Introduction and a few questions

1. As close as you can manage with straight knees/legs. Grab bars and start stepping feet up rails until.

2. down

3. if you can't add weight, stay where you are. Besides the V-up press to V-sit, HLL is very similar.

4. There are many variations documented in BtGB. Coach prefers to move through these instead of weighted dips. There was a thread and discussion a month or two ago between Sliizzardman and Coach on this.

5. Sounds like your shoulders need rest. Reccomended distance when using a wall is to keep your shoulders as open as they are able.

6. Dunno, I've never tried them with a ring as I use the vertical bar method.

7. It should even out in time with proper diligence.

8. Probably some hypertrophy could be helpful.

9. What aren't you doing? General development? Press Handstands.

3. yes

4. bulgarian dips aren't very hard when it comes to standard dips or even rings. however a 51X tempo does make them suck.

6. No idea.

7. FLR=front lever? Bar or rings is ok but clearing the legs does become an issue. Rings may be tougher, but generally it's not a big difference unless you're doing stuff like front lever pullups, pulls.

8. Dunno, you could look into some of the Poliquin information on body fat storage and why it stores in certain places.

9. HSLL do count as press HS work even if they start with HeSLL. I am personally a big fan of negative presses in the WU to warmup presses (say 5-10 on the wall in straddle with a hold as low as they can go).

bulgarian dips aren't very hard when it comes to standard dips or even rings.

My own athletes disagree with you on this. If you are finding that XR Bulgarian Dips are not crushing you also, especially at a slow tempo, then you are quite simply performing them incorrectly.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

There isn't a stretch reflex when the pause designated in the tempo is scrupulously followed. For my own athletes, I do not even begin counting their pause until their depth and body position are perfect.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

If you are finding that XR Bulgarian Dips are not crushing you also, especially at a slow tempo, then you are quite simply performing them incorrectly.

Coach S., I meant the standard bulgarian dips on PB. This is rated 2 little gymnasts compared to 5 on the rings.

*later edit* To note, I cannot perform a bulgarian dip on the rings, currently. I basically lowered to the bottom and got stuck. Long straps seem to make the reps from support work in 1/2 (which is sort of a good thing) compared to hanging them at home or off a HB, but I prefer long straps to short straps (besides the fact I don't have to hang them on the HB). They are about 15' long vs regulation length of 5 and probably similar to the length @your gym, Coach S.

Last year, when I could perform XR Bulgarian Dips I did not find them all that challenging. Except I did not use a tempo. Basically down and up with a slight pause at the bottom. I thought my form was acceptable. I was not aware of using a tempo method then.

Adding that 5s descent and 1s pause makes many exercises much harder as I found out at the seminar even with bulgarian rows and pushups.

Blairbob, you're officially the man!

Take me back to 2003 and I felt pretty manly then when levers were easy, I didn't know you could pike during MU and do more

HeSPU on the wall than I was years old.

I only feel manly in the gym because I'm stronger than my strongest little guy who is 4'4/5", 60lbs or under and 11yo. I'm typically stronger on rings and dips than him but he absolutely crushes me when it comes to pullups, skinthecats, NLC or rope climbs by about twice as much besides the fact he can nearly do NLC to the floor and I won't talk about mine.

It will be nice to beat an 11yo kid someday. At least I can hold a longer hollow body hold and L-sit...for now.