Straddle L seat on Rings

Hello Everyone,

I am newly registered to the forums, after browsing around for quite a while. Coach Sommer, I ordered a pair of your rings the other day and they came in lightning fast. I had the Elite Rings and replaced them with yours, and then bought a second pair to keep in my car today, because I was so impressed.

Now, I am easily able to do an L seat on the rings, but yesterday, I attempted to do a straddle L seat. As my face turned purple and my quads felt like they had been stabbed, I realized that I probably need to develop some more active flexibility. I used to have my straddle split, but unfortunately, had to buckle down on school and work. I can almost get there, now, but my left leg feels so inadequate and inflexible at the moment. Anyways, what are some stretches and drills that I could perform to increase both my passive and active flexibility, eventually leading into completing this Straddle L seat, other than the stretches that I have been doing (leaning over each leg and touching the opposite arm to the foot and leaning forward to complete a straddle split)? My ultimate goal is to be able to do a Straddle L press handstand (on whatever apparatus I choose.. Floor, P bars, or Rings). Along with this Straddle L seat, I am going to work my ring handstands, but that catastrophe is for another post! (haha)

Thank you in advance.

try these exercises:

sit in a pike stretch with your hands by your knees, slowly lift your legs up and down without moving any other body part.

as this gets easier bring your hands forward even more, if it's too hard move you hands closer to your thighs.

As that exercise gets easy, try one legged straddle lifts

sit in a straddle on the floor with one leg in between your hands and repeat the exercise as described

As that becomes easy, try it with your hands in the middle of the straddle.

ts00nami,

thank you for the quick reply, I will start doing those stretches. do you have a suggestion on the number of reps and sets I should aim at?

thanks in advance

Play around with 3 x 10-20

Just make sure to do an easier variation if that's too difficult...rather than break form and technique before the set is complete.

A bit more on the form:

legs are locked toes are pointed and come close to, but don't rest on the floor on the way down speed is slow and controlled everything is tight and solid.

You also should check our Coach Sommer's article on seated L walks.

ts00nami said:

Play around with 3 x 10-20

Just make sure to do an easier variation if that's too difficult...rather than break form and technique before the set is complete.

A bit more on the form:

legs are locked toes are pointed and come close to, but don't rest on the floor on the way down speed is slow and controlled everything is tight and solid.

You also should check our Coach Sommer's article on seated L walks.

ts00nami, I already have checked that article out. I have not attempted that, yet (almost afraid to! haha). Anyways, I tried performing some and my form was like you said, due to me training splits and etc like that, anyways. (Legs locked and toes pointed) Thank you for telling me not to touch the floor, though, because that's exactly what I did, not knowing.

Also, should I be doing this every day, like stretching?

I found out that it wasn't the flexibility issue, rather than the wrong support on the rings. It was so bad that I would fall back and onto my ass every time I tried. Once I turned the rings outwards so that my elbows were facing forward, it came rather easy.