Scapular retraction - progresion to master level

Hi everyone,

the idea of starting this topic comes form my inability to progress in front lever, however I would like to expand the subject a little bit further (and not only limit it to FL training). My current level in front lever is advanced tuck, which I can hold for about 15-20 seconds, however when I try to extend my legs, the first thing to break is always a scapular region - it seems that I'm really weak in scapular retraction.

One of my ideas to progress in FL is to focus a little bit more on scapular strength. I'm a huge believer in varying exercises - doing only front levers doesn't seem to work for me (since I couldn't progress beyond adv tuck front lever for a long time using that method). What exercises would you recommend? Here is my list (the idea is to extend it a lot further to help people like me):

1. Front lever pulls - awesome exercise which I added to my training roitine just recently. Since I'm not able to extend my legs in FL I do it in advanced tuck

2. Front pulls (dunno if I named it correctly) - like in 360 pulls, but only the first half portion. I tried doing it in normal, tight tuck, however it hurt my shoulder - I probably wasnt retracting the soulder properly.

3. Simple one handed hang on a bar/ring - it seems that it trains some muscles responsible for retraction, I consider it as a prerequisite for 4.

4. One arm hanging leg raises - I can do only essisted version of this, scapular retraction/deprasion seems to be an important part of this.

5. Swedish bars front support - seems impossible to me, maybe a spotter could make it a little bit more possible?

6. Front lever rows - I do it from time to time (tuck) but it looks that scapular retraction is not a key factor.

7. Rows/face pulls - maybe not that high like in Poliquins video - only to the chin?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... QS-tXL1CLg

8. Maybe some band assisted FL work?

That's all of my ideas. I would appreciate if someone could help extend the list (I'm aware it's far from being perfect). Maybe some circus specific exercises?

Thanks in advance,

Pawel

PS I didn't embedd youtube videos on purpose. I think it would make this post unreadable.

I think what you have written down are all good enough as it is. I am doing the same stuff and my progress has picked up a bit after being stalled recently. I have also added a rock climbing version of cirques. ( instead of climbing a rope I do a controlled pull up on a grip, lock off with my right arm then reach up and to the left for the next grip/ While holding those 2 different grips I pull up again and lock off with the left arm rinse and repeat. Each grip is about the length of my arm away from the next. After doing this for about 6 grips high I reverse the motion doing 1 arm negatives on the way down) I think that rope climbing or heavy pull ups with a hollow body and really focusing on the retraction of the shoulders could help a lot as well but like I said I think the exercises you have are more than enough now it just depends on how you utilize them. For that I think someone else should chime in as my advice could be wrong =). good luck with it though!

P.s. really slow controlled bulgarian rows with your body horizontal are great as well from what I hear.

It may take a little more of an effort than you want to make, but this is what I recently started to do (after having done all of the moves you list).

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8779&start=30

I can't tell whether it is any better than any of the other methods, but I am going to give it a go. Maybe in six months time I will know more.

Well, probably I'm not patient enough and the whole process takes just a little bit more time.

@FritsMB: interesting ideas, however I think at my current level of strength I won't be able to incorporate any victorian work. Not a chance (I don't even have these "cross trainers", so I'll just stick with more basic exercises for now).

Maybe someone has some more exercise ideas? I'm particularly interested in one-handed ring/bar/straps work. Handbalancer posted about them a while a go: (viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8745). It would be nice to research a little bit further into the subject.

Pawel

If you want the FL do slow inverted hang negatives to hang trying to stop at FL position. One leg bent or full. Just a few single reps every workout. Don't think too much about it but doing slow volume but frequently and intense worked great for me.

Add scapula pullups and think of pulling with your neck