Question on New Technical Videos - SLS/PE4

I noticed on the new technical video for SLS/PE4, the athlete uses his arms as a counter-balance out in front of him, as opposed to the original course video in which the athlete has his arms by his sides.

This seems to make a pretty big difference for me (the latter being much harder). In the case where the form is a little different from older videos to new ones, which is considered the gold standard for mastery?

Thanks,

Cam

Anyone?

I'm not an official opinion, but I tend to think that if it's ok in the technical video (which must have been ok'd by Coach and the GB team), then it's ok if we do it that way too.

Allan also comes up on his toes during the exercise due to tight Achilles in the original video even though we are told to strive to keep the heel down.

So I think as long as we focus on the form keys in the notes/technical videos we are ok.

Cameron 

the use of the arms as a counter balance you will notice takes a bit of the stretch out of the heels. no reason for this to be an issue(unless putting your arms forward also makes you flex at the spine also taking load off the glutes/legs. try doing a rep of speed skater with completely straight torso. i used to feel tons of pressure building up in my quad, glute and ankle when doing this)  just keep this in mind to make conscious the gains you are making through prep in the lower leg(sls, iM's and front split series targets this area heavily.) 

if you notice that you can't make steady with the ROM of the bottom of a SLS, hitting the flexibility(stretch series) while new strength is acquired(speed skater in this example) before moving on is best to avoid frustration later on. 

to cue my athletes about this "straight" torso business i'll teach them lunges with stacked torso over quad. how does this translate to speed skater? instead of bring your arms out, lean the body forward(dont bend at the low back!) now press up. learning this well with both legs have closed the gap between strong/weak leg significantly on myself and my athletes. hope this helps! 

-Kei

"to cue my athletes about this "straight" torso business i'll teach them lunges with stacked torso over quad. how does this translate to speed skater? instead of bring your arms out, lean the body forward(dont bend at the low back!) now press up. learning this well with both legs have closed the gap between strong/weak leg significantly on myself and my athletes. hope this helps! "

Thanks Keilani for the input!

I didn't quite understand what you meant by the quote above.... is there another way to explain it?

Thanks!

Cam

surely.

if you stand up with both feet together simply take a step forward with one of them, be sure to stay in a straight line, assume a lunge position with ppt and essentially a straight body line from head to toe. only bend is at the knee and the foot to make base. learn to press out of the lunge properly with this form and then move to going to the floor on one knee. front foot is closer to the knee this time, much closer, with a proper speed skater squat without my hands out to my sides, my knee is just a few inches away from my heel. what i ask is for you to make your best effort at not bending at the low back when pressing out now from the speed skater squat, just like the lunge.

a speed skater squat is a backwards lunge without a foot to support yourself with. i see it as this and nothing else, so to avoid smashing the knee, you bring it closer to you....and you point the rear foot.

let me know if this explains it

-Kei

I think I understand... so basically practice doing the backwards lunge while keeping the upper body totally erect? And then slowly use less and less help from the non-working leg?

28 minutes ago, Cameron Williams said:

I think I understand... so basically practice doing the backwards lunge while keeping the upper body totally erect? And then slowly use less and less help from the non-working leg?

the intention here is not to deviate, focus on doing your speed skater squat and close the gap between both legs. as warm up or for mobility, it'd do some good to get the jist of doing lunges this way. it makes the knee and ankles strong in a cool way.

also, stretch the ankles

I gotcha.... I'll work on that!