what am I doing wrong?

[Leapster]

When I do the MORE workout, where I have to use a towel and lift my arms up behind my head, my lats feel crampy and the muscles feel tight, even though I feel like I am engaging them like I should. I don't have very much flexibility with my arms at the back of my head-it is very hard for me to turn my thumbs out.Any suggestions?

[just7]

Are you talking about when you have gone over to do the Flat Back and then go over all the way like an Ostrich? I'm not a trainer, but I would say to only go as high as you can comfortably...you own personal max. If you are talking about that 1st part when you are holding the towel, have twisted so that your thumbs are pointing away (I, personally, can only get to the side wall at this point because I'm initiating the move from my shoulders/lats) and then are raising your arms...you don't raise your arms up past your head. Those are just "little lifts". And I think, again, to initiate it from my upper arms/shoulders rather than my wrists. I realized that I was doing WAY too much from my wrists.

I'm sure a trainer will be able to bring more clarity to this for you!
(Hugs)

[rskontos]

The only tip I can give you is too check in a mirror and make sure your aren't pronating your wrists or elbows that might pull on those lats too much. I know for me that is something I am constantly correcting and initially I had pain everywhere.

Lani says go for the quiver but I am not sure cramping is a quiver?

[Leapster]

Yes, it is the first part when we have to point thumbs away, oh my goodness, it really does hurt! I am very tight between my shoulder blades, so I am not sure if that is the issue or not. I really can't do the ostrich thing, because my arms seem so inflexible. Maybe one day...

[BlessedMama]

Leapster, one tip from Safety Harbor was instead of even using the towel, just have your hands with fingers folded over and gently stretch thumb. Kind of a hitchhiker pose, but the fingers aren't clenched tightly into the palm.

Rotate your thumbs back as far as you comfortably can. Now you will have to still use muscle activation to keep your arms from flying out when you're trying to go back. Of course it will be a bit further out than with the towel. I kind of give you a demo of it when I'm doing the Donna Arms in my little homemade video HERE. (scroll down about halfway, and I show it in the second "Dantheman" video, it's about halfway through the video).

My df with tendonitis in her arms feels this is the best position for her. The towel brought pain in her elbows and tension in her shoulders and neck. The thumbs away did not.

Maybe try that to start with until you loosen things up and get the flexibility?

HTH!

[just7]

I was having pain in my elbows when using the towel and trying it first with the "thumbs away" like Trisch is describing helped me to finally get where the movement is taking place. If you are tight between your shoulder blades, Leapster, then it will take time for that to adjust....but it will!!!