True beginner - building straight arm strength

[Gerald Mangona]

Hey all...I just posted a new workout plan in the corresponding board section. It's here. If you're lookin for something to do, I'd really appreciate some feedback over there. But in the meantime, this post is focusing on building the base strength necessary to start training the FL and BL progressions with straight arms. And the BL progressions with palms up, specifically.

My tendons weren't ready and the arm strength not there, and I paid the price with a mild injury.

So here's my question....in my FSPs, I'm trying to build straight arm strength by slowly progressing to a RTO, arms away, position in ring support. On top of that, I tried to do some German Hangs with palms up, and even those were impossible, so I'm just starting with inverted hangs in full lay (rings neutral) and working toward inverted hang, tuck position with palms down.

While all this is going on, I'll still be working the ring pushups, ring dips, but I'll be ending those reps in a fully locked position with rings neutral until I add some strength and progress to RTO. In the ring curls, it's the same...I'll be doing ring curls with neutral position and hold off on turning palms down until I get there in the FSPs.

I hate to put aside the lever work cuz I loved doing it. But I think it's best to wait until I can at least hold a German Hang with palms up for a good 15 seconds before going back.

Am I on the right track?

Thanks,

Jerry

[braindx]

Yes.

But you need to work pulling in the meantime to help strengthen the biceps. I didn't see you add anything into your work with that nature.

Thus, it may be beneficial to start with some pullup or rowing variations, and learning muscle ups as well.

[Gerald Mangona]

Thanks, Braindx...you're right, I forgot to mention it. I do have ring rows and L-pull-up progressions, 5 x 5 each, once per week. By the way -- because it's literally killing that I don't get to play on my rings til at least next Wednesday -- how will I know when my fully healed?

I can't imagine that the injury was that acute...I was in a BL tuck with palms up, and I twisted my wrists 180 degrees to move to palms down without providing any tension in my bicep muscles...felt a sharp pain, and that was it.

But I know that elbows are a delicate thing in the gymnastic world and I don't wanna screw around with it. It doesn't help that my elbow hyperextends 1 or 2 degrees past parallel when I lock my elbows. Not sure if that's normal.

Jerry

[Nick Van Bockxmeer]

you can work the back lever palms up as a short term concession. It will still build strength, turning the palms (and elbows) and does is just a form adjustment to improve the exercise. It also helps to mimic the elbow position and strain of the iron cross and planche and thus acts as part of the progression. You may find if you master flat tuck BL with palms up, painless and strainless, that you can use the correct grip with less difficulty.

[Gerald Mangona]

Back at it today...woohoo!

Dropped the lever work and added inverted hangs (wrists in a neutral grip) alongside my support work in my steady state workout. Tuck hang was too easy, straight hang was just right. Tried it in a pike position too, and man that was a lot harder. I'm gonna go through that progression over time and then re-do it the cycle with the rings turned out and arms at full extension. Then I'll give german hangs a try, first with wrists neutral and then with straight arms. It's crazy...I'm doing L-pullups, so my upper body strength has really come a long way in 2 months...but this straight arm bicep stuff is totally new.

Anyway the arms feel just fine now. I think it was the combination of the going up a progression while simultaneously widening the rings 10 cm. I totally underestimated how much harder things are with the wider setup. It basically pushed me back one progression easier.

Let me know if I'm on the wrong track. One thing I like about this gymnastic work is that there always seems to be a perfect place in the spectrum of progression to challenge your muscles just enough. Straight too hard? Try Tuck. Tuck too hard? Go down to an easier movement.

That's pretty sweet.

J

[Joshua Naterman]

Don't forget to do chin ups as well as pull ups. You need them both for good elbow flexor development.

[Blairbob]

I think it was the combination of the going up a progression while simultaneously widening the rings 10 cm.

One at a time.

I've been recently thinking I should just make most of the boys work ring support, L of some kind, straddle-L and body lever in lieu of the basic 4. Most are working tuck levers and planche leans during our FSP time.

I'm thinking I should throw out planche lean in lieu of ring support, L-hang and straddle-L and body lever. I can't really think of anything to replace back lever except skin the cats, which some can and can't do (which they should do basket to german hang).

[Gerald Mangona]

Blairbob, I'm no expert...but I am someone who can't do a straight arm, forearms-forward, skin the cat. I'm starting with inverted hangs in the straight leg position, then the pike position. First with netural wrists, then with straight arms, RTO.

Consider it my pre-skin-the-cat progression.

Try it and let me know what you think.

J

[ASForum]

I think it was the combination of the going up a progression while simultaneously widening the rings 10 cm.

One at a time.

I've been recently thinking I should just make most of the boys work ring support, L of some kind, straddle-L and body lever in lieu of the basic 4. Most are working tuck levers and planche leans during our FSP time.

I'm thinking I should throw out planche lean in lieu of ring support, L-hang and straddle-L and body lever. I can't really think of anything to replace back lever except skin the cats, which some can and can't do (which they should do basket to german hang).

I am wondering if I should take some of that advise and make it apply to my workout.. ?

PS: Which are the basic 4? Arent they 5/6?

[Blairbob]

J-man, some of my little guys simply work from a basket hang extending to a tuck lever of sorts with the rings low enough they can put their feet down. Some from the german hang can attempt a swing as an assist to pull out but the rest it's reverse leg lifts.

They really seem to hate to do back extensions and inverted situps on the PB even with it padded.

Yesterday I tried having them do tuck BL, L-sit, L-hang, and straddle-L. I swapped the body lever and L-hang for some and they would alternate. I like it, but I'm not sure they should just work the L-hang instead. Probably bring back the body lever at a different time or just work into events.

From the neutral grip inverted hang, you could try supinating the hands and lowering just off vertical.

Hmm, supinating in a basket/pike hang. Interesting.

I still like planche leans, so I will keep them in our boy's WU besides it teaches them to lean which is critical in many apparatus skills. And I do like Push/Pulls on a swiss ball but learning a ring support is probably far more important and useful.

[Blairbob]

J-man, I tried the supinated inverted hang and it does stress the elbows. I did it after a CF amalgam of Wallballs (Karen) and the 30 MU WOD made into one so I was hammered a bit.

By supinating the inverted hang, you lower just off vertical. Feels good.