ajpole started this discussion ·
I need some tips and tricks on how to keep my legs straight the whole time during an invert from both the ground and a climb. My legs want to bend and I am trying so hard to do a straight double leg invert. Help!
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this happens to me at the end of a long practice when I loose strenght, so you maybe still need some extra strenght to keep your legs completely straight. have you tried it with only one leg straight? you can also work on the reverse motion to gain more strenght for this tricks, just lower your body very slowly from the inverted V and keep your legs all the way down in a V until your body is vertical and you get back to the floor. Good Luck!
amy ·
This is actually one instance where I would not recommend doing the reverse because it's pretty common to strain rhomboids/lats working it too much; the additional weight of straight legs can be hard to control bringing it down. I would suggest concentrating on keeping just the outside leg straight and keeping the other bent (and developong to straight leg once you're inverted) until you're completely comfy with that, then moving to both straight legs :)
sorry for that tipp and thanks amy for the correction. Good you read before she could try ^^
I only just got this myself! My quads were sore for a bit after too. I recommend doing split grip pole hold and bringing the legs up into a V, hold it, then slowly bring them down. This conditioning exercise helped me gain the legs strength, but I often lose it by the end of a practice, as emotioncatcher said! It will come to you eventually! :)
ajpole ·
I think sometimes I might be making it harder for myself by not leaning back far enough and looking back when I try to invert and also not gripping low enough. I am tempted to strap some yard sticks to my legs and force them straight while I practice LOL Do you guys tighten your leg muscles to make them stay straight?
Maybe focus on really pointing your toes and this might help you maintain the tension in your legs? And think of the pointing as being a whole leg experience too, if that makes sense?! For me, pointing toes starts with the foot but it's also about maintaining strength through your knee then up the quad and hammy and even extending up into your glutes. At least I say this safely from the comfort of my couch, stretching out my leg as I type this - hopefully I am actually doing what I say when I'm on the pole too!!
amy ·
Straight legs is quads but pulling them up should be low ABS notttt quads.
Veena ·
Developing a strong core is important before inverting with 2 straight legs. Conditioning exercises like The Switch, Ab Curl and Hip Flexor Lift are important, you don't want the quads taking on all of the load. If your not engaging the hip flexors and abs enough you can also stress your lower back. For nice straight legs when dancing, try not to think about squeezing your quads only (some ppl tighten/flex without fully extending) try thinking of extending through the back of the knee to maintain a nice straight leg line. 🎅
jade s ·
Bbyblue29, I'm not sure if you have a problem with this or not, but I have a problem keeping my knees straight anyways, even when sitting in a straddle on the floor. I just took a workshop with Alethea Austin (woohoo!) and she gave us a great stretch for this problem. Sitting in a straddle, place the opposite hand palm down on your knee and gently press, while using the other hand to grab your foot and flex it up. I just started doing this a couple of weeks ago, and am noticing a difference already in several of my moves.
True true amy - I was thinking more in terms of mental tricks for keeping the legs straight rather than the actual lift itself:) That's def abs!
mikkixx ·
"For nice straight legs when dancing, try not to think about squeezing your quads only (some ppl tighten/flex without fully extending) try thinking of extending through the back of the knee to maintain a nice straight leg line." Thanks Veena, this works really well for me!
My legs just want to bend also, sometimes I think maybe is it more a mental thing that's stopping me or physical??? Ugh this variation of an invert has been my toughest move to master yet! Will keep working on it.
Focus on really pointing your toes hard...that will help keep your quads more active.. Also, when you lift your legs think off the movement initiating from pulling in your abs and roll the legs up... A lot of times you think about lifting the legs the toes flex a little and the knee softens and bends slightly...move from the core, fully complete the tip back in your chopper position, then enter whatever move....
Focus on really pointing your toes hard...that will help keep your quads more active.. Also, when you lift your legs think off the movement initiating from pulling in your abs and roll the legs up... A lot of times you think about lifting the legs the toes flex a little and the knee softens and bends slightly...move from the core, fully complete the tip back in your chopper position, then enter whatever move....
I don't meant to hijack the thread to brag but it's an old-ish thread so I don't feel too bad... During my last practice this past Monday, I decided on a whim to try a straight-leg invert from the floor just to see if I could do it, and was SO thrilled (and surprised!) with the result. It's at the very end of my "1st shouldermounts" video (yeah, that was a really good practice!) Not perfectly 180* straight, but much better than my usual invert. And the funny thing is, it led to another Lightbulb Moment for me. I've struggled for a while with inverting directly into a leg hang because my hands are ALWAYS in the way, I can't get my butt & knees up high enough to clear my hands and hook. Well, when I inverted with straight legs, it made a big difference! I found it much easier to get my outside leg where it needs to be if I'm going to hook it. I can't wait to keep practicing inverting this way!
