Bent Arm Half Straddle Planche Hold

I noticed that adults want to lift the heels without sufficient lean. Daniel and Zach said something interesting some post ago, do slow PPP until your hips are 1-2 cm off the floor, from here you can walk with your feet and lean a couple of cm forward, then step back and push up.

Hey folks,

i also have problems to do the iM, so i just got the idea to do some weeks with elbow lever(i just tried it out and could hold), maybe it s good for fixing the balance thing and get comfortable in this position, maybe also a little bit strenght on top

Balance has a very limited role here. it is a matter of strength.

of course you re right, but i read so many topics about the bent arm hold and it seems to me, that it s all about finding the balance point.

i thought someone should have the strenght after doing all the previous steps, to at least hold this position for some secs

Just getting into this yesterday, I was frustrated, and was pushing myself as much as I could (even verbally).  The Frog Stand I know I can get used to, although it has been a while since I did something like that.  I'm able to press my knees onto the elbows (from the outside), eventually I'll be able to do it with my knees on top of them.  

As for what we are all talking about with the Bent Arm Half Straddle Planche Hold, that may take a great length of time to master.  Before going into the forum, I tried my best to do it the way as in the video, but not at this time.  So I automatically realized that it was like a pushup position to be in, so I went from there, holding the position for time, with one leg lifted.  Coming into the forum, last night, there is mention of PPP.  There were times in other forums mention of PPP and I had no clue what that was (I guess it wasn't time for me to get into it, until now).  First I looked at the video, then went at it.  I noticed I cannot get up from it (yet), so I decided to start from the top and SLOWLY go down into it and hold it for as long as I can (and maybe lift a leg up), @ 3 sets.  Knowing this is the best I can do, for now, I'm ok. 

This experience may even help me get out of the plateau of HBP/PE2, very much looking forward.  I think that is where I last heard about PPP, in the forum on Focus on HBP/PE2 (now it makes sense). 

I think you've identified your problem, too large a gap between HBP and sPL. 

Wow, looking back, I just noticed this is posted in Foundation 2.  Looks like this is one of those routines (within Foundation 1) that will take a good while to master.  Thankfully I found this forum in the search and I bought Foundation 2 in advance.  Otherwise, I would've gotten it sometime via some sense of holding in the bottom of the pushup position as I got into it to use as a substitute when I got into it.  And maybe would've realized via HBP/PE3 for similar position at the bottom, where the hands are positioned, after some time, for I'm still on HBP/PE3.  

I'm surprised I don't see this talked about much in Foundation 1.

EDIT: just found out THIS is part of Foundation 2 routines.

Cole Dano said:

I think you've identified your problem, too large a gap between HBP and sPL. 

I huge gap.  I cant even push up in HBP/PE3, as I tried it, for the first time, last night.  So at least I know this form of practice will get me out of the Plateau of HBP/PE2, be in better position when I reach HBP/PE3, and eventually get used to this Bent Arm Half Straddle Planche Hold.  

Also, will further strengthen my stabilizer muscles in ways beyond my imagination right now.

DieKatze said:

i am far away form mastering the IM but i got significantly better since the first time i tried it so maybe my approach will help other people struggling with his exercise.

 

i think for most people it is extremely hard to enter the way it is done in the course video. i half-straddle my legs in a seated position, plant my hands on the ground and lean forward. this results in a bent-arm half-straddle planche...with a lot of piking in the hips. what i did over the last few sessions was really focussing on eliminating that piking and i noticed that it wasnt really a strength but more or less a balanche and even maybe a little mental issue. i did not master PPP with hands at my hips so although that would have made it much easier i do not think it is necessary for everyone.

 

tl:dr: start with piked hips and try to reduce that piking over the course of a few weeks. its not all about strength but also about balance and you head

I just tried this with the tops of my feet planted on the couch and went into the planche.  As I held the position, I felt the flexion of my legs (even my glutes) as I held the position.  This a great alternative with the PPP.  Again, I'm absolute beginner on this, but this is another great advice to get into for the actual position of this particular hold.  

