Hs Press Critique

Hello guys here is a short clip of a HS press, please critique my form and also I need some advices on how to increase my hip compression to the point where I can descend straight into a l-sit passing the legs between the arms but with hands on floor.

I am working on pancake and pike flexibility but I feel that my hip flexors aren't strong enough to increase the compression, any advice would be very welcome.

I do the seated pike lifts (mn/se1>im and mn/se2>im) every week but it doesn't seem enough to increase my strength at the hip flexors, maybe if I go with my hands further forward on the seated lifts it will help, or adding weigths?

Thanks!

The compression for you doesn't look to be the main issue but rather your shoulder angle. You are leaning too far forward when pressing. When lowering, you need to maintain the open shoulders even as you are descending to L sit. 

Not sure of the validity of the advice but what's done wonders on my compression strength is just playing around in the top ROM of Stall Bar HLLs. Touch the bar, move slowly just a few inches away, pause, hang around, compress again… just spending time in that maximal tension zone.

What is your current level on H1?

BMJD said:

The compression for you doesn't look to be the main issue but rather your shoulder angle. You are leaning too far forward when pressing. When lowering, you need to maintain the open shoulders even as you are descending to L sit. 

You are right, looking closely on the video I can see that my traps can't sustain my shoulders open in the most difficult parts of the movement. 

I saw your videos and you have a great press HS, what volume/frequency do you applied to reach this level (l-sit to hs 3r) and do you think I should scale down my press training or should I focus on pHS/SE7 until my traps are able to keep my shoulders open all time?

alex87 said:

What is your current level on H1?

 

I finished H1 this year doing 5x120s twice a week.

Thanks for spending time on this guys.

i think you need to improve the trap strength. can you post 30s video of the last IM of hs1?

You can do this combination of HS/SE13 but in a pike position together with your pHS/SE7. Hold the half position with fully open shoulders like in HS/SE13. Those will work the traps harder and quite specific to the sticking point you are facing.

Once you are able to maintain at the half position than just gradually lower to the bottom while maintaining that open shoulders as much as you can. Just do 1 rep at a time, it takes a while.

By the way, is that your mexican? It looks great!

alex87 said:

i think you need to improve the trap strength. can you post 30s video of the last IM of hs1?

Will do that, I'll post the video here until tomorrow. 

BMJD said:

You can do this combination of HS/SE13 but in a pike position together with your pHS/SE7. Hold the half position with fully open shoulders like in HS/SE13. Those will work the traps harder and quite specific to the sticking point you are facing.

 

Once you are able to maintain at the half position than just gradually lower to the bottom while maintaining that open shoulders as much as you can. Just do 1 rep at a time, it takes a while.

 

By the way, is that your mexican? It looks great!

Thanks man, will implement this exercise, on HS/SE13 it is recomended to do 5x5r, should I do just like that but in a pike position or should I do holds?

Yes it is me on the photo, but i cannot hold a long time there and now I am focusing on using more the shoulders instead of lumbar flexibility.

You can hold for around 5 - 10s before lowering down your feet as close to your hands as possible, keep pushing even as you are lowering. Do maybe around 3 - 5 times (1 rep at a time), it takes quite some time before your legs can pass through.

Mark Balsom said:

Not sure of the validity of the advice but what's done wonders on my compression strength is just playing around in the top ROM of Stall Bar HLLs. Touch the bar, move slowly just a few inches away, pause, hang around, compress again… just spending time in that maximal tension zone.

Good advice. It is also important to remember that your shoulders must be completely open during this work.

To increase compression, try doing your HLL on a single bar so that you can pass under the bar; first with flexed feet and later with pointed toes. At first the ascent will be nearly impossible for you, but you should be able to do substantially better in terms of maintaining straight legs when going under the bar during the descent.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer