Joint alignment

These notes combine advice from 786 reviewed passages across 239 workouts.

Overview

Joint alignment is the practice of keeping the body’s parts in a consistent line during a movement. The same points matter across exercises. The neck stays straight, the arms stay straight or locked, the hips stay level, and the feet hold their position. Gaze direction is one of the main tools, because looking at the right point helps keep the body straight. When reaching up onto the toes, stay aligned and avoid rotation, with particular attention to the shoulders and wrists.

Head, neck, and gaze

Keep the neck relatively straight and do not jut it forward.

During push-ups, keep the neck straight and stable so it moves with the rest of the body rather than lifting separately.

Coach’s advice

In movements where the neck tends to take a problematic position, keep the neck straight and avoid looking forward to protect it.

Coach’s advice

Gaze direction is movement-specific. In the scapular push-up, look straight ahead. In the upward-facing movement, look fully upward toward the ceiling. After sitting back from a push-up position, keep the gaze directed forward. The common rule is to use the gaze point that keeps the body straight.

Keep the head neutral and the chin slightly elevated rather than tucked. In some holds, aim the gaze about 10 to 12 degrees above straight ahead.

Keep the chin tucked throughout the sit-up. When holding a position and then releasing backward, keep the chin straight.

Coach’s advice

In a headstand, make contact with the top of the head and rise slowly. The forehead should not take the weight.

In the head-supported balance, bring the head more upright and higher. This makes the movement less difficult and lets you use the back.

Gaze direction follows the movement. In push-ups, look toward the ground. Prefer a forward gaze to looking up or backward.

Arms, elbows, and shoulders

Keep the arms straight in several movements. This applies to jumping jacks and scapular work. In the wall one-leg touch, the arm overhead stays straight and as fully locked as possible.

In the push-up drill with locked arms, start from the locked position, lower as far as possible, and press back up. Keep the elbows close together during push-ups.

Hand and arm position affects how easily the shoulder can move. Lower hand placement, with the arm at roughly a 90-degree angle toward the upper chest, makes it easier to push the shoulder backward. Keep the arms tight and initiate from the shoulders, because bent arms make it difficult to reach the position.

During Top Knee, hold the hands or arms at exactly 90 degrees. During an upward push-up, keep the wrists fixed and close to the body.

Legs, hips, and feet

Keep the hips level while opening the leg, and keep the lower back from tilting backward when opening to the end range.

Keep the swinging leg straight and tense, and swing it broadly. Do not bend it at the endpoint, because bending lowers the leg and sets you back. Maintain a tense knee and initiate the swing well even when fatigued.

In the three-legged-dog setup, keep the rear leg straight, the rear heel grounded, and the front toes lightly touching with only normal spacing.

Perform the donkey-kick entry by coming in, touching, and pushing while maintaining a gap between the feet rather than bringing them together.

In the straight-body back lever position, keep the leg fully straight rather than bent.

Lightly engage the pelvis in the hold.

Alignment in specific movements

In this push-up, keep the feet together, move forward as far as possible, keep the arms at chest level rather than head level, and look at the floor rather than inward.

After turning, place the hands where the feet were, reach ninety degrees, push, and tuck the head. Tucking the head and pushing inward through the shoulder may feel difficult at first, but it becomes more comfortable with practice.

In crab up-downs, use substantial shoulder extension and position the hands close to the inside of the hips.

In this movement, keep the hands together and inside and the feet apart. Lower to the chest, then rise while opening the arms and closing the feet. At the lowering point, the arms are slightly open near the body’s center.

For the 90-degree position, adjust your distance from the wall so the target section is correctly aligned and moves inward. When placing one foot, turning, and placing the second, keep the first foot at the same point.

Coach’s advice

For a right-shoulder roll, use a right-foot-forward stance and keep the right hand inward.

For this movement, start straight, step one foot forward, and lower slowly.

In a planche-like position, keep the parallettes level and hold them slightly inward so they pass close to the ears. When setting up on a bench, keep both sides aligned and avoid setting one side too far inward. The plop-down bar movement is performed under the bar with the chest brought to it and the feet on the floor. The wall handstand is performed chest-to-wall. In the push-up variation, maintain a 90-degree angle and bring the head close to the floor.

Further guidance

Keep the support angle at a full 90 degrees and directed inward. Opening it too far lets the support lose its hold on the body.

The same principle runs through the arms and legs. In a handstand, the arms are locked as much as possible. In the legs, the line runs straight through the knee and toes.

Joint positioning is important in the front lever and the planche because these skills require holding the body in a particular position.

Perfect alignment will not appear immediately. Temporary deviations from the preferred joint position are normal for a while. In current training, the task is to get used to maintaining joint tension in the position.

Joint alignment is the deliberate set of positions that keeps the body on its intended path. The training keeps returning to one habit: decide on the line or position, then control the movement from the start, through the middle, to a controlled finish on that line. That control is active, from the first push to the landing, deliberately keeping the body and the landing foot on the intended line.

Joint alignment means keeping the joints in their intended positions and under continuous tension for the whole movement.

Use positions around shoulder width, because an excessively wide position makes the movement harder.

During ascent, keep the leg straight and the body fully tense, swing in one motion, and pull the hips up; the descent is acceptable, the problem is bending the leg on the way up. Slow floor-to-handstand techniques require fully straight arms, while techniques that rise from a rabbit position use bent arms. During the wall handstand-push-up sequence, keep the hands and arms fixed while the body and torso move through the vertical and parallel positions. Keep the hips as vertical as possible, tuck the head in, and keep the foot from opening outward, because an open foot pushes the body backward.

A handstand entry can use either a 90-degree hand opening or a direct upward opening, followed by lifting the hips while pressing into the floor. Prefer the option that keeps the elbows straight.

Correctly setting the angle and maintaining the curve improve efficiency. In one-arm pulling work, keep the shoulder close to the hand and engage the lat; the closer they are, the stronger the pull, while an open position reduces strength. Lean slightly to the side and descend slowly.

In a handstand, bring the shoulders toward the alignment line so the muscles stack on top of one another for a more correct position. Improved alignment and full-body tension let the handstand be held with technique rather than mainly force, and the force needed drops once the position settles.

Joint alignment guidance covers hand placement, straight-arm positions, cartwheel entry, wrist alignment, and pelvis and leg control. Place the hands in line with the feet and reach forward so you do not have to place them inward. Keep the arms straight, not bent, in all front-lever training. For the cartwheel entry, keep the arms aligned at the shoulders, use both arms for the takeoff, and complete the body twist before reaching the floor. Keep the wrist alignment straight with the load toward the middle-finger side, and avoid angled positions. Avoid backward leg drift and outward pelvic opening; an inward, stable pelvis improves execution.

Coach’s advice

Drive the deadlift with the hips, moving the hips forward and back while the knees stay put. Keep the head and neck aligned with the shoulders and use peripheral vision, as in a handstand. If a loaded position strains the wrist, slightly turning the wrist sideways can be an acceptable modification.

In hip-led lifts, the weight travels vertically while the hips move forward and back, and the glutes do the lifting. Drive the hips forward to raise the weight rather than lifting it with the whole body. The clean-and-jerk and snatch follow the same hip-led pulling logic.

In the Romanian deadlift, knee alignment and hip engagement matter, and small balance-related foot adjustments while leaning forward are normal.

Alignment is also about keeping the body compact and stable. Slightly open arms can let the body sink backward, and in some versions of a skill the hand placement matters less because the hands lift and turn at the same time. The sections below cover the main alignment points by body area.

Squat practice can reinforce correct hip and back alignment, since most people struggle to hold the correct line in a squat.

Correct technique matters more than a high repetition count; it is better to do five correct repetitions than ten or twelve sloppy ones.

Coach’s advice

Joint alignment is the practice of keeping body segments in a consistent line during loaded and bodyweight movements. It shows up in how the head is held, how the trunk is braced, how the hips move, and how the bar or dumbbells travel. Most of the corrections in this material come down to finding a straight line and holding it through the whole rep.

Coach’s advice

A slight, controlled bend can assist a movement, while an incorrect bend may destabilize you. A slightly outward wrist position helps direct load toward appropriate muscles and keeps pressure off the wrist.

Greater extension is preferable as long as straight alignment is maintained.

A slightly straighter position directs load to the shoulder and reduces reliance on other areas.

Alignment matters more than how long you can hold a position. A shorter hold in the correct shape builds the right muscles, while a longer hold in a closed or bent shape trains the wrong ones.

Joint alignment instructions include keeping the elbow fixed and performing Hammer Curl repetitions one arm at a time, keeping the hands close and fully locking both joints during a wall kick-up, and keeping the 90-degree angle unchanged while lowering the weights at the same speed.

Coach’s advice

Joint alignment keeps the joint tense so the load is distributed rather than falling entirely on the shoulder.

Keep the elbows toward the body rather than letting them flare out, as in a push-up and in the kuşak position. Keep the shoulders down in presses and in lateral raises. Keep the torso upright in the Japanese side-to-side jump and in scissors, and in the scissors movement keep the hands in front or beside the body rather than behind it. Keep the knee tight toward the toe and maintain tension in the leg, and carry these principles over to other movements.

During pressing movements, keep the elbows tucked and close to the body rather than letting them flare, and position the elbows forward in an intermediate position rather than at either extreme. During the stair drill, position the foot slightly back, keep it straight, and maintain continuous metatarsal contact.

Arms and elbows

For supports and holds, open the upper body and hold the intended 90-degree alignment. Look straight down, sit over the support, and shift slightly forward. A slight inward lock at the joint can feel more comfortable than a fully straight line.

In pressing work, keep the elbows close and press into the floor. Lower slowly, and press through the elbows on the way up. Use a relatively narrow, actively engaged arm position.

When you need internal support, elbow alignment matters more than hand position. Outward-pointing elbows make it hard to find the support point, so bring the elbows as close together as possible. The hands may stay outside.

In the bridge, push backward with the chest open, keep the elbows straight, and actively push through them.

When lowering to the elbows, avoid overextending. Place only the elbows on the ground, start the bend directly from the elbows, and keep the hands at the demonstrated line. The feet assist only when moving backward.

Lowering the elbows during the descent can make the movement more comfortable.

In the biceps push-up, fully rotate the hands and avoid partial rotation or bending at the joints. In the wall drill, keep the elbow inward as you move forward. The wall catches you and stops you from going farther.

For headstand setup, turn the hands so they remain visible. The recommended angle is between fully turned and 45 degrees.

Coach’s advice

Habitually keeping the joint bent can lead to crooked alignment, and it is especially problematic in a handstand.

Wrists

Coach’s advice

Keep the position at 90 degrees. Incorrect positioning can place excessive pressure on the wrist and cause pain.

Coach’s advice

In bridge work, limited flexibility and placing the hands far away can make the wrist-loading angle problematic. Becoming more upright makes the angle more comfortable.

Legs, knees, and feet

Keep the legs on a straight, column-like line. Fully extend and engage the leg through the knee and toes, because a residual bend means the leg is not fully engaged. Keep the knees tight, and a slight descent at the bottom of the drill is acceptable.

Keep the feet inward and straight, lifting them together and upward so the leg does not open. During pulls, bring the foot directly inward and rotate it as it comes in. This reduces the excess turning underneath that makes the movement heavier.

The inward rule also appears in specific movements. In the Airflare, keep the leg inward, rotate it in place, and return it to the same point so it does not open outward. In the dip variation, keep the legs together behind the body, bend them inward, and lift them.

Foot placement changes how a movement feels. Sitting the foot down can make it more comfortable, while keeping the foot from settling increases the challenge. Keeping the feet straight and omitting the foot-pull also makes the drill more comfortable.

Keep the toes tense without flexing them, then point them after reaching the fully forward position.

For leg-lift variations, lean forward and place the foot through the same rear point whether you do a wolf, L-sit, V-sit, or a bent-knee version. Do not place the foot and then correct it afterward.

Body position in specific drills

For abdominal curls, rise with a rounded, tucked position, bringing the ribs toward the pelvis and using the abdominal muscles. The body does not come up upright.

Coach’s advice

Keeping the body at the exact central point, without drifting to the sides or forward and backward, is presented as a way to limit problematic loading.

Maintain the slight bend in the joints during the upward pull. This position will be needed later.

During the wall descent, use a slight outward angle so you do not scrape the wall, then approach until your chest touches it. From a position with the whole back against the wall, push away from the wall as much as possible while trying to bring the chest toward the floor.

Arms, wrists, and shoulders

On parallel bars, keep the arms straight and extended. Bending them leaves too little time to complete the movement. People who succeed on this skill generally have longer arms.

For a diamond push-up, place the diamond formed by the thumbs and fingers beneath the lower edge of the chest. In a regular push-up, if the hand drifts too far forward it tends to lift off the floor; rotate the wrist laterally and toward the ground so it settles and stays grounded.

Coach’s advice

The coach recommends slightly rotating the wrist in a forward-leaning push-up so that some weight falls onto the lower wrist ligaments. The same principle applies on parallel bars.

In push-ups, keep the arms at about 45 degrees to get used to the position, since this loads the biceps.

During the handstand entry, keep the arms overhead as you rise and bring them slightly closer as you enter. Reach forward first, then continue reaching upward as far as you can.

In the muscle-up development variation, shift the arm forward and drive the elbows directly forward. This is the correct version of the movement.

In an Arnold press, start with the dumbbells at chest height, rotate them as you press up, and reverse the rotation as you lower them.

In the elbow-supported balance position, keep the head off the support, elevate the feet, and hold the elbows at 90 degrees.

Coach’s advice

In the side plank, hand placement affects the alignment of the body. Keeping the elbow less inward can be more comfortable.

Keep the hand position and the angle in the demonstrated form. Changing the hand position as you move forward removes the intended effect of the movement.

Cartwheel alignment

For the cartwheel drill, place the hand in front of the pillow and inside the mat, and direct the right leg sideways rather than straight upward.

Hand placement differs between forward handstand travel and the cartwheel. In a handstand, the hand stays straight as you move forward. In the cartwheel, bring the hand forward, turn it sideways, and use a small upward hop.

During cartwheel entry, keep the arms close to the shoulders and do not let them separate. Letting the arms separate from the shoulders is one of the major mistakes in the cartwheel, especially at the start.

Keep the arms straight in the cartwheel; do not bend them. In the long gymnastics cartwheel, the arms stay straight because the floor path is longer. Short-distance variations may bend the arms to push and rise faster.

Start both hands at the same time in the cartwheel. Keep the second foot a little farther from the first. At this stage, avoid separating the legs while airborne, and finish with the trailing foot landing back and away rather than beside the other foot.

Think of a single line through the cartwheel: the starting point, the point where the hands go down, and the point where the feet come back down should all be on that line. The edge of the mat can serve as the line. Placing the foot on the line also helps keep the body upright and prevents leaning to the side.

Set the cartwheel up with distance so the arms can run straight. Start a little farther back, keep the legs straight, and reach forward. The arms should travel straight to the intended line and lift from it; starting too close makes the arm draw a curve. Keep the arms up through the beginning, the middle, and the finish.

Place the hands far enough away and reach out, but do not turn them too far outward. Hands that land too close make the whole position contract.

The hips give the direction. Without the hip rotation the movement throws you outward, and dropping the hip in the last phase makes you lose control and finish short. Rotate the hip to stay on course and hold it up through the final phase.

Finish by facing where the skill requires. The chest should end turned a full 180 degrees opposite the starting direction, and the finish should not drift into a diagonal.

When drilling the diagonal rise, place the first foot directly behind the hand, look back toward the point where you started, and build the range gradually.

Legs, feet, and hips

With the legs fully open, lower while feeling the weight and then lift, keeping the body straight and the hips down rather than raised. This is a strengthening exercise.

In Spider, keep the lifted leg straight rather than bending it.

When picking something up from the floor, bend the legs rather than keeping them straight, and make it a habit. The same applies to lifting weights: use a properly performed squat when taking weights from the floor.

In the Bulgarian split squat, do not place the front foot too far back. A more forward position keeps the form intact, and the effort should be felt in the calf.

During calf training, stay upright and avoid drifting backward. Let the support touch the floor only lightly; a light touch is enough.

Keep the foot in its natural standing position when working the muscle. There is no need to stretch it excessively, because the work is in the muscle.

A slightly wider stance can be acceptable in this movement, but keep the hips from moving forward or backward while you load the trapezius.

For the hip rise, place the hands farther forward and keep the knees closer. Adding speed makes the rise much easier.

Injury prevention and joint safety

Coach’s advice

When jumping over an obstacle, keep the body upright and guide the feet straight over it. Folding the feet inward or bending the knees makes the foot hit the obstacle.

Coach’s advice

While lying back, keep the neck tucked and avoid holding it high or fully extended.

Coach’s advice

Keep the head neutral and use the eyes to see the endpoint. Lifting the head to see more comfortably can increase head pressure.

Coach’s advice

Moving very far forward places strain on the joint area.

Working to a line

Plan to start on the line, pass through the middle, and finish on the same line, and treat the landing as part of the skill. When the finish point sits close to an obstacle, still finish on the line; letting the foot touch something is not a problem, and moving the foot just to avoid contact breaks the line.

Both feet carry the same responsibility. The second foot tends to press outward, so keep it under control, and when the other foot takes its turn, step onto the line and come out without stepping inward. If the body starts facing forward, finish upright facing forward; a diagonal finish means the body drifted off the line.

Spine curves and the bridge

A bridge becomes a true arch only when the shoulders commit. If the shoulders stay closed, the bridge stays relatively horizontal. Move the shoulders considerably farther back to let the spine open into a full curve.

In the bridge, adjust the base and the chest. Bring the feet in closer, do not leave them far apart, and open the chest more.

The same respect for the curve applies in sit-ups. Do not rise too high and do not let the lower back straighten; keep bending through the inside and work the curve of the spine.

Getting up out of the movement is part of the skill. When the get-up carries you up like a forward roll, cross the feet while rising.

Neck and gaze

Do not extend the neck far backward. Follow the movement with the eyes, keep the neck tucked, and move the gaze as far upward as possible.

Coach’s advice

Looking the wrong way, or extending the neck far backward, can put too much load on the neck.

Hanging work and bar position

For the chest pull-up, set the bar in front of you and pull it toward the lower chest, even trying to bring it to the abdomen. The path should move diagonally; after coming forward, do not let the pull curve straight upward.

If the full pull is not available yet, drive the elbow upward and use the other arm as an active support. A passive support arm makes holding yourself with one arm much harder.

Where the movement has to bring the legs or the body to the bar, keep the bar in front of you. With the bar directly overhead you cannot throw the leg into the L position, and keeping the bar forward is what lets you bring the abdomen to it and complete the transition. Never hold the bar over the top of your head.

In the half-exit, use foot support, keep the pulling arm working, and lean forward to pull toward the chest. The other hand should not sit too low or too far inward; use a slightly more open position, possibly behind you, because exiting backward from the tight position is harder.

Straight-arm work, rings, and presses

A supporting arm should stay straight. Keep the arm straight without bending it, and the movement becomes comfortable to execute.

Keep the joints tight and the body still. The point is the locked joint; the biceps and triceps are not the work.

Do not stop a movement short when you are working for extension. Keep the joint engaged and let it travel all the way back, especially on the rings. In the 180-degree variation, keep the joints tight and straight, not bent, and aim as close to 180 degrees as possible.

In the dumbbell shoulder press, hold the weights facing sideways for the whole movement. Do not rotate them into the angled position used in the Arnold press; keep the weight in the instructed position.

In the planche press, keep the arms open and reach wide, and stretch through the movement so you feel the shoulder and lat areas. Rise and move forward while holding that open stretch.

