#firstcompressions

[catbradleyyoga]

♡ #FirstCompressions ♡ ~ D A Y 7 ~ L O L A S A N A ~ A week in already! Are you all feeling as sore as I am? Although I have prepped most of my vids in advance I am actually doing the drills along with you all every evening after my practice and I'm aching all over so I feel your pain 🤣 Good pain but pain nonetheless! ~ Today we have my other good friend Lola  (pendant pose) I have to admit I love this one too. It requires nothing more than a bit of gumption & self confidence. Thankfully it doesn't require too much flexibility (hence why I like it 😅) other than the wrists. ~ If you feel alot of pressure in the wrists it may mean your shoulders are going too far forward of your wrists so perhaps turn your hands out slightly. ~ Some tips - 1. Brace the core - lower ribs towards eachother and hip bones up to meet the lower ribs. 2. Round the spine as much as you. Protracting the shoulders. 3. Engage the hip flexors to glue the thighs to ribs. 4. Squeeze feet and knees together. 5. Lift an inch then pause take another breath and lift even higher with a big exhalation to full brace core. ~ I show some prep work in the vid too and a little cheat. You could try using blocks however I have found blocks a little tougher because you have higher to lift so I never really used blocks when I was learning but that's not to say it won't work for any of you. So try everything! 1. Doing mini jumps as shown really helps build some muscle memory but remember the work happens on the way back down so try to slow the landing as much as you can. 2. Start by squeezing knees between upper arms and lean forward. Hope these help ~ ♡Don't forget to check in on my incredible co hosts for some more ideas.  Feel free to choose whichever option is right for you. Hosts : ♡ @alli_roush ♡ @jadebellyyoga ♡ @pinkchampagne13 ♡ @stretchylexi Sponsors: ☆ @infinitystrap ☆ @onzie ☆ @handfulbra  It's Friday at last! This week has been a tough one! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I'll pop into the gallery between sips of wine whenever I can over the weekend 😅😘

[catbradleyyoga]

♡ #FirstCompressions ♡ ~ L A S T     D A Y 😭 ~ Can't believe we're on our final day!? How fast did that go! I don't know about you guys but I've loved every second of this and don't want it to end 😭 You all did amazing for sticking with us, I'm well aware that some of you dropped off I know you are 😈 But for those that stuck with possibly the most demanding and challenging challenge I've ever hosted well done! There were days that really were no fun at all and may not have been your prettiest or most badass post you've ever posted but that's why we love you all for being so humble and honest with your journey with us! ~ As today is our final day we are visiting our presses (I'm doing 2 posts as I just can't fit everything in one caption😭) - I wanted to revisit my pike press, on this post I'm sharing some progression ideas and on my second post later I'll share headstand options and strap 😉 ~ I'm still a million miles away from handstand pike pressing, however I have found this uneven pike press(start of vid using 4 blocks under one hand) so achievable. It worked for me to learn flying crow press so I'm hoping it'll work for me with HS pike by removing a block as I progress eventually hoping to have both hands on the floor. If you want to try this place one hand on a height and lean forward  as much as you can and get the hips as you can. ~ Next I have using a head support, try to use the least amount of pressure on your head and do your best to keep shoulders as close to wrist line as possible. Letting the shoulders go into Planche position may hurt your wrists and you'll struggle to hold the hs at the top. ~ Lastly I included a ball tuck press. If pike is just too much for you, the next progression would be tuck press, bending the legs is far more assessible than straight legs! Using the ball helps get your hips high enough too. ~ So doing any of the drills from the past 10 days as often as you can will no doubt get you that press sooner than you think ❤ . Hosts : ♡ @alli_roush ♡ @jadebellyyoga ♡ @pinkchampagne13 ♡ @stretchylexi Sponsors: ☆ @infinitystrap ☆ @onzie ☆ @handfulbra Check back later for post nbr 2 with more info 😉

[catbradleyyoga]

