Can't press up from any L-sit position

Hi everyone, as the title says, I'm having problems pressing up into an L-sit, regardless of position (tuck, straddle, palms, knuckles, fingers, whatever). If I'm using parallettes, I can suspend myself for about 3-4 seconds. But flat on the floor, I just can't press up. It just feels like I can't extend that much when I'm pressing down (like my shoulders or arms just won't go beyond that length, if you know what I mean). I'm not very strong but I'm not weak either so what do you think is the issue and what can I do to correct it?

I see videos and pictures and ppl doing L-sits generally have a straight torso. I tried to bend a little at the waist (bit like a hollow) and still no luck. Completely hopeless with a straight torso. Any help or suggestions on what to work on would be great. Thank you!

You have to start where you are and give it some time.

If you are only able to hold for a few seconds on paralettes then you may need to raise them to a point where you can hold for a bit longer. For this 10-15 seconds and do repetitions totaling a minute.

It may be you just need to start with support hold and build that first (not attempting to lift the legs) You should be able to hold a support on bars (or chairs) for a minute before getting into L-sit.

Try just sitting on a bench and doing it. Don't worry about your legs/feet position - just lift yourself off the bench with your hands flat next to your bum. Get used to the feeling of how far down your shoulders are pushed/pulled (depending on your frame of reference). Then after doing that for a while transfer to the floor.

Thanks for the tips!!

Viewty, when I tried the bench, I found myself leaning forward slightly to get off the ground. So my torso is essentially at an angle, not really in a straight vertical line from head to hip, with my bum sticking out in the back. Is this alright or do I need to do something to correct this and aim yo achieve a vertical torso position? Thanks again!

For now, I would build up your L on a set of PB or parallettes.

definitely as blairbob said.

for me was quicker to attain a muscle up than a floor L-sit, which meant 6-8 months training...

floor L-sit are bloody hard!

instead of trying supported L-sit start with hanging L-sit. Once you have a reasonable (30sec) hanging L-sit you'll be ready to start supported ones.

imo, even hanging L-sit will be too advanced if you don't have a good hollow hold.

Vertical torso is essentially the advanced L-sit. The hips will pull a bit behind the hands, it's ok.

Yea. Hanging L is a lot harder than it seems, it really is a good foundational element. I'm working on this now. I can muscle an advanced L sit but I don't have a good regular L, mostly due to the flexibility element. I think hanging L is helping a bit with the mobility and activation aspects and combined with the moderate flexibility work I am starting to do I should be ok by summer I think.

I would think that you would see similar benefits. Like Mr. Brady says, what you're doing is a regular L sit, which is ok. Like Blairbob said, find a position you can hold for at least 15s and work that until it hits 45-60s before making it a little harder.

Yeah, I tried an L hang on Sunday and man it will cramp up those quads fast after its been awhile. I did feel my upper abs the next day a bit tight but I felt my abs being worked at the very beginning of the hold.

One thing that intrigues me about GB training and bodywork in general is the interconnectedness of the movements and how the parts are really so related and that training in one area will lend itself to another. The advantage to GB, of course, is that here the process becomes evident by the way Coach has structured the training. For example, as my L sit has developed I found that it related essentially to other things I was doing and also to my physicality in general.

When I first attempted L sit and was utterly unable to come even close to lifting my fat ass off the floor I shook my head thinking 'I will never be able to do this', but I kept trying, and failing. I went through it all, thinking my arms were too short, my torso too long, my ass too fat, poor hip flexibility, yada, yada, yada. I tried it on boxes, on my fingertips, etc. As I practiced I could feel myself getting stronger in the right places to be able to do it but just couldn't connect the dots to do it right.

And then you find yourself doing a different GB exercise and you think; 'well hey, this is kind of like that thing'. I can do this, I should be able to get to that...

I approached the GB ring work with extra practice given my level of inexperience and worry about injury. So I spent a lot of time just doing things like basic support. The proper support position, like all this stuff, is actually easier if you do it right. So eventually you figure out that very active push down of the shoulders during the entire support is what makes it possible. The more you push, the more you can stay up there. For a body not used to such things it takes a while for the shoulders to remember that they can actually do this. But with practice they get used to it and you can push more. You go higher and higher, you push more, another virtuous circle of GB... Eventually, I'm doing a rock-solid ring support, just hangin out up there like it's nothing.

At some point even as I'm still struggling with L sit but it is bit by bit getting easier, the legs stay up a while longer and that ass is now a bit further off the floor. How? Why? Just practice? Then it dawns on you, well, I'm pushing down with my shoulders so much on that ring support, and I feel it here in the L sit as well, maybe there is a connection? And you realize: sure enough that I may have a long torso and short arms, but by pushing down more with my shoulders I can lengthen that arm line and really get my ass off the floor. So, in my world, ring support ≈ L sit!

I'm sorry for the Slizzardman-like stream of consciousness here but I'm feeling philosophical about GB I guess. Around the gym (standard, mainstream, suburban gym) I'm about the only knucklehead fiddling around with the rings and I occasionally get people ask a question (but mostly they are scared) about the rings and I always encourage them to give them a try, simple stuff, just jump up into basic support; see, it isn't so hard :twisted: Then they try it and their arms shake all over their place and they collapse after a couple of seconds. I just stand there and cheshire cat smile as if: 'gee, that's so easy, you can't do it???' But I point out that it's easy to build up with a just a bit of work and that the benefits are great and not just in the gym.

Like all adults, now working, maybe behind a desk, sedentary, for many hours a day, you feel your body not quite aligning right, posture going to hell. The ring support ≈ L Sit requires that shoulder push down that straightens out the upper torso and back, ie; better posture. So you begin to see that better poster doesn't necessarily mean not slouching, it means to actively push those shoulders down. Much easier to do if you've been working on your ring support ≈ L Sit!

This is now so long that I can't remember if I made my point?

Stream on, my friend, stream on!

Makes perfect sense. Work on support before trying support + L sit. This is all part of the progressions, and we aren't used to thinking this way and breaking things down for ourselves but there you have it... train the simplest component of a position until it is very solid and then add the next component. Eventually this process leads to perfect execution of fairly difficult skills and a very strong, very attractive body.

Yea, great advice and tips jl5555! Thanks very much! I'm now scheduling support and prereq work into my workouts. Hopefully I'll be getting to a decent L-sit (however long, even just 1 second) soon enough! Thanks everyone!