General Question on Plateaus and Backslides

Hi there,

I'm wondering if you guys have any input on plateaus and backslides.

Specifically, on MN/PE2, I feel like I'm not making much progress. I know a lot of guys have struggled with this one. I've been on this exercise for almost a year, and it seems that I am stuck... or maybe moving forward VERY slowly. I am doing the stretch series regularly (all 3), and still my progress feels stalled.

The other element is HBP/PE2... I seem to make a little progress and then slide back, a little progress, slide back.

I don't miss workouts, I get a good amount of sleep most of the time and my diet is respectable.

I guess my overarching question is - how do I know if I'm doing something wrong? How long do I keep hammering away at an exercise before I change something? Or is this just part of the process, and eventually I'll just break through?

Any advice is appreciated... I don't want to just continue on doing the same thing over and over if perhaps there's an alternate approach that could be yielding better results.

Thanks in advance,

Cam

Cameron Williams said:

 

 

I guess my overarching question is - how do I know if I'm doing something wrong?

 

How long do I keep hammering away at an exercise before I change something?

 

Or is this just part of the process, and eventually I'll just break through?

 

 

1. Post a form check 

2. If absolutely no progress in any area (form, effort, ROM, reps/times etc) after 12 weeks - add rehabilitation exercises targeting the weak/dysfunctional link.

3. Slow progress and breakthroughs occur as well. I personally don't think progress through Foundations is very linear - my progress/time graph wouldn't follow any mathematical principles at all (except Chaos Theory perhaps  )

I think I reached a point with MN/PE2 where the stimulus just wasn't adequate to instigate further mobility gains. So I went on through the MN progressions, where the iM's are harder, and that improved my pike quite a bit.

I've given up on MN/PE2, seems pointless to work on it unless you have the passive flexibility to have your elbows on the floor in a pancake.

Instead I've been doing floor L-sits, building towards 30s. Not sure how useful this is but it gives me something to do between Jefferson curls.

With PPP I found I made the most progress by doing the total number of prescribed reps even if I had to break then up in to mini sets. Once you hit mastery reps (50 in the case of PPP) it was just a case of building endurance.

LateStarter@46 said:

1. Post a form check 

 

2. If absolutely no progress in any area (form, effort, ROM, reps/times etc) after 12 weeks - add rehabilitation exercises targeting the weak/dysfunctional link.

 

3. Slow progress and breakthroughs occur as well. I personally don't think progress through Foundations is very linear - my progress/time graph wouldn't follow any mathematical principles at all (except Chaos Theory perhaps  )

This.  Consider supplementing your MN work with seated straddle leg lifts.  I added 5 x 12s, focusing on keeping my back straight, legs locked, and lifting legs as high as I can tolerate.  The cramps in the hip flexors and upper quads are torture, but the discomfort is starting to subside.   I also do seated pike lifts.  These exercises helped jump start my stalled progress on MN/PE2.

As for HBP/PE2, I would be interested in what you mean by making and losing progress.  Is it just the number of reps?  Have other aspects of your push-ups continued to improve (hollow, protraction, tempo, etc.)? 

LateStarter - yes! There is no substitute for a form check... although my last couple of form checks on these two elements got pretty good "reviews", if I can say it in that way. The general advice seemed to be: keep up the good work

Ravn - have you since gone back to MN/PE2 after spending some time on the harder progressions? Are you able to do a proper MN/PE2 now?

Murray - thanks for the advice on the reps/volume for HBP/PE2 - very helpful

Garrick - I started doing straddle leg lifts a while back, and haven't seen much improvement in my MN/PE2 since... perhaps I just need to keep at it. As for HBP/PE2, very astute questions I actually feel like my form is slowly getting better, although my rep count has been fluctuating. One workout I'll get 5x9r, and then the next workout I get 9,9,9,7,4, for example. But perhaps the better form is making it harder?

Thanks everyone for your comments - all very helpful

Cam, if you're doing leg lifts and pancake/middle split work, I think you're on the right track.  My progress has been very slow here too.  I forgot to mention that every night before I go to bed, I do 3 rounds of 5r tuck ups, 5r straddle ups, and 5r v-ups just to grove the movements.  While I can feel and see improvements in my compression, those improvements are tiny.   I think it just takes time and repetition for an adult's nervous system to learn to activate and release the appropriate muscles so the body can get into these unfamiliar positions. 

On the push-ups, I do think better gymnastics form makes them harder, at least initially, because of the greater muscular activation required.  One thing I do every training session is video my last set to see whether my form has improved.  So even if my reps or hold times haven't increased, I can see any improvements in the shape of my body.  

Thanks Garrick... It's releiving to know that other guys are experiencing the same slow progress.

It seems a big part of the GB experience - for me at least - has been changing my perspective on what progress looks like and how quickly it occurs. As you inferred, it's not only about numbers, but correct form and positioning. Not to mention connective tissue adaptation, which is hard to quantify.

I think I'll add some more compression work, as you are doing, and perhaps video myself more regularly as you suggested as well.

Thanks for your input - it's much appreciated!

Cam

If you can afford it the MS Stretch series is great for MN/PE2. I was stalling a lot in MN/PE2 but now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, it really does make a difference.

Hey Dritar.... I actually have been doing all 3 stretch series religiously since they came out... I'm happy to hear it has helped your progress Hopefully if I just stick with that, along with the extra compression that Garrick suggested, I'll get over the hump

Cam

Ping. Any progress on these?