♡ #FirstCompressions ♡ ~ L A S T     D A Y 😭 Post ✌ ~ So I couldn't fit all i wanted to say in my previous post so I had to separate these final posts out (I like to talk 🤣type even....) ~ Firstly thank you to each and every one of you that stuck with us on this one. You should be all so damn proud. It was a toughie but a goodie nonetheless. I certainly know where my weak spots are and I now know what tools I'm missing in my pike press game. I hope you all keep us posted on your progress and I also hope this challenge has inspired you all to add some important compression work to your practice. Keep posting to the tag and we will check in on you when we can so stay motivate💪 . Secondly I wanted to say the biggest humongous thank you to my co hosts, behind the scenes was non stop encouragement & motivation. Without these girls I wouldn't have made it this far myself 🤣 And I should shout out to our honorary sidekick @bowlingandyoga  💞 Love all you girls so much for pushing me way out of my comfort zone! I don't want it to end 😭 . I wanted to share some more options for pike pressing you will notice one obvious missing press from here 🤣 Pincha pike press is a nope nada never, not right now anyway 😜 . Handstand- still a major work in progress but using a strap works for me. I have to use my non stretchy infinity strap and I do have to push the arms out into the strap. Doing this locks my shoulders and I get lift off. I do bend the arms though 😳 (I still almost wobble even with a strap 😭) . Tripod - this was my first taste of pike pressing it was the only inversion I thought I would ever pike press into! Walk those feet as close to the face as you can and stick the butt out behind you. . Headstand - this took me a little longer to nail than tripod. But what worked for me was using a closed hand grip instead of open. Again walk feet in as far as you can first. Lengthen spine and stick butt out behind you. . Hope you can find something here for you work on 💞 Hosts : ♡ @alli_roush ♡ @jadebellyyoga ♡ @pinkchampagne13 ♡ @stretchylexi Sponsors: ☆ @infinitystrap ☆ @onzie ☆ @handfulbra Until next time everyone! It's been fun 🎉✌😍

[catbradleyyoga]

♡ #FirstCompressions ♡ ~ D A Y 2 ~ S E A T E D    C O M P R E S S I O N    D R I L L S ~ Well these are a sure fire way to feel muscles you never knew existed! 🔥 (I prepped this vid 2 days ago and I still can't breathe without crying 😂) I did a video and a grid to help make these clearer. (Slide for video) Try all the variations on offer from all of us and have aome fun with them. And consider this a heads up on the most amazing quad cramps you'll ever feel 😈 I've tried to list these in order of difficulty but it may not be the same for everyone so give them all a shot 👌 1. Using a wall lift one leg at a time resting it on the wall. 2. Use blocks on a wall raise one leg at a time touching the blocks. 3. Use blocks and lift both legs as high as you can. 4. Place legs on blocks and lift one leg at a time. 5. Place both legs on blocks and lift both legs together off and over the blocks. 6. Lean forward in straddle and press the wall to lift one leg at a time. 7. Get as low as you can with your elbows and lift one leg at a time or both if you can. 8. Using no hands on the floor lift one leg at a time without leaning back. (If anyone can lift both legs together here I promise I'll give you all the prizes myself 🤣 JK but give it a try for a laugh) 9. Pressing hands to floor and lift both legs together as high as you can. I would suggest doing about 3 sets of 6 reps of each shaking out the muscle fibres between sets. Or do as many as you can of course 😉 . The idea here is to isolate the hip flexors trying not to use momentum to pick the legs up. So stay upright as much as you can and shoulders forward of the hips. 🤓 Don't forget to check in on my incredible co hosts for some more ideas. Feel free to choose whichever option is right for you. Hosts : ♡ @alli_roush ♡ @jadebellyyoga ♡ @pinkchampagne13 ♡ @stretchylexi Sponsors: ☆ @infinitystrap ☆ @onzie ☆ @handfulbra Have fun out there and don't say I didn't warn you about the quad cramps.... 😈 Btw some of your folds are seriously amazing 😨 I'm not sure any of you even need our help at all! 💪

[catbradleyyoga]

♡ #FirstCompressions ♡ ~ D A Y 9 ~ L - S I T     P A S S    T H R O U G H ~ I don't even know where to begin with this day 😂I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! 😤 I know I'm not known for my Zen-like, om-tastic, graceful, enlightened vids but this vid pretty much sums up how most of my practice ends 😂 With me throwing a wobbly (and it started so promising 😂) And before I get any 'practice and all is coming' comments, I do f'ing practice and it's not f'ing coming!! 😤 😜 ~ Day 9 is supposed to be a straight leg pass through to L-Sit I tried with blocks, straps, fingertips, straddle and even all of the above and I found miniscule success with strap and fingertips. Blocks on their side helped too. In the end I just jumped through and called it a day throwing my blocks in a tantrum. 😅 ~ ~ I would love to give you tips for today but sadly you may have to come to me in another decade or so 😂 But I did find fingertips and hands facing backwards mildly easier🤔 That's it, that's all I got folks 😂 I have no clue why I'm even hosting this challenge it's ways out of my league 🤣 ♡Wait till you see my superhuman co hosts rock their posts they will blow you away! Please do check them for today's tips and just scroll past mine 😂 Hosts : ♡ @alli_roush ♡ @jadebellyyoga ♡ @pinkchampagne13 ♡ @stretchylexi Sponsors: ☆ @infinitystrap ☆ @onzie ☆ @handfulbra   P.s. my whole vid was over 16 mins long and there were many many bloopers including a bruised butt along with a very bruised ego 😂 Trying to capture the essence of my practice within 1 min can be tricky, but I guess this covers it 😂 Good luck out there and don't be afraid to share any bloopers you may have😍 Oh and im not gone completely crazy talking go myself, my son kept asking me what I was supposed to be doing and trying to explain an l sit pass through to an 11 yr old is a whole other level of craziness 😂

