics after hurting my ankle, but have been continuing doing strength conditioning and yet I can no longer do the back lever. Quite a disappointment for me considering how easy I use to be able to do them and now I can no longer even get into the proper position.

If he's been overworking himself he may need a backoff week.

I missed that :roll:

nickvb said:

holy crap, kaiwos from wa parkour

Lol indeed, it is me.

Well anyway, I seem to get the back lever on some days and some days I don't. Depends on what else I do that day.

I found doing the 'Skin the Cat' a good exercise for it. I also got back into my planche exercises a bit more over the past few weeks, which I think may have attributed to it a tiny bit.

Next challenge is to go down into the back lever and then back up again in the straight body position.