Front Lever and Planche

I have hit a plateau in the front lever hold. I progress in the direct and assisting exercises for the front lever, I just can't hold it more than 10-12s with perfect form. I have a video in which I hold it for 12sec in the end of October.  Here:

. My weekly program is for 2 days - static and dynamic. Dynamic consists of a list of exercises each a bit harder than the previous and when I get 10 reps I move on the next exercise. By now I have covered full fl kicks, full fl negatives, full fl pulls and straddle cranks. I am now at 5 reps of inv.hang>straddle fl>inv.hang and I was struggling with 2-3 reps just a couple of weeks ago. I am progressing in these exercises but the hold is stuck for good. I did core training and managed a 42s l-sit on p-bars and 20s l-sit with 2kg on ankles on p-bars as well. On my static day I just do 1 or 2 holds if I'm not too tired after the 1st one and then a few sets of pull ups in the previous variation. I switch the front lever variation on the static day when I had done the previous for at least 20s (moved to full fl after 22-3s straddle).
Today at the end of my static workout I managed 22s with one leg extended fl.


For the planche it is the same thing. I'm able to do variatons and reps that I wasn't able to even before my injury (biceps tendonitis, rested for 2 months and came back at August 2014).  In all of the assisting exercises I'm stronger than I ever was but I just can't hold the Full Planche. I was able to hold it before I got injured and since I started training again I did the same exercises I did before to learn it for the first time. Only thing is this time I'm stronger than before in those but can't hold the Full Planche.

Keep in mind in a dynamic day (both planche and fl) I just do 1-2 assisting exercises with 1-3 sets each. Most times it's just 1 exercises with 1-2 sets. Is that too little volume ? Also I'd like to ask if flexing your legs during static holds helps, because I never flex my legs when I train upper body ?


What is the problem ? I train a lot more safely now, I do more assisting exercises, I'm stronger in those than I ever was and yet I can't achieve again exercises that I had done before with a lot less overal strength. What should I change to enjoy progress again ?

Hi, i think, when it comes to front lever training, the bicep tendon brachialis does not feel the same tension as in the full planche. In planche one of the biggest problem for going into a harder progression is that you will always feel that sudden change, pressure on the brachialis tendon is much bigger as you progress further. And since you had a bicep tendonitis, during those two months your tendon has probably weaken a lot. And it takes a long time to earn tendon strength and endurance, way longer than the muscle strength. Maybe your muscles are ready for the full planche, but your tendons are not. That is why front lever is usually easier to learn, there is much more muscle work rather than tendon work.

I'm not sure if you had pain in your middle arm section below bicep when you tried planche after the injury. If that is the case, you just have to take it slowly, you should stick with longer and easier holds until your tendon gets its strength back for harder variations.

Another thing, it will be very helpfull if you can post a video of your current planche progression, maybe there is a problem with the form or something else...

@GORIZONT
Thanks for replying.
Here is an attempt from last month:

Here is an attempt from yesterday: 

I am more concerned about my front lever. It's been 4 months without a single second added to my max hold. May someone help me out ?

About front lever, you start fighting a little bit after 5 seconds hold in a full FL. You said you only do 2 sets and you maxout on every attempt right? When it comes to increasing hold, you should set distance goals. Try not to max out for 2 months. Do your regular training, but instead of doing two full front lever holds that combine in 20 seconds for example, where you actualy fight after 5 seconds and lose the perfect line and try to get back to it. You can do 5-6 holds of 5 seconds. This way you will not push as hard as you do when you maxout, your form will be much better, and you will have more strenght day after day, just because you are letting your body to recover properly. I noticed that in my own training, for example i can hold straddle front lever for 5 seconds, but now i'm doing 5 sets of 15 seconds advanced tuck, and I will do that until it becomes so easy and effortless so i can go into a harder progression and do the same thing. And i already see results from this.

The main difference is that i can give 100% every single training, but  I still keep that energy locked until the day where I set my goal to try harder and rewrite the program.

So, just keep it simple like that. do 5-6 sets of 50% max hold. Do that for few weeks, then you will be stronger and you can for example do 5.6 sets of 6-7 seconds full front lever, and ... The goal distance should be at least 4 weeks, but 8 weeks is ideal.

About planche, you are not ready for the full yet, you jump into it and slowly fall down. Do the same thing i described with the planche, and the results will come fast, you are pretty close. Example, straddle planche 4-5 sets 4-5 seconds, if you can of course.

I would recommend building more hold time in easier progressions to get more time to actually work with. And to prevent you from injuring yourself.

@GORIZONT, thanks man. I'll try that more-volume less-intensity training method next time I have static training. Is once a week enough for static holds on the front lever, because I want to keep my program they way it is - 2 days(1 static, 1 dynamic) ?
@Alexander Egebak I'll take your advice. How much hold time should I have before moving on a harder variation ? I did a 25s straddle fl when I switched to full, but it seems not enough.

This might sound rough, but 3 x 30s is in my opinion a good standard with no more than 2 minutes of rest time in between each set.

 

When you can do that it should translate into 3 x 10s full FL, but it does not always work that way.

 

Same applies to adv. tuck planche 3 x 30s before moving on.

 

What body parts give up first in those skills?

@Alexander
For the front lever my lats are the first to give up. For the planche it is the front delts.