Front lever questions

[blazeoneying]

Hi all,

I have been working on FL for quite sometime now, specifically for it only for the past 6 months. I started from the basic progression, tuck FL to adv FL to one legged FL. My routine includes FL hold, one leg raises, adv tuck pull ups, negatives and weighted pull up.

I was pulling at around 6X5 40% additional bodyweight pull ups, then at 4X5 at 35%. I was working this routine for like 2 months before I have no access to gym. After that, my new routine is every mon, wed, fri.

Currently, I am able to hold a piked FL, but only after I have rested over the weekends or so. Here is the link:

Q1) Is my lats too weak or my abs too weak to hold the FL position or both?

Here is another link with the help of a band at my hips, which i believe to be the correct scapula positioning

Q2) Is my abs too weak or my scapula retraction strength is not strong enough? I can never really understand how to get a flat back during a FL, my body always seem to protracted alot even in a adv tuck postiion. How way to improve this or some technique?

Q3) When doing a one legged FL, my hips always seem not parallel along with my shoulder and legs .

Q4) I read the forums that retracting your scapula into a slightly protracted back is the most efficient postiion to hold the FL. Is there any reason behind it and does that mean improving and learning this retraction will help in my FL hold?

Q5) Any suggestion to a workout routine? Have been doing the stated routine above for like 2 months which havent see much progress.

Recently, have been focusing on FL too much, that i neglected my push like planche and such. SO really hope to get my FL down so i can work on the next skill.

Cheers!

Edited April 9, 2015 by Coach Sommer

[hourjack]

Q1) - If you start piking at the hips it sign that you lack the lats strength to hold the horizontal position.

 

Q2) - During a front lever you don't need a flat back, it is required for the planche. Your chest and abs need to be flat. By the looks of the second video your form is not bad. On the 3rd video I notice that you do not flex your abs when you hold it or at least not strongly enough, that is the reason your chest is up, your abs are a bit lower and your hips are higher than your abs - somewhere around chest level. So I suggest you start flexing your abs more when attempting front levers.

 

Q3) - Same as Q2), flex your abs more and if that does not make your hips, abs and chest at one level try to flex your legs (lock them out so they are completely straight). I had the same problem a couple of years ago and it is simple to fix it and get a nice horizontal line. Just stand upright in front of a mirror and mimic a front lever position and adjust your body until you see the flat chest/abs/hips line. Try to memorize that position and apply it to the front lever.

 

Q4) - Scapulas should remain neutral or slightly protracted during a front lever. By nature gravity will pull you down into a fully protracted position so you have to generate force against it in order to get to that neutral or just slightly protracted position. To generate that force you should retract strongly enough so that your retraction and the gravity pull to a protracted position will cancel each other out and you will end up in a neutral or slightly protracted scapulas position.

 

Q5) - I'd suggest buying the Foundation Series to achieve a strong front lever through a safety approach. If you cannot afford them all just get the Foundation 3 and 4 parts like I did. I'm working with the F4 currently and have gotten good progress on the planche so I recommend them.