MN/PE2 & iM form check

Hey, man, welcome aboard.

A few pointers:

• Legs and torso come off the ground at the same time.
• You should try not to make explosive movements. It will make your abs stronger and give you a better neuro-motor control, as well as body consciousness.
• Have you made the PE1 in the same manner? If so, retest it, just to be on the safe side!
• Work on improving compression (pulling legs to chest). Focus on doing your best at the top of the movement and it will get better with time.

As for the iM:

• It should have legs extended. Limit the depth of movement instead of bending them.
• Your back is getting really flat on the way down. That's probably because you are bending from the knees, so vertebrae are not being turned. That should make you feel it more along the spine (but use caution and light weights until you are comfortable with it).

Good luck and keep on it!

You need substantially a technique refinement:

-upper body and lower body should be coordinated and moved approximately at the same time

-during rest position legs are together, arms along the ears

-during the descent part legs and upperbody should reach the floor simultaneously.

for the IM:

-curling movement is fine

-you need to reduce the rom and hold your knees locked all the time.

Thanks Iguanus, Alessandro - I'll work on these points for the next few weeks.

So I had another look at the video for the timing point at which the legs begin to raise, and I think I've managed to get both parts to work together at the same time - just a case of chipping away at the ROM at the top of the straddle now!

Hi all,

Thanks for all the feedback - I've done a little more work on these elements and I've put together a couple more form check videos - as always any advice would be appreciated   

Mike.

https://youtu.be/5Pt5GadkAMg

https://youtu.be/_CWqUPP0sNY

PE

• Sync between legs and torso has improved on the upwards motion, but is a tad inconsistent in the downwards motion. Try to keep them aligned
• Can you do the exercise slowly and controlled? Right now, you're using too much momentum, which may prevent you from activating all the proper muscles. Try it slowly and you may feel it as a whole new exercise. In the same note, it's not exactly required, but try to raise arms near the ears and keep them there until you're nearly all the way up. Increased difficulty, but grants great execution and, as Coach says, "in your training, you want to make it harder, not easier". Caveat is: if you can't do it at all like that, try to move into it a tad every workout.

iM

• It's getting better. Don't increase weights until you can curl your lower back (see how it starts smoothly and then gets straight). It will take time and mindfulness to activate it. Also, I don't know if it's proper cue, but, when I'm getting to the lower stages, I try to APT (tilt your butt upwards. If you're standing, it's the opposite of thrusting with your hips).

Good luck and keep on working

Thanks alot Iguanus:

• I noticed downward motion inconsistent, and in my session yesterday took the reps down to try and focus on getting in better time with the video.
• I'll work on slowing down and getting arms nearer ears.

Re: the iM - this one I think is going to take a very, very long time - my lower back just doesn't move all that much, and I'm not sure how much i can do about this...

About the iM, keep on digging. It took years to get you to your actual state. Won't take as long to get it moving properly again, but gains in mobility, usually, are very incremental. Try to enhance technique whenever you do the exercise and give it time.

Consistency + attention to detail + proper exercises = WIN

As a side note, I used to try real hard to touch fingers to the ground. 2 months later, I was touching palms without a sweat. I broke a a leg in october and got stuck into seated and laying positions. Resumed foundation work at the new year, but, despite so long on bad posture and no mobility, I was still in knuckles to the ground. These things take time, but also last =). Keep on it!

Iguanus said:

About the iM, keep on digging. It took years to get you to your actual state. Won't take as long to get it moving properly again, but gains in mobility, usually, are very incremental. Try to enhance technique whenever you do the exercise and give it time.

Consistency + attention to detail + proper exercises = WIN

As a side note, I used to try real hard to touch fingers to the ground. 2 months later, I was touching palms without a sweat. I broke a a leg in october and got stuck into seated and laying positions. Resumed foundation work at the new year, but, despite so long on bad posture and no mobility, I was still in knuckles to the ground. These things take time, but also last =). Keep on it!

Well said

The more strong, tight guys i train with the more value I see in weighted mobility. A lot of guys have been conventionally stretching for years with little to no flex/mob gains; weighted mobility starts immediately and noticeably tearing them open cm by cm from the first session. Ambitious but patient, please!

I've certainly noticed that my ability to move more smoothly has progressed since I started this - I'm also noticing that when i play around with stuff, like skin the cats on the rings, I'm able to control the descent of my legs much more smoothly and uncurl my back a bit more - but as you say, steady progress

Iguanus said:

PE

• Sync between legs and torso has improved on the upwards motion, but is a tad inconsistent in the downwards motion. Try to keep them aligned
• Can you do the exercise slowly and controlled? Right now, you're using too much momentum, which may prevent you from activating all the proper muscles. Try it slowly and you may feel it as a whole new exercise. In the same note, it's not exactly required, but try to raise arms near the ears and keep them there until you're nearly all the way up. Increased difficulty, but grants great execution and, as Coach says, "in your training, you want to make it harder, not easier". Caveat is: if you can't do it at all like that, try to move into it a tad every workout.

iM

• It's getting better. Don't increase weights until you can curl your lower back (see how it starts smoothly and then gets straight). It will take time and mindfulness to activate it. Also, I don't know if it's proper cue, but, when I'm getting to the lower stages, I try to APT (tilt your butt upwards. If you're standing, it's the opposite of thrusting with your hips).

Good luck and keep on working

Some very helpful comments - put these into practice on a reload week, trying to do the PE much more slowly, and surprisingly I actually found it easier, more consistent and had better timing and ROM.

My perception of the lower back moving on the way back up on the iM also felt much better after focus img on your comments - we'll see how well this translates to video in a few weeks - thanks!

At the top of the movement you are shrugging your shoulders. Relax your upper traps and let shoulder blades drop. If you tense the lats a little this will drop the shoulder blades down.