New Rules of Lifting For Women (NROL4W)

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Help! I can't do prone jackknife

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  • liftingheavy
    liftingheavy Posts: 551 Member
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    I agree with everyone, takes practice. My problem was rolling off the ball after a set. Always rolled off lopsided.
  • deadlifting_diva
    deadlifting_diva Posts: 9 Member
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    My two biggest issues with the jackknife were sweaty shins and poor balance. I try to wear workout pants now because no amount of towel drying will stop the sweat from sliding me right off every time.

    For the balance though, I have a yoga mat that I do the jackknife on. The mat seems to grip the ball and keep it from darting out from under me suddenly but doesn't make the exercise any harder to do.

    Your determination is admirable, good job!
  • jkbear40
    jkbear40 Posts: 37 Member
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    I have been able to do them lately. I roll onto the ball as far as I can without losing balance. Getting off I just kind of go sideways. Not very pretty looking but it works.
    I hope eventually I can do them exactly like the book says. I am not putting my butt in the air like it shows. Practice, practice.
    The sweaty shins can be a problem. Much better if I have my pants on.
    Other than that I am enjoying weightlifting.
  • lovetowrite73
    lovetowrite73 Posts: 1,244 Member
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    I hope eventually I can do them exactly like the book says. I am not putting my butt in the air like it shows. Practice, practice.
    Actually, your butt shouldn't go up in the air like the book shows - your back should actually remain flat. Just pull your knees in and push them back out. You're doing them correctly. :)
  • jkbear40
    jkbear40 Posts: 37 Member
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    Glad to know I don't have do like the book. Workout A is tomorrow. I'm getting better at the prone jack knife.
    I am half way through stage 1. This is the first time in a very long time that I actually look forward to exercising.
  • Utahgirl12
    Utahgirl12 Posts: 172 Member
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    Bumping to say thanks for the youtube suggestion. Really helpful.
  • paprad
    paprad Posts: 321 Member
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    The first time I tried it, I fell off. Then I got my husband to hang around to prevent the ball from running away and I managed to do a set of 8 - it was rather exhilarating. Then the next set I bravely told him I could manage and I fell off again.

    Husband took a look at the pic and says my ball is too large - which is why my balance is so precarious.

    I am 5'2" - how big should the ball be? Diameter, I mean
  • jkbear40
    jkbear40 Posts: 37 Member
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    I purchase the medium size I think. Since my husband was going to need it, I bought the middle size. I bought it at Target. It's orange and weighted so it doesn't roll around too easily.
    I finished stage 1 today and was able to do all 15.
  • paprad
    paprad Posts: 321 Member
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    Thanks. How tall are you? I am really short, so I can't figure out if that is the problem or just my own lack of agility
  • jkbear40
    jkbear40 Posts: 37 Member
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    I am 5'4''. The prone jack knife is not an easy exercise to do. It took me a couple of workout to do it. I still get shaky. It's not easy getting off of it either. I have the scar to prove it. I got too close to the weight bench. I think some said to sub the plank for it but I wanted to finish the exercise as is. Glad I did. Helped my balance and coordination.
  • paprad
    paprad Posts: 321 Member
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    Thanks for that. Yes, I know what you mean - it is tough but feels rewarding when it gets done.
  • mrs_mab
    mrs_mab Posts: 1,024 Member
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    They are hard, but I LOVE them! I can feel my core getting stronger with every one! :smile:
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    Since suffering a stroke in October my balance is still off. I make a lousy tree, step ups and lunges are hard enough but hey - I'm alive! I use a machine at the gym that I have no idea how to describe but it's a machine you can use to pull yourself up and do different body weight related exercises. I hold myself up with my arms and then my legs are sort of dangling and I pull my legs up to a sitting position. The dude at the gym said it was a good mod for the jacknife so I'm doing those until I can recover more of my balance.
  • mrs_mab
    mrs_mab Posts: 1,024 Member
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    Since suffering a stroke in October my balance is still off. I make a lousy tree, step ups and lunges are hard enough but hey - I'm alive! I use a machine at the gym that I have no idea how to describe but it's a machine you can use to pull yourself up and do different body weight related exercises. I hold myself up with my arms and then my legs are sort of dangling and I pull my legs up to a sitting position. The dude at the gym said it was a good mod for the jacknife so I'm doing those until I can recover more of my balance.
    I had a TIA (mini-stroke) several years back, it was scary, but been fine ever since. Kinda strange. Glad you are on the road to recovery now. I am having to mod some stuff myself due to bad ankle. So long as we keep moving & pushing the weight right!

    Stay at it! :wink:
  • paprad
    paprad Posts: 321 Member
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    Strokes are scary but I know of 2 people in the family who made nearly full recoveries, so hang in there
  • paprad
    paprad Posts: 321 Member
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    They are hard, but I LOVE them! I can feel my core getting stronger with every one! :smile:
    I am a bit curious how come the first workout of NROLFW has this if it is so hard!

    Had a bit of a breakthrough today. I figured half my fear is that the ball will run away and I will lose balance and go splat. I was thinking it would be good if I had a narrow passageway in which to do this but I don't. So I took a bunch of bolsters and cushions and built a kind of passage of sorts - wall on one side, bolsters a couple of feet away and ball in the middle and this kept the ball from going AWOL. And it worked! Whether it was psychological or not, I managed 3 sets and that's huge for me because the first two times I fell flat. Feeling terribly pleased.

    There seems to be an extra adrenalin burst with doing balancing stuff, eh?
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
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    I watched the YouTube videos first to make sure I would do it right, and I had no problems doing them from the start. I also never felt anything, and this makes me wonder if I'm actually doing it right. The first time I felt anything from the prone jackknife was yesterday/today after my Monday session of S1WA4, and even that's minimal. I feel a tiny bit of soreness if I stretch out.

    I'm doing what I've seen on YouTube though... confused....
  • paprad
    paprad Posts: 321 Member
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    The youtube video definitely helped - especially to figure out how to roll onto the ball - otherwise I'd have gone nuts trying to put my feet on the ball. I saw anohter video now and there too the ball's height wasn't as much as her arms, so the woman was pretty much parallel to the ground. I think in my case I am at a considerable angle with the height of my ball being so much more than the length of my arms. I don't feel like investing in another ball - not to mention storing it - so I will just muddle along with this.

    I'm curious to see if I feel anything tomorrow. The swiss ball crunches havent done anything for me either - I didn't feel any soreness anywhere in my abs - i wondered if I am doing it properly but my form seems to be okay
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
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    Yeah, I don't feel anything from the crunches either. I've started holding 25# dumbbells in each hand while I do them, and it still doesn't really do anything. :ohwell:
  • SkimFlatWhite68
    SkimFlatWhite68 Posts: 1,254 Member
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    The first time I did the prone jackknife was with my trainer and we were both laughing at how pathetic I was!!

    But I am very determined. The first time by myself, getting off the ball at the end of my set must have been hysterical to watch.

    By about the 3rd time, I was fine. It soon became one of my very favourite exercises, I love them.

    I find it helps to concentrate on your feet on the outward movement, hold your core TIGHT. It's a great exercise!

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