MN/PE1-im Form Check

I'm still working on these. Doing them today with 8lbs saw my end ROM increase and allowed me to relax deeper into the iM without locking up. One issue, though, is that my shoulders crack a lot (I feel that this has a lot to do with my waking up stiff the past two days for inadvertently sleeping on my side, but could be something else). Aside from the obvious: locked knees, a strong rotation of the shoulder are there any other insights people see? I'm going to keep working on these as I refine tuck ups and work in more active straddle flexibility for PE2. Thoughts are appreciated.

@Jeffrey Bittner @Everett Carroll @Alessandro Mainente

Hey Daniel,

I'm not totally sure about the crackling but if it's not painful or getting worse, it should be ok. The only fix I recommend for the movement is to elevate at the top so your shoulder touches your ear. Just push the weight up as high as you can.

With right arm you are not always stacked with the hand on shoulder. Also the Im MUST be done more slowly.

37 minutes ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

With right arm you are not always stacked with the hand on shoulder. Also the Im MUST be done more slowly.

Noted. Going to stay on 8lbs then and work the pace as well as locking the legs and stacking my shoulders. Cheers.

I also noticed that you perform the exercise differently on the two sides. Towards your left you do the exercise like Orench, the other athletes on the follow along videos, and Coach's athletes do, but towards your right you perform it differently.

I would suggest using the backside of your right hand/arm as a guide to slide along the inside of your right thigh. Keep reach back "through" till your right hand touches the ground (behind you through your legs) and/or your right ribs touch your right thigh (of course while attempting to keep your right knee locked straight). That is the cue that most easily helped me understand the movement.

As always, not an official GB opinion, only my own based on my own experience with this exercise.

My form is similar and also a definite difference between sides especially when doing them at follow along pace.  Can the pace of the video follow alongs at the lower reps be done at a slower pace to allow for attention to form.  The pace between reps doesn't have to slow but time to self analyze our form would help for good form habits as we progress for movements like this.

Hi Bob,

I recommend adding in some extra practice before and/or after the workout to work on refining your form. It does not have to be a full set but just some patient reps to work on perfecting the form. 

To prevent any injury and/or developing bad movement patterns, always aim for good form first. Slowing down is the best way to feel and observate your body and correct any deviations from perfect form. Once you got that, try to catch up with the tempo of the follow along videos.