Hips, legs, and stance

When lowering and rising with a weight, keep the lower back firm and lead the movement with the hips. Do not come up rounded.

In the squat, keep the heels on the floor, set the feet slightly wider than shoulder width, and hold the torso upright without bending at the waist. In the lateral lunge, keep the heel on the floor and rise upward out of the lunge; do not drop straight into a diagonal transition.

Small foot adjustments can change how a position feels. Lifting or repositioning the toes can make a support more comfortable while keeping reasonable tension, and in the pull-and-open leg sequence, squeezing the knees and coming onto the toe tips is much easier than flexing the feet.

In the wall L-sit drill, look ahead, bring the chest toward the wall, and keep the shoulders down.

Coach’s experience

In his own version of the line drill, he pushes off and consciously places his left foot back on the same line during the landing, treating the finish as part of the controlled movement.

In his own work with the weighted lowering and rising pattern, he keeps the lower back firm and moves with the hips first.

In his own training, the coach’s wrist does not flex far enough for the forward planche hand position, so he turns his hands sideways.

In his own training, the coach works on keeping the crown point of the head upward, a habit he remembers using when he was establishing his standing alignment.

In his own training, he prefers snatch and clean over deadlift.

In his own training, the coach prefers holding the dumbbell grip more toward the inside for a firmer hold in lateral raises.

Ring work

Ring chest-slice work starts with the body leaning about 20 degrees forward and the other foot behind you. Adjust the forward angle until the chest actually bears the load, and allow a slight bend in the elbows. Twenty degrees is enough at first; there is no need to go higher.

For the part where you move forward, set the starting alignment with the same logic you used for the 20-degree backward angle, and place the setup a little lower, around waist height.

For ring chest flies, lean forward about 20 to 30 degrees and open and close the arms from the chest. Bring the arms together at chest height; holding them too low is a common error. The arms form a slight parenthesis shape without much bend at the elbows.

The Pelican Curl is a back-lever preparation. Hold the rings with the hands and arms behind the body, fully tense, and move forward and back. Return to the bent-arm position and keep the arms close to the body. Keep the body at about 45 degrees rather than parallel to the floor, raise the arms if they sit too low, and fully open the joints.

In skin-the-cat, use forward-and-backward motion and open toward the front rather than the back. From a forward 45-degree position, open the arms as in skin-the-cat, pull back toward the arms, and try to rise backward.

Ring Cross is performed with rotation, while the Australian variation is not, so hold the rings accordingly.

The Bulgarian push-up starts from a push-up position with the biceps forward, and you pull and rotate as you move. Maintain the posture, dip down, rotate, and hold the rings stationary in a biceps-shaped position.

For band lateral raises, place the band under the support and open and close the arms sideways. Use the handstand cue as a reminder and do not pull.

Handstand and elbow handstand

In an elbow handstand, do not open the shoulders too much. Keep the elbows slightly inward, parallel, and elevated; even a triangle shape is acceptable, but closer to parallel gives more comfortable control. Keep the elbows relatively close rather than flaring them widely. The same idea applies to other support work: keeping the arms somewhat narrower makes raising yourself easier and reduces the load compared with opening them wide.

Coach’s advice

In an elbow handstand, do not look at your hands. Looking at them puts more load on the neck and can restrict breathing, and the more comfortably you breathe, the longer you can hold the position. Look at the point between your hand and elbow at about a 45-degree angle.

Bridge

In the bridge, avoid curving the arch inward as much as possible. Keep the joints straight rather than letting them bend, and do not open the chest. Keep the arms close to the body, near the ears, with the elbows tight, rather than opening the arms wide.

If the bridge bends backward, bent legs can shift the weight back beyond what the lower back can support. Straighten the feet; that is the correct fix.

Squat and lower-body movements

In the squat, do not hold the hips back. Bring the hips out and rise upward, especially in the deep squat. The squat uses the hips as well as the legs; the weight is pushed up from the hips, so hip strength matters.

In the lame-dog movement, imagine a block in the path where your feet will pass, and drive the feet vertically through it as if trying to hit it. Increase the speed a little and keep both legs straight.

When lifting the knee, pull it vertically and lower it vertically so the movement creates a wave, rather than pulling the knee backward.

When a movement involves swinging one leg, keep the swinging leg straight rather than slightly bent; it makes the movement more comfortable.

Holds and transitions

When a movement calls for a right angle, maintain that angle before the next phase of the movement.

In the pre-front-lever position, keep the 90-degree shape. If you can see the 90-degree angle, that is enough; when you can no longer see your feet, you have shifted into a different posture.

Keep the upper body lower with the arms down and in front. The shoulder angle matters: the line from the arms should come almost toward the heart side, so the front shoulder does the work.

In the L-sit dip, pull the shoulder slightly lower and, when you reach the L-sit position, pause for about one and a half to two seconds before moving on.

Coach’s advice

When you substantially increase the load on the planche, keep the joint areas positioned more inward.

Coach’s advice

When coming down from a position, slide down along the wall rather than rotating the arm into a loaded position. If the arm is placed incorrectly under load, it can take sudden pressure and cause injury.

Head and neck alignment

Coach’s advice

When a movement opens backward, keep the gaze between fully backward and straight ahead. At the start, look toward the ground, and do not strain the neck and the back of the neck.

Coach’s advice

In the back lever, do not look fully forward. There is a point between straight ahead and the ground, around 45 degrees, and that is the best gaze for the position.

Coach’s advice

Keep the head aligned with the body and look about 45 degrees ahead during pulling work. Holding the head poorly can disrupt the whole form and put the neck at risk.

In some movements the opposite cue applies: looking toward the floor rather than holding the head straight corrected a stated spinal alignment issue. Match the gaze to the movement.

Handstand entry and ascent

When you come up, keep the leg straight and the body fully tense, swing in one motion, and pull the hips up. The descent is acceptable; the technical problem appears only on the way up, when the leg bends.

A handstand entry can use either a 90-degree hand opening or a direct upward opening. After the hand opens, lift the hips and press into the floor.

For the long handstand entry, use the demonstrated arm position and pull and extend directly to vertical. Rising through a heavy handstand technique tires you.

Arm straightness depends on the entry. Slow techniques that rise from the floor require fully straight arms. Techniques that start from a rabbit position use bent arms.

Keep the hips as vertical as possible and tuck the head in. Keep the foot from opening outward, because an open foot pushes the body backward.

Handstand hold and wall work

In the handstand, use the fingertips, keep the head straight and the shoulders inward, and draw the abdomen in.

In wall-contact positions, bending the leg is what stops you from touching the wall.

During the wall handstand-push-up sequence, keep the hands and arms fixed in place. Only the body and torso move, moving vertically and parallel to the wall.

For the wall slide, stand about two handspans from the wall, keep the hands close together, close the feet inward, bend the legs, and kick upward.

For wall drills, keep the knees together, align the hips with the head, and place the hands about two handspans apart.

For the slide, keep the knees close and slightly open. A comfortable parallel position is enough, and a fully closed position is unnecessary.

For wall-supported work, keep the hands at shoulder level, avoid widening them too much, and keep the body as close to the wall as possible. It is better if you can see your feet.

Planche and support positions

During the planche descent, rotate the arms so the load goes onto the biceps. Loading the biceps is one of the small keys of the planche.

Push in the demonstrated pattern so the load moves away from the front shoulder and you feel the work in the target area. As that area gets stronger, controlling the handstand and planche becomes easier.

Set the hip angle midway between a too roof-like shape and a more open shape.

Coach’s advice

When coming out of the movement, avoid arching the lower back and keep the upper body protected.

In the ring cross, keep the chest from opening and let the wrist face completely upward. Imagine that you are swinging to guide the position.

In this support position, keep a slight shoulder angle and draw the leg inward. Avoid squeezing the fingertips, because squeezing breaks your connection with the surface.

For the parallel-bar planche setup, leave enough space for both legs to enter and set the arms at an angle.

During elbow-supported triceps and balance work, use the arm position that places more of the arm on the support; it gives a better push.

Hold in the hand position for two seconds, bring the shoulders as far forward as possible, pull into the dip, and return to the hand position.

In a planche, the weight shifts forward. When wrist flexion is limited, turn the hands sideways to keep balance. Understanding the balance and coordination is important.

Bar transitions

Keep the arms extended before starting the pull to get better force.

During a forward transition, open the elbows so there is room for the pull; the speed of the pull then lifts you upward.

When moving forward on the bar, keep the arms open and start pulling strongly and as fast as possible.

Do not rely on the jump to allow excessively bent arms. Use the arm position you will need when entering from above.

Keep the weight-bearing hand as close to the shoulder as possible, as in arm wrestling, so the load transfers through the lat area.

Push-up variations

In the finger push-up, press the fingers as much as possible, keeping the bend away from the finger joint.

In a one-arm push-up, a more open elbow position can improve balance and load placement. For ordinary push-ups, the open position is generally discouraged.

Pressing and other movements

Hold the load with a barbell-like grip and press upward from the upper chest. Keep the load in front of you, keep the torso upright, and exhale as you press.

In the candle movement, go backward, lift and hold the knees high, and watch how the feet move.

For the candle rise, keep the feet close to the body and rise from as low as possible; placing them farther away prevents rising.

Handstand and balance

In wall-free handstand practice, keep the knees straight and the legs open while you try to hold the position. When you enter the handstand, keep the legs slightly open at first and push upward rather than closing them immediately. Keep the position closed during the pull and open it only when you are about to kick up into the handstand.

In a handstand, look upward with the corner of the eye rather than directly ahead. This peripheral upward gaze reinforces the intended head and body position.

Planche technique

Coach’s advice

In the planche, set the hand at an angle of about 45 degrees and rotate the biceps outward. The anterior shoulder carries the hold, but the biceps engage substantially, and the scapula also matters. Keep the joints straight and lean forward, and add the exercise to your own workouts only after you have adapted to it.

