Sit Fly Exercises?

[Maximo 0]

I just started learning how to sit fly. To be honest, that position scares the crap out of me. The speed of the wind seems so unforgiving. I hit my head on the entrance frame after I lost control once, and I've been spooked ever since.

Anyway I'm finally starting to get the hang of it, but I can't last more than 2 or 3 minutes (no sex jokes, please ). My arms/lats get so freaking exhausted. Is there anything I can do at the gym to build up some endurance?

[RossDagley 0]

Tunnel fitness is different to regular fitness. Only more tunnel time is really going to help you I'm afraid.

However - two things to note - you shouldn't have hit your head as I'm hoping you have 6 points of motion on your back and good stability prior to attempting to learn sit in the tunnel - back fly is an essential tunnel skill, and one that I see coaches so often blow over it's unreal. When you bail from any other freefly position, you should be bailing to your back - the wind speeds are dangerous (as you've unfortunately found out) when freeflying, and it's really important to have good back fly skills before progressing onto more advanced flying positions.

Secondly, regarding your aching arms, many people find that bending your arms at the elbows to approximately 90 degrees (so your hands are pointed forwards, not out to the side) releives some of the ache when flying for multi-rotations of tunnel time.

Get back in there and fly more - but make sure you're giving your body breaks between sessions. It'll come, just dont damage yourself trying too hard at the beginning. Like I said at the beginning - tunnel fitness is quite different to "regular" fitness.

Enjoy

[Maximo 0]

I was forturnate when I banged my head. I didn't suffer any lingering pain because the helmet took most of the blow and entry frame is very well padded. Nonetheless, it scared the crap out of me because it happened so fast. It was a big wake-up call for me. Up until that point I was pretty much fearless with respect to trying new things. My coach also gave me the "don't do that crap again" look, and I got the bail-to-your-back speech.

I would rate my back skills as decent, but I'm biased. I'm not very smooth but I can go any direction I need to. My coach told me we'd work on some more bail-to-back exercises next time I go to the tunnel.

I was hoping there was some sort of exercise that would help with the endurance issue. Perhaps, as you said, I just need more tunnel time. I was bummed last time I tried to sit-fly because I was finally starting to feel what "stable" felt like, but my arms/lats were screaming at me so I had quit for the day.

[Jewels 0]

I found that when I stopped fighting the wind there was much less muscle required to fly it. I suspect that practice will help you build up your endurance, not necessarily because you're becoming stronger, but because you're flying it differently as you become more comfortable with the body position. Exercise is always good, of course, but I would suggest that you not look at it like something you need to muscle through. Just my thoughts--I'm not a coach or an instructor, but if you're flying at SVCO, I know your coach will get you where you want to be in terms of skill.

TPM Sister #102

[Jazzthieve 0]

I don't consider sitflying to be exhausting at all, I'm not particulary strong so I think you're trying to fly it too rigid. Sitflying isn't a fixed sitting position and the fact that you find it exhausting must meen you're not doing it right. Give it some time, eventually it will come. And no you don't need to fitness to be able to sitfly.

[freakfly24 0]

If your arms are getting exhausted, there's a good chance your not using your back for lift when your sitflying. Keep your chin up and back while arching out through your chest. Also leaning back slightly on the wind will allow you to catch more more wind on your back. The lift produced by your back will greatly reduce the pressure on your arms and chest. Once your no longer hanging on your arms, your flight endurance will increase dramatically and you'll be able to use your arms for docking. The arms are more like outriggers for stability than they are devices for producing massive lift. Hope that helps

[bradStyle 0]

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Only more tunnel time is really going to help you I'm afraid.

I couldn't disagree more, although I understand this statement to actually be an oversimplification. More tunnel time is going to help you more than anything, yes, but there are two other things (and probably lots more) that will help tremendously.

The first of which is to learn to fly modified arm positions in your sit (described in this post) like arms bent 90 degrees (or more or less, move them around) at the elbow. Then learn to shift portions of your lift onto other parts of the body- legs and back. This will help tremendously.

Finally you can stretch and strengthen all of the primary muscles and stabilizing muscles that you use in the sit. The ones that are most in need of this are the muscles of the rotator cuff, which are NOT designed for tunnel flying or any kind of heavy load bearing. Just Google "rotator cuff exercises" and you'll find everything you're looking for. Just remember, stretch before you strengthen...

Most of the muscles that you need will strengthen themselves just from more tunnel flying. The rotator cuff needs private attention, particularly if you become a total junkie and start flying really long blocks (like 45 minutes without a break). Anyone who says they never get tired sitflying doesn't do this on a regular basis.

Best of luck!

[Stuntbabex 0]

I agree with this, there are other ways to strengthen the arms other than more tunnel time (and its cheaper too). In addition to rotator cuff exercises Id recommend some isometric contractions held for a period of time to help with the endurance.

Try using two tables or elevated platforms and stand between them. Rest your upper arms on them with the edge of the platforms being at your armpits. Bend the elbows at 90 degrees and rest them flat against the platforms, palms down. Proceed to hang and you will notice that you have to push down with the arms in order to suspend yourself. You will want to get the legs out in front of you or if you dont have the ab strength for it, you may use another shorter platform the rest the heels on in front of you. If your legs are directly under you, you wont get the same effect. Hold this suspended position until fatigue, rest repeat.

Note: i am not a tunnel instructor, just a personal trainer. ;) I had similar fatigue in my rotator cuff when doing sitfly in the tunnel recently.

[RossDagley 0]

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Only more tunnel time is really going to help you I'm afraid.

I couldn't disagree more,

Most of the muscles that you need will strengthen themselves just from more tunnel flying.

I'm pleased your disagreement with me agrees with my statement

Yes it was an over simplification. Yes, more tunnel time will help. Yes there is technically cheaper ways to strengthen your arms than flying in the tunnel.

Yes I can fly 45 minutes straight (without rotations or exiting the tunnel etc) and no, I've never used anything other than tunnel flying to strengthen those muscles

I'm not a personal trainer (or indeed a Massage Therapist ) but I am a certified tunnel junkie

Hey - this is tunnel flying - anything is possible!