Form Check

Hi, 

My name is André Craveiro, i'm 22 and i live in Portugal.

I started Foundation one last week and i think it might be a good ideia to ask you, dear members XD, if you could give me some help in figuring out if my form is adequate to step up to the next progression in each of the 7 exercise categories. It might seem a little rude from my part to start a topic asking stuff without at least contributing to the forum in the first place but i am going to take that risk either way. I plan to visit this community a lot in the next couple of years so rest assured i will help others the best i can.

So here they are: 

FL- PE1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvYGGssZbkQ

       iM1 ( i am going to record this one tomorrow)

sPL - PE1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIrvbzzOgww and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqGWbztxmGk

         iM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW_nJZ3Qvt4

SL - PE1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNmWhgn5U9c

       iM ( i haven´t recorded because i think it isn't necessary)

MN - PE1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj8JyW6QBas

        iM   ( don't have it yet too)

SLS - PE1 + iM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maxpttsyngc

HBP - PE1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnYVSU3uu-I

          iM (not recorded )

RC - PE1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQx66xu3lUA

        iM ( not recorded)

So it's it for now ! I hope someone has nothing to do and find interesting critiquing the tecnique/form of other people. So if you can and want leave a comment or two below saying how much i suck eh eh.

I will do the same for you too ! XD 

Thanks in advance, André Craveiro

Welcome to the forum Andre!

Your form looks very good in general. A few observations/pointers below:

FL: It's always hard to tell how much somenone is really hollowing when they post a form check of this element. You should be feeling your lower back pressing into the floor. The acid test is to try some rocks (PE2). If they're nice and smooth like the course video, you are good to go.

SPl iM: You should be swivelling both hips at the same time. So one leg rotates outwards while the other rotates inwards. You haven't mastered it until you touch the floor with both knees at the same time. Glutes must remain in contact with the floor.

SL: Hard to tell from this angle, but looks like your legs are not straight, you are not extending your hips enough and you need more thoracic extension/shoulder flexion to allow you to raise your arms higher. Try filming from the same angle as the course video and compare your ROM to the athlete. The way I see it, fingers and toes should both be about 45 - 50cm off the floor.

Mn: Your upper legs should be nearly vertical in the top position, while your shoulders should end up in a similar position to where they are now. You'll need to round your back to achieve this (see course vid). I think you are already demonstrating about enough hip flexion, so this shouldn't be a big problem for you.

RC: Your body should be vertical in the top position. Try moving backwards a little in relation to the rings to help you achieve this.

Hope this makes sense and is of some help.

Many thanks Kibbokift ! I really appreciate your response and the points you made !

Just a quick question: yesterday i tried the 10th week  ( week 10 - 4 x 60 seconds) regarding the PE1 of FL. I couldn´t handle the last two sets ( i did something like 60 seconds on the first and second sets and +- 35-40 seconds on the other two). What do i do next ? Progress to the 11th week or stay on the 10 th till i "master" the prescribed set/rep scheme ( 4 x 60 seconds) ?

I know that every 4 weeks i must deload despite my progression or not on that specific preparatory exercise (which in this case is the Front lever) in the context of the 12 week programing cycle.

Regardings, André Craveiro

If it were me I would go for 4 x 60s again. If you complete all four sets with good form and no rest and you still don't feel completely exhausted, then try for a fifth set. You might surprise yourself and demonstrate mastery. Most likely though you'll end up repeating weeks 9 - 12 after your deload week, which is nothing to worry about.

FL/PE1- looks good to me, but like Kibbokit said, try some rocks to make sure your back is hollow.

sPL/PE1- looks like you could get a little more protraction on these to me, but almost there.

sPL/PE1>iM- great job with the internally rotated hip/knee, now just externally rotate the other leg so the outside of the knee touches the floor and you should be good to go.

SL/PE1- you need to keep your feet together, your knees locked straight and get considerably more extension/arch. Lots of people (myself included) struggle with this one, so just keep plugging along.

MN/PE1- you need to compress more on these. The thighs need to touch the stomach/chest at the top of the movement

SLS/PE1- looks good to me. Watch the vid again for the iM to see how he moves his arms, but I think you'll be able to copy him with a little refinement

HBP/PE1- looks pretty good to me

RC/PE1- try to hang the rings higher and pay attention to how the athlete in the video positions himself under the rings before pulling himself up to start the movement, that should put you in a better position at the top of the movement.

Hope this helps

KibboKift said:

If it were me I would go for 4 x 60s again. If you complete all four sets with good form and no rest and you still don't feel completely exhausted, then try for a fifth set. You might surprise yourself and demonstrate mastery. Most likely though you'll end up repeating weeks 9 - 12 after your deload week, which is nothing to worry about.

Solid advice here

I do each Foundation element 2x a week; sometimes in the first one I have to dig to meet the new rep target. Most often it then comes much easier in the second session, having done it once

Hi again, 

Thanks Keegan, John doglas and kibbokift for your kind replies. 

So regarding the FL/PE1 progression, that's what i am going to try. Shoot for Mastery. If however i don't succeed i will continue hammering on week 9 only resting when that rep/set scheme is accomplished even if i have to do it every single time until the deload week ( 2 weeks from now).

I have a few more videos that i just took on the last session

FL/PE1 + iM again https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ0XI5k8DtI

sPL iM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ5WwiFwfJc

HBP PE2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbLIMi0Mq_o

RC PE1 ( no the best angle ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g65_GCrSikA

I almost forgot this one : SLS PE2 ( I assumed that the iM of PE1 was ok and so i moved on, perhaps as keegan said i should be a bit more fluid and in synchrony) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa7a-QTXtmU

Regardings, André Craveiro

Hi again, 

After watching the PE1 Manna video, i am still struggling to see the kid putting the legs in contact with the core. I was far from it the first few times i tried but now i am seeing results. Check it out below

The PE1 progression of the rope climb is really trick . Even trickier than normal rows ( past experience). Do you think the positioning of the body is better than the other one posted a week ago ?

MN PE1 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKJDtEccT90

RC PE1 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP-8DAFPaMo

SLS PE2>iM : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkQ1j88Pggs

Regardings, André Craveiro

Getting better with the Tuck-Ups, but still need a little more compression. Do you mean that you are struggling to see the athlete in the demo video touch his legs to his body/chest/stomach, or that you are struggling to do so yourself?

With the Hinge Rows watch the demo video again and notice how the athlete positions himself to the rings prior to pulling himself into the starting position. If you duplicate that it should help you to more closely mimic the exercise.

The later repetitions of your SLS/PE2 set look good (the first couple you seem to be finding the correct foot width and getting comfortable with going full ROM), so just keep building those up till you get mastery.

SLS/PE2>iM looks good standing up and sitting down, but you need to work on getting the spin/transition more smooth before you can claim mastery.

Good work though.

I am struggling with both of them even thought my case is a bit more severe  I think i cannot achieve more hip flexion even if i tried to mask it ( clearly not what i am going to do) with a bit more rounded lower and mid back.

The ring rows are getting better but , the height of the rings is one of the aspects that is crucial (  and difficult ) to set up properly in order to replicate exactly the technique demonstrated by the kid.

Thanks again keegan, Is there anything i can help you with ?

Hi guys, How are you doing ?

Even though i am not making the progress i wanted to, i am still moving forward  but slowly and steadily.

Below are three videos concerning SLS, RC and sPL. Tell me what you think. I have been working hard on iM-PE2 SLS 

sPL :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Aq4dJVpcU

SLS (iM) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOiacOzH5js

RC : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs1BFfG_oW0

Regardings, André Craveiro