A slight bend in the arm rather than a fully straight one, combined with biceps rotation, can make the hold more comfortable and increase height. Substantial arm flexion, however, brings the body closer to the ground and reduces the distance from the intended position, so the bend should stay small.

In the tuck planche, point the feet rather than flexing them so they stay off the floor, and draw the legs inward. Keep the ankles pointed as well. Get used to the corrected hip position because you will need it for planche work.

In the planche-entry drill, keep the feet about shoulder-width apart, keep the legs straight, draw them inward, and then push back. When drawing the feet toward the hands and lifting the hips, keep the legs fully straight.

Use a sideways orientation in Player and planche. Correctly setting the angle and maintaining the curve improves efficiency.

Coach’s advice

For the planche position, a roughly 90-degree angle at the wrist is sufficient; you do not need to hold it like a planche. The coach attributes one athlete’s repeated wrist injuries to using a different angle.

Coach’s advice

Opening the hip upward can cause some upward loading during the descent.

Coach’s advice

The teacher recommends keeping the wrists turned sideways, saying that pain does not bear down as much that way.

Pulling and bar work

In one-arm pulling work, keep the shoulder close to the hand and engage the lat. The closer the shoulder and hand, the stronger the pull, and the pull begins from the lat. Holding them open immediately reduces strength. When lowering, lean slightly to the side and descend slowly.

In Cross One, keep the arm slightly inward rather than exactly parallel, bringing the left arm toward the left chest. In the across-the-body curl, bring the weight inward and to the right without rotating the wrist; keep the bar oriented inward rather than turning it.

Squeezing the elbows helps you rise in the movement.

Core and sit-ups

In the classic sit-up, avoid leading with the forehead and direct the chin upward. For the sit-up variation, use very little support from the feet, curl with a tucked chin and rounded back, rise only about 60 degrees, and exhale.

In the elevated-leg sit-up, keep the feet and knees elevated while performing only a small upward trunk lift.

Flare work

Coach’s advice

For flare height, move the hips forward and keep the arms in the specified position. In the flare drill, pull the other leg toward yourself while squeezing rather than keeping it in the line position. Keep the knee straight, because bending it causes faulty form.

Weighted work

During the weighted rise, look forward, draw the head in, and move the weight from chest level at the bottom to hip level at the top.

Extending the arm farther is advantageous for holding the position; the more you extend, the better.

Standing and landing

When standing, inspect your alignment from the side and keep the pelvis centered or inward rather than tilted forward or backward.

Land toward the toes rather than the heels and keep the knees bent like suspension to avoid a hard, noisy landing. Open a stance gradually beforehand; opening a narrow stance suddenly can send the rear leg backward.

Handstand alignment

In a handstand, bring the shoulders toward the alignment line so the muscles stack on top of one another for a more correct position. Actively push upward through the arms, because this improves alignment and balance. Keep breathing, elevate the shoulders toward the ears, avoid extending the head or neck, and keep the chest tucked in. Bring overly wide hands closer to handstand width, keep the chest and abdomen in to avoid arching, and engage the hips; some loading onto the back is normal.

For longer holds, shift the weight toward the back and pull the shoulders back, because holding a poor position decreases your strength. When the shoulders and hips drift outside the line, you tend to compensate by changing the foot angle, which reduces strength and brings you down. Improved alignment and full-body tension let you hold the position with technique rather than mainly force, and the force needed drops once the position settles.

Establishing the shoulder-to-arm alignment is the hardest part of the technique. A maximally aligned handstand with the chest drawn inward is an advanced, gymnastic-level position that is difficult to hold.

Planche and support alignment

In the planche progression, support the movement through the joints, move backward and regroup, then reopen while bracing the abdomen. In the forward lean, use the demonstrated wrist and hand position to direct the load onto the hand, then rotate the biceps. Fully separate the shoulders as in a handstand, tuck the head so the shoulder touches the ear, and maintain the 90-degree position.

Keep the elbows relatively closed and parallel, because flaring them makes balance harder. Use a slightly wider-than-shoulder arm position and actively push through the shoulders during the hold. Keep elbow bending minimal: up to about five percent is acceptable for now, but more lets you rest on the position and reduces the arm-strengthening demand.

Leg and foot alignment

Turn the feet outward to open the inner area and allow the intended descent; this also makes weight acceptance more comfortable. Move in a controlled tempo and turn the feet outward to improve the opening, aligning them as parallel as possible. In a different position, turn the feet to face inward toward the front in a 90-degree position, which can improve the sensation in the area and provide maximum balance. When working the feet, keep the knees together, draw a full circle, and rotate the feet slightly in the air.

Squat variations can shift loading between the quadriceps and glutes depending on heel elevation and foot position. In a wall squat, avoid sinking too low and maintain approximately a 90-degree knee angle. In the 90-degree position, keep the torso upright, use only light wall contact, keep the hands unsupported, maintain an open foot position, and avoid folding forward. Stay close enough to the wall for light contact, because standing too far away causes the torso to bend forward.

Keep the heels close and the feet forward, hold the load in front of the chest, open the knees, and move slowly without sudden lockout. For dips, use the corrected leg position and keep the section up to the front knee parallel; this form is cleaner and more comfortable. Use a full squat while preserving an upright torso during the jump.

For Bulgarian Split, set up with one foot elevated and the other forward, place the toe slightly forward, lower the knee as close to the floor as possible, and rise. Keep the torso upright and use this support height for regular practice. For the lunge leg raise, bring the straight rear leg forward while keeping the grounded leg fully straight. Preserve hip alignment and body position rather than sacrificing form to reach the floor; use the available range of motion.

For the cross, keep the feet at 90 degrees. For the two-foot jump, use a lame-dog position in front of the wall and keep the lower leg bent. For the leg-raise variation, keep the legs straight and separated, lifting them toward the sides of the hands. During open- and closed-leg descents, lean forward as you descend and lower the body fully. In the Pull Leg movement, keep the hands overhead while rising, kick toward the front at 90 degrees rather than backward, and keep the arms behind for balance. Pull toward the bottom while keeping the foot stable and the arms at the same level.

Other movement alignment

Distinguish the two leg-pull versions by whether only the knees are pulled in or the legs are pulled upward while straight. In the straight-leg pull, keep the legs straight and the knees tight while pulling them toward yourself. For the classic sit-up, keep the chin upward and avoid using the forehead.

During skin-the-cat, avoid passing through from the inside; open and stretch the shoulders downward, keep the knees together, look forward, and move backward. After descending and establishing the position, lift with the hips out and rise slowly rather than jerking upward.

During a slow muscle-up, pulling the body allows the elbows to rotate more comfortably. Keep the elbows tucked and use a full lowering range; this is important for future front work. From a tucked position, extend the legs upward toward the bar and return through the sequence. Use a diagonal arm orientation instead of maximally rotating the arms forward, while keeping the biceps facing forward. In the one-leg opening progression, keep the hand position as in a handstand, pause for three seconds, then slowly open the other leg.

In the push-up leg-back-and-forward movement, move forward and backward while keeping the knees together.

In the jackknife leg-pull sequence, keep the leg bent inward while lifting the hips, fully extend it, and move upward on the fifth count.

In the alternating mountain movement, bring the other foot diagonally forward, draw the knees inward, and keep the hips slightly lower.

In the standing dumbbell movement, keep the dumbbells in hand, raise from the inside toward the top, and extend as vertically as possible, then lower, step back, and stand up. Reach straight upward rather than backward. Keep watching the dumbbell, pull it inward, and then press upward.

Wrist safety

Coach’s advice

Placing the hands too far back can strain the wrists when leaning forward to touch the head.

Coach’s advice

If a person can perform the demonstrated wrist position, it is acceptable, but two hand-spans are preferred over three.

Shoulder alignment

Coach’s advice

In handstand work, keep the shoulders upright and close to the ears. The lift should pass close to the ears, and if it does not, the alignment may be wrong. Use the shoulders touching the ears as your guide. The same shoulder position carries through the cartwheel, flip-flak, and backflip; if it drops, the technique breaks down. For shoulder work with a band, use the band extensively and keep the shoulder positioned farther back and settled.

Coach’s advice

A forward shoulder position may cause an anterior shoulder injury, so keeping the shoulder back and settled is also a safety measure.

The described variations differ in joint position and chest action. One works the shoulders and triceps, one keeps the joints unbent, and one pushes the chest forward.

Coach’s advice

Drive the shoulders and elbows backward while preventing the shoulders from opening inward. In the Crab Bridge, hand orientation can vary, but the focus is shoulder mobility; lift the hips from an L position into a tabletop and lower them. Keeping the joint tense distributes the load rather than placing it entirely on the shoulder.

Wrist and arm position

For planche work, keep the wrists in the planche-specific orientation rather than fully sideways. In the back lever, keep the hand position narrower than shoulder width and keep the arms or elbows closed, closing them either before or after passing through. For planche progressions, rotate the biceps when they are positioned too far inward. In a handstand position, keep the arms close and actively push upward; for a handstand push-up, use a more open arm position. Use a brief wall-based handstand-form drill before a push-up, keeping the arms closed and the shoulders elevated toward the ears, then widening the arms.

Hip and leg alignment

Rotate the hip as the leg enters a position so it passes through and the descent is more comfortable. In an advanced-tuck planche, position the lower back, elbows, and knees farther back rather than inside to create more extension; straddle is the next progression. When opening in a movement, keep the arm position fixed and move the feet sideways rather than shifting backward. In the skin-the-cat, keep the legs inside rather than opening them, reach parallel, then return. In a tucked version, keep the legs bent and pull toward the position without opening them. For the back lever, keep the elbows and knees closed, open toward the front, and squeeze them. For a back-lever attempt, use a straddle and either open the legs from vertical or widen them gradually during the entry.

For the squat, keep the knees from opening outward, stay on the toes, and lower and rise. A squat with raised heels and inward-moving knees can be followed by a forward step.

In a pistol squat, keep the non-working leg elevated and avoid excessive assistance from behind.

For the Bulgarian split squat, adjust the foot distance, move it forward as needed, descend slowly, use a deeper range when appropriate, and establish balance.

In the upward phase of a squat jump, the heel should rise.

During a pulling movement, keep the hips high, the fingers closed and tight, and the shoulders depressed, and avoid resting your weight on the mat. Lifting slightly higher makes the pull more comfortable.

For the flag, place the bar on the right side, bend to about 90 degrees, and lean slightly forward toward that angle. Keep the arms straight and the supporting arm close to the body; folding inward and maintaining body contact help hold the position, and bent knees are acceptable.

In the bar-based movement, bring the hips toward the bar rather than moving them forward and back; lift and hold the hips, then lower the leg. The front variation requires more hip drive.

In a bridge-like backbend, look between the hands, keep the hips forward, and reach toward the floor with the hands.

During torso rotation, keep the hips stationary and rotate through the waist on both sides.

When loading weight, place the knee slightly farther back and keep the loaded body position from opening too far, because excessive opening may prevent the weight from loading.

For this leg repetition, the leg came up completely straight and went down straight, which is why it was higher quality.

Coach’s advice

In this setup, anchor the foot and knee, adjust the foot slightly forward if needed, and maintain a 90-degree angle to protect the knee.

Knee and foot alignment

Coach’s advice

When working the calf, keep the knee slightly bent rather than fully locking it. Keep the involved joint fully extended and draw the foot toward the hip so the open leg does not stay on the floor. For a wall-supported seated movement, keep the toes consistently raised and positioned while rising onto them.

Head and gaze

Direct the gaze straight down in the handstand rather than looking randomly or forcing the head to either side. During vertical descents and ascents, keep the head aligned and stay slightly forward; on the final difficult effort, remain forward at the previous level.

Alignment in specific skills

For the cartwheel, keep the feet and hands on the same line and travel straight along it, keeping the hands inside the intended line while allowing forward travel beyond the mat. For the front lever, keep the bar as close to the hips as possible, and use a front-lever pull-up variation that leans back deeply and pulls toward the abdomen rather than a basic pull-up pattern. In the described pullover variation, keep the legs straight toward the bar and pull upward from the front position.

Pull Knee is performed with the hands on the floor, drawing the legs inward and then extending them, and lifting the hips during it strongly affects the abdominal area. Deadlift technique includes deliberate adjustment of lower-back and hip positioning, while snatch and clean technique involves a specific pull path and angle with shoulder flexibility work being important.

Use a more inclined body position, keep the indicated joint straight, and place the feet over the elbow joint. The turtle position is performed with straight arms and the feet connected from the outside. Small asymmetries in strength or arm position may contribute to sideways leaning, so maintain parallel arms and a centered descent, using support to guide alignment.

Straight arms and legs

Keep the arms straight, not bent, in all front-lever training. In the assisted front lever, keep the feet on the ground, extend the arms backward as far as possible, bring the position to hip height, and do not spread the arms too wide. In front-lever work, prioritize maintaining the 90-degree angle over bottom depth, and do not open the body excessively.

Perform leg raises by raising and lowering the feet with the legs straight, drawing them toward the face. In the pullover, keep the legs straight and touch the feet to the bar before pulling upward from the front position. In a bar transition, folding the legs inward too much keeps the hips from crossing to the other side, so straighten the legs slightly.

Shoulder and arm position

For the cartwheel entry, keep the arms aligned at the shoulders, use both arms for the takeoff, and complete the body twist before reaching the floor. Maintain the intended shoulder position through the start and finish; shoulder separation changes where the load is carried. Before the cartwheel, do one or two preparatory takeoffs, keep the shoulder by the ear, and push so the weight is directed into the back rather than heavily onto the shoulder.

Coach’s advice

During the skin-the-cat transition, keep the arms in position without rotating the shoulders and fold inward from there. When exiting the skin-the-cat, maintain the instructed arm and lat position; incorrect alignment can heavily load the shoulder, and shoulder opening can cause you to drop. In both the front and back positions, maintain compression and keep the arms slightly inside the shoulder line so the position remains supportable.

Coach’s advice

Avoid a compressed position that greatly increases shoulder loading; stay closed and locked and get support from the lats.

Head and neck position

Coach’s advice

Keep the head and neck near neutral rather than forcing excessive bending or opening. In a bridge, move the shoulders back and open the chest outward; pressing into the chest stretches the shoulders from there.

Coach’s advice

In the inverted position, avoid lifting the head to look forward; use peripheral vision to limit neck strain.

Coach’s advice

Maintain an upward gaze so the neck and spinal cord stay healthy.

Wrist alignment

Coach’s advice

Keep the wrist alignment straight with the load toward the middle-finger side, and avoid angled positions. If a bar position strains the wrist, move the bars slightly outward rather than inward to create a straighter position.

A bar-holding-like wrist position may feel more comfortable.

Pelvis, hips, and lower back

Avoid backward leg drift and outward pelvic opening; an inward, stable pelvis improves execution. In the seated position, keep the hips and lower back straight, use a mirror, sit as low as possible, and avoid bouncing. Avoid excessive inward foot rotation during a descent, because it can make the lower back bend.

Hand, foot, and leg position

Place the hands in line with the feet and reach forward so you do not have to place them inward. In a plank-like hold, a wide, elevated foot angle helps the strength gather in the intended place.

When descending, keep the feet fully open and the knees tight without drifting backward. In half-range skin-the-cat work, keep the legs straight and open during the descent.

Parallel alignment

Establish the correct parallel position before opening; opening too soon may result in a diagonal line. Use an external visual reference to detect small alignment errors, since a slight angle can be hard to notice. Precise parallel alignment develops with continued practice.

Movement-specific alignment

For the spear-throw movement, use a staggered stance and diagonal arm carriage, then pull and reach upward with a slight natural cross or turn rather than a straight reach. Bend down, cross upward, pull inward to the chest, then reach upward diagonally while turning slightly to the left.

For the band triceps exercise, place the band against the wall, shift weight into the working hand, and keep the elbow fixed to prevent slipping and focus the work on the triceps.

In the ring muscle-up transition, use an inward position; an outward position makes rising harder. In straight-leg pullovers, draw the legs slightly inward and keep the body close. In the bar-supported pulling variation, slightly bent legs are harder than fully straight legs. Drawing the feet inward is a way to hold the L-sit. In the typewriter variation, move the chin left and right, return to center, descend, and avoid extending the arm. Perform the scissors with small motions.

Hip and knee alignment

The deadlift is a hip-driven movement. The hips move forward and back, and the knees do not drive the motion. The bending drill that teaches this pattern is the same technique you use when lifting from the floor; the hips drive the movement.

Keep the knees from moving forward and let only the hips move back. Keep the pelvis forward and lean forward, sending the hips back without tucking them inward. Avoid excessive bending, and keep the knees in the same position as you fold forward.

Practice the hip hinge slowly with a shoulder-width stance, feet supported on books or plates, and grounded heels. The hands may be free or placed on the stomach to feel the contraction.

A hip-driven movement performed with proper technique can be loaded more heavily according to hip-muscle strength.

Bridge and backward descent

In a wall-assisted backward bridge descent, slightly widen the feet, bring the hips forward, and move the shoulders back; body weight helps lower you. Reach backward while directing the hips forward.

In a wall bridge, keep the hands near the wall base, engage the arms, slow the movement, keep the feet in place, and monitor their position.

Bringing the pelvis forward lets the backward movement travel farther and allows the strength of the knees and joints to catch the body.

Press downward while drawing the head back; these actions are useful for bridge and handstand work.

Handstand and balance alignment

Keep the arms straight and engaged throughout the handstand, including transitions into a circle or landing. Keep the head and neck aligned with the shoulders and use peripheral vision, as in a handstand.

If the body adopts a self-protective position that affects alignment, moving slightly backward can restore the line. Locking into a point in the stance allows a longer hold, while failing to lock into it places more load on the muscle.

Coach’s advice

In a half-planche-like phase, move about five degrees farther to keep the position from coming down onto the shoulder. A near-90-degree foot position can increase difficulty and pull the athlete downward.

Wrist and shoulder positioning

Coach’s advice

If a loaded position strains the wrist, slightly turning the wrist sideways can be an acceptable modification.

A straighter position is better for biceps loading, while a slight inward rotation may make the biceps easier to feel. In the supported progression, maintain the inward position, rotate at the wrist, lift, and actively grip with the fingertips.

For the elbow lever, keep the body open, make a slight backward adjustment, and direct the weight toward the fingertips while paying attention to wrist position.

Coach’s advice

In the demonstrated shoulder movement, keep the area fixed; stretching it upward may make the movement worse.

Alignment in other movements

In the squat lift-up, lower the hips, bring the weight to the chest, move slowly, maintain the squat position while lowered, and extend during the upward pull.

During the bench press, a crooked bar path can be associated with a problematic bar setup and an incorrect starting position; the chest and shoulder are loaded along with the biceps.

The mızrak movement uses a diagonal low-to-high pulling path and may feel unfamiliar. The rear leg’s position affects swing effectiveness, and the starting position is especially important for maintaining body lines.

In the demonstrated technique, the faulty arm position requires more force and can cause fatigue, while the other position is more efficient.

For this crunch variation, bring the left knee toward the right and the right knee toward the left, then perform the crunch.

Lower straight down onto the book to keep it from sliding.

Shift slightly backward to maintain a 90-degree position.

Hip-driven lifting

Drive the hips forward to raise the weight rather than lifting it with the whole body. Keep the body upright, bring the hips forward, and let the weight rise and fall as the hips move. Inhale and brace the glutes, hinge forward from the hips with stable knees, then lift and lower.

Coach’s advice

The coach says that pulling the hips backward is incorrect technique and should be avoided.

Brace the back and keep the torso neutral, not in either extreme, so you can push comfortably from the hips.

Start the load around mid-shin and keep it close to the legs as it travels upward.

