Problems with doing V-hang on stall bars.

This problem came up again while doing V-hang work on our set of stall bars. I believe V-hang work is a critical component of the glide/long hang kip and I will need even more mastery of this since my pike/basket compression isn't optimal.

The face of my shoulders tends to fail before my abdominals do in holding my legs up. It not only fails but is uncomfortable to the point of not being able to continue.

I figure I am-

~flexing my shoulders even though I am on a set of stall bars.

~my lacking shoulder flexibility is popping up. it isn't totally poor but it isn't great either

~I should switch my V-hang and straddle-L work to the beginning of my conditioning instead of towards the end as an assistance exercise. This way my shoulders are more fresh, not having been fatigued by the planche and levers work besides their accessory work (pushups, pullups, etc).

~Or perhaps I should merely do V-hang work on the men's HB and focus on just keeping my shoulders as open as possible.

~Perhaps I could setup some sort of bench to do them angles on an incline/decline

One of the reasons I am really concerned is because one of my boys has shoulders way tighter than me. As well, 2 other adults in the adult class noted stall bar L/V-hang work was too much for their shoulders for a few rounds. It could just be our set of stall bars. They were not as strong as myself and had been out of gym for awhile but were fairly accomplished compulsory/optional gymnasts.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by shoulders fail. There shouldn't be any reason for them to be working.

Flexing shoulders: You can limit the amount of aid your arms provide by switching your grip, palms towards you is one option, dorsal grip or single arm, your boys who are just learning kips would probably not be ready for dorsals or single arm

Shoulder flexibility: Work those slow dowel dislocates and inlocates

HB: You could practice the "incline" here by having a partner with some backward "give" press your shoulders and monitor your progress by how close to perpendicular they are pressing your shoulders.

Exercise order: I would assume that when your shoulders are more fatigued, they would be less likely to try to assist you in pulling your hips up. Or do you mean they start to tighten up and don't allow fully open angles? In that case it might be better to switch it.

Incline: is the main focus the abs or the shoulders? There are other ways to work the abs id that is the main concern. This does sound like a good way to take pressure off the shoulders and is more analogous to the kip position though.

I have no partner. Due to their different sizes and strength, they don't make very good partners for each other.

My shoulders fail in the sense that I have to stop doing V-hangs because they hurt.

We had some good success with Erik doing these before typical conditioning. I'll probably start doing them before planches and levers as well.