Working On Pike Compression

Hello!

Which is better to do:

1) Seated Pike Lift  where my hands are flat on the floor next to my knees and I can lift maybe 10-15 cm high up and hold for 10-15 sec, 

Or

2) Seated Pike Lifts where my lower back and hips are in contact with a wall, where I have to have my hands closer to my waist and I can only lift my heels 3-5 cm high. I feel this one mostly in my quads where it meets the knee.

Basically, is it better to work where you can lift the most or least?

When I was improving my compression I was doing number 1) and gradually lowering my hand below the knees, combined with a kind of long hold at the top of the HLL (toes to bar).

I've never even heard of the second one.

Your best bet is just to work on pancakes and L sits. I find those two combine nicely on their own without needing additional active compression work. YMMV depending on what level you are at already.

When you do the second one you make sure that you back is flat. For instance look at this letter: L

With the I as the wall and you back and _ as your legs.

The second one makes sure the lower back of the letter L is connected to the wall.

It's pretty hard to force your L or straddle into a correct position without compression work. :/

Hollow Man said:

It's pretty hard to force your L or straddle into a correct position without compression work. :/

Doing an L sit is compression work. Out of curiosity, how good is your L sit right now?

Bipocni said:

Doing an L sit is compression work. Out of curiosity, how good is your L sit right now?

My L-sit is not good.

It's pretty hard to get those legs up without compression work. Anyways, I do not want to train L-sits for now, as I am working on lower progressions.

Even if you practise L-sits with bent legs, even if you're good at it, you will fail to extend the legs into a correct L shape if your compression is not good enough.

Hollow Man said:

My L-sit is not good.

 

It's pretty hard to get those legs up without compression work. Anyways, I do not want to train L-sits for now, as I am working on lower progressions.

If you're not working on them why ask? People are answering based on the assumption you are.

Cole Dano said:

If you're not working on them why ask? People are answering based on the assumption you are.

What? Pike compression is not worked only for l-sits? It's worked for pike compression/active flexiblity? Am I missing something here?

Hollow Man said:

Even if you practise L-sits with bent legs, even if you're good at it, you will fail to extend the legs into a correct L shape if your compression is not good enough.

That's the point of doing the pike lifts, to help develop that extension and lift. That along with all the HLL work that precedes even starting the actual L work.

Yeah, pike lifts can help tremendously with your l-sit. But the main point of the pike lifts is to strenghtning the quads and hip flexors to close the gap between the lower and upper body by using the lower body. You can work on pike lifts even when only doing tuck ups to help compression.

My question had nothing to do with L-sits. The reason I brought the L-shape earlier was because to demonstrate why the wall version of this pike lift can be a good one. Simply because it forces your body to stay in an L shape, and from there try to compress. A lot of times, when doing the pike lifts people tend to lean backwards. With a sturdy wall, this is impossible to do.

Really, my question was which way was the most efficient way to work on compression.

Cole Dano said:

That's the point of doing the pike lifts, to help develop that extension and lift. That along with all the HLL work that precedes even starting the actual L work.

That was directed to Bipocni's idea of working an actual l-sit instead of putting time into compression work.

Hollow Man said:

That was directed to Bipocni's idea of working an actual l-sit instead of putting time into compression work.

Two birds with one stone bro.

I can't carry around a big ass bag of rocks all day. That shit gets heavy.

Bipocni said:

Two birds with one stone bro.

I can't carry around a big ass bag of rocks all day. That shit gets heavy.

I don't know, dude... I think that you need to work on your compression in order to get those legs up. You can't force your legs up from an bent leg L-sit! It's like trying to eat 2 bananas while only having 1 banana. Just not possible, bro.

To clarify: merely by being able to get into position for a seated leg lift you have demonstrated adequate flexibility for the L sit. All that is required now is the raw strength to lift yourself into position.

Hollow Man,

Too much philosophy and not enough work.

Cole's advice is spot on.  Master it first before you begin pontificating on why it is insufficient.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

It's my deload week, and I want to learn, not just play. ()

Anyways, I'm working on V-ups and I have gotten better at it. I went from not being able to reach my shins to touch my heels. The goal is to touch my toes.

Oh well.. I can fully understand that it's hard and annoying to try and give answers to hundreds of people, specially online. Hoepfully you can understand that everyone views things from their selfish eyes. Have a nice day.

Hollow Man said:

Oh well.. I can fully understand that it's hard and annoying to try and give answers to hundreds of people, specially online. Hoepfully you can understand that everyone views things from their selfish eyes. Have a nice day.

No need to get butthurt about it. Fact of the matter is you can learn as much theory as you want but certain concepts can only really be understood once you get to a certain level. Until then they exist as merely weird abstract things that are either inapplicable or subject to misuse.

I understand where Coach is coming from because I too have reached the point where everything can be reduced down to really basic concepts. In most cases people simply need to keep training and their questions will answer themselves.

To answer your original question: Either. Both. Does it even matter?

As long as you keep training you will eventually get all the compression you could ever require. Whether something is 100% the best option for you or 98% makes so little difference in the long run that I don't adequately have words to describe it.

No-one is saying you can't ask questions. We all had to start from somewhere. But try to remember that things really aren't that complicated, okay? Learn to trust your instincts.

Ok.

Bipocni said:

No need to get butthurt about it. Fact of the matter is you can learn as much theory as you want but certain concepts can only really be understood once you get to a certain level. Until then they exist as merely weird abstract things that are either inapplicable or subject to misuse.

I understand where Coach is coming from because I too have reached the point where everything can be reduced down to really basic concepts. In most cases people simply need to keep training and their questions will answer themselves.

To answer your original question: Either. Both. Does it even matter?

As long as you keep training you will eventually get all the compression you could ever require. Whether something is 100% the best option for you or 98% makes so little difference in the long run that I don't adequately have words to describe it.

No-one is saying you can't ask questions. We all had to start from somewhere. But try to remember that things really aren't that complicated, okay? Learn to trust your instincts.

Well said, Bicopni.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer