tucked l-sit

YES! i finally held a tucked L-sit for 60 seconds!!! i first started doing them one month ago and could barely hold it for 10 secs. i can definitely see a difference in my arms from the training! very exciting, well for me at least. I'd love to do the things that some of you guys have for your avatars LoL!!

so now, i figure i'll do the tucked L-sit for another month at 30 secs x 2 sets and next month start the full L-sit? my hip flexors are still not strong enough to go past 15 secs on the full L-sit. so they fail long before my triceps give out. any tips or pointers?

If you can hold the full L-sit for 15 seconds, I'd just work that.

Yeah once you can hold the Full L seat for at least 10 seconds training with it becomes viable. Just make sure to do it in reps of half your max. 10 max do a 5 second hold. 14 max do a 7 second hold.

so if 10 is my max, do 12 reps of 5 secs holds? for a total of 60 secs cumulative?

yeah thats pretty pretty much it, after a few fews measure your max again and adjust

just to clarify, a "full" L-sit is with shins to the face right? and tucked is knees to chest?

greekdawg said:

just to clarify, a "full" L-sit is with shins to the face right? and tucked is knees to chest?

L-sit is where you have your legs parallel to the floor.

Correct. The name comes from the L shape you make when viewed from the side. Back and legs straight, with 90deg bend at hips. When you have your hips bent a lot more, and your shins are nearer your face, you make a V shape ...hence the title V-sit.

Easier variations include:

> knees bent at 90deg as well. Back vertical, thighs horizontal, shins vertical.

> knees bent at 45 degs, etc.

> one bent knee, one straight knee (alternating).

...the key is to try and work with the hips at the correct angle, and do what you can with your knee angle to adjust the intensity. If you are doing leg raises you can do things like lift with knees bent, straighten legs and hold position for a second or two, then lower under control.

A rule of thumb is that you can statically hold more than you can lift, and lower more than you can hold. Some people find that they cannot lift into an L-sit/hang with straight legs, but can hold the position once there.

Cheers,

George.

Ok, got it. I can hold the full L sit for about 15 seconds but working on more. I do those every morning.

Once we can hold it for a full 60 seconds what is the next progression step?

Start working toward V-sit if your flexibility is good. Loose hip flexors and hammies.

blairbob, i am currently working a V-sit. i can press my hips up quite strongly but i cannot fully straighten the legs. is it a lack of flexibility or strength? is a lot of passive flexibility required or will training the V-sit develop active flexibility on its own?

Guys,

does the "short arms" things exist?

I seem to be able to hold the L sit much much better off paralletes.

Is it OK if I do my work of paralletes?

I don't want to sell my self short, I know usually we are supposed to progress from the ground to paralletes and then finally to rings...

I can hold it much longer on the paralletes and can even raise 1 leg at a time a little higher....

greekdawg said:

Guys,

does the "short arms" things exist?

I seem to be able to hold the L sit much much better off paralletes.

Is it OK if I do my work of paralletes?

I don't want to sell my self short, I know usually we are supposed to progress from the ground to paralletes and then finally to rings...

I can hold it much longer on the paralletes and can even raise 1 leg at a time a little higher....

It's actually easier to hold it on the paralletes then on the floor. And no you aren't hurting your training by using the paralettes instead of the floor. As time passes you will gain the strength to be able to do the L - seat nicely on the floor. Before i found it very difficult to hold the L sit on the ground but now that i've gained some more strength in my arms i can hold it much better.

And the strength fixed the short arms thing too by postioning my body in a different way.

cathal said:

blairbob, i am currently working a V-sit. i can press my hips up quite strongly but i cannot fully straighten the legs. is it a lack of flexibility or strength? is a lot of passive flexibility required or will training the V-sit develop active flexibility on its own?

If you can get into a FULL tucked v-sit rather easy. Is your flexibility, you are more than probably strong enough.

It is probably your lack of flexibility in hamstrings or gastrocniemius ( behind the knee where hamstrings attach to calves ).

Anthropomorphically you could have short arms ( brachiomorph ) but more than likely is just hip flexor tightness or weakness when it comes to L/V. It can also be lower back or hamstring tightness.