S P O RT S
PERFORMANCE
through regularly during the day. Then
ensure you can perform the movement
at that location. In this case you would
need to set up a door way with a pull
up bar.
Finally, every time you pass
through that door way perform a ‘skin
the cat’ exercise with a sub-maximal
amount of effort. It is crucial that you
don’t go above 75/80% of your
maximum effort. Initially that may
only be 1 or 2 repetitions, but the
more you practise the more you’ll be
able to manage.
This will condition your body to get
used to the positions required and to
engage the specific muscles through
continuous practise. This will help
you to achieve your target much more
quickly than just banging it out in
full-length sessions.
The back lever has 4 stages of
progression, from the simplest to most
complex they are: tucked, extended
tuck, single leg and the straddle. Then
the full back lever itself is the final
progression.
Taking all of this into account see if
you can identify your current ability
level, the stage below that will be your
1st regression, the stage above will be
your 1st progression.
For example, if you can perform the
extended tuck that is your current
level and your starting point in the
following workout. Once you can
perform all 5 sets required at stage
1 then proceed to stage 2 which
would be the tucked back lever
(1st Regression). Once you can
perform stages 1, 2 and 3 listed
below then you should be able to
perform the next progression -
which in this case would be the
single leg back lever. Then simply
start again from stage 1 and work
down towards stage 5. Then in time
you can add the final progressions and
work through all stages in the same
manner.
If you are at a beginner level and not
yet capable of performing the tucked
back lever then you are best off to
work on the conditioning drills
discussed earlier. If you are capable
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MUSCLE & FITNESS / MARCH 2018
of performing the tucked back lever
then this will become your starting
point and you can work through the
following progressions...
1. Current stage: 100% maximum effort x 5. Rest for 2 mins
inbetween
2. 1st Regression: 50-70% maximum effort for time x 10.
Rest for 60secs inbetween
3. 20-30 bodyweight rows in as few sets as possible
4. 2nd Regression: 80% maximum effort for time x 6.
Rest for 90secs inbetween
5. 20-30 body weight rows in as few sets as possible
6. 3rd Regression: 100% maximum effort for time x 10.
Rest for 60secs inbetween
7. 20-30 body weight rows in as few sets as possible