Strange problem with BL and FL. Help Please

Hi everyone,

I was making myself a workout routine today and testing what I'm capable of right now. I can hold an L-sit for 10 seconds and a tuck planche for 30 seconds. But I couldn't do a tuck back or front lever at all! I tried doing the BL off my rings and the FL off both the rings and a pull up bar- all to no avail. Is this a strength issue or technique issue?

Some more info- for the BL, I have my rings about 4 feet from the ground. I grip them, then lean forward and try to lift my legs up to my chest. To avoid any strains I start tensing very slowly and keep tensing more and more until my core is aching. I just couldn't get my legs up off the floor! I thought with my L-sit and tuck planche I would be able to at least get my legs off the floor...

Any help/tips appreciated.

Is this a strength issue or technique issue?

probably both. To enter your levers, start from an inverted tuck on rings. Lower down towards horizontal as far as you can go.

I thought with my L-sit and tuck planche I would be able to at least get my legs off the floor...

not neccesarily. The FL is a very different movement focusing on closing the shoulders. The BL can also be hard if you have not built strength through that range of shoulder motion, all the way down to the german hang position.

You may find it beneficial to first master German hangs and German hang pulls prior to beginning your dedicated BL work.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

I'm not very clear on how you are trying to pull into the BL. I think you are trying to pull into the FL from a dead hang on the bars?

Neither are very easy that way.

Thanks everyone! I kept trying to jump into the BL and FL positions for the past week and now I can hold each for a few seconds. I guess my body just had to get used to the positions or something. And yea, when I posted I was trying to lift into the positions.

But I have a different question now- what's the best (safest) way to get into an inverted tuck?

set the rings low, get into a squat and as you jump, pull into invert tuck