Full Thoracic Bridge - Form Check + Touchdown!

This is post stretch session today. First time getting heels to the ground. It feels amazing! The only thing I feel limiting me is a deep armpit and chest stretch. A straight leg bridge seems only a couple of months away. I'm also excited about this because of my back problems (which are now dwindling to nothing). I've had to be very careful training this, as any wrong move would send a spasm down my spine. This series has done so much to heal my spine, and I'm very thankful. 

That said, how's the form? Do I need to get my chest further out, or just worry about the legs?

Nice work Jason! Wow, look at that spine! Right arm appears not as straight. Maybe it's the camera angle. Do you have any issues/restrictions in your right scapula? I'd say continue to bring your shoulders over your hands with straight arms.

Thanks! I think that is what's called a carrying angle/ hyper extension in the elbow. I'm not sure if anything needs to be done about that, I'm sure a coach would know. My elbows are locked out, shoulders at full flexion. No restrictions in my scapula, my right one is actually a bit more mobile than my left!

Jason, that explains it. It must be the degree of valgus that's making the elbows appear as if they were flaring out to the side. It looked to me like your fingers were pointing a little bit inwards. Like I said, it's hard to tell sometimes with cameras. Thanks for sharing your progress!

If only I had a personal camera man following me around 24/7

Me too! I'd love to see what happening behind my back – literally.

Question: does the rotation of the arms matter? I think I am internally rotating a bit (not intentionally) which also contributes to the weird elbows. 

Hi Jason, 

I can only speak from what I've learned in circus arts. Typically fingers neutral (pointing straight down to shoulders) is considered more structurally sound (than fingers in and elbows out).

From a circus perspective, hand placements is equally, if not more important, than any degree of rotation of your palms. 

Functionally, the foundation needs to be as solid as possible and that translated into hands being directly under the shoulders, or like others say, bring shoulders in line with wrists (or as close as possible to this marker). Hands shoulder-width apart (or as close as you can) is also ideal. 

As you push into the ground to make your bridge, you think about driving your elbows in (like magnet attraction) right from the start, so you don't end up flaring your elbows and placing undue stress at those joints.

There are revolving and low bridge variations with more dynamic hands placement, where you enter from the outer blade of your hands and then pivot your post hand. And as you do, there's a point that both hands' fingers end up pointing to each other, but it's only because you're rotating your whole body or locomoting in bridge.

i'm not sure how useful this is... but there's gotta be some similarities with a gymnastic bridge! 

A bridge is a bridge. It's either going to look good or it won't.

Internal rotation of the upper arm makes the position a little bit easier.

External rotation of the upper arm makes things ten times harder.

Internal rotation of the upper arm increase the risk of impingement of long head bicep tendon.

FUll external rotation reduces approximately to zero the bicep tendon problem.

As for the biggest part of the alignment and posture it is no the occasional body segment position that leads to imbalance and increases the risk of injury but the chronic  use of same position without balancing on the opposite direction.

Manna and planche/hbp/fl for example are perfectly paired to threat this situation.

Basically stay neutral or you need to balance on the other direction.

Good to know. I do feel a big bicep stretch with this form. I suppose the reason I naturally went into internal, is if I go more neutral, or externally rotated (as I tried in my stretch yesterday) I feel a compression or blockage on the back of my shoulders, opposite my armpits, and no stretch. This happens with cat stretches as well. Doesn't happen with handstand wall reps or HS ims. Not sure how to fix that. 

16 hours ago, Eva Pelegrin said:

Hi Jason, 

I can only speak from what I've learned in circus arts. Typically fingers neutral (pointing straight down to shoulders) is considered more structurally sound (than fingers in and elbows out).

From a circus perspective, hand placements is equally, if not more important, than any degree of rotation of your palms. 

Functionally, the foundation needs to be as solid as possible and that translated into hands being directly under the shoulders, or like others say, bring shoulders in line with wrists (or as close as possible to this marker). Hands shoulder-width apart (or as close as you can) is also ideal. 

As you push into the ground to make your bridge, you think about driving your elbows in (like magnet attraction) right from the start, so you don't end up flaring your elbows and placing undue stress at those joints.

There are revolving and low bridge variations with more dynamic hands placement, where you enter from the outer blade of your hands and then pivot your post hand. And as you do, there's a point that both hands' fingers end up pointing to each other, but it's only because you're rotating your whole body or locomoting in bridge.

i'm not sure how useful this is... but there's gotta be some similarities with a gymnastic bridge! 

A bridge is a bridge. It's either going to look good or it won't.

Circus. That explains the injuries.

Yes, even when working with a good coach: not the smartest progressions + starting as an adult + my tenacity... dangerous combination.