Hand Placements for Hollow Back Press HS and PLPU

[Brian Li]

Are there any benefits in doing hollow back presses with the fingers facing back over fingers forward? Like would it transfer over more to the rings version than fingers forward? What different muscles may be recruited with different hand placements?

 

My first hollow back presses were done with the fingers back and I recently found out that I had enough wrist flexibility for the fingers forward one and could do those too. I do feel more stable with fingers forward and the bottom part of the press is slightly easier too whereas I need greater control and balance with fingers back.

 

I know that it is best to train on rings if I want rings HBP, but would floor HBP with fingers back act as an intermediate step or a step above fingers forward?

 

I also have the same questions as above for planche push-ups on floor. I know that there will be more stress on the biceps tendon and inner elbows for the planche itself with fingers back, but I am just asking about the push-up motion itself. I remember Ashita saying that planche push-ups with fingers back puts more tension on the chest like rings planche push-ups than with other hand placements.

[Brian Li]

Bump

[Brian Li]

Last call: Anyone know? I really want to know. Thanks!

[Andrew Long]

I'm surprised no one has said anything about this but that is maybe because there have been a lot of threads discussing the benefits of hand placement on here. From my understanding hands backwards is what you want to aim for. Conditions the arms better for ring work and I would guess builds more strength as at least for me it is significantly harder. Then again hands front or even a bit sideward a would probably be easier to push into handstand from. If it were me I'd train planche and push ups fingers back and hbp with fingers sidewards/ forwards. Either way I think it's beneficial to do both hand placements. There is no need o stick to just one but if I had to choose it would be hands backwards for the elbow prep for rings.

[Joshua Slocum]

HBP on parallettes is a good intermediate. I don't know that fingers-back on the floor will get you anything other than the already mentioned bicep/elbow conditioning.

[Brian Li]

There are a lot of threads discussing the hand placement for the planche, but none for HBP and the effect on PLPU. 

 

I'm starting to find that HBP with hands forward is getting more and more easier to get into the HS and a straighter HS than I initially felt when I first done it with hands forward compared hands back. The cantilever effect of the wrists is also more noticeable now with hands forward and I really feel the muscles working less. It's probably because I've done it more now and gotten more used to it. I typed the first post like right after I've done my first with hands forward. I don't think HBP with fingers back will condition the elbow sufficiently for rings though as it is bent arms until you reach the HS, but I heard Yuri say that the elbows will be stressed more in a HS with hands back so I'm not sure. Would it be able to compare to rings HS in terms of elbow stress? Elbow conditioning isn't really a big concern to me now, but it still good to know.

 

I like doing 3 HBP each with different hand placements right after another sometimes.

 

For PLPU I do it with hands back because I don't have enough wrist flexibility for the other hand placements yet. I've only tried a few times with the other hand placements starting in the bent arm planche at the bottom and pushing up to where my wrists can't handle it and felt little difference in muscle recruitment compared to hands back, but my ROM was short and most of the stress was on the wrists. It was definitely more stable though whereas I need greater control for hands back and the push-up was probably a bit easier than hands back with the same ROM compared. I'd imagine that the cantilever effect would be greater the more you push for hands forward and sideways. I heard hands back uses more chest though.

 

Thanks for the reply btw!

[Brian Li]

HBP on parallettes is a good intermediate. I don't know that fingers-back on the floor will get you anything other than the already mentioned bicep/elbow conditioning.

I think probably maybe better shoulder control and stabilizers?

[Joshua Slocum]

For a rings HBP there is no great stress on the elbows, as in a cross or maltese. If you achieve a rings handstand you'll be fine training an HBP on rings. The same is true of PPu: the end-pose is the hardest on the elbows, so if you have a planche variation on rings your elbows will be fine with doing that PPu variation.

Varying the hand position in floor HBP might confer some minor gains in shoulder stability and kinesthetic awareness, but it doesn't seem like it would be enough that I would recommend everyone do it. If you like doing HBP with different hand positions, there's no reason not to.

[Brian Li]

I see thanks! You said HBP on paralletes are an intermediate step, but isn't it easier to balance on paralletes than on floor due to the greater wrist involvement?

 

I also heard that RTO dips will stress the stabilizers (chest and lats) more than regular ring dips, would it be a similar case for hands back HBP and PLPU where I think chest and lats also act as stabilizers compared to hands forward?

[Joshua Slocum]

I see thanks! You said HBP on paralletes are an intermediate step, but isn't it easier to balance on paralletes than on floor due to the greater wrist involvement?

 

I also heard that RTO dips will stress the stabilizers (chest and lats) more than regular ring dips, would it be a similar case for hands back HBP and PLPU where I think chest and lats also act as stabilizers compared to hands forward?

 

It's an intermediate step because the parallettes balance is closer to rings balance; it 'feels' closer.

 

There isn't a whole lot of stabilization to be done when you're on the floor. Facing forwards or back, your hands are still on a steady platform.