Stance and setup

Use a roughly shoulder-width stance, possibly slightly wider, with the feet turned outward about 15 to 20 degrees.

In the sumo lift, keep the feet and knees facing outward, move the hips back, lower the weight to the floor, then lift and drive the hips forward.

Natural contact with the knees during the deadlift is normal; do not deliberately force or avoid it.

Neck and torso alignment

During the deadlift, keep the neck aligned with the torso. Do not look straight ahead or bend the neck too far down; looking diagonally at about 45 degrees is a good angle.

Hinge with minimal knee bending, bring the hips forward, and avoid excessive folding.

Avoid hips that are too high or too low; maintain the lower back’s diagonal angle around 45 degrees.

Upper-body alignment

In the overhead press, keep the elbows close and level at shoulder height while pressing vertically.

In the biceps curl, keep the shoulder and elbow completely still and use a nearly full range so the biceps does the lifting. Use the elbow position only for stability rather than loading body weight onto it.

A forward-shoulder position makes this push-up variation resemble a dip and emphasizes the anterior shoulder.

Balance and symmetry

Compare the right and left sides against a fixed reference line to check their alignment.

Mobility and movement skills

In the pistol squat, open the knee slightly, move slowly, and hold the end position without fixating on the hold.

In the pistol squat, stay relatively upright early in the descent and allow more forward lean near the end to develop knee mobility.

For faster hook execution, keep the torso slightly back and the knees slightly lower instead of rising; this makes the opening more comfortable.

Do not use a head position that prevents turning, even if it is presented as traditional technique.

In the Prone Cobra drill, keep the arms aligned and the thumbs pointing upward, and briefly hold the raised position before lowering.

Planche progression

In the chair-assisted planche setup, keep the feet wide, the hands turned about 45 degrees, and the hips raised while maintaining the key three-part alignment.

In the forward-lean progression, foot placement affects the arm angle; reduced little-finger pressure on the ground indicates you have reached the farthest forward position.

Coach’s advice

Slight shoulder pain or finger lift may occur in this planche setup.

Hands and wrists

Coach’s advice

During planche work, the coach recommends placing the hands slightly farther back and using a reverse-wrist position to reduce stress on the wrists.

Place the hands on the line of the feet. If the hands go too far to the side, the movement starts to pass in a circle, more like a butterfly.

For a cartwheel, draw an imaginary straight line in your mind, like a gymnastics balance beam. Keep the hands, feet, and landing on that line.

When descending, do not keep the hands vertical. Angle them slightly, around 45 degrees, to land better.

Coach’s advice

Watch your wrist position carefully during the movement. A slight wrist-opening adjustment can make it more comfortable.

In the jumping version of the skill, the forward-versus-backward hand placement makes less difference, because the hands lift and turn at the same time.

Coach’s advice

In the jumping version, avoid the hand alignment that loads the wrist, and keep both hands facing sideways.

Keep the false grip and hold the elbows still. Very heavy bands can slip during pulls, so keep the grip, elbows, and band in one stable line; this stability helps you progress.

The same pull can be done with a cable device. Use the same logic: think of holding a bar and pulling down from it, and position the arms accordingly.

Hips and lower body

In jumps, keep the hips back, descend slightly, and make sure the foot fully leaves the ground.

In a handstand, actively bring the hips up and align them vertically with the head, and hold that position. Do not let your attention stay mainly on the feet.

In the diagonal stance, bring the rear knee as close to the floor as possible, keep a 90-degree angle, and do not step too far forward.

In seated positions, use correct alignment rather than a collapsed sitting posture. Squeeze the feet and keep them fully pointed, not flexed, in every sitting position.

When walking backward, keep the hips low. Do not lift them straight up.

In the jackknife-to-plank transition, keep the hips open and forward rather than closing the body in front. Opening the body makes the transition much easier.

While balancing in the air, do not bend the knees outward. Bending them outward affects the whole balance; if you bend them at all, bend them only inward.

During a circle, make the start and finish sharp, descend vertically, and keep the knees and toe tips straight.

For the dip squat, use a stance slightly wider than shoulder width, place the hands on the head, bend down and rise, and let the hips descend as far as possible.

In a deep squat, keep the heels on the floor and lower the hips as far as possible. Do not open the knees too far outward; keep them facing forward and fold forward.

In the cartwheel-like skill, keep the legs straighter and slightly more open. Bent legs slow the movement down; straighter, more open legs help speed develop and make the skill look cleaner.

Spine, head, and neck

To keep the arm moving in a straight line, flatten the lower back and actively pull the arm backward. A rounded lower back breaks the line; flattening it keeps the angle traveling straight.

Lower the head just a little and look directly forward. After you have looked, you can close your eyes.

Coach’s advice

During the sit-up, keep the arms together and the chin tucked, and do not rise from the neck.

During the sit-up, keep the chin tucked, lean the back farther back, involve the shoulders, and do not rise too high.

For a seated band pull, place the band around the foot, extend it, and keep the back straight while pulling with the arm. You can use the foot to help, and you do not need to strain.

Elbows and arms

In push-ups, keep the elbows close together and directed backward, and bring the chest closer.

Slightly open arms can cause the body to sink backward.

Keep the arms slightly closer and turned inward, and keep the feet tight and unbent. This lets you enter the circle comfortably.

In this push-up variation, keep the elbows closed and tucked close to the body, do not go too far forward, and touch just above the forehead at the bottom of the movement.

In the assisted front lever, slightly extend the arms and keep the arms, hips, and band at the same level. When the three are aligned, you can open the position comfortably.

In a front lever, when the body wants to drop, continuously pull the shoulder toward the target point, as if lifting a heavy weight.

During the downward pull, keep the rings or band close to the body and keep the elbows in the same position, drawing slowly toward yourself so there is minimal unwanted movement.

As a warm-up before the muscle-up, keep the elbows from flaring, avoid placing the wrists too close together, and move inward while maintaining the same line. You will feel the movement better and perform it more comfortably.

In the reverse roll, keep the hands to the sides and move the slightly open elbows inward rather than downward.

In a dance-style forward reach, extend the arm as far forward as possible and keep the fingers from turning inward.

Elbow and arm alignment

In push-ups and planche work, do not keep the elbow slightly bent. A bent elbow directs strength toward the triceps, and planche and leans are not primarily biceps-focused.

During pressing, keep the elbows at about 45 degrees, lower toward the chest, and press upward. Keep the hands and wrists at about a 20-degree angle instead of straightening them.

During bench pressing, keep the hips on the bench, use the feet for support, keep the elbows apart, and exhale while pressing upward. Lift the chest, keep the elbows close, and position the arms slightly lower with the shoulders depressed.

Keep the elbows fixed in place while moving the weight backward and then upward. During the overhead triceps extension, keep the elbows tucked while moving backward and forward.

In freestanding balance, use a slightly narrower elbow position and push actively to improve control.

Decline and incline pressing differ by torso angle: decline reclines the torso, while incline raises it toward upright. A bench-style pulling path can direct the exercise toward the chest more comfortably. During this movement, keep the chest upright and rise straight while aiming toward the upper chest.

For biceps push-ups, use a slightly greater forward lean so the biceps receive a good load.

In bicep curls, keep the elbows from flaring and lift upward through an inside path, rotating toward the chest while the elbows stay mostly fixed at the sides. A slight inward path toward the chest is fine. Keep the ends of the biceps at the same point and avoid bending the torso so the biceps alone do the work. Keeping the elbows stable and preventing them from drifting fully forward lets the biceps carry the load.

Keeping the elbows closer to the body supports a more vertical descent and reduces the difficulty caused by flaring them sideways.

In a bent-knee L-sit, keep the elbows slightly back rather than flared out to the sides, as in a push-up. Draw the legs toward the body in this variation.

During the ring muscle-up transition, keep the rings close together and close to the body, because spreading them apart prevents the rise. Bring the elbows together before the upward phase.

During the Arnold press, rotate the hands fully so the palms face forward.

In the Hammer Curl, keep the elbow fixed in place and work one arm at a time. Do not raise the elbows early; keep them fixed through the range up to shoulder height, then press upward and open along the intended path.

For the V-raise, keep the movement on a straight path. Keeping the elbows aligned is relevant to thickening the target area and working its outer portion.

During a bench press, keep the elbows about 45 degrees from the torso, maintain an arched position with the chest out, and press straight upward.

For diamond push-ups, place the hands at the center of the chest and keep the arms close to the body. Keep the feet slightly apart, or slightly wider than shoulder width, and lower until the chest lightly touches the hands.

In pressing work, keep the elbows forward and avoid rotating the hand; lift vertically with the feet apart. Keep the body stable and rooted, move through the arms, and avoid excessive elbow movement.

For the upward press, lean back to about 45 degrees, keep the elbows inward, and press upward. In backward-reaching work, keep the elbows straight; a small lift is acceptable, but the goal is to move backward as far as possible.

Coach’s advice

When pressing with weights, keep the 90-degree angle unchanged and lower the weights at the same speed. Lower them as far as possible without letting the elbows drop, especially in the lowered position, where they are prone to dropping.

During the press, keep the elbows tucked and the elbow tips fixed. For a dumbbell bench press, hold the dumbbells at a slight roof angle, lower them toward the chest, raise them, and keep the elbows close to the torso. Keep the elbows near the torso without pressing them tightly together, at roughly a 40-45 degree angle. During the pipe push-up, keep the elbows inward, bring the head close to the floor, and feel the triceps working. For the pike push-up, use the 90-degree position, lower until the head touches the floor, and keep the elbows slightly inward. Keeping the elbows close to the torso helps ingrain this movement pattern, while opening them feels less natural.

