ABH one year anniversary

So it has been one year since I started ABH on regular basis. Today I finally was within touch of mastery 4x60 sec and failed last 15 sec of set 5. I was still able to hold my feet up but rib cage slowly came down... damn gravity.

Sticky post by wheezer was invaluble, one by one I learnt how to implement all his and other tips from his thread. Thanks a lot to everyone who contributed to it!

But few things I had to do differently from what is recommended by GB. I guess everyone is different and some things might need slight personal modifications. I was wondering anyone else noticed similar simptoms. I can't even count how many times I tried to transition from week 7 to 9 and failed to get even close to week 9 requirement after relatively easy week 7. It took time for me to figure out that rest week 8 was the problem. So instead of doing 50% week 8 I would just take few days longer break and instead of doing ABH every 4-5 days I would rest 5-6 days do the same week 7 sets rest 5-6 days more and go straight to week 9. That helped to keep up with week 9 but then I was stuck at week 9 for months before finally I tried high rep approach a couple of months ago and that helped to push past week 10.

So what I am trying to say is it seems that at least in my case ABH required very consistent hard work on very strict schedule. Little more and I would get over trained, little less and I would loose it again.

Keep on fighting.

I am at week 9 myself now having done the second minicycle twice because the more I pushed upwards the more ROM I gained and the more strength it required to hold the position. I am now at an acceptable ROM and hope to complete this cycle but yesterday was very very hard with the 4x48 secs.

I would also like to shout out to wheezer for his post. It had been enormously helpful, especially with the cues to fire the right muscles and it had made my body awareness skyrocket.

I do ABH on the B days. One things that I feel is helping me immensely to break the plateau is to do on the A days ABH at half that weeks volume. So if it's week 9, do 4x24s, week 10 4x30s, week 11 5x30s. It's not a big addition in terms of volume but I feel like I finally am reaching the end of the ABH tunnel.

This thread is not encouraging.  I've been consistently doing ABH since May and have been re-doing weeks 9-12 since I got there and my mobility is not even in the ballpark.  My t-spine is stiff as a board and that doesn't help but geez I feel like I'll be doing this longer than swivel hips.

RF_Guy, you mention high reps helped you to break through.  Can you elaborate on what that consisted of?

dynamo said:

RF_Guy, you mention high reps helped you to break through.  Can you elaborate on what that consisted of?

https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/16547-high-volume-to-overcome-plateau/

I mentioned modifications done for ABH  in the last post. It is hard method but seems to work when nothing else is left to try.

Damon Amato said:

This thread is not encouraging.  I've been consistently doing ABH since May and have been re-doing weeks 9-12 since I got there and my mobility is not even in the ballpark.  My t-spine is stiff as a board and that doesn't help but geez I feel like I'll be doing this longer than swivel hips.

This approach will likely take a long long time to get to correct ROM. Instead, start at week 1, improve your form, staying on the first microcycle, then build volume. I would suggest you take a look at Master the Bridge by Kit Laughlin, especially the ABH demonstration in there. It covers all the points necessary for correct form in one place, so it's quite handy.

Damon,

Go back to week 1-4 and stay there till you can achieve correct ROM. If you're no longer working FL/PE1>im then reintroduce it and really work on mobilizing your t-spine

Duff/Spinelli: will do, thanks.

I passed it!!! I passed ABH today after 13 months! And did last min hold 75 sec just to rub it ... in my own face I guess

RF_Guy said:

I passed it!!! I passed ABH today after 13 months! And did last min hold 75 sec just to rub it ... in my own face I guess

Congrats

Duff said:

This approach will likely take a long long time to get to correct ROM. Instead, start at week 1, improve your form, staying on the first microcycle, then build volume. I would suggest you take a look at Master the Bridge by Kit Laughlin, especially the ABH demonstration in there. It covers all the points necessary for correct form in one place, so it's quite handy.

Just bought it. Worth every penny and then some if it can help me pass the dreaded ABH. 

Now I just need a freaking foam roller. Been too lazy to get one for months now lol 

I've also found that by adding in more sets is helpful in increasing volume, for example: if you're on 4 x 48 then I would perform those as normal and then afterwards add in another 2 sets of 30 seconds (or 35, it's not an exact science, just what you are capable of) then 2 sets of 24. The total time would then amount to the full 5 minutes but the later sets are easier because they are shorter. It has helped me increase my overall stamina. 

I believe that different approaches work for different people so just play around

Oliver Harris said:

I've also found that by adding in more sets is helpful in increasing volume, for example: if you're on 4 x 48 then I would perform those as normal and then afterwards add in another 2 sets of 30 seconds (or 35, it's not an exact science, just what you are capable of) then 2 sets of 24. The total time would then amount to the full 5 minutes but the later sets are easier because they are shorter. It has helped me increase my overall stamina. 

I believe that different approaches work for different people so just play around

Be careful that it does not impair your recovery ability.