Not sure how I'm going to execute it and the PPP hold as an alternative for this Mobility for the time being (may just wing it, in a sense, since it may be a LONG progression).

This iM has helped the bottom of the PPP tremendously. I do PPP as a warm up and now I feel like the bottom position is a rest compared to the Bent Arm Half Straddle Hold.

Messed around with this just now and got it. Took me maybe 2 weeks. What made it "click" for me was realizing I had to try to protract my scapula more whereas previously I was thinking of actually retracting (don't know why). Still have trouble getting into the perfect spot every time but at least now I know I actually do have the strength.

Actually I think I do need to work on getting more parallel but its a start 

It can be difficult to get that last bit of pike out of the hips without arching too

i d like to train them, but as i lower down i feel a pain in the middle of my sternum. I had this not with ppp but in this im, just lowerin down slowly to train it...feels like a knife in my sternum.

I was by a doctor, but he says it must be irritated nerve where the rip connects with sternum(had once a broken rip).  But he said i can do sports, no problem.

Anyone experience on this case? I d like to hear if there s something i can do for that.

I suppose that sternum is stretched when chest is elongated. if it happens it means loss of protraction. check it out!

sternum pain i have and i dont have. sometimes it comes. maybe because different weather,pressure? really strange for me. so far so good. i had broken rib also. 

Alessandro Mainente said:

I suppose that sternum is stretched when chest is elongated. if it happens it means loss of protraction. check it out!

Aha, yes that sounds reasonable and clear for me! i will check this out

When your in this position you must keep a strong protraction even in the bottom? Would your scapula's not want to naturally retract in this position due to the position of the humerus relative to the torso.  In the videos the athlete appears to only be partially protracted almost in a neutral position.  Same thing in the ppp at the bottom it seems like the scapula's will want to slightly retract. Can anyone clear this up for me. 

No protraction required at bottom of this hold.

LateStarter@46 said:

No protraction required at bottom of this hold.

True, but you want to feel as if you are trying very hard to protract

protraction at the bottom dramatically improves your strength on protraction since the humerus is moved behind the upperbody.

basically if you can protract here, do it.

I can protract at the bottom and i'm constantly doing it.

In recent months I have found strengthening the external rotator cuff muscles helps with this mobility element in addition to other aspects of the Gymnastic Bodies cirriculum.  

Rayne-William said:

In recent months I have found strengthening the external rotator cuff muscles helps with this mobility element in addition to other aspects of the Gymnastic Bodies cirriculum.  

I find this interesting. What exercises did you find useful for that ? I'm thinking this is related to a very good cue for protraction which is try rotate the floor with your hands to the outside...

dritar said:

I find this interesting. What exercises did you find useful for that ? I'm thinking this is related to a very good cue for protraction which is try rotate the floor with your hands to the outside...

i came here to say this. active external rotation of the shoulders is the cue that helped me master the hold.

dritar said:

I find this interesting. What exercises did you find useful for that ? I'm thinking this is related to a very good cue for protraction which is try rotate the floor with your hands to the outside...

Other than the Straddle Planche elements.  Almost all of the Rope Climb, Hollow Back Press, Front lever, Manna elements, and some of the Side Lever elements.

Alessandro Mainente said:

I suppose that sternum is stretched when chest is elongated. if it happens it means loss of protraction. check it out!

Now i'm really certain that its not because of a lack of protraction, that causes the pain in my case. I tried a lot of exercises where protraction is needed and even easier progressions with less weight gave me this feeling in my sternum.

I really hate it, sometimes doing swings on parallel bars and when swinging back high and like going into a negative bent arm half straddle planche from there is feel it already. So i stopped training it, totally.

Same problems with ppp sometimes, always when beeing in this plane of movement with bent arms.