For biceps work, keep the elbows fixed so the effort goes to the biceps, and in the open biceps variation keep the arm open with the biceps facing upward. In a floor exercise with the hands behind the neck, keep the elbows open while slowly bringing the elbow toward the foot. In a bridge hold, straighten the elbows first, then open the chest, keep pressing during the hold, and lower slowly. During a downward pull, keep the bar in front and do not bend the arms. In Hollow Back, keep the arms straight and extended, touch the fingertips, and rise. Complete the arm position or action before adding the load. From a kneeling position, direct the arm fully forward rather than sideways, open it as much as possible, and close it slowly without letting it touch the floor.

Knee and leg alignment

In a deep squat, bring the knees slightly inward and practice the closing shape rather than a wide-knee position.

Keep the knees engaged and avoid bending them, especially backward, during a hold. Keeping the knees squeezed improves form.

In this pull-up position, keep the back perpendicular to the floor, lower the hips slightly, push the knees, and lift the body.

Keep the knee tight toward the toe and maintain tension in the leg, and carry these principles over to other movements. When both legs are elevated and you pull one up, keep that knee straight and keep the upper body still. In the seated flare, keep the knees squeezed and crossed in a scissor position. Keep the feet straight during the lift so they do not hit the ground. In the estet movement, point the foot diagonally outward and pull toward that side.

Coach’s advice

Load the grounded foot and tense only the extended knee. Do not tense the grounded knee.

Back and hip alignment

Set up the bench press with a lower-back arch and a lifted chest, and keep the arch throughout the repetition, even on a soft mat. Use a stable setup with planted feet, hips down, an arched bridge, close knees, and a lifted chest. For the bench press, keep the hips on the floor, open the chest, and lift from the chest.

The bench-press bar travels toward the lower chest rather than perfectly vertically. Use a slight curved path rather than descending straight down; the curve helps engage the chest, and an exaggerated curve is not needed.

In the barbell row, pay close attention to the back angle and start with a light weight to use correct form and target the intended muscle. Brace the trunk, send the hips back, angle the gaze toward the floor, and pull inward.

Keep the feet slightly angled, the load in front of the knees, and the hips slightly closed; pull the load toward the abdomen, using the same pattern with dumbbells. Keep the load close in front of the knees and draw it inward rather than letting it move away.

Keep the hips back rather than leaning forward while pulling, because leaning forward places load on the lower back. Use the demonstrated approximately 45-degree alignment in the row and avoid both an excessively upright and a nearly horizontal position.

Balance and stability

Maintain active pressure through the joints in both one-arm and two-arm versions; bending reduces the position’s stability.

For this push-up, keep the shoulders set back, place the hand fully on the floor, and move backward.

Keeping the heels grounded and placing the hands behind the neck can help produce a more upright position, with the elbows moving backward.

Health considerations

Coach’s advice

How the head is held during a movement may contribute to facial capillary symptoms; lowering the head slightly and looking with the eyes can help.

Trunk and core alignment

Brace the abdomen as if about to take a punch to the stomach. This cue keeps the lower back from sinking into an excessive arch.

Keep the scapulae controlled and pull vertically rather than inward, keeping the lower back straight without letting the shoulder blades move outward. During a curl, keep the torso upright and the core engaged while the elbows stay fixed, so the biceps do the work.

Coach’s advice

Distributing load across the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints helps avoid problems in pressing work. Do not let the wrists move too far forward, and prepare beforehand to limit extra wrist loading.

Hip and lower-body alignment

In deadlift-style pulls, keep the hips moving forward or back as the pattern requires and do not throw the weight forward. The hips can shift forward while the weight stays close.

Coach’s advice

In the bar squat, keep the knees facing outward and align the bar with the middle of the foot. Descend and rise along one straight line rather than an uneven or wavering path, since an uneven path can create risk under load. Using the bar as a guide can reinforce squat alignment. Keep the feet pointing forward; when the heel rises, the calf works.

In the deep squat, use a slightly turned-out stance and keep the body upright, avoiding any forward lean. Keep the heels down and allow the knees to open as you descend as far as possible. Descend and rise vertically, holding the load at the base of the neck.

Perform leg raises lying on the floor with straight legs, lifting them vertically and raising the hips while keeping the movement close to the floor. In a wall sit, keep the back against the wall and point the feet slightly outward.

In an elbow-supported position, maintain body height while lengthening and extending through the elbows. Lift the hips upright rather than pulling them, and open the legs to settle the position.

Upper-body and pressing alignment

In the overhead press, keep the elbows inside, press vertically, and move the head slightly back on the ascent so the bar clears the face. At the top, align the hand, elbow, shoulder, and waist. Dumbbell pressing avoids moving the head around a bar, but the line still matters. Keep the shoulder-press path in a straight line over the chest rather than drifting forward or backward.

In the bench-press warm-up, keep the hips down and maintain a back arch rather than fully extending.

During a lift, keep the arms neither too wide nor fully together. Maintain the arm width and keep the position closed so the weight does not sink. Opening a slightly inward-turned shoulder position can make inward contraction more comfortable.

In the Arnold press, use a palms-in, elbows-bent setup with an upright, braced trunk and shoulder-width stance, and rotate inward continuously throughout the full path rather than at one point. Rotate while raising and avoid opening the arms excessively backward.

Use about a 10-degree forward lean from the waist rather than an exaggerated lean. For the trapezius exercise, angle the dumbbells slightly inward and lean the torso slightly forward.

Mobility and transitions

Start upright with the chest open and scapulae straight, then lean forward. In the L-sit, maintain the forward angle, shift the hips slightly forward, and draw the straight feet toward you one at a time, then together. In the open-leg setup, lean forward with the head tucked and lift the hips to rise onto the toes.

Handstand and inversion work

In handstand work, the descent should move downward toward the fingertips while keeping a bend. Train the feet inward because they tend to drift backward, and the inward direction matters more for the correct movement.

To prepare for a handstand push-up, keep the feet close to the hands, rise vertically, and descend. A circular handstand rise should use minimal knee bend and maximally straight legs; this is more difficult but better.

Coach’s advice

When entering a handstand, place the hand quietly and reach forward instead of lowering straight down. During an L-sit, keep the gaze on the fingertips, avoid throwing the head back, and hold the position in the air during the quick descent.

Pressing and shoulder work

Coach’s advice

In the Arnold press, keep the weights upright and together over the chest, do not fully lock out, and do not arch the lower back backward.

For the lateral raise, use a slight forward lean, inward-turned dumbbells, slightly bent arms, and a slow lift to shoulder height. Avoid momentum and control the lifting and lowering at the same speed, keeping the joints bent rather than rigid.

For a single-arm lateral raise, stabilize the opposite arm, keep the knees slightly bent, and lean forward about 15 degrees. Use a slightly diagonal path to feel the sides of the deltoids.

For the arm press, stay upright, open to the sides and move inward without rotation, with the elbows slightly more open than 90 degrees.

In the bench press, use a slight back arch, lower the bar toward the middle of the chest, press explosively, and lower it under control.

When an implement leaves clearance around the head, lift it vertically without pulling the head back. A barbell requires head movement to clear it.

When lowering toward the shoulder, keep the arms slightly bent and do not let the joint descend. Bending the arms slightly works the shoulder better, while Cross training requires straight arms.

Use slow, stable execution and avoid an overly vertical arm position. That position suits ring training, while fitness training calls for a different arm position. When the shoulder is loaded in a bent position, seated execution allows an upright posture.

Trapezius and pulling work

A slight forward lean from the waist increases trapezius emphasis during the movement.

For a trapezius-related movement, stay upright, keep the palms facing outward, and pull backward.

For pulling movements, pull strongly, hold the top position, and keep the chin up; the lower portion is otherwise slightly harder.

Core and floor work

For sit-ups, keep the knees bent with the soles on the floor and the feet next to the wall to prevent forward movement.

In mountain climbers, draw the knees inward slowly toward the space between the elbows, keeping them as close as possible and allowing the body to remain slightly forward.

For push-up variations, keep the upper body stable and place the hands as far back as possible. One described push-up involves opening the arm toward the back and placing the foot toward the back.

Joint control and stability

Coach’s advice

A slight, controlled bend can assist a movement, while an incorrect bend may destabilize you. Keep the hands slightly inward, bring them together above the abdomen, pull downward, and maintain joint tension.

Keep the elbows drawn inward while keeping the body open. Center the body and settle the angle at exactly 90 degrees.

If the elbows drift outward, draw them inward and apply light pressure for about five or six seconds; the position was said to open. Counter natural outward opening by continually drawing the elbows inward to stabilize the position.

The two-arm version is harder than the one-arm version, while an inward single-arm position can provide stability.

A slightly more upright position helps the weight settle.

Foot, wrist, and jumping position

For a two-foot jump forward, keep the feet close to the hands and raise the hips before jumping. While jumping, rise onto the balls of the feet and lift the heels. Toe-tip position can determine whether the foot touches the floor during the movement.

Coach’s advice

According to the coach, a slightly outward wrist position helps direct load toward appropriate muscles and keeps pressure off the wrist.

Shoulder and back alignment

Coach’s advice

During the skin-the-cat transition, keep the shoulders relaxed, avoid holding too long, move backward and then forward, and keep the feet off the floor.

Do not raise the elbow so high that the shoulder takes the load. Keep the back doing the work. Taking an angle can cause the arm to be used, whereas keeping the feet straight allows the back to be used fully.

The neck-hold variation combines a lift and hold with backward elbow and shoulder extension and increased back extension. A brief pause followed by lifting the head and folding toward the neck increases back extension and changes muscular emphasis.

Spine and lower back alignment

Maintain the spinal curve instead of forcing the lower back into an upright position.

During the banded squat, keep the torso upright and the lower back straight. If the lower back bends forward, move slightly backward. In the squat, keep the spine upright with the hips slightly outward, since hip positioning is important.

This straight-legged movement is often called a deadlift, though it is not one. Stay upright without rounding out and keep the legs straight.

Keep the head lifted rather than putting it back, because putting it back makes the abdominal exercise easier.

Foot and ankle alignment

Coach’s advice

Land softly through the foot and allow the body to bend during landing.

