SL/PE1 Conquered!... SL/PE2 OH GOD!

Hey all,

I was bursting with so much excitement I just needed to share this. After a good 8 months working on Arch Body Holds... I finally hit mastery last week! Oh man, I had been waiting for this moment for so long, when it finally came I didn't really know what to do.

I'll upload the video of the 5th set later (and pray that it meets the forum's meticulous standards haha)

So after deload week, I tried PE2 today. Man. Wow. Shock. Horror.

I think I am going to start at week 1 with these and work up. Partly because they are horrific, but also because my, ahem, man parts get in the way. When rocking rearwards onto the quads I cannot help but want to protect myself, which defeats my momentum. Plenty of reading on this topic has given me a number of ideas (getting strange looks putting socks down your front in the gym anyone?).

Looking forward to conquering this next challenge, no matter if it takes another 8 months.

Love this community. Love this regime.

If anyone else found Arch Body Rocks a shock after finishing the holds please let me know (hopefully I'm not alone?)

- Callum

Hurrah! HIP HIP HOORAY! 

Well done Callum 

It must be a wonderful feeling, killing those ABHs after persisting with them for a while. 

Thanks LateStarter,

To be honest, when I did it then watched the video I just thought 'right, what is next'... then on reflection it sunk in

The sick and sadistic thing is that I really enjoyed warming up with ABHs for the ABRs. It is almost like they are now enjoyable without any added 'pressure' to improve them.

I read on the forum about someone who kept them in their routine and did sets until failure, slowly continuing to build endurance which seems appealing... but maybe I just bashed my head on something and didn't realise

Congrats! In fact, take a short holiday.

Did you enjoy it? Good. Back to it, trooper!

 Congratulations!   Way to go!

Watch the vid for the rocks.  His pelvis rocks up off the floor!!    OMG.   Intense!

G'day again everyone, 

So here is the video of my 5th set, as promised.

Now onto solving better ways of protecting my manhood...

- Callum

You start shaking quite a bit towards the end, but ROM is the same and form is still solid. I wonder if that's enough to deny mastery?

Looks good to me! I hated PE:2, always made my junk hurt.

I'll always keep PE:1 as part of my warm up but be damned before I the do PE:2 again.

Actually like doing PE:3, PE:1 is certainly a big hurdle so well done!

I made myself do another microcycle when  I was shaking the the end like that.   Sorry for the Debbie downer post.

I just did an extra week 11 and that was enough to get rid of the shaking. (I love the shaking though interesting sensation)

Best AnswerCoach Sommer

20 February 2013 - 03:04 PM

- Shaking is due to the nervous system and musculature being in duress.

- If you are shaking, even if you managed the mastery target in terms of either time or reps; you have NOT demonstrated mastery.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

I remember this post, but in this case the shaking comes very late in the set (the fifth one) and is visible but not excessive. Hence why I'm wondering. In any case, I'm pretty sure reapeating the mini-cycle once will get rid of this shaking.

Personally I have no idea. I'd probably move on but not sure that's right.

Bro said:

I remember this post, but in this case the shaking comes very late in the set (the fifth one) and is visible but not excessive. Hence why I'm wondering. In any case, I'm pretty sure reapeating the mini-cycle once will get rid of this shaking.

Yeah the shaking came in the last 5 seconds, and was strange because it did not feel warranted... if that makes sense?

It was funny actually, because I only started shaking when my fiance (Candice) said "Keep it up, nearly done" - or something like that - right at the end, which made me maximally contract and thus cause the shaking.

I am not concerned. I have read the shaking comment from coach before, which is why I have been repeating the last microcycle a few times to reduce the shaking (the shaking used to start at about 50 seconds on most sets, where as all sets before the video above had no shaking).

I am comfortable moving on, especially given the similarity between PE2 and PE1 as far as shape goes.

Thanks all for the assessments and encouragement

Looks really solid with phenomenal ROM from the glutes onwards.

This having been the 5th set, it is evident that your endurance is first rate and unlike most I couldn't even notice the shaking.

When I shake you can think somebody is electrocuting me or something of the sort.

It's pretty obvious that you have earned the right to move to PE2, and if I were you I wouldn't sweat the minor details which a few people have brought up. 

~Atticus said:

Looks really solid with phenomenal ROM from the glutes onwards.

 

This having been the 5th set, it is evident that your endurance is first rate and unlike most I couldn't even notice the shaking.

 

When I shake you can think somebody is electrocuting me or something of the sort.

 

It's pretty obvious that you have earned the right to move to PE2, and if I were you I wouldn't sweat the minor details which a few people have brought up. 

Thank you Atticus. May your progress be swift and enjoyable

Yes, I agree with Atticus, do move on, I would have probably done the same. I think I had certifying through the levels in mind when I asked my question.

Well done. Enjoy the pain of arch body rocks

Oh I am...

Embrace the 'time in the trenches' as coach would put it.

qustion for those working on PE2 without a mattress/soft floor, any tips on reducing boy part discomfort?

edit: another problem I face is sliding back when I roll onto my thighs

G'day Meras,

I wouldn't even begin to know how to try this on hard ground... that must be an interesting pain. 

As a side note, after doing PE2 for a couple of cycles (I had to take some time away from training for work... also known as 'going field') I have noted that the discomfort on my genitalia has decreased. My assessment is that I have generated greater focus on keeping the thighs higher off the ground (dare I suggest it might be from getting stronger?) and therefore the roll is a lot smoother and doesn't impact me where it hurts anymore. It also could be because I am now using a softer mat. 

Shouldn't the hands be pointing straight forward? In this instance the hands are more on the sides, compared to the course video.