Staying in bridge without hands

I feel I have an ok bridge. I can lower myself to a bridge and back up quite smoothly.

I was wondering if it is possible to develop enough strength in the back to be able to hold myself in a bridge but without touching the floor with my hands. Say with the head 10-20 cm hanging from the floor.

I haven't come across any videos that demonstrate that move but I think it's doable. Can anybody do it?

Any advices on how to build up the necessary strength for such a move?

Also, sometimes I feel some tension at the lower back when in a bridge, any advices on how to improve that?

I know that it is possible to lower that low without your hands. However, I only know of one person who can do it and he's been in martial arts for 20+ years with plenty of time perfect the technique. If anything, he cannot hold it for more than 20-30 seconds.

I myself can only go until about 40 - 50 cm and hold. Any further and I need to bring my hands down. The trick seems to be to just practice it diligently for 15 minutes during a workout session. I'd suggest you have someone or the wall spot you and spend time just holding statically at heights that you feel are safe. Don't go straight into the lowest height. Spend the first half of your time progressing through holds of decreasing height.

What do you mean by tension? You should feel tension as the back muscles are contracting. If it feels like a painful tension, then back off. If it is like a cramp tension - then back off and spend more time at easier heights. It should get easier with time. I know of a few yogis who can perform a scorpion and the general consensus is that these moves take so much time to perfect because they are extremely novel.

Good luck.

It's easier if you have more flexible, I have seen girls who can grab both of their ankles or even calves with their hands, they can stay in bridge position without hands touching anything.

BTDT. Fun trick to show the kiddies in the gym.

I have always had a pretty good flexibility in my lumbar. Not contortionist level or even to the point of doing chest roll, feet to floor and bridge. I've done that by mistake but not purposefully.

Maybe it helps that I have some decent mass in my lower body. Makes sense.

I guess you could practice it for 15 minutes at a time. I never did. Again, it's just a parlor trick coming from lots of backbends and limbers and decent flexibility.

The balance is somewhat tricky. You just have to counterbalance it by leaning into your knees and ankles.

Blairbob said:

I have always had a pretty good flexibility in my lumbar. Nowadays, my pike flexibility is alright so long as I'm warmed up. It used to be better when I was much younger. I've never had a really good basket pike position. Yoga plow passable at best and nowadays it basically looks like I'm trying to do a bad yoga plow.

Is your pike good too? Cause I've always had a good bridge but my pike isn't good.

Blairbob said:

or even to the point of doing chest roll, feet to floor and bridge.

Could you link to a video of this?

So you're saying I just need to spend more time in a bridge and try to remove my hands? Any assistant exercises?

Just play with the balance a lot and do your limber work.

Look up chest rolls. You can probably find a lot of acrobats and contortionists doing them.

Remember someone posted not too long ago the video of the flexible sisters from the 1940s or so. One balanced on the end of a table and bridged all the way back to where her head was clearly well below her feet. Then pulled herself back up. Talk about entertainment.

This is completely possible. I don't mean to step on any toes so to speak about a person's experience above that of my own, however I can say that I can do this on a good day (but I have contortionist level flexibility)

Ideas for exercises are numerous, but these are what worked for me the best:

back bend to 90 degrees and hold it as long as possible, back up

same thing, but hands above head

and come off the ground out of a bridge as slow as possible

and then above that, try to slowly remove both your hands and it should eventually come out good and succesful for you

best of luck