Straight Arms

OK while doing the Frog Stand I have notice when I lean forward my arms really bends a lot and I know Coach Sommers saids that this is the only exercise with bent arms but mine bents around in a 90 degree angle. Here's how mine would like like.

And when I try to straighten my arms I would lean more backwards and fall on my feet. I want my arms to be more straighten out so I would actually build strength and not be cheating. Like this kid.

Also when I am in the Frog Stand I find it really hard to breathe in and out. Is that common? I usually have to stop because the breathing is hard making me concentrate less. Thanks for your help. God bless.

Eventually, your breathing will relax and normalize in some strength movements like handstands and levers.

That frog stand is correct, once you do it with straight arms, there may be less of a shoulder lean. It kind of depends on the body.

But do remember you must breath. When I first started learning handstands I didn't breath so my max. hold was only 10 seconds because then my head was feeling like it would explode. I had to relearn handstands then but I got a valuable lesson that you should always breath while doing bodyweight skills.

Breathing is an important part, I would have to say the reason why you cannot do a frog stand how Coaches student is doing it is because your shoulders aren't ready for it, I would almost call that a tuck planche rather than a frog stand, but that's just me, as you progress lean back and try to focus your weight on your shoulders, which will eventually lead you to a straight back, hips on the same plane as your shoulders and you will be in good progression.

OooOooh! I thought it was better for the hips to be higher.

I don't think that is a tuck planche. He is resting his knees on his elbows.

Oh and does doing this regularly build muscles?

I've noticed strength gains from doing this progression. Especially as you move up a level.

i would say the first progression is just to get used of the position and get some equilibrium, but you'll find very easy to stay 60 sec, is just about equilibrium, not much strength at all.... until you start the tuck planche, where may be, you wont stay holding more than 1 second, and of course your hips will drop as if the butt has more intense gravity atraction . If you find this ocurrs you can try the frog with straigth arms. I wouldn care much of the form of the frog stand as depedens a lot of how/where you rest the legs in the arms.

Hi Titan,

Titan said:

OooOooh! I thought it was better for the hips to be higher.

As I understand it the frog stand becomes easier if the hips are too high, and the other variations become easier if the hips are too low - however these facts should be considered cheating rather than valid progressions, since the angle is all wrong in the shoulders. One should try and keep the hips at the same height as the shoulders.

I would personally use the straight-arm frog stand as an intermediate step before attempting the tuck planche full stop - since, as serotonin said, it is a very large step for most otherwise.

George.