Brodsky
Level 1 Valued Member
Hey all,
So it turns out doing heavy swings correctly was the key I was missing in achieving the flexibility I'd always been close to. I started playing around with stretching lightly just after a set of swings, with only two stretches: the 90/90 stretch and the straddle split, both from Jon Engum's clip uploaded to Youtube. I'm almost at a perfect straddle split, and then, without training for it at all, this past week I tried a front split after a few rounds of those two. Hips fully square and not even straining it, about 1.5 inches away from the floor. I didn't go fully down not because I thought I couldn't, but because I knew I would be getting it easy in the next session or two.
Jon Engum: The visualization of pushing up a heavy object at 45 degrees in your straddle is brilliant. I'm sold. As soon as money is less tight, I'm buying your book.
And for a true WTH effect up top: I asked a circus friend of mine to check out my bridge form. She moved me up from the straight arm bridge to a tiger bend bridge my first time trying it, and my shoulders felt amazing. Also, I think, from the lat connection and eccentrics from the swings. Now for the walkover!
-Joseph
So it turns out doing heavy swings correctly was the key I was missing in achieving the flexibility I'd always been close to. I started playing around with stretching lightly just after a set of swings, with only two stretches: the 90/90 stretch and the straddle split, both from Jon Engum's clip uploaded to Youtube. I'm almost at a perfect straddle split, and then, without training for it at all, this past week I tried a front split after a few rounds of those two. Hips fully square and not even straining it, about 1.5 inches away from the floor. I didn't go fully down not because I thought I couldn't, but because I knew I would be getting it easy in the next session or two.
Jon Engum: The visualization of pushing up a heavy object at 45 degrees in your straddle is brilliant. I'm sold. As soon as money is less tight, I'm buying your book.
And for a true WTH effect up top: I asked a circus friend of mine to check out my bridge form. She moved me up from the straight arm bridge to a tiger bend bridge my first time trying it, and my shoulders felt amazing. Also, I think, from the lat connection and eccentrics from the swings. Now for the walkover!
-Joseph