Hi everyone,
Here's a very interesting article on how biomechanics helped the U.S. Olympic Training Center discover which exact muscles where used in a Maltese.
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Muscles used in a Maltese
Started by Joshua Chan, March 29, 2010 · 28 Replies · 15,432 Views
Thank you, cool article. The maltese is my dream strength move.
Thankyou. I figured this was going to be Dr. Bill Sands, but had not seen it before or that website before.
Nice article, interesting conclusion about the change in position and muscle activity.
Atudy confirmed all that I noticed myself. Just on still rings is a real deal, so best exercise is spotted exercise, only then you include accsesory exercises wich helps to develop certain muscles.
BEAST
This was from Austrian nationals (yesterday), wich was open type, so other countries could compeet. I had frist score in competition on rings (14,950).
Congrats.
One of the drills I know for maltese is called block maltese. Using a set of blocks or parallel bar blocks, you get into an inverted hang in between the blocks and slowly lower. The face of your shoulders is on the blocks and typically the blocks are placed at a wedge like angle.
Do you think this is good for maltese? I was always told it was. It's a bit like back lever.
As well, using a similar drill, it's easy to teach young boys how to shoulder roll in case they overswing handstand on parallel bars and of course it's low and soft and most boys find it fun.
congratulations! 
Congratulations Gregor.
The article has been especially useful for me, and Blairbob, the drill with the block reallly helps develop the strength to keep the legs horizontal, at least that's what i feel works the most with that drill. But spotted maltese is the best, and the only thing works the same muscles
Blairbob said:Congrats.One of the drills I know for maltese is called block maltese. Using a set of blocks or parallel bar blocks, you get into an inverted hang in between the blocks and slowly lower. The face of your shoulders is on the blocks and typically the blocks are placed at a wedge like angle.
Do you think this is good for maltese? I was always told it was. It's a bit like back lever.
As well, using a similar drill, it's easy to teach young boys how to shoulder roll in case they overswing handstand on parallel bars and of course it's low and soft and most boys find it fun.
I used to do this on a paralel bars instead of a blocks. It's good exercise for chest and core for maltese but not for shoulders, so you wil have to do other accsesory exercises for shoulders and main exercise should be spotted maltese.
This article seems to be based off the same study, and it has more information.
trianglechoke7 said:This article seems to be based off the same study, and it has more information.
I never liked this kind of spotting showed on a picture. I felt my muscles better when coach had one palm on a chest and other palm on a thigh. If he holded me like that I was always leaning with shoulders back instead of forward.
Congrats Gregor I just sat here watching your arms for like a minute 
:oops:
Razz said:Congrats Gregor
"Can be a hypertrophy possible with straight arm work" 
do alot of malteses 
I've been working the Maltese for about a month, I can lower my torso to the horizontal position with no problem but I'm unable to elevate my feet, looks like I'm dragging them. Any recommendations??
So you are piked at the hips?
I think maltese is different for everyone and the muscles used are very different as well. The Shanghai Gymnasts did this same experiment for maltese, cross, planche, and invert cross. Out of the 4 guys that did the cross, they all had different muscles being used. Out of the 3 that did a maltese, they all had different muscles being used!
It's very hard to have one set of workouts that works for everyone!
Wangtang6911,
do you have access to the study? i'm curious what accounts for the differences... the afforementioned study suggests position affects activation... maybe they didn't control for position?
Blairbob said:So you are piked at the hips?
Yes, that would be the correct term
griffdrc said:Wangtang6911,do you have access to the study? i'm curious what accounts for the differences... the afforementioned study suggests position affects activation... maybe they didn't control for position?
Everybody's built different, so with the cross, maltese, etc., muscle recruitment will be a bit different among individuals. The same muscles should be used, but the ratios should be somewhat different for everyone.
Joshua Chan said:I've been working the Maltese for about a month, I can lower my torso to the horizontal position with no problem but I'm unable to elevate my feet, looks like I'm dragging them. Any recommendations??
Squeeze abs and butt at the same time when you are doing maltese.
Donald Lee said:Everybody's built different, so with the cross, maltese, etc., muscle recruitment will be a bit different among individuals. The same muscles should be used, but the ratios should be somewhat different for everyone.
This is very true. I ask some people what muscles they feel like they are using in the maltese and they will say shoulders. Me, personally, I feel it all in my biceps. All in all I think that biceps and shoulders do most of the work while small core muscles do some work to keeping your body straight. I think doing malteses with your arms in the straps is good, but it doesn't let you work your core muscles correctly because of a balance issue.
Core strength is least important at maltese, or it musnt be important if you are at level of strength so you can work on maltese.
If you are piking you are decreasing the leverage, with squeezing abs and butt, you will just straighten out and other muscles should work more then due to the increased leverage.
I feel most in biceps and shoulders if you do it with more hollow upper back then pectoralis do more then before. If I do a back lever press to maltese, then my biceps and pectoralis are doing the most.
trianglechoke7 said:This article seems to be based off the same study, and it has more information.
Do you have more publications, or even better where can I find and read more publications.