Middle split hold

Hi all,

Just wondering about programming the middle split hold in regular training. I imagine this is going to take a little more than 8 weeks, so I was planning to run week 8-12 cycles until a manna press comes into my abilities.

Is this appropriate? Or is it more productive to run a cycle up to 5x30 trying to maintain a given height, then start over at your new hold-able max height?

 

Regarding the iM, weighted shoulder extension pulls, I used 10kg today (22lb). Do we have a target weight for this one? I didn't have any trouble with this weight, but the idea of throwing a 20kg plate over my head and hoping for the best is a little offputting

 

Thanks in advance

Jon

jealous...but completely unqualified to answer your question 

I prefer the second one. maintain the same height and work to reinforce it. then move on.

just for my curiosity did you master the manna wall slide with  hands exactly under the shoulders?

alex87 said:

I prefer the second one. maintain the same height and work to reinforce it. then move on.

just for my curiosity did you master the manna wall slide with  hands exactly under the shoulders?

Yeah, I got there or very close according to a mirror on one side. For the first few weeks it was a complete system shock it took about 6 weeks before it felt right. Now I have to start my middle split hold completely over with my better understanding of the retraction + extension technique, but thats okay because the habits are coming through even in my regular warmup Lsits and supports

 

I do the wall slides in warmup now after the straight arm part of my warmup-- (planche everything) /  Lsit/ straddle L/ table rocks/ bridge-- and aim to work up to 10 reps regularly.

For HS mobility exercises, it's generally recommended achieving mastery with a given weight/wide, incrementing the difficulty, and then re-achieving mastery. So I'd do the same thing with MSH: master at a comfortable rom/height, then move your hips up and inch or two and re-master. Move on when your height is greater than or equal to the athlete's demonstration and when you can perform enough manna presses to start week 1 manna press.

 

You may want to add some manna press work to your "play" time on days when you're not working MSH, in order to work the skill aspect of pressing all the way up while maintaining compression in the legs and balancing on your hands. 

What josh and Alex have said.

Play with press into manna using a spot. This will build tremendous strength.

Thanks guys, that should keep me busy for a while

Daniel Burnham said:

What josh and Alex have said.

Play with press into manna using a spot. This will build tremendous strength.

Is that spotted at my hips?

I think the spotting is like this picture from GB Facebook:

 

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/1513224_750869801603389_2080873840_n.jpg

The spot coach is showing is best. Eventually the spotter should stop supporting the shoulders and only assist lift more from hips.

Cool daniel i had the same doubt, the knee kn back push against the temptation of falling on the back that it's by far my biggest problem.

what about you daniel? did you perfomr before the injury the manna wall slide starting with the hands directly under the shoulders  ( i put the ass on the wall and after I adjust the hands under the shoulders) ? for now i feel it simply impossible.

Falling back was the hardest yes. It requires less lean on the triceps and a better forward hip push not to. The spot was very useful for learning to balance this.

Yes I performed manna wall slide with hands under shoulder. I actually made up that drill as a substitution for something coach showed me at a seminar. Are you doing hands back or forward. Back is easier to keep chest up and arms under you.

Also make sure you guys are stretching bicep and triceps before doing these exercises. I learned that they are hard on the shoulder if you don't.

Yes, table rocks focusing on retraction are my absolute necessity before doing these. Otherwise biceps are tight and probably skirting issues long term.

 

Doing my wall slides with hands backwards. Doing my middle split holds on paralettes with hands to the sides; wrists not 100% happy doing them on the floor yet.

I use the previous IM to stretch my chest and my biceps actually my hands are a little bit backward compared to the hips.

Jon Douglas said:

Regarding the iM, weighted shoulder extension pulls, I used 10kg today (22lb). Do we have a target weight for this one? I didn't have any trouble with this weight, but the idea of throwing a 20kg plate over my head and hoping for the best is a little offputting

 

We have never used more than 20kg for this iM.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thanks Coach.

Coach Sommer said:

We have never used more than 20kg for this iM.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Hi Coach,

This is my best so far with 20kg. My understanding is that past horizontal is acceptable rom; is that correct, or does it need to go further still?

Thanks

 

 

Edit;

This bar is supposed to be 10kg, but I suspect it is actually somewhere between 5-7.5 kg :S

 

Call it a working weight of 15kg. How disappointing, I was feeling proud

Follow up question--

 

What do you think about remaining in the pike, and doing the shoulder extension reps from there? I feel like my shoulders are getting more work that way, without the relative rest of the lower and stand.

 

Thanks

Damn Jon, nice pic, you'll be the next on the board to achieve a manna. Good work!

Good thread, how is your Manna progress going, Jon?

Fixing hamstring issue with stretch series, still not mastered straddle L however my middle split hold has improved alongside, and my shoulder extension is much better than here. When my active flexibility permits a perfect straddle L my manna progress should be fairly steady.

I can swing to manna on Pbars on a good day, and that feels great

Jon Douglas said:

Fixing hamstring issue with stretch series, still not mastered straddle L however my middle split hold has improved alongside, and my shoulder extension is much better than here. When my active flexibility permits a perfect straddle L my manna progress should be fairly steady.

I can swing to manna on Pbars on a good day, and that feels great

Awesome! I can only imagine how cool manna swings are haha..

Use padded bars first time, just trust me