Keep strengthening your DF.. maybe add some ab wheel rollouts too...
You're on the right path
You're on the right path
Great post, as usual @pet'Hello @Philippe Geoffrion
My pleasure !
Regarding DF, at some points, that's almost more of a back exercise than a core exercise.
In all cases, when you perform it, squeezing the glutes will irradiate your core and protect your lower back. As you have a straight position on your video, you do it right.
To gain ROM, you have several options:
- Slow negative. Go as low as you can with control. As soon as you feel you'll give up, switch to the straddle or 1 leg version and keep going. This will build time under tension using some sort of "drop set". This will work for sure, but it is very long. Besides, this strategy will force you to dedicate some time (not a lot, I admit) to train the beginning of the move (from the ground).
- Progressively harder variations, as I have mentioned in the previous post. That's what I used. All progressions start from the ground
- Do not hesitate to work the lowest (and hardest) portion of the ROM. For instance, start from a 45° using either the straddle or 1 leg variation, then control the negative portion. That way, you can exert force while being fresh, during the hardest portion.
If you do the 3rd option, I'd also build from the ground to 45° using progressively harder variation (tuck (with back on the floor) to tuck on vertical position, for several repetitions). The beginning of the move is way harder. From a physics standpoint, lever will decrease beyond 45°
Kind regards,
Pet'
Time is on our side!Excellent - that's what you should do, exactly that. Perseverance furthers. From my own training life, I do a single Skin The Cat on the rings every day. I've been at it for weeks, and I'm not ready to do more than one because I keep improving how far I can get around with my single rep. Eventually, I'll do more. I probably could do another one or two now without getting off the reps, but as we know from S&S and other programs, persevering with something until it starts to get easier for you is a surefire path to improvement. You keep doing that partial Dragon Flags - your depth is fine, your reps are fine - and I'll keep doing my StC singles, and we will both see improvements as time goes on.
-S-
Thanks @Mark Limbaga.Keep strengthening your DF.. maybe add some ab wheel rollouts too...
You're on the right path
Another thing popped into my head:
Simonster was the first guy I saw use the term “mechanical advantage” for calisthenics skills. Basically, you do a harder variation on the eccentric and an easier one on the concentric.
I haven’t done a dragon flag in a while, but when I did, this was how I got them. I started by doing tuck DFs and straddle or single leg tuck. Then I did the mechanical advantage versions. I would lower using a full DF (legs all the way straight) and then raise by tucking one knee in. Then I’d just alternate which knee was tucked.
You can do the same thing for front lever raises, as well as planche push-up variations (once you have a solid tuck planche and straddle bent arm planche).
Front lever is pretty much just like the DF exercise I outlined above. Planche push-ups (while down the road a ways…) would involve starting in a tuck planche, lowering to a bent arm straddle planche, and pushing back up to the tuck.
If you’re methodical and creative you can probably make up your own MA exercises this way too.
Here’s a few IG links
I don't feel strong enough in my arms and chest for a front lever on the rings - I do them, but at an angle, feet closer to the ceiling than parallel, but body straight.@Steve Freides …with your dragon flag strength, have you attempted a Front Lever? From what I imagine, your midsection strength is at the level.