Question on MN progression

Guys,

a question for the more experienced people here.

 

My MN progression is stalling due to a lack of hip mobility. To be more precise, I have a good passive pike flexibility (i.e. wrist well below the feet), but if I try to pike without bending the spine I can hardly attain less than 90° vs the legs. Same problem with straddle pike. Possibly, also active flexibility is insufficient.

 

The result is a very bad form in MN PE2&3 and HLLs variations (PE6-9) much harder than they should be, but no problems with L sit.

 

I've included a hard stretching session in my weekly routine, hoping to address this issue in the long term (despite limited knowledge of stretching), and waiting for the release of the streatching course.

 

What do you think is now the most effective approach in the short term until my flexibility improves:

 

a) keep doing MN PE 2&3 and related iM as good as I can;

 

b) put PE 2&3 in stand-by and practice the HLL variations (PE6-9), maybe starting hanging on a single bar instead of stall bar;

 

c) put PE 2&3 in stand-by and practicing the various L sit variations (SE1-5)

 

I'm currently more for option b) or c), assuming that in this way I would start training the other muscles involved (despite the limitation for HLLs variations), begin to improve the L-sit and doing all the other advanced IMs that could be beneficial to improve my flexibility.

 

What would you suggest?

 

 

 

First off, read this thread. 

 

I mastered MN2 and 3, although some thought that I hadn't, but that's a different discussion. When I bumped into MN6 it just appeared completely impossible. When I did begin to get some reps, my mid shin was touching the bar, so way too little compression of abs and hip flexors. The HLL progressions are different from the tuck-up progressions, because it's a whole body movement, where elbows, shoulders and lats are added to the chain of muscles that are working (Edit: Yes, elbows and shoulders are joints, not muscles). Therefore it is my conviction that while the tuck-ups condition the mid section and lower body, they do not prepare the upper body for HLL. So basically the best way to get better at HLL is to do HLL, provided you have mastered the previous progressions.

 

If your passive flex is good enough to attain the shape required for HLL, then your problem is that you're too weak. I know, because I've had the exact same problem; I have only recently been able to crank out a few good reps of MN6. I think I've spent six months building up the strength for this using a 4x2 rep scheme, and only now will I begin adding volume.

 

So your plan should be: Master MN2 & 3, proceed with the MN progression, and when you hit resistance, most likely at MN6, be patient. I began at 3x1 and ended at 4x2, which I stayed at until ROM was good. You want to provide adequate stimuli for adaptation to occur, but you won't want to do so much that movement quality is compromised, or your shoulders get f*cked - YMMV. Stretch at every F1-session using the previous iM's, and a seated pike stretch. The only stretch I added was a seated pike stretch, where I would grab my feet hard for a count of six, then release and instantly pull my upper body to the floor for three-four breaths using just abs and hip flexors. Then grab feet again and repeat three times. That's one set. Three-four sets worked well for me. Be prepared to wait many months for your body to adapt. If your shoulders are loaded too hard initially, try reversing the grip.

 

Good luck, and keep it up. Maybe it's a good idea to post future updates in the thread above?

 

Edit: Don't use a single bar for the HLL's, or you won't get anywhere. Stall bars are incomparably harder.

Wow, it was a long thread !

Posted Today, 06:45 PM

First off, read this thread. 

 

[...] So basically the best way to get better at HLL is to do HLL, provided you have mastered the previous progressions.

 

If your passive flex is good enough to attain the shape required for HLL, then your problem is that you're too weak. [...]

 

[...] You want to provide adequate stimuli for adaptation to occur, but you won't want to do so much that movement quality is compromised, or your shoulders get f*cked - [...]

My takeover from all that discussion and your comments is that indeed my flexibility is enough to attain the required pike just because I flex more the upper spine rather than the lower part and hips. As a result, the amount of strength needed and stress on the shoulders is much greater than what I believe should be. And yes, I might not be strong enough for that.

 

However, and I might be wrong,  I believe HLLs should not require so much strength and be a rather easy and light exercise to perform, assuming you have the right flexibility.

 

I understand better now that by flexibility you need both the passive flexibility at the hips and the active one, or in other words enough strength in the muscles responsible to get into that position.

 

My doubt is that I’m not sure if by simply forcing you to do HLL over and over you will improve in that, as the risk is that you might compensate your deficiencies by using other muscles and hence not developing what you want…. :|

 

Just to give the full picture, this is my current form (2 months ago):

 

Maybe only one tip on your video, curl the hips to the upper chest then extend the legs, the idea is not prematurely extend the legs.