Quick couple Questions

Hey guys, posted these questions in my workout log but got no answers! So I'll try here once again:

1. When performing a headstand press should the back remain in contact with the wall at all times from the beginning of the rep until the rep has been finished. I get the impression that this is what I should do because it is a lot more difficult this way!!

2. Is it ok to lean back when doing L-sit chins? Is it almost required?

3. When performing Russian Dips, is it possible to get out of the bottom without using any momentum. I appreciate that this momentum should be minimised but is it possible to remove it altogether?

Thanks in advance.

3) Yes, absolutely. That is an important landmark to achieve.

2) There will always be something of a backwards lean. It shouldn't be huge and your upper body should stay slightly hollow.

Thank you Slizzardman! You're great!

Feel as if I'm close with the Russian dips but i feel as if those last few inches will be the toughest!!

Does anybody have any idea about Q1: I had a look at the article concerning press handstands on drillsandskills.com which mentioned that the hips should remain in line with the head for the entire movement. I can do this but i cant keep my back to the wall for the entire rep because of a lack of flexibility (plus its harder because there's no counterbalance). Should I work on this or should I just accept that it's very difficult to reach this and progress as i can even in order to do this my back will have to bend a fair bit to compensate for my lack of flexibility.

Cheers,

IRT

I am not 100% sure about this, but I believe the back against the wall thing is MORE important for HS press than HeS press. Still, back against the wall makes you keep stricter form which teaches better movement and trains the muscles needed for correct movement.

Is a press HS not supposed to curl up one vertebrae at a time? I thought that was what coach Sommers said in a thread on it a long time ago.

I think he's talking about the depth of HS push ups compared to headstand push ups.

Lavastine said:

Is a press HS not supposed to curl up one vertebrae at a time? I thought that was what coach Sommers said in a thread on it a long time ago.

It is, but that's primarily in the lower back. You should essentially be in a standing pike or straddle pike on your hands, with your legs compressed right up near your body. That will, of course, require the lower back to not be straight, and from there you straighten one bone at a time, moving from the middle of the back to the SI joint at the hips. THEN you raise your legs the rest of the way.

OK cheers everybody. I think I will keep on doing it with the back against the wall - might be a bit slower for the time being but it will teach me proper compression of the core.