Question about manna

I read the book on manna and I still don't have a clear picture of what the movement is.

I want to start with the most basic level -- Manna - MSH bent, but the picture in the book doesn't show his hands. So is manna like L-sit except your hands are behind not on the side?

Yeah, the hands are resting on the ground/bars just like an L-sit. I'm pretty sure in the beginning you can rest your butt on your forearms for support, but you eventually want to pull your hips off the arms.

For me, at least, the main difference is the location of the hips relative to the posted arms. In the manna progressions, I try to get my hips in front of the hands. As far as I understand it, the hips and legs should not rest on the posted forearms, even on the most basic progression. If this cannot be done yet, perhaps more work on the L-sit is necessary, which I understand is primary to manna, as is the straddle.

so can I say that manna position stresses mostly the triceps?

The triceps will be majorly stressed, but the primary concern is to move your hips forward. In a L-Sit and V-Sit, the rectus femoris will do most of the job of holding the legs up, with the abs taking the heavy payload. A manna is about pressing the hips, which is why L/V-Sit work is not productive. Lifting with your quads in this case is the thing you want to avoid.

I've taken some stills from the manna youtube to illustrate this idea. Notice where the hips go. The hand placement for the MSH bent will mirror the first picture (hands behind glutes). Just add pbars or parallettes and bend the legs. The manna progressions are a matter of how far forward you are able to press your hips with a flat back/elevated chest. Don't worry about being initially unable to get your hips off your wrist, as gaining the strength to do so is the entire point of the MSH bent. It's about getting that proper pressing motion to move the hips forward.

Notice between pictures 3 & 4 that the hips have moved forward more rather than simply trying to "turn up" the Vsit-like position.

Youtube:

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From the first two pictures it seems to me that his butt is off the floor but the lower back part is still leaning against the arms, am I right?

Think of it this way: he is pressing through his triceps and pressing through the hips. That gets his glutes off the floor rather than lifting like you would for an L-Sit.

seiyafan said:

From the first two pictures it seems to me that his butt is off the floor but the lower back part is still leaning against the arms, am I right?

No, that is incorrect. At that point in the movement the athlete is actively attempting to press his hips forward of his wrists.

Had he been leaning his hips on his arms, he would have found himself suddenly possessed of the opportunity to spend some quality visiting with the rope. 8)

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach Sommer said:

Had he been leaning his hips on his arms, he would have found himself suddenly possessed of the opportunity to spend some quality visiting with the rope. 8)

Lovit it!

Coach Sommer aka 'The Punisher'!

seiyafan said:

I want to start

I've read your other posts and find out that you're doing 10s holds of L-sit. I think one of the prerequisites for beggining Manna work is 3x30s Advanced L. I would wait if I were you.

Oh, and by the way, the straddle flexibility in the second picture - wow. I have been training active straddle flexibility myself for some time now, but that is awesome.

Falcon said:

seiyafan said:

I want to start

I've read your other posts and find out that you're doing 10s holds of L-sit. I think one of the prerequisites for beggining Manna work is 3x30s Advanced L. I would wait if I were you.

Yes build up your L-Sit first.

Is it fine to skip straddle L training?

Look at the MSH position, very wide straddle, with no weight on the arms. Straddle-L will develop the active straddle, and the core strength needed to begin MSH.

seiyafan said:

Is it fine to skip straddle L training?

No.

In my experience, if you cannot perform a straddle L, you have no hope of achieving a manna.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

In terms of sequence, is a 10 sec hold of straddle L on PB good enough to begin the first level training in manna?

seiyafan said:

In terms of sequence, is a 10 sec hold of straddle L on PB good enough to begin the first level training in manna?

No, 60s hold before you move onto the next progression which should be MSH (?)

The 60s rule isn't just for nothing, it is very important to hit 60s in the basic FSPs, if you can hold something only for 10s that means it is very intensive. Straddle L should become eventually very easy.

It has been said a couple of times in a few different threads, that when you get to harder variations of FSP you stop at 15s. FSP such as straddle planche (and any harder variation of the planche) straddle back and front lever ( and any harder variation) are three examples of FSP that i have read is best if yu just stop at a max hold of 15s. Maybe i am wrong. But i don't believe i am. Does this rule not include the straddle l-sit or the xr l-sit?

Seriously, l and straddle are not that difficult. 30/60