HS/PE2>im and relation to german hang?

After working this IM for a couple weeks I've started to notice that it is (for me) quite intense on the elbows.  I have had to back off a bit to keep pain from developing, but I can't help but notice that this seems very similar to the kind of intense elbow usage seen with things like german hangs and back levers.  Is it reasonable to assume that work in this IM will pay dividends with these other exercises down the road?

in terms of mobility, getting the hands back behind you, that is the case but the more specific bicep conditioning comes from planche work and rope climbing.

it'll be a good compliment to Manna work tho with the active shoulder extension

Keilani Gutierrez said:

in terms of mobility, getting the hands back behind you, that is the case but the more specific bicep conditioning comes from planche work and rope climbing.

it'll be a good compliment to Manna work tho with the active shoulder extension

 

Am I unusual to be getting elbow pain with this?  I think it is coming from the forced rotation from holding the bar as the arms go up. 

Mitchell Church said:

Am I unusual to be getting elbow pain with this? I think it is coming from the forced rotation from holding the bar as the arms go up.

nah, when it starts getting into the heavier side (perceived, not necesarily number wise) I tend to feel it in my biceps as well. after warming up, things get a lot smoother.

also, how intense is the sensation? is it really pain? or is it discomfort? how much weight are you using? is this your first time mastering it or are you bumping the weight?

The sensation is non-existent when I'm doing the exercise, but an hour or so later I'm getting sharp pain occasionally when bending my left elbow.  Tendonitis type pain. 

 

I am not using weight yet, just working to get the bar up to shoulder level with elbow pits facing down. 

 

Edit: And sorry, maybe this has been asked in the forums but I haven't found it.  Is the best way to progress with this IM to 1) put your hands out wide enough so you can take your hands level with shoulders, or 2) should you keep hands at sides and work to slowly raise arms?

Mitchell Church said:

The sensation is non-existent when I'm doing the exercise, but an hour or so later I'm getting sharp pain occasionally when bending my left elbow.  Tendonitis type pain. 

 

I am not using weight yet, just working to get the bar up to shoulder level with elbow pits facing down. 

 

Edit: And sorry, maybe this has been asked in the forums but I haven't found it.  Is the best way to progress with this IM to 1) put your hands out wide enough so you can take your hands level with shoulders, or 2) should you keep hands at sides and work to slowly raise arms?

i don't speak officially for the GB team, but I tried the wide to narrow route and since i'm remote(I live in Puerto Rico, not in the continental US) I can't have my work supervised, so i opted with starting from shoulder width with 2.5 - 5lbs and only moving on after i reached horizontal because my shoulder would feel funky if i did it wide to narrow... if you feel you can do it from wide to narrow, go for it.

also, i'd recommend at the very least putting some weight on there. believe it or not, maybe it just be because i am recovered(and in some instance feel like its still recovering) from past shoulder injuries, i don't like by any means to do unweighted shoulder dislocates or unweighted shoulder extensions, i feel more in my chest because i try to tear the dowel apart. but once the weight goes on, i feel it in my upper back, triceps, chest and biceps, in that order. i'm currently working on getting from 8lb to 11lb to horizontal.

are you familiar with how to massage your bicep, forearms, delts? I asked a friend to man handle my biceps and move it side to side while in a shoulder extended position and to massage close to the elbow crease. i've only felt pain in the medial(inside) portion of the elbow crease due to getting overzealous with planche leans + wrist pushups and haven't felt it for quite some time due to bicep mobility / stretching / massage.....amd not being an idiot with practicing planche leans too seriously.

Wide to narrow is generally better, but if it causes discomfort that isn't just from stretching, then obviously something needs to change

I also strongly echo K's recommendation of a small weight-- it makes quite a difference. This helps activation substantially.

Jon Douglas said:

Wide to narrow is generally better, but if it causes discomfort that isn't just from stretching, then obviously something needs to change I also strongly echo K's recommendation of a small weight-- it makes quite a difference. This helps activation substantially.

 

Thanks for the reply.  Actually going wide does not cause the discomfort.  I'm getting pain when I go narrow and try to sort of crank the arms up using my muscles.  I feel it much more in the muscles when going narrow this way, but it is pretty intense even when unweighted.

 

Wide to narrow it is!  And I'll take the recommendations about the weight. 

The sensation could be similar for german hang for what is concerned with elbows tendon. but do not consider it a preparatory exercise. a very big stretch appears to both lower chest , shoulder capsule and long head bicep tendon (to the shoulder) when you hold the rings with retraction and elevation during german hanfg position.