9 weeks difference

I was just curious if there is a visible difference, after 9 sessions of TBS. I definitely feel every exercise and stretch much better  

I still cannot push myself into the elevated bridge, grrrrr… I tried every tip in every thread… so I do the bridge version in the picture instead, and I do the push-ups and hip-taps standing against the wall. Curious when I will be able to push into elevated one. I keep trying each session. 

nice work suzanna, have you also tried my approach?

That's coming along, don't talk yourself out of seeing the difference! Shoulders are more open, curve is moving more to the t than the l spine. Not there yet but visibly better

On October 17, 2016 at 2:19 AM, Alessandro Mainente said:

nice work suzanna, have you also tried my approach?

Alessandro, yes… I wrote all your tips from all the different threads in my notebook, and always try everything first. And then if it doesn't happen, I just go for this floor version. When I elevate my feet and lift the hips, I can eventually push myself onto the top of my head. But from here, there is no strength to push myself up completely. I tried the hands wider as you suggested, but nothing. I even tried to put something under my upper back to be higher up, but nothing… Sort of like my body doesn't know how to push… from the floor, it's actually quite easy to push myself up. 

On October 17, 2016 at 2:33 AM, Jon Douglas said:

That's coming along, don't talk yourself out of seeing the difference! Shoulders are more open, curve is moving more to the t than the l spine. Not there yet but visibly better

Thanks Jon, I can see more curve in the upper back and the shoulders more open. Even the lower back is more curvy (I know it's not the point of this thoracic bridge, but my lower back has been super flat all my life, no curve at all, and I am glad that something is happening there too ) Thank you, and I am curious to see in another few months. 

Probably the problem it is the arm extension strength, you can consider to use a loopband in order to make the ascent part easier?

I will experiment with a loop band next time, that's a great idea… if it makes my body to feel just a little bit lighter, maybe I will push up. Thank you @Alessandro Mainente!

How would a loop band work with this ? (I don't have any experience with them, though i've seen them.)

I found today that i could get up into elevated bridge when i wasn't already fatigued and when i pushed straight up from the floor without stopping to rest on my head.   We'll see how well this experience can translate into doing it during a TB session..  

I think a good part of the issue is psychological/fear: when i'm a little more fatigued, i don't want to risk crashing down and my brain says, 'Danger Alert.. No way ! I'm not gonna let you even try that in your current state !' 

@Judith Newton, with the loop band (I haven't done it before either) I am thinking to tie it higher up somewhere and hook it around my hips, or waist, or middle back (I guess I have to figure out what will work). The tension in the band should help me to lift my body. I still don't have my stall bars at home, and in the gym, where I do my bridge, the fence/rails/rungs are just waist high, so I will have to figure out where to tie the band. 

Regarding the psychological issue, I wondered sometimes too… because from the ground, I can push fairly easily… as soon as I lift my feet just on the first rung, there is nothing… I just can't push. Should it really be such a big difference in such a little difference of feet level?

On the ground a part of the bodyweight it is take off due to the feet positioning so basically you are lifting the 40% of the body with shoulders and butt. as the feet moves on higher poles the amount of horizontal weight component decreases in favor of the vertical component . weight on vertical component becomes something like 75-80% of the bodyweight, that basically it is the double of the perceived weight with feet on floor.

I think i'll also try kicking up into the elevated bridge à la Samin Ishtiaq :

Man, one week off of TBs and I feel like I lost all my progress, lol. Glad to see others being active on their progress so I can find viable options and regressions.

@Judith Newton my problem with this "kicking into handstand" bridge method it that I still don't do handstand. I am on H1/PE8 (my wall runs). There is probably no way I would dare to kick into a handstand and then "fall" backwards toward the wall to the bridge…  I'll keep trying from the floor. I WILL figure it out. I am determined to win over this elevated bridge, lol

@Alessandro Mainente thanks for the explanation, that makes now a lot of sense why it feels so hard. My upper body is not the strongest body part on me. I will patiently keep working on getting stronger. One day I will elevate!!!  

I know you'll do it, @Suzanna McGee.. probably sooner than you expect !

I only have a 'yoga handstand' against the wall.. but i think it's something i can work with.. we shall see.

cheers !

19 minutes ago, Judith Newton said:

I know you'll do it, @Suzanna McGee.. probably sooner than you expect !

I only have a 'yoga handstand' against the wall.. but i think it's something i can work with.. we shall see.

cheers !

 

Yeah, I prefer to do it standing upright until I'm doing things like HSPUs and am comfortable with holding myself upside down in a bridge. I just need to remember to go easy rather than hard. Finishing this series without feeling somehow winded still eludes me. 

I think i try a different 'angle' on the 'impossible' elements every week..   eventually, i hope, they'll all converge into a basic strength/form that i can continue to refine.

42 minutes ago, Judith Newton said:

I think i try a different 'angle' on the 'impossible' elements every week..   eventually, i hope, they'll all converge into a basic strength/form that i can continue to refine.

If that ain't the truth...

