MN/PE1 - Help I'm Stuck In Hyperextension

After a year of trying to master mn/pe1 I need some serious assistance.  In my day to day life I'm stuck in anterior pelvic tilt with lower back hyperextension and its carrying over into and messing up my mn/pe1.  Notice how my middle and lower back are at best straight and in some spots still stuck in hyperextension (bending the wrong way) even though I am trying with all my might to round out everything in the back.

Here's the gb athlete.  Notice how he has a nice rounded back top to bottom.

Are there any supplementary exercises, stretches, you name it to help get me out of lower back hyperextension for this exercise?

dynamo, what I found to be the best for me before stretching my Hip Flexors is to do some foam rolling and instead of doing the standing version of the HF stretch, I do this one. 

now there's something I want to communicate before continuing, I don't choose that stretch because it's the "best" I choose it solefully because my HF are too tight(when I lay on my back, I either arch at the lower back or have to bend my knees quite a bit before my lower back reaches the floor.) and when I get in this solo version of the HF stretch, after foam rolling, I can actually stretch all three sections of my HF from that position and most importantly, is be able to tuck the tail and push the wall away with my foot while i gently move forwards and strangely, since i don't really remember what it is to have mobile hips, it feels like i'm going to sit my ass on the back of my leg. it literally feels like that to me. 

hinging at the hip is something you should practice a bit, as well. it's quite a shocker how tight your hips are once you see yourself(in a mirror or video) of how much you are moving with your hip mobility alone. the tricky part about this is that the section of "hip" your stretching is actually a femoral/hip/spinal stretch and the "hip" portion moves forwards and backwards the way you would push or pull a log to roll on the floor. if you let the hip move, you remove any stretch on the HF and instead start pulling very hard on your lumbar spine = low back pain.

now, really, all you need is the "ah-ha" moment. it happened to me with the wall variety but maybe you feel it better standing. stick to it! all you really need to learn how to do is how to not ever let your hip roll forwards and squeal your way away from the stretch. 

also, look at the angle of your legs and look at the angle of the athletes. it kind of makes me think that you're relying too much on HF strength to come to the top and not enough abdominal strength. not that im saying you're skimping out on work, all im saying is that maybe the next tweek you can add to this move is the balance point. 

For me, it took working with a physical therapist and coach who are trained in PRI (Postural Restoration Institute). I was in constant APT because of poor breathing patterns, which set off a chain reaction that locked me into extension (and, by the way, largely shut down my anterior core strength). All the foam rolling and hip flexor stretches in the world would never be enough to overcome poor postural patterns that I was reinforcing with every breath.

I'm not saying this is the solution for everyone. I'm saying it worked for me.

Thanks Keilani, but nothing seems to help.  I've tried the foam rolling (actually I rumble roll), Kit's hip flexor stretch, contracting with the abdominals first before bringing the hip flexors into it and nothing seems to help to push out and round my mid and lower back.

I feel like I need something industrial to push them out, but I'm not sure what that would be.  I really appreciate you trying to help with the above information, but I need something more to attack the problem.

This page has some breathing mobilizations that can help rebuild segmental flexion. http://zmoore.com/how-do-i-fix-my-anterior-pelvic-tilt-its-not-as-simple-as-stretching-your-hip-flexors-and-strengthening-your-abs-and-glutes/

I know what you mean by requiring 'something industrial' to mobilise your back. The nearest non-invasive thing to this would be several frequent sessions with a PT specialising in hands-on joint and soft tissue mobilisations. Also you'll need to change your day to day posture as otherwise it nullifies the effects of your training sessions. (I am fortunately able to lie down at my work computer which helps with my ABH sticking point.)

LateStarter@46 said:

(I am fortunately able to lie down at my work computer which helps with my ABH sticking point.)

Hmmm...obviously that narrows it down to auto mechanic and working on a space shuttle. I'm going with shuttle mechanic.

Ha ha ha! @ Tanstaafl 

Just a desk worker who's fortunate enough to work in a very relaxed environment. Similar to this, but I have more clothes on :-) 

Interesting stuff mcneuen, I too have found that certain parts of my lumbar are unable to flex to the same degree as the athlete in the demo video and thus getting that last little bit of knees to chest compression has been elusive unless I really compress fast/hard. I'm definitely going to play with those exercises and the concepts behind them and see if they prove beneficial. Thanks.

mcneuen said:

This page has some breathing mobilizations that can help rebuild segmental flexion. http://zmoore.com/how-do-i-fix-my-anterior-pelvic-tilt-its-not-as-simple-as-stretching-your-hip-flexors-and-strengthening-your-abs-and-glutes/

mcneuen, thank you for the information.  I have been experimenting with it.  How long did it take before you felt like you really noticed a difference?

Dynamo, it's a process.  I noticed some changes immediately, and some changes took a long time to manifest.  But the pace of my progress shouldn't influence you one way or another.  We have different starting points and different systems.  If you are totally stuck and nothing seems to be helping you, or if you are frustrated that the pace of change seems too slow, consider talking to a professional in your area who can evaluate you in person.