SLS/PE8 & iM Form Check

I think I need to do these with a block for a bit before going down all the way to the floor and I noticed some hinging at the hips for the iM. Any other tips or things I should focus on while working with this one? Just started today with it.

On the pe you want to touch the floor as gently as possible.  For starters point your toes so the top of your foot, shin, knee all touch the floor at the same time, that'll make it harder. Try putting no weight on the hind leg and getting no support from it getting back up.
In the long run, touching the floor just gently and not touching it at all is again another massive increase in difficulty.

You're right about the im. Keep your core engaged (ppt) and the glutes squeezed hard from beginning to end. It might get a little easier to engage your abs and come back up, if you keep your eyes on the horizon ... if easier is what you're looking for  

Hi @Trevor Lewis, 

Good call on using a block to get proper form and tempo and to build strength first before going full range. Do not pike on your hips in the mobility. Once you get strength, proper control and tempo, you can also follow @Bas Albinus pointers to improve your PE.

Thanks guys! I attempted these again with blocks and looks like in order to meet the light touch criteria mentioned two yoga blocks seems to be the best I could do at this point. Definitely felt it more in the quads as well. Will be fun to see the progress with this one.

Would doing these as negatives...or positives be helpful for strengthening these? What I mean is starting from the floor and just doing the concentric portion pushing up from there thru the range of motion that the blocks would normally stop at? Maybe do a one for one for these with the blocks and then from the floor until I can get the full range of motion together. 

another way to scale these is to increase your forward lean. That will make them easier, and you could work the full ROM (seems a better option to me than the blocks). If you can't do the concentric (up) part, at least do the negative (slowly) all the way to the floor.

I can do the up part it's just the negative to the floor portion that seems to be lacking atm I'll try them again next time with the forward lean though and see how that works out

You probably can do the up portion because you are assisting slightly with the "free" foot. (It leaves the ground a bit after the knee, at the part of the ROM which is hardest i.e. the bottom) This is ok for the moment as you are working up to the full movement...

Progress! Added these back as the main workout again today after going back and doing a cycle of the side to side squats while I practiced the technique for these and added in almost all of the prior elements mobility to make for a better warmup to these. I can make it down to a little lower than one yoga block now before I start to lose a bit of control. Tried doing them without a lean or block and that seemed to be the lowest I could 'honestly' do them. Gonna try stacking a couple weight plates see if I can't work that lower range of motion a bit more and really focus in on these.

It's amazing the difference in difficulty between letting the free leg bear weight on the ground and just letting it barely touch.

The iM has also thankful stopped making my quads scream, though I'm still not up to full depth with those yet either. 

I will do another form check once I feel like I have these under better control. Thank you all for all of the tips!

Yay, progress! Good for you to stick with these. When they first came up as a progression for me, I definitely rushed them and even more so the iM (make sure you keep PPT on that; this key insight came from a form check I submitted and made them a lot more do/bearable). Eventually progress stalled and I knew exactly where I had to go back to. I did and feel I have gotten a lot out of them this time around. Plus it feels so good to really master a PE or iM that at first gives you a lot of trouble!

Sometimes taking a step back will yield better results in more advanced elements. Good job progressing. We are looking forward your video submission.

Okay, this was the last set of 5 and this is two books which is a little more than half a yoga block, so I am 1 1/2 blocks lower lol. I've noticed these are a lot harder on my right side than the left, not sure if it's cause my knees is going farther forward on that side or what. I also seem to still have a bit of a pike on the iM (Curse you video evidence!! It felt so good!)

This is about as close to 'no lean' or hands forward as I can do them right now.

Nice work, I'd say remove the books you are ready.

for the iM, that's barely a pike, just remember to lead with your hips!

Nice work Trevor, use the weak side as reference in order to decide if it is time to move on or wait.