seated leg lifts

Hi,

In various GymnasticBodies social media I saw people doing exercises with straight legs, lifting the legts. Either in straddle or straight/pike position.

Right now I read at https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/relieve-stubborn-hamstring-tightness-just-5-minutes/ also about seated pike lifts.

Just curious: these kinds of stretches don't appear in any of the stretch courses. Do they appear in F2-4?

Hi @Michael Vetter,

Yes you are correct. Some of the mobility elements are incorporated in the Foundation Courses.

Simple because they are not considered stretch positions.

I think you are talking about seated pike pulses?! As Alex said it's not a stretch exercise but a compression strength drill - though you need a good level of mobility to do them.   

And they are much harder than those videos make them look! I tried them after hearing Coach and Tim Ferriss talk about them. I couldn't lift both feet. I could barely lift one, and there wasn't much compression going on either. I look forward to trying them again when I hit that part of the programming.

17 minutes ago, Jennifer Marie said:

And they are much harder than those videos make them look! I tried them after hearing Coach and Tim Ferriss talk about them. I couldn't lift both feet. I could barely lift one, and there wasn't much compression going on either. I look forward to trying them again when I hit that part of the programming.

simply because people do it in the wrong way.

the most common mistake it is put the hands on the floor and them when exercise becomes harder move the support on the fingers. in this way, the shoulders move backward and the exercise becomes easier. 

a good strategy I use with my gymnasts is asking them to put the palms exact on the side of knees then lift the fingers from the floor. no escape strategy for them, only brutal cramps.

Good to know. Thank you Alessandro!

I can't get my hands flat by my knees yet, so definitely more mobility and compression work before I try again.

Is it ok if the back is rounding? I cant put palms beside my knees without some rounding of my upper back. (Tight hamstrings)

In this case whats the best solution?

bring hands closer hips? 

Or go up on fingers and keep hands beside my knees?

@Alessandro Mainente

Nothing wrong with rounded back.