Transitioning from FKP/FTP SE3 to SE4

Hi,

I've been on SE3 of WP, FKP, and FTP for quite a while, and just don't seem to be able to make the transition to SE4. (I'm ok with SE4 for WR.) Every now and then I give SE4 another go, and I've been able to do one--yes one!--WP. But I can't do a single FKP or FTP. And so...defeated...demoralised...I go back to SE3

No, just kidding. I'm more than happy to be patient and let the strength build up if that's what moving to SE4 requires. But it did occur to me that I might be able to move on more quickly if I could find something that's harder than doing 5xSE3 and easier than 1xSE4.

One thing I have tried is to simply hold the 'up' position for these movements; I can maintain them but I wasn't really sure how useful it was, and if it is, how long I'd need to hold the position to help with progress.

An alternative would be to stick to the SE3 level, but maybe increase the volume, perhaps by inserting a few extra sessions during the week?

Actually...to be more precise, it's the FKP and FTP that are the real problem. With WP, for the last two sessions, I've done the first set as an attempt at 1xSE4--you never know, I might get lucky again!--and then I follow that with 4 lots of 5xSE3.

Any help gratefully appreciated.

Hi Mark, 

Can you please post videos of your form for the above exercises at the SE3 level. You can either do this here in the forums or through customer support via your course dashboard. Once our coaches are able to view you performing the exercise there may be some points that can be given to help you break your plateau. Also how long is a while? The jump from SE3 to SE4 is more challenging than the preceding progressions and you may just need to give your body adequate time to make the necessary adaptions.

We look forward to seeing your videos and assisting in your progress.

Hi Darin,

Thanks for getting back to me...much appreciated.

One of the reasons I posted my message was that there didn't seem to be anything else in the forum on this subject. Turns out I was wrong! Nothing was coming up if I searched for 'SE3' or 'SE4', but as I stepped through the list of discussions a page at a time I came across quite a few threads that raised the same issue as me in one form or another.

After looking at other people's videos and reading the responses from coaches like yourself, I can see that I need to really slow my technique on SE3 down. I did see some tips that will help at the SE4 level--such as widening feet, raising hands...things like that--but as I waded through the discussions I got an overwhelming sense that my SE3 level simply wasn't solid enough.

I'm not trying to avoid sending a video.  It's just that after stepping through 45 pages of topics I feel I now have enough to work on for a while, and I'm looking forward to my next HS session tomorrow to see how it goes!

Do you think that's a reasonable course of action? Slow SE3 right down for a bit, and take it from there?

And thanks again for your quick response.

Mark

PS I'm not really sure how long 'a while' is because my only logs are in the dashboard and I can't see any way to get out of it the dates of transitions. It's been a few months on SE3 though, I would think.

Hi Mark,

It definitely sounds like the right course of action. Slow it down try and take as much load through the wrists as you can for each exercise, this will take high levels of concentration but will have a large payoff.  

Sometimes it is hard to see that you are making progress and then it will just click for you. A couple of months is not necessarily that long as long as you are seeing improvement even if it is minor.

Hi Darin,

This is great...thanks! Now that I'm doing the exercises more slowly, in FTP/FKP I can really feel the point at which the fingers have to work to transition from having all of your weight on the heels of the palm to being supported by the fingers. Before, I was probably passing through that point too quickly to get any benefit, no doubt using the momentum from the push-up.

The WP is more tricky, and I'm not yet able to get both wrists to raise at the same time...there's always a brief moment where one wrist takes the body weight whilst the other sneakily lifts itself up. But I can feel the same specific moment of transition as with FTP/FKP though, so as you say, it will come!

I agree with you that progress can sometimes be slow, and I'm actually pretty patient. What raised alarm bells here was that I *seemed* to be able to achieve mastery on one level yet was unable to do a single exercise on the next level, and that hasn't happened before in any of the exercises I'd done. I've had plateaus where I can't increase reps on an exercise, but I've never had a situation where I've not been able to perform the next exercise when moving on.

But now I feel like I'm on a path that can lead to some progress, so thanks again for your input.

All the best,

Mark