Death Lay Question

joni1 started this discussion · 8/20/2010

Hi there, I would like to attempt death lay, my question is are you pushing your legs up against the ceiling to keep in place or should I be able to just hold it in that position like a superman with no hands ❓ We have been practicing and prepping for the death lay in class close to the floor with someone pushing our legs down while we push against their hand to be in that position. Also what is the best way of getting in and our of the death lay? Off course I will be trying this with my 5 inch crash mat.

13 replies

Charley · 8/20/2010
In the ceiling lay I am bracing my ankles/lower calf against the pole and using a tremendous amount of ab strength to push up and get my shoulders back and against the ceiling as well. You really need to brace against the ceiling so be aware of where the stud is and try to line up with that. Take this in baby steps, first see if you can shouldermount up into position - it's harder than it seems because ideally you want your butt on the ceiling and cross legs around pole...get this stable. Once you are able to do that then work on just letting and go and gently trying to bring your torso up - no fast movements on this one, take your time. Working with a partner is a great way to build up the strength for this one and "feel it" but up in the air is different so really work on the first part - shoulder mounting flat agains the ceiling. Make sure you have a buddy with you too! Don't try it alone! Super good luck! I can't wait for pics!!!!
joni1 · 8/20/2010
Thanks Charley, I'm absolutely going to do baby steps for this move. Great info. Also another question I have is once inverted from the shouldermount, do I grip the pole close to my private part or the middle of my thighs ❓ Thanks again for all the amazingly informative instructions. I also have another question I posted for you at the Health and Fitness forum under Flexibility Help post. 😳
Charley · 8/20/2010
It's the same grip as superman - I haven't done a deathlay in a while so I'll go do one and pay attention to the grip area.
Mary Ellyn · 8/21/2010
As Charley said the shoulder mount is the best to get into the death lay...you will need a lot of hip flexibility to spread the legs as you flip over at the top to get as close to the ceiling as possible. To exit from this move, the reverse shoulder mount or sliding down into an inverted crucifix are most common. However I won't allow students to attempt this move until they can easily do a reverse shoulder mount as that is the safest way to exit or abort the move if you get in trouble. I also highly encourage you to have a crash mat AND spotter. Even if your ceiling is only 8 feet, the best crash mat in the world may not be good enough depending on how you fall. Based on your question about whether you hold it like a superman with no hands, I'm concerned that you don't have a good understanding of this move and may need more practice holding it near the floor like your instructor is doing with you? Personally I would discourage any student of mine from ever trying this at home until I've cleared them to do so. Why not ask your instructor what they think based on having worked with you so far in class?
joni1 · 8/21/2010
Empyrean, I am pretty solid in my aerial shouldermount and reverse shouldermount as well as superman. We just started prepping this week for the death lay and I can arch up and hold the position with someone pushing down my legs as I push up against their hold. We can not do an actual death lay at the studio's ceiling as copper pipeing runs across the ceiling a foot down right beside all the poles. So in class we are just doing from either the floor or midway from a shouldermount. I have pretty much all the dvds out their but non of them do the death lay so I don't have a breakdown of the move other than watching here on sv or you tube. I thought I saw Jennyne Butterfly look like she was in a superman hold with no hands close to the ceiling without her pushing on the ceiling but I may be wrong. When I do get a good breakdown and explaination of what i am suppose to be doing as soon as I invert into the hold into death lay, i will be practicing this with my crash mat and my 6 '2 husband under me spotting on my 8 foot ceiling. It is such an inpressive move and i got to have it in my bag of tricks 👍 But I promise to take baby steps and never attempt this without my crash mat and hubby.
EvaRut · 8/22/2010
What is reverse shouldermount?
joni1 · 8/22/2010
What is reverse shouldermount? Reverse shouldermount is the opposite of shouldermounting but once inverted, reversing your shoudermount move to come down.
EvaRut · 8/22/2010
Do you mean it is the same as shoulder dismount?
joni1 · 8/22/2010
Do you mean it is the same as shoulder dismount? Exactly. 🫡
EvaRut · 8/22/2010
Okay. Maybe im not getting something but Charley said the reverse shoulder mount is the best to get into the death lay. And It doesnt make sense to me 🙄 Or did she mean that you get into the death lay from a shouldermount and then to get out of it to a reverse shouldermount?
joni1 · 8/22/2010
Okay. Maybe im not getting something but Charley said the reverse shoulder mount is the best to get into the death lay. And It doesnt make sense to me 🙄 Or did she mean that you get into the death lay from a shouldermount and then to get out of it to a reverse shouldermount? I think Empyrean meant to say to get into death lay from shouldermount, which is the most common and easiest way I was told to get into it. Then get out of it from a shouldermount dismount/reverse shouldermount.
EvaRut · 8/22/2010
Yeah, that does makes more sense 😛
Mary Ellyn · 8/23/2010
yes that was a typo...I meant to go into it using a shoulder mount. I corrected the original post now.