Formcheck SL/PE1 Archy Body Hold

I've read wheezer's summary on ABH (Thanks again! It was awesome.)

It said some cues on back bone erector, hips, and hamstrings.

I found out that I rely too much on erector spine so tried to focus on hips and hamstrings.

But there are a few problems.

video : 

- My hips and hamstrings contract well while maintaining arch, but erector spine still engages. Is it OK?

- As I try hard to clinch my hips and hamstrings, my legs and toes spread apart  as if the are DUCK FEET.

(Feet together, toes point out, V-shape, knees slightly fall apart, legs slightly bent)

Is it OK or symptom of poor mobility?

- I don't get what this means in wheezer's summary. 

• press the legs away from the hips to activate the glutes (instead of the erector spinae

I cannot see back side view of athlete in the demo video so I don't know which is correct. 

Hanlim Lee said:

 

I've read wheezer's summary on ABH (Thanks again! It was awesome.)

 

It said some cues on back bone erector, hips, and hamstrings.

 

I found out that I rely too much on erector spine so tried to focus on hips and hamstrings.

 

But there are a few problems.

video : 

 

- My hips and hamstrings contract well while maintaining arch, but erector spine still engages. Is it OK?

It would be impossible to perform this hold without engaging your spinal erectors. The concern is arching the lumbar spine too much to compensate for lack of mobility elsewhere. Yours looks fine to me.

 

Hanlim Lee said:

 

- As I try hard to clinch my hips and hamstrings, my legs and toes spread apart  as if the are DUCK FEET.

(Feet together, toes point out, V-shape, knees slightly fall apart, legs slightly bent)

Is it OK or symptom of poor mobility?

 

This is a common complaint. Strive to avoid all the symptoms you mention.

 

Hanlim Lee said:

- I don't get what this means in wheezer's summary. 

• press the legs away from the hips to activate the glutes (instead of the erector spinae

 

I cannot see back side view of athlete in the demo video so I don't know which is correct. 

 

This is just a cue for activating the glutes. If you try and reach backwards with your feet rather than upwards, the glutes activate and your legs stay straighter. You don't seem to have much of a problem with this though.

 

Finally I would say your shoulder flexion needs to improve a bit, but overall very good.

Ditto Kibbo. It looks pretty good with a ROM that will only get better with time. The main issue for most is squeezing the glutes and hammys to death as you should feel it more there than in the lower back. As Kibbo said, you will never eliminate some back work, but it should not be the prime mover.

KibboKift said:

 

This is just a cue for activating the glutes. If you try and reach backwards with your feet rather than upwards, the glutes activate and your legs stay straighter. You don't seem to have much of a problem with this though.

 

 

Finally I would say your shoulder flexion needs to improve a bit, but overall very good.

- First of all, I don't fully understand what 'reach backwards not upwards' mean.

Is it that I shall not lift my feet vertically but diagonally as if I'm gonna touch my glutes with my toes? 

If that is what you mean, why does legs stay straighter? I think they're more likely to bent.

- Second, please explain more of my shoulder flexion. Flextion means bending, right? 

so you mean I need to bend my shoulders more? to what direction then? 

is that related to ' the arch should be felt in the upper back' in the article below?

http://www.gymnasticsrevolution.com/GymInteractive-Floor-Arch.htm

Flexion in reference to the shoulder is bringing the arms up overhead. With ABH (as well as every other exercise here), go the opposite direction of easy.

Back not up is a cue; rather than lifting the head and body up, think of bringing the back of the head to touch the buttocks. The goal isn't to accomplish this, obviously, but it does give the brain a handy reference point for what the movement should feel like.