Elevated bridge - formcheck, general advice

Hi everybody, 

I would like to consult with you my overall strategy for this thoracic stretch series. I struggle with it very much and want to make sure I am doing the best thing to progress with it.

Most of the exercises are killing me and I plan on posting formcheck for all of them one by one. 

Starting with last exercises that I’m not even able to perform ... I cannot lift myself into elevated bridge from the ground. I can lift myself to crappy bridge with legs on the ground, but thats all. I can’t lift my legs from that position and can’t get into elevated bridge using heaviest band I have at home. 

As you can see in the videos, I can enter it from the handstand, but I don’t really know what to do once in “there”. I hook my feet to the bar and move my hands slightly further away from the stallbars and then I’m trying to push my chest forwards to open my shoulders. While doing that, I’m not sure what to do with my lower body.

Shall my glutes and quads be engaged?

Is it ok to have my feet hooked to the stallbars?

Should I keep my legs together or straddle them (with straddled legs I can stretch more)?

All in all - some general clues would be much welcome. 

PS: as I read in multiple topics - I am doing elevated cat, inverted cat and reachunderneath stretches daily for 60s ... usually before bedtime.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Petra,

Thanks for your submission and great questions!

This is a great way to start off with when performing the elevated bridge. Over time you want to walk your feet lower and lower on the rungs. In the very beginning I would not worry too much about the leg. The most important part is pressing your chest out to ensure that you are feeling the stretch in your shoulders and upper back (not the lumbar). 

Once you got this, remember that you always want to squeeze your glutes when you do bridge work. This will protect your low back. As you lower your legs you will not need to hook your feet on the bars. Simply rest on the rungs with your feet and push through the feet in order to get a deeper stretch. 

If you feel like you are getting a greater stretch in a straddle you can work here for a bit. Try to gradually work your feet together before moving to a lower rung. 

Keep doing the daily stretches, Petra. And let us know if you have any further questions  

Thank you @Pauline Taube. I will work on that one for sure and report my progress... :-)

Just 2 more questions

Should I do this elevated bridge modification only once a week - while the series? Or should I include this in my daily stretches, for let’s say 30sec?

And in the end on thoracic bridce series. Should I do more than one set? I’m not daring to do push ups or hip taps ... so should I replace them with just static elevated bridge?

Thank you for your help

Hi @Petra Kmecová,

I personally follow the Stretch Series strictly during the stretch session but I also add some of them in my daily stretches with minimal hold. (i prefer 5-10 seconds personally when doing them with my daily limber)

Hello bendy people ... 

This is “I am so happy” sort of post ... :-). 

Here is my 3 (and a bit) moths progress with elevated bridge. Daily work and not a session of TBS missed. I’m no longer entering it from a handstand (huray), but I have to use a band to get me there.

and what is most important for me ... not a slightest lower back discomfort!!!

With result like this, it is hard not to keep on keeping on :-).

Also, any critique or tips on my form are welcome ... 

Have a nice week, Petra

Awesome progress, Petra  

On your last photo you may walk your hands slightly closer to the wall while pushing through the heels to lean further into the Stretch. Remember always squeezing the glutes. 

Looking forward to see you progress further  

Thanks @Pauline Taube! I’ll keep that in mind till my next session.

Amazing progress Petra!