RC/PE18 - TOPs Pulls Struggles

Months ago when I hit the TOPs pulls I was fairly strong at them 4x3-4r on the first workout. With inconsistency in my trng I have regressed on the volume I am capable of. I started over with the mastery templates and I am struggling. A few things:

1) I seem to only be able to them on a bar, rings were significantly harder. Is this typical and should I strive to do them on rings or keep going on the bar? There is some momentum in the movement on the bar and rings make it hard to use any momentum, what is acceptable?

2) When performing the reps, I am only able to keep a really tight contraction in the glutes on the 1st couple reps. I don't feel that I am piking because I am staying straight, it just feels like a lost a little bit of body tension. Is this acceptable/normal or is the loss of tension in the glutes considered piking?

3) I started doing some sets RC/PE15 Wide grip L Pull-up after my TOPs pulls work to get some more pulling work in from previous elements. My shoulders are now sore in a way they have not been and I am assuming it's because of this. I mastered these awhile ago with ease, is the soreness an indicator that I should go back and work back through all pulling (PE6)? Or just leave these alone and focus on TOPs?

1) rings are harder if there is not enough coordination between upper and lower body. if the element it is showed on rings it should be done on rings for mastery.

2) if you pike it is probably because you do not have the necessary strength to more the fully leverage position

3)post a video of the back pulls.

how is you front lever progression?

I was able to maintain a good squeeze in the glutes on these reps of the TOPs pulls. But sometimes I can't seem to keep them squeezed but my body stays straight. I find that the higher you get your chin above your hands the easier the movement is.

Film a repetition on rings please.

Ok cool, I'll do that tonight. Thanks

I thought these were hard and a big step up from the previous PE. I also had to realize that my FL work (hollow body) was lagging behind and affected these meaning my ability to stay straight. 

I think your form on the reps looks good as far as straight/hollow body goes. It's easy to cheat out reps by piking even a bit. 

I was watching the course video again and it seems the athlete there uses the momentum from the negative (faster than yours I think) by quickly reversing its direction (which should help; stretch-shortening), while you instead pause for a while in the bent arm hang and thereby lose the opportunity to redirect the momentum. 

Maybe just going with the templates and starting at the beginning while working on the technique is not a bad thing. Just remember to do some earlier progressions (probably after) at high enough volume to maintain capacity. I would cycle through some (harder) progressions rather than sticking with one, but if you get (good) soreness from the wide L pullups those could be ok. I found them a bit rough on my shoulders though

Good advice here ^

Eddie as you clearly SEE, you are controlling all the phases ten thousand times more compared on to the bar. that's why they are harder on rings. jeep going!

Excellent advice guys, thanks so much! I am beginning to get quite nervous about my right shoulder, I am assuming from the L Pullups. All my strength is still there, and there was no sudden trauma that caused pain, all soreness came after not during which is good. The soreness has sort of spread to different parts of my shoulder during certain motions, but when I warm up its sore at first but then feels alot better and it doesn't limit me at all. I have already had labrum/rotator cuff surgery on the left shoulder years ago and I reallllllly don't want to go through that again on the right. So, I am choosing to take 2-3 wks off from upper body to give whatever is going on time to heal. I'll pick back up with wk 1 of TOPs and prob avoid the L pulls and do other pulling PEs for volume as noted.

Good luck! Hope it heals up quickly!

For the sake of additional information and other than what has already been stated.

While holding hollow body position: A) From the top position of the pull up to inverted hang,  complete tricep extensions while pressing downwardly toward the ground. B) From inverted hang to the top pull up position, complete bicep curls while pulling downwardly toward the ground.

I am at the TOPs pulls element. What upper body pulling and pushing elements do people suggest keeping in the mix?

I would suggest cycling through a row and a pullup variation in your warmup (one set each, cycle through different variations over time). With pushing it depends on where you are at in the progressions but follow the same principle...

Great advice guys! I’m having trouble controlling the swing of the rings. For me, The biggest swing occurs when feet reach bottom. I also have to stop for a moment to reduce the swing before bring the feet back up. I feel the swing isn’t as great when the body reverts its direction. Any cue to control the swing? I also have to work on reducing piking too..

I've been scaling by doing reps with one bent knee. I find I start swinging if I am not pulling up high enough. I do a few extra naners at the end of workout and focus on keeping chin as high above the bar as possible. Nice work everyone!