FL/PE2

I keep sliding backwards in the element, and don't know what to do about it. I also wonder if it's right that I'm taking over two minutes for a set.

Hi James, I am also working on these ones. From what I can see, the amplitude of your roll is too big, and you use your legs a lot. Try smaller rolls, keeping the position of FL PE1 fixed and solid for the whole duration of the roll and starting the roll with your abs, not with the legs.

show a video of your bent leg hbh.   you have way too much flexion at the hips.  they should be open greater than 90 degrees and the feet just off the ground with the upper back just off the ground.  these are are meant to be small rocks with your  body making a shallow dish like shape.

I would assume you didnt master pe1 correctly based off this video and highly recommend you link a video of your pe1 so we can make sure you have it right before correcting pe2.

You're right that shouldn't be that hard, in that way! With the technique changes recommended above you'll feel very differently about this exercise. 

I also noticed that your ppt was breaking so you had to work pretty hard to get up over the "broken" part of the roll. If you keep hollow the whole time, it takes less effort to roll. 

You also need to keep your feet lower to the ground. Did you post a form check for PE1? If you did and got approval, you just need to remember that position and fight to maintain it (maybe with lower reps for now).

If you haven't posted one yet, it might be worth it to post one and work out the technique there before adding rocks.

I did post a form check for PE1 a long time ago, but I couldn't find a more recent video. I will have another look at my PE1 during my next workout.

I can say that, although my legs have lost some stiffness and are moving, it doesn't look like I'm actually using them to assist the roll.

On Monday, June 20, 2016 at 9:13 AM, James Koppel said:

I keep sliding backwards in the element, and don't know what to do about it. I also wonder if it's right that I'm taking over two minutes for a set.

 

 

 

As above, you need to open the hips more and strengthen PPT. Best to recheck your static hold.

The idea is to lock the position and rock in against the temptation to sag, close/open hips, crunch up too high.... these are all ways of avoiding correct execution, and this is where the strength is built

In the im, the body position looks good. Next step is to build the retraction in those shoulders! Back and down with external rotation, and *then* open it up

Very good feedback Jon. Thanks!

Thanks for pointing out the retraction. It's a bit humbling to see what my shoulders look like in the video,  even though I'm focusing very hard on pushing them down.

So, I took a video of my FL/PE1. I'm pretty pleased with it, but I'll let you guys judge:

I did notice that, for my PE2, I wasn't starting in my PE1 position. So, I focused on getting into the hold before starting the rocks, and tried to incorporate some of your feedback. How did I do?

I found that, if I left my legs too low, I couldn't move without lifting them up.

In regards to your FL/PE1 video:

I am by no means in any position to critique anyone, but I noticed that your starting position and your finishing position are a lot different.

If you watch the video towards the end, then click on the progress tab around the 00:10 mark you can see you were a lot higher than you were at 00:50 mark.

As you progressed through the set you started to get lower and lower.  This is must my 2 cents and I don't know if I am right/wrong it's just an observation.  Maybe one of the advance members can comment on this to confirm.

Tuck the heels on the butt, tempo and form is good. try to avoid all the unnecessary hips flexion or extension, also if they are very very little. in order to improve the quality and quantity of the effort you need to focus on repeat always the same range of movements.

Thanks Alessandro!

Quote

1 hour ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

 also if they are very very little.

 

I think you missed a word there. What did you mean to say?

It is referred to hips flexion or extension.  try to reduce hips angle variations to zero, and hold a firmly 90° angle.

Okay, so, how's progress?

nice improvement @James Koppel just make sure to tuck your chin to your chest and that every rock is consistent as possible. avoid rocking to hard.

So, I had another look at the course videos, and something that confuses me: Why the advice to tuck the chin to the chest and the heels to the butt? They're not doing that in the course videos.

I had a little discussion about this not long ago

Obviously as you extend the body it gets harder to maintain the picture perfect core position we are looking for here. The models, on some videos, are *too* strong- they can maintain a textbook body position while letting the body stretch out somewhat. This is not a formal progression, and until the position is properly dialled in doing this is likely to promote bad habits. 

So we make you exaggerate perfect form first to reduce the number of variables or 'moving parts,' and speed learning of the central focus of the element.

When that's easy, we don't bother with a slight extension - we increase the load substantially by stretching the body right out