Summary: SL/PE1 Arch Body Hold

The arch body hold is brutal. I can hold same Rom for no more than 4x24sec, although my shoulder aren't completely open so that I am lacking. But seriously, I think one should skip arch body hold, put time in mobility work and master Forearm reverse plank instead, then once mobility is clear, you master arch body hold.

Paulizdaman said:

The arch body hold is brutal. I can hold same Rom for no more than 4x24sec, although my shoulder aren't completely open so that I am lacking. But seriously, I think one should skip arch body hold, put time in mobility work and master Forearm reverse plank instead, then once mobility is clear, you master arch body hold.

It would be unwise to skip ABH. One should do his ABH work with perfect form in the specific progression layed out in OP. Additional mobility work and stretches could be added to support progress. Mastering a different element would result in even slower progress since ABH progress will be pushed aside. 

Do the knees have to touch?  I can touch my feet but I can't seem to close the gap on the knees for long? Is this an issue? 

Externally rotating your legs and feet will only cheat you out of better hip extension in the long run. Yes, neutral or internally rotated feet is much harder because most of us don't have full ROM hip extension.

David Rioux said:

 

Externally rotating your legs and feet will only cheat you out of better hip extension in the long run. Yes, neutral or internally rotated feet is much harder because most of us don't have full ROM hip extension.

 

I personally use a feeling akin to external rotation as a cue, but without any actual rotation. I find this helps create lift from my glutes, but I still keep my feet, toes and knees together and legs locked straight.

Last week I had one of those epiphany moments. I thought I understood "the press the legs away from the hips to activate the glutes" cue, but I really didn't. Here's a simpler cue that did it for me.

Get into the arch, raise legs and pretend that there's a little button just above the ground that you need to push with the tips of your toes which is just beyond reach and keep it pressed the whole time and don't think about anything else. My form improved a lot in terms of knees locking and keeping good form. 

I implemented them as though they were lower elements of the ABH (akin to the easier variations of the hollow hold in the FL series). I aimed for 5 x 60sec for each progression, and am now on the last one before moving on to the full ABH (arms out diagonally, legs together and straight).

I  ended-up skipping the rocking variations as I didn't want to spend too much time on these lower progressions. It has nevertheless been a slow process, but I really sucked at the full ABH. If anything, I'm moving at the same pace as with the FL progressions, so I'm ok with it. You just have to make a mental shift and think of it as though coach forgot to implement progressions for the ABH the way he did for the full hollow-hold.

By the way, a lot of people were able to master the ABH without these easier progressions. You just have to see what works for you. I had a particularly bad kyphotic (hunched) posture for as long as I can remember, and couldn't arch my back for even one second in the full ABH, which led to my coming up with these easier progressions. You also don't necessarily have to start at the easiest variation either. Just experiment a little and see what works for you.

After a year and a half of working on these, my resting standing posture has improved dramatically, and I can hold the full ABH with much better extension than before, so I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

I second that people should aim for the full hold. Even though the progressions are good some important aspects are not trained until the full hold such as having your shoulder pressing forward and holding that position

-MR said:

I implemented them as though they were lower elements of the ABH (akin to the easier variations of the hollow hold in the FL series). I aimed for 5 x 60sec for each progression, and am now on the last one before moving on to the full ABH (arms out diagonally, legs together and straight).

 

I  ended-up skipping the rocking variations as I didn't want to spend too much time on these lower progressions. It has nevertheless been a slow process, but I really sucked at the full ABH. If anything, I'm moving at the same pace as with the FL progressions, so I'm ok with it. You just have to make a mental shift and think of it as though coach forgot to implement progressions for the ABH the way he did for the full hollow-hold.

Thanks! I appreciate the response. I started on full ABH, so I might continue down that road. I so far from perfect, which is why I was asking about the progressions. 

Alexander Egebak said:

I second that people should aim for the full hold. Even though the progressions are good some important aspects are not trained until the full hold such as having your shoulder pressing forward and holding that position

This is the part I'm finding the hardest. But in a way it's good because it has exposed severe weakness around the shoulder area, which I'm gradually dealing with.

If you are able to do deadhangs they will stretch and strengthen your shoulder in the ABH position although DH is very grip-dependant

Alexander Egebak said:

If you are able to do deadhangs they will stretch and strengthen your shoulder in the ABH position although DH is very grip-dependant

Ok thanks, I'll give deadhangs a go.

So far, I've only seen male discomfort in the ABH addressed. Do any other women have pubic bone discomfort in this? Does the bruising go away after enough toughening up?

This element did not bother me probably bc I used a gymnastic mat or the thick wool area rug with a thick padding underneath, but the sPL PE2 iM did give me a lot of bruising in the hip region at the beginning.    

adara9 said:

So far, I've only seen male discomfort in the ABH addressed. Do any other women have pubic bone discomfort in this? Does the bruising go away after enough toughening up?

Discomfort or difficulties in performing it up to standard?

It doesn't hurt *too* much while performing it, but the area is painful for the next few days after. I'm hoping the cue of "push stomach against the floor" will help.

adara9 said:

It doesn't hurt *too* much while performing it, but the area is painful for the next few days after. I'm hoping the cue of "push stomach against the floor" will help.

the arch body hold would put pressure where you recently had your C-section, adara.

adara9 said:

It doesn't hurt *too* much while performing it, but the area is painful for the next few days after. I'm hoping the cue of "push stomach against the floor" will help.

I sometimes have the same problem. A soft mat helps a lot. 

I've been reading the first post more carefully about doing arch body holds without feeling it in the lower back.

I've discovered two types of arch body holds:

1) The first one is what I've always been doing and always felt in my lower back (it's a lower back exercise?). Lie prone on the floor with arms overhead and rise!

2) This time while laying prone on the floor with my arms overhead, I engage in PPT, squeezing my glutes and pressing them inwards my body through floor and then I rise up. While I'm up, I push my arms forward and my feets backward, like pulling my body apart in the middle.

In this way, my rom is the same as 1) but I don't feel it in my lower back, I feel it in my hamstrings (should be noted that my hammies are my weak link, never worked specifiaclly on them), glutes, calves and maybe upper back.

So is number 2 the correct way?

Edit: Actually, after testing again. My rom is much better in 2)

I use arch body hold as a glute activation drill during warmup. It helps keep my back feeling good.

I vacated Arch Body Hold when they updated the side lever progressions. I think I would benefit working them in again, especially since they were initially PE1. How should I go about doing this programming wise. Just at the end of foundation? Or maybe train these on a rest day

Nick Roy said:

I vacated Arch Body Hold when they updated the side lever progressions. I think I would benefit working them in again, especially since they were initially PE1. How should I go about doing this programming wise. Just at the end of foundation? Or maybe train these on a rest day

I like to do one big hold in the warm up. I find this is an excellent corrective exercise to properly activate the glutes.

Just curious... when does ABH enter the foundation series... in Foudations 2?  I can't seem to find it in my progressions in F1.