3 hours ago, Judith Newton said:

I know you'll do it, @Suzanna McGee.. probably sooner than you expect !

I only have a 'yoga handstand' against the wall.. but i think it's something i can work with.. we shall see.

cheers !

That's great that you can do the yoga handstand. You probably can do the one that one leg is forward one back (sort of in a split). You could put the back leg against the wall, or on the sofa or something and then bring the other leg slowly over and boom, you are in an elevated bridge  :-)   (ha ha, easy to say for me, huh?  )

2 hours ago, Judith Newton said:

I think i try a different 'angle' on the 'impossible' elements every week..   eventually, i hope, they'll all converge into a basic strength/form that i can continue to refine.

I too try all the "tricks" each session to see if one of them will work. If nothing, then I just do it from the ground again. And trying to brainstorm what else I could try to get myself up. 

Would love to keep this thread active, I cant even do a floor bridge, even just on my head. I think it is a combination of fear, lack of strength & mobility -. My brain just doesnt compute  the notion . i have a lot of difficulty co coordinating myself when I'm upside down or in unfamiliar positions!

its really helpful to read that lots of you have similar issues, can you keep posting yur progress and ideas ?

lucy x

Lucy, have you tried doing a floor bridge over some pillows in case you fall out of it? Pillows always make me feel braver

4 hours ago, Lucy Wilkins said:

Would love to keep this thread active, I cant even do a floor bridge, even just on my head. I think it is a combination of fear, lack of strength & mobility -. My brain just doesnt compute  the notion . i have a lot of difficulty co coordinating myself when I'm upside down or in unfamiliar positions!

Lucy, interestingly, I can relate about this. I just had this interesting observation a few weeks ago: when being/hanging upside down, I just don't know how to use my body and certain muscle groups. It's like my proprioception is completely off. I don't know where my limbs are and where they are supposed to be.  I took up a pole fitness about 5 months ago. Now I am entering the advanced stage, where we hang upside down on the pole, grabbing it with your calves/ankles, and then for example push away with the arms (sort of into a handstand) and release the legs. Instructor was telling me to push, push, push the upperbody away from the pole. Sort of like a push-up, but being vertical and upside down. I was just not able to recruit the muscles necessary to do that. Really weird.

Also, before sleep, I tried to visualize certain advanced upside down moves, and my brain could not even see and feel how the position feels once I reached this upside down stage. That was so interesting. (Frustrating too). 

My solution. I jus have to keep trying doing it. Maybe smaller moves, easier moves, just a little out of my comfort zone so I wouldn't freak out and get all tight and sweaty and fall off the pole, lol. And by doing it often, I think—or I hope—that my body and brain will figure out what to do even when being upside down. This is something I haven't done in my life, EVER, so it is not a surprise that it's new to my brain and the body. But it has to be done and repeated, until it becomes normal, just like all the other things we do in our athletic endeavors. Maybe try that with the bridge. Get into the position often, even if it is just on your head. Keep trying to push. If nothing happens, fine for now. But eventually you will be less scared being in this baby bridge, and then maybe you relax more, and then one day you will lift the head. And the cycle repeats again. 

In circus, we call that skill "aerial awareness." It's the ability to know where you are you are in relation to things around you (even when you're moving, upside down, and/or spinning!).

It takes time to build, but it can be built! When I first started, there would be moments I literally went blind. Even with my eyes open, I couldn't see anything or remember seeing anything. That's how some people process the fear of being an unfamiliar position. 

Instructors at my school often touch muscle groups/parts of the body when instructing because students initially lose all sense of right/left, up/down etc. 

@Suzanna McGee and @Julia Quigley thank you for such meaningful and helpful  responses. That is exactly it, I will definitely begin to put myself into positions and spend some time focusing on my body awareness. thank you .

hi Lucy -

Really great thoughts and suggestions from Julia and Suzanna..

i also wanted to note that it has helped me to video my attempts, just for my own viewing, so that i can integrate my internal perception with the external form a bit better.. also, sitting upside-down on a couch or curling down backwards off the edge of the bed and reaching to push my palms into the floor can give safe-feeling feedback on moving while inverted.. i'd say just keep playing with it and you'll keep expanding your abilities and possibilities..

cheers !

On October 19, 2016 at 1:32 PM, Alessandro Mainente said:

On the ground a part of the bodyweight it is take off due to the feet positioning so basically you are lifting the 40% of the body with shoulders and butt. as the feet moves on higher poles the amount of horizontal weight component decreases in favor of the vertical component . weight on vertical component becomes something like 75-80% of the bodyweight, that basically it is the double of the perceived weight with feet on floor.

@Alessandro Mainente, I am still doing the bridge on the ground, as I still cannot elevate myself. I am getting my stall bars this week, then I will try it with the band suggestion you had. Meanwhile, I did it from the ground today again, and I wonder if I am pushing myself up in a weird way? Do you see something that I could improve from the ground that would help me to push into the elevated one? 

Suzanna, it is ok to do some test in order to see improvements BUT for you now you should pass the most of the time on refining the elevated bridge.