Newbie - PE1 form check

I'm approaching my 4th week and I wanted to get some feedback.

It took me a while to sync my arms with my legs in the Tuck-up. All I can manage is 3x6r

 

 

 

I can't get the weight to touch the ground without breaking form in the Russian Twist. That is, I have to lower my arms to touch the ground. (i'm using a 3kg dumb bell)

 

 

I think I have the strength for the incline pushup but not sure about my form. (I normally have my feet together but all I had was a bench press station to use today)

 

 

I'm 50 years old office worker and I can't put my arms overhead, though I made huge progress - it was 45 degrees ! My right arm is the best at about 5 degrees off vertical whereas my left is about 10 degrees off. This made apparent in my Windmill. It feels like I'm compensating because I feel a stretch behind my knee on my right (out stretched) leg. I'm using a 4kg kettlebell bottoms-up.

 

With respect to the Deck Squats, I need about an 2 inches of mats for now. I plan to work up to 15r on 2 inches before I drop down to 1 inch and so forth. How do I record this on the online log? Do I record Step 1 every workout until I'm actually doing the deck squats on the ground?

Thanks in advance

 

Hi Carlos, welcome.

To get the most responses, you should make one separate post for each element. Also, you can bump the post after a couple of days.

I'm also a newbie, but I'll give it a shot until somebody more qualified comes along:

Tuck-ups: you range is not enough, go back to step 1 and stay there until you don't reach a form similar to the video. Your feet are too high and also they should be pointed.

Russian Twist: no point in doing many reps when the range is so limited. Your goal is to perform one good rep before building volume. You are rounding your back, maybe keeping the back straight would help you.

Incline pushups: you have arched back. In this exercise you should keep flat back (PPT) and only count reps that you can perform without arching the back.

Windmills: when you hold the weight in the left hand the range is not enough.

It seems that general flexibility is the main issue (mine as well). It will improve with time

Thank you Giovanni,

With respect to the Tuck-ups, what do you mean when you say my range is not enough - I'm assuming this means that my thighs should (almost) touch my chest in the tuck?

I never noticed that I was rounding my back in the Russian Twist - thanks. I tried it today and I'm really struggling to keep it flat - it almost feels like I'm arching my lower back.

Again, I never noticed that I was arching my back in the inclined pushup.

 

Hey Carlos,

take into account that only a GB coach can tell you for sure if your range is good enough or not. Mine is just another student's opinion. Look at this two pictures. I feel like you can pull yourself up a little more with the upper part of the body and you definitely should pull your toes. I tool a screenshot of what I felt was your best reps, there was a lot of variation in form in your reps.

 

Once again thanks Gionanni,

To keep my back flat during the incline push-up I now PPT (I had to look that up) and squeeze my glutes REALLY hard. This has also carried over to the scap shrugs. I'll keep doing this for a few weeks before I move to the next step.

I've regressed in the Russian twist. I'm really struggling to keep a flat back. Also, keeping my feet flat on the ground has made it more difficult.

The tuckups are also a challenge - my coordination has a long way to go and I'm using momentum to get a tight tuck. I've regressed this as well.

Like everyone else, I have woeful hip swivel and I'll probably be able to crack a walnut between my shoulder blades by the time I've mastered the hip swivel

Carlos, the most important thing is to keep going consistently and without shortcuts and then you'll be on your way.

About the feet flat on the ground on russian twists, the two videos on the exercise page show different versions, so I don't know how important this detail is, I definitely didn't pay attention to it.

I'm stuck at swivel hips myself and for the longest time I didn't seem to progress at all, but in the past few weeks I've been doing the stretch suggested in the instruction video (2 minutes per side using contract-relax) every single morning in my warm up and it is helping very much, I finally see progress and the light at the end of the tunnel...