Elbow lever

Steve · Moderator Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 776 Location: Belgium

I've been trying to do an elbow lever for quite some time now and I can't quite get it. I think my elbow is positioned is correctly but when I try to get my legs up I can't quite get them high enough. They're still slanted quite a bit.. I look straight ahead because in a tutorial I read that when you do your back automatically straightens but I still can't make it.

Any help would be appreciated

`Steve
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James · 3run Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 3756

To get your body straight you just need to focus on extending your legs out as far as possible, and for the upper body as you said you need to look upwards otherwise your back looks really hunched.

If it is because you are having trouble balancing as your tip over backwards when you straighten your legs, you need to work on bending your elbows to change your centre of gravity. If you straighten the elbows it will bring your centre of gravity down your body, which is good if you are straightening your legs, but it requires more strength to hold and brings you close to the objects. If you bend the elbows closer to a 90 degree angle it will bring your centre of gravity higher up your body... good if you are falling forwards onto your head.

Also get someone to watch you and tell you what to do to make your body horizontal. When I got someone to do that I was surprised that having my body horizontal actually felt like i was leaning backwards to me.

Oh yeah and if you're having trouble getting the strength to hold your legs straight do these
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Steve · Moderator Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 776 Location: Belgium

I'll try that as soon as my shoulder heals. I tried going down a ramp on a skateboard and fell on my right hip, elbow and shoulder. Hip is blue, elbow bloody and shoulder was dislocated for a second or so but popped back in by itself, it really hurts now, though ^^
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James · 3run Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 3756

Ouch... you should have asked me before you tried that Razz

. Exact same thing happened to me when I tried to go down a ramp (except it wasn't as bad an injury as yours), and same thing happened first time my brother tried too.

It happens to most people first try, but the secret is to lean forwards as you're going down the ramp (I'm assuming you fell over backwards). However, it is quite scary going down head first on a 70 degree concrete ramp, so that's part of the reason I quit skating Wink

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[DOTA]D07 · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:39 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I remember when that happened to me, although it was not as bad, it is all part of the learning experience. Wink

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Hysteria · Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 6:20 pm Post subject:

Often I find when I'm doing the elbow lever, that it is easier to balance when I am tilted over further than staying horazontal, when I'm horizontal it feels like I am tipping backwards, do you know a way to remedy this?
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James · 3run Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 3756

Straighten your arms out more, as that shifts your balancing point further down your body so you'll stay balanced. Your centre of gravity is somewhere near your waist, and by adjusting the angle in your elbows you need to make sure your centre of gravity is directly above your hands.

That's basically why i couldn't do it when i was trying to do it the way Alfie was. I was keeping my forearms vertical and flinging my body over forwards trying to get it into the balance point, whereas it's actually a lot easier if you bend your arms so they're in the right position to support your weight.
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Steve · Moderator Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 776 Location: Belgium

I can get my legs up higher now but whenever I do an elbow lever I get a feeling in my throat as if I'm pushing the food from my stomach back up.. as if I'm about to throw up.. Help please ^^
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James · 3run Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 3756

1) Don't do elbow lever straight after (or while Razz

) eating
2) Make sure your elbows are by the side of your abs in the groove... if they are too far in you might be putting more pressure on your stomach
3) Tense your stomach muscles a little while getting into and holding the position so that it's not all going into your stomach
4) Breathe, although that might be a little hard if you are doing (3) Razz

5) Don't let all of the force go into your stomach, use your arms as much as possible too.
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James · 3run Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 3756

Can anyone help me with tucked planche -> handstand? Wink

I can stall in an L-seat out of a kash vault and then bring my legs through into the tucked planche but i can't push up into the handstand.
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Steve · Moderator Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 776 Location: Belgium

You could try going into a tucked planche, make your head go down slowly until it touches the ground and then get into headstand position and try that, then when you master that you can try moving on to handstand Smile

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James · 3run Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 3756

I can do it into a headstand but that's pretty easy it's basically a controlled faceplant Razz

The hard part I think is pushing your arms and legs up together... it just requires so much strength.

I can do a two-foot takeoff handstand which feels kind of similar but with that you push off the ground with your feet so it's a lot easier. I also found this which is a little useful: http://www.beastskills.com/Handstand%20press.htm
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