HS/PE2 & iM

youtu.be/HGNNdvvbfTM

I taped this like two month ago. 

while doing iM, I used thumbless grip in the vidoe but now I use normal grip.

1. Should I keep PPT or APT during headstand? 

2. what's the target muscle, joint or area of HS/PE2 & HS/PE2- iM

3. too much pressure is put on my neck.

Some said my body weight should be evenly distributed to my hands and head.

but I think more weight is on the head causing my neck pain next day. 

problem is when I felt more pressure on the head, I tried to press the ground with my hands to put more pressure

on my hand.

but when I do that leverage changes and results in even more pressure on my head. 

what should I do? 

Are doing a sort of neck warmup prior to begin the HS elements?

Hanlim Lee said:

1. Should I keep PPT or APT during headstand?

PPT.

Hanlim Lee said:

2. what's the target muscle, joint or area of HS/PE2 & HS/PE2- iM

Quoting Alex' post from another thread, for the iM target areas are triceps, middle, upper, lower traps. rotator cuff muscles , rombhoids,  rear delts and scapula lats fibers.

As for weight distribution, as you noticed, when you push the hands harder into the ground, more pressure ends up being on your head. Just try and push a little lighter and your body will tilt towards your hands more. You have to play around a bit to find the weight distribution that feels comfortable. Maybe also put a softer pillow under your head to ease the strain.

Also, for the neck issue, try and place not so much your forehead as more the top of your head in the ground. The lower the contact point with the floor, the more your neck will have to go into extension, which is uncomfortable (and could be dangerous for the neck with your bodyweight placed on it I suppose, but I'm not an expert). It might be easier to hold for you, too.

Are you doing the im with an over grip? Shouldn't you be doing under grip instead?

Hollow Man said:

Are you doing the im with an over grip? Shouldn't you be doing under grip instead?

Thanks. I fixed it. ROM reduced a lot. 

I have more question. 

No matter how wide my grip is, my ROM isn't that different ; about 45 degree from the torso.

I guessed ROM would increase if I grab the bar wider.

Do you know why?

Daniel Stephan said:

Quoting Alex' post from another thread, for the iM target areas are triceps, middle, upper, lower traps. rotator cuff muscles , rombhoids,  rear delts and scapula lats fibers.

 

 

As for weight distribution, as you noticed, when you push the hands harder into the ground, more pressure ends up being on your head. Just try and push a little lighter and your body will tilt towards your hands more. You have to play around a bit to find the weight distribution that feels comfortable. Maybe also put a softer pillow under your head to ease the strain.

 

Also, for the neck issue, try and place not so much your forehead as more the top of your head in the ground. The lower the contact point with the floor, the more your neck will have to go into extension, which is uncomfortable (and could be dangerous for the neck with your bodyweight placed on it I suppose, but I'm not an expert). It might be easier to hold for you, too.

I fixed my form following your cues.

put the crown of my head, not the forehead to the floor, elevated and protracted my shoulder engaging more lats and delts. 

my body got almost completely VERTICAL to the floor and neck issues are gone. 

In the demo video, the athlete placed his forehead but guess that doesn't work for me. Thanks.

But there is some questions left. 

Both your tips and demo video indicates there should be some tilt for fair distribution of weight.

but as I put the top of my head on the floor, my body is now vertical. 

To make tilt, I shall bend my vertebrates but guess that is not correct. 

No tilt is fine? If not what should I do? 

alex87 said:

Are doing a sort of neck warmup prior to begin the HS elements?

well.. Am I supposed to? 

I am doing wrist stretches but not neck. 

neck circles both direction , forward and backward extension for reps, side flexion for reps. at minimum.

Hanlim Lee said:

Thanks. I fixed it. ROM reduced a lot. 

 

I have more question. 

 

No matter how wide my grip is, my ROM isn't that different ; about 45 degree from the torso.

 

I guessed ROM would increase if I grab the bar wider.

 

Do you know why?

Your active flexibility (which what im:s are working) would develop better if you gain some passive flexbility first.

Hanlim Lee said:

I fixed my form following your cues.

 

put the crown of my head, not the forehead to the floor, elevated and protracted my shoulder engaging more lats and delts. 

 

my body got almost completely VERTICAL to the floor and neck issues are gone. 

 

In the demo video, the athlete placed his forehead but guess that doesn't work for me. Thanks.

 

 

But there is some questions left. 

 

Both your tips and demo video indicates there should be some tilt for fair distribution of weight.

 

but as I put the top of my head on the floor, my body is now vertical. 

 

To make tilt, I shall bend my vertebrates but guess that is not correct. 

 

No tilt is fine? If not what should I do? 

Glad I could help you out.

As for the tilting of the body, it will come as a secondary effect of how your weight is distributed and should not be your prime focus.

Just concentrate on a hollow body position (ribs pulled in, legs straight, ppt, pointed toes) and then find a position that feels good for your neck and lets you keep balance with least effort.