Seal

When doing The Seal my hips seem to be a long way from the floor compared to those on the video. I have my shoulders protracted and up as high as I can and meanwhile trying to push my hips down into the floor but they're a few inches above the floor and if I position myself so my hips are touching the floor then I can't lock my elbows.

I've been doing the Stretch series for a couple of months now. Is this something that will just come with time or should I be doing something different?

Hello Anthony,

The shoulders should be retracted and depressed during the seal stretch.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thanks Coach... seems so obvious now!

What if my shoulders are retracted and depressed and my hips still aren't touching 

3 hours ago, Daniel Taylor-Shaut said:

What if my shoulders are retracted and depressed and my hips still aren't touching 

Then your spine is stiff  Just like mine  I am waiting for that day when I beautifully arch like the guys in the follow-along video. 

11 hours ago, Daniel Taylor-Shaut said:

What if my shoulders are retracted and depressed and my hips still aren't touching 

Elevating the hips and legs with a panel mat helps train the range of motion.  Keep the hands on the floor.  Over time decrease the elevation.

Tight hip flexors could be holding you back. I noticed a significant improvement in the position and ability to comfortably keep my legs together when I started working on my hip flexors.