sPL question: Elbow position

Hi all,

In sPL work (for example PE5, 6 and onwards) do you try and generate more torque by rotating the elbow pits to face forward? This was suggested to me over the weekend and as far as I can see the students in the Foundation series do not specifically rotate the arm in the socket to get the elbows facing forward.

Should I try for this effect or not?

This helps engage the serratus and locks the arms out more.  You don't really need to actually rotate anything but the cue of thinking about this will help you stabilize the shoulder.  

The same cue can be used to help push out in the handstand.

For me this rotation is a necessary HS/pl ingredient to get it all locked in right.

Don't forget that strength work for most of us is well below warmup intensity for the guys demo'ing the F-series not that they show anything incorrectly, but they don't need to grab every leverage advantage as we do.

I find it also helps as a bit of a conditioning precursor before starting to rotate the hands sideways/backwards.

How far forward are you guys talking about? My elbow pits naturally point between forward and sideways with all hand positions. Turning them completely forward does not make me stronger there and feels unnatural/uncomfortable to me. I never seen a gymnast or anyone else have their elbow pits face forward completely for planche. Maybe you guys are over-thinking things or talking about something else?

Maybe you should read Daniel's reply to the OP. 

-MR said:

Maybe you should read Daniel's reply to the OP. 

I still don't get the cue. Maybe I already have it ingrained and am not aware of it. So for you guys; do you actually notice a rotation of the elbow pits when you try it or are they still facing the same way when trying the cue just like what Daniel's post suggests?

B1214N said:

I still don't get the cue. Maybe I already have it ingrained and am not aware of it. So for you guys; do you actually notice a rotation of the elbow pits when you try it or are they still facing the same way when trying the cue just like what Daniel's post suggests?

Having just checked, my final position is around 45 forward/internal, or a little further towards forward. It's the cue/active rotation that makes the difference for me and engages everything, not the positioning resulting from it. Find it's nigh-necessary for on pl, HSPU past half ROM and MSH, although I'm pretty sure also I do it in everything from support position now.

Same here, my elbow pits face a little more than half way forward, but I'm actively applying some degree of torque while doing it. By the way, re-reading the thread, I realize my reply may have come off as a little rude, so I wanted to apologize. That's definitely not how I wanted it to come off; I was just in a rush and didn't notice at the time. I hope you didn't take it the wrong way. 

it's funny, i was talking to someone at the gym just last week about how i haven't been able to pass sPL PE1 for the last 4.5 months, because my elbows keep bending.  he suggested that i rotate my elbow pits forward.

i've got 2 questions.

1. should i lock out the elbows for sPL PE1?  the athlete in the video doesn't seem to be doing that.

2. are you guys basically saying that for the sPL progressions, we can rotate the elbow pits forward, because doing this helps lock out the elbows more and engage the serratus, but it's entirely optional?

thanks

Jon Douglas said:

Having just checked, my final position is around 45 forward/internal, or a little further towards forward. It's the cue/active rotation that makes the difference for me and engages everything, not the positioning resulting from it. Find it's nigh-necessary for on pl, HSPU past half ROM and MSH, although I'm pretty sure also I do it in everything from support position now.

Yeah, my position is the same too. I think I might be involuntarily doing the cue or I just didn't need it.

-MR said:

Same here, my elbow pits face a little more than half way forward, but I'm actively applying some degree of torque while doing it. By the way, re-reading the thread, I realize my reply may have come off as a little rude, so I wanted to apologize. That's definitely not how I wanted it to come off; I was just in a rush and didn't notice at the time. I hope you didn't take it the wrong way. 

No need, I didn't take it the wrong way. 

I think it probably depends a bit on anatomy and flexibility how much your arm rotates outwards. I think just creating the tension is the key.