Avoid crossing the feet and actively draw them inward during the movement.

Keep the foot forward, avoid letting it swing or move too diagonally, and stay in control. The movement is said to improve coordination.

Opening the foot toward the rear diagonal rather than upward can save time and help gather strength more effectively.

Pressing and push-up alignment

In a Spartan push-up, lower the chest toward the floor, keep the rear hand close to the body, and position the front arm at 90 degrees. Place the front hand a little farther forward and keep lowering the chest.

Coach’s advice

During dips, push while exhaling, keep a slightly farther-back position, and descend lower. In general, keep the arms fully extended and do not throw the body backward.

Handstand and forearm stand alignment

In the handstand, keep the arms aligned under the shoulders; if they drift forward, draw them back so they stay in line. When rising into the handstand, keep the arms up consistently and make it a habit.

For the entry, entering upright is more important, although a slightly bent entry can give more control.

For a forearm-stand setup, place the elbows toward the wall and try to bring the chest to it; the movement can also be done using a chair.

Lever alignment and transitions

For front-lever preparation, keep the joints straight and actively tense them; bending them makes the hold harder. Fully extending the elbow is preferred, because a bent elbow may ease local muscle activation but leads to faster fatigue.

Use the jackknife hold to simulate front-lever positioning by leaning the back slightly back, raising the arms, and depressing the shoulders. A slightly straighter position directs the load to the shoulder and reduces reliance on other areas. Opening the back places substantial load on the arms.

The transition uses a slight backward tilt, depressed shoulders, and extension with one side drawn in while the other remains straight.

In the front-to-back and back-to-front lever transitions, tuck the knees deeply toward the chest and point the feet forward to reduce the chance of catching on the bar. After passing, extend the legs together into the target lever. Excessive backward movement can lift the feet; a deeper knee tuck makes the passage easier.

Bringing the elbows closer can make a back-lever-like position easier when the lats assist, but this advantage depends on lat development.

Bar and ring alignment

In the muscle-up, press downward continuously and avoid squeezing the elbows too much so the bar reaches its intended position. During the descent, stay close to the bar and follow the same path used on the ascent. Inward pressing helps resist opening, and earlier parallel-bar and ring work contributes to the elbow descent.

In the slow muscle-up, use foot assistance only at the initial start and keep the elbows moving backward as the descent begins.

For a harder Maltese-like position, use a slightly narrower hand placement toward the ears and push actively upward to reduce unwanted movement.

In one bar exercise variation, replace the straight, braced-body pull with a pronounced C shape, moving the head and upper body backward while pulling upward and drawing the bar toward the indicated position.

For the ring drill, keep the ring close to the body, engage the lat, and alternate side extensions. An overly open arm position during extension is less controlled and demands strong biceps; keep the arm close to the body and bring the fist toward the shoulder.

Static holds and flag

In an L-sit, keep the fingertips engaged and maintain the 90-degree position. For the El-sit, align the hips directly under the bar, stay in position, and lift and lower without bending. Keep the feet squeezed with the toes pointing upward.

In the flag movement, keep the elbows on the floor at about 90 degrees and use the muscles in that area while lifting instead of raising the elbows. Keep the angle closed and keep the foot from moving in front of the bar. Maintaining the 90-degree position is important, and the flag can help stretch the relevant area.

Floor and conditioning movements

For the Mountain movement, use a push-up position and draw the knees well inward. During the Circle movement, look forward, keep the knees straight while lowering, and breathe during the pull. In the half-circle movement, keep the knees together and elbows on the floor, lower close to the ground, then pull.

In the hip-raising movement, prioritize driving the hips upward; slight foot lowering or bending is acceptable. As both legs are lifted, keep the 90-degree angle from opening.

Shoulder and upper-body alignment

Coach’s advice

In a back-lever transition, avoid excessive shoulder opening while maintaining the lever position.

For external rotation, hold the arm at 90 degrees and take it backward as far as possible without changing that angle, keeping the torso aligned. Internal rotation is the opposite: move the arm downward as far as you can without pulling it backward, maintaining the 90-degree downward position.

In the rotation variation, rotate fully, keep the elbow inward, and maintain the same lifting line.

For the arm-opening drill, start with both arms forward, open them backward to the side while keeping them aligned at the same level, and follow the moving arm as you touch.

For band face pulls, keep the band under light tension and the elbows elevated, and pull toward the face and rear shoulder. Keep the shoulders and elbows elevated in the face pull, and do not let the elbows drop. When pulling with a band, aim slightly above the head, not toward the chest.

For the band pull, open and pull the arms sideways toward the forehead, keeping them straight throughout and finishing with the arms straight. Keep the arms fully extended while pulling almost toward the forehead, keep the elbows close, and do not let them drop.

Balance and full-body alignment

In a handstand, maintain a good hand position and a tight body while reaching upward through full extension.

During a wall kick-up, keep the hands close, fully lock both joints, and move under control, keeping a straight position.

While balancing and walking, keep the joints fully extended, step slowly, and avoid placing the foot too far forward.

During the sit-up, keep the hands on the shoulders and do not open the arm position.

Training principles

An overly forward position in a different movement variation does not reflect a loss of strength, since the student can still perform the movement and reach 60.

Wrist and hand alignment

Coach’s advice

Keep the wrists straight during dips. Rotating the wrists can make a loaded position feel more comfortable.

Coach’s advice

When making a fist, keep the hand straight and avoid wobbling, because wobbling is dangerous.

Back and torso alignment

Keep the back upright and avoid hunching. In deep squats, descend slowly with a slightly wide stance, a braced core, and an upright torso, and do not open the stance too much. A loaded squat should use full depth with the heels grounded and the back held upright. During a squat, keep the torso upright and descend to sitting depth. In a band back exercise, a slight knee bend is acceptable, but keep the back straight and make sure the back and lats are felt rather than only the arms. A dip-squat hold uses a slightly wide stance, a slightly forward gaze, and an upright back.

Elbow and arm position

Keep the elbows toward the body, as in a push-up, rather than letting them flare out to the sides. This applies in the kuşak position as well. In the 90-degree push-up, direct the elbows back toward the body like a push-up. In the elevator, keep the elbows back. In the wave push-up, position the elbows in an airplane-like shape instead of beside the body. In lateral raises, keep the elbows slightly bent rather than fully straight.

Keep the arms raised and close them in front of the chest or head instead of lowering them. In a top pulling hold, keep the arms fully straight and avoid pulling yourself upward again even if the body drifts backward. Use a slightly more closed arm position that matches the handstand push-up rather than a fully upright 90-degree position.

Shoulder position

Depress the shoulders and push the arms downward so the shoulders descend, as in the dip-support position. Keep the shoulders down in presses and in lateral raises. When throwing a straight cross, drive it from the shoulder with the force directed forward.

Hip and torso position

In the dip-support position, keep the hips as high as possible. In the Tiger Bend, keep the hips low and the feet still while driving upward from the elbows. In presses, keep the hips and lower back against the bench. With an upright bench, keep the hips in front of the bench rather than directly at its base. In the 90-degree push-up, lower the hips and open the pelvis. Keep the body straight in the estet movement. Keep the torso upright in the Japanese side-to-side jump and in scissors. In the scissors variation, do not lean too far back; maintain the 90-degree position. Move the hands slightly forward and fold the body slightly, then push from the shoulders to come up.

Hand and foot placement

In the scissors movement, keep the hands in front or beside the body rather than behind it; beside is best. In the estet movement, placing the hand too far forward or too far back makes rising harder, and the ideal position is slightly behind the hip. Orient the hands backward in the estet movement.

Pressing and raising patterns

For the incline dumbbell shoulder press, set the bench to roughly 60 to 70 degrees, keep the hips and lower back against the bench, bring the shoulders forward and down, angle the dumbbells inward rather than holding them exactly like a bar, and press upward. Keep the arms slightly forward and the shoulders down. Lower the dumbbells toward the sides of the chest and allow a slight stretch at the bottom. Bring the dumbbells together during the upward phase without letting them collide.

In lateral raises, keep the elbows and knees slightly bent, depress the shoulders, lean forward without rounding the back, and raise the arms sideways toward the shoulder line rather than forward.

Elbow alignment in pressing

Keep the elbows tucked rather than flared during pressing movements. The same logic applies on the bench and in push-ups: the elbows stay inside rather than opening, and correcting them improves the movement. This guidance carries across decline, incline, and flat pressing variations, where the elbows stay close to the body and do not need to descend very far. When pressing upward, close the elbows and prevent them from opening.

Coach’s advice

Keeping the elbows inside is presented as safer and stronger.

Coach’s advice

Avoid loading the elbow and pay attention to elbow position.

Elbow position in other movements

Position the elbows forward in an intermediate position rather than at either extreme. A completely flat position is very bad; the position should be somewhere between the two extremes.

Pressing path and wrist control

Use a curved pressing path from below the chest toward eye or mouth level rather than a straight path. The path should always be curved, never straight. When moving the wrists forward, avoid extra rotation because the movement already creates about a 45-degree angle, and keep the shoulders controlled.

Arm and shoulder position in extension

During the extension, keep the arms closed and in front while lowering and raising to improve the shoulder stretch. Do not let them open. Lower and raise them, keeping them in front and moving forward and up so the shoulder stretches well.

Bar drills

Use the joined biceps- or chin-up-shaped position for the bar drill. Pull the bar to chest level, bring it to forehead level, and then lower it. Twelve repetitions are enough. For the leg-touch version, perform the drill with straight legs, alternating right and left to touch the outside of each hand.

Foot and leg alignment

During the stair drill, position the foot slightly back, keep it straight, and maintain continuous metatarsal contact with the reference. When stepping on the stair, keep the foot flexed rather than placing it in the other position. For the step-board exercise, place the board slightly ahead and elevated, descend vertically, and keep the torso upright.

Lateral raise posture

For a lateral raise, use slight knee and elbow flexion, a straight back, and a slight forward lean while lifting to the side.

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