[catbradleyyoga]

♡ #FirstCompressions ♡ ~ D A Y 3 ~ S U P I N E           D R I L L S ~ (I hate not adding music to vids but I'm scared to try😭 So just sing a song while watching this to make it less boring 🤣) Basically today is the opposite of yesterday but way easier (depending on who's drill you go for 🤤😂) I have some options for you to play with. (Not in order of difficulty just in order of how I could fit them in the edit 🙈) 1. Back tumbles to chaturanga or down dog - using the least about of momentum you can. 2. Block pass between hands and feet - the key here is maintaining lumbar connection to mat and slowly roll up and down using the core and rounding of the thoracic. 3. Supine toes to wrist/floor or if you can't reach the floor you can use a bench or blocks. 4. Using a ball makes the whole movement unstable so it encourages you to really brace the core to stop wobbling side to side on the ball.  Sweep the legs up and overhead either jumping all the way back to chaturanga or use a wall and play. Don't forget to check in on my incredible co hosts for some more ideas.  Feel free to choose whichever option is right for you. Hosts : ♡ @alli_roush ♡ @jadebellyyoga ♡ @pinkchampagne13 ♡ @stretchylexi Sponsors: ☆ @infinitystrap ☆ @onzie ☆ @handfulbra  You are all killin it on the drills so far! Hope your quads and hammies are still enjoying it 😈 Do try and repeat some of the drills as often as you can. It can't hurt can it.....oh wait.....😂

[catbradleyyoga]

Day 0.5 Just kidding 😜 One day I might just share the video of me trying this..... It's definitely one for the blooper reel🙈 That strap swings violently!! Who knew! 😅 It's safe to say that #manna is 100% not gonna happen in this lifetime 😭 BUT.....WAIT...MAYBE........... our #FirstCompressions challenge which starts tomorrow might help 😉 We will be posting the day before each day as we are all in different times zones so it'll give you all plenty of time to see all hosts posts in advance to help you prepare your own posts. I will post each evening about 7pm Irish time🤓 Cannot wait to kick this off, we've put a lot of work and research into this plan and hope you all enjoy it. These girls are seriously amazing co hosts and have motivated me so much in my prep for this challenge @alli_roush @jadebellyyoga @pinkchampagne13 @stretchylexi 💪 Are you joining us???

[catbradleyyoga]

♡ #FirstCompressions ♡ ~ D A Y 8 ~ N E G A T I V E S ~ Well if you thought you had cement for legs  on L-Sit day then wait till you try doing a pike lower from handstand and trying to keep it to a 10 second lower 🤣 That's a sure fire way to test the ol ego🙈 ~ Lowering from handstand with legs together & straight has never been easy for me.  Coming down is not the issue in fact my legs enjoy getting down so fast I barely have time to ask them to slow the f**k down before I realise they're already on the floor 😭  So last night I worked on getting a 10 second lower, the best I got was just under 10 seconds so that's major progress for me! So maybe this challenge is working 🤔 ~ The idea behind this challenge is all about core  compression which requires deep activation of the hip flexors. And I can tell you after working on all these lowers my hip flexors were screaming at me for a time out. So I know I'm doing something right. 😉 ~ The best advice I can share is imagine your hip flexors are sucking your legs in. There are points along the way where you need to alter the counter balance and shift the weight of your hips drawing the butt back behind you, this is where you need a strong low back and glutes to support the weight of your pelvis. (Think mini hollowback) The lower you get the more you need to lengthen the spine so you have to push even harder into the floor. ~ Think when you're on the way DOWN that youre actually going UP. Push into the floor as hard as you can as you try to loft back up you'll find moments of pause on the way down. ~ On slide 2 I have a handstand and pincha lower to crow using the wall which might help you get a feel for what you need to work on this. Please check out my floaty amazing co hosts for their tips on this one as im certainly not the expert here and they will have lots of amazing advice for you 💗 Hosts : ♡ @alli_roush ♡ @jadebellyyoga ♡ @pinkchampagne13 ♡ @stretchylexi Sponsors: ☆ @infinitystrap ☆ @onzie ☆ @handfulbra Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. ❤