Eduardo Orihuela is a strength and mobility coach helping everyday people fit fitness into their lives. He gives a whole lot of tips on various stretches, calisthenics/bodyweight exercises and holds, as well as many movement exercises. His videos are nice and simple to follow and understand and he breaks down each movement and progression.

 

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FRONT LEVER TUTORIAL . . Follow @eorihuela Follow @gmbfitness . . Posted @withrepost • @gmbfitness WANT TO FRONT LEVER?! – You’ll want to be really good or at least familiar with the Pull-Up Prep and Straight Arm Pull Down before starting Front Lever work. Once these movements feel good, try out the following progessions demonstrated by GMB Trainer Eduardo @eorihuela – Pull up Prep/Pull Down: Pull ears away from shoulder and pull the rings down. Keep your legs together. It looks like the legs are dangling but they’re still active. From those two, you’ll learn how to engage your Posterior chain (everything in your back) to have a strong foundation for your Front Lever. – For the rest of these progressions, you’ll want to maintain straight arms, tension, and build your static holds with Negatives. Start by pulling up or Piking up to an Inverted Hang. From here slowly lower while maintaining your scapular depression and retraction (shoulders down and back). – 1. Tucked (knees to chest) 2. Advanced Tucked (hips extend more) 3. Straddle (hips extended/legs straight/legs apart) 4. Front Lever – Quick Tip: If you’re having difficulty bridging the gap between these progressions try pausing the movements where you’re weakest. For example) from the Inverted Hang lower 3 seconds to horizontal then hold 3 seconds then take 3 seconds to reach the Dead Hang for a total of 9-10 seconds of tension. The slower you are able to do with this movement the greater progress you will see. You can also build more time under tension performing 2-3 reps consecutively . . . . . . #gmbfitness #gmbtrainer #strongfirst #goldmedalbodies #frontlever #frontleverprogressions #frontlevertutorial #gymnasticsrings #howto #gymnastics #calesthenics #bodyweight #bodyweightworkout #bodyweighttraining #bodylever #bodyweightexercises #corestrength #crossfit #climbingtraining #crossfitgymnastics #physicalautonomy #physicalfreedom #allaroundfitness

A post shared by Eduardo Orihuela (@eorihuela) on Oct 3, 2019 at 9:30am PDT

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TUCK PLANCHE TIPS (SOUND ON 🔊) – A lot of people find difficulty lifting their feet off of the floor to Tuck Planche. It’s a difficult movement and It’s definitely not something you want to just jump into. Jump into in the sense of you don’t want to advance too soon but also you don’t want to rely on jumping with your lower body to Tuck Planche. It all comes from leaning forward more. You’ll need a good amount of flexibility in the wrists and strength in the shoulders and midsection to do this. – To make it easier on your wrists you can use Parallettes. Training on the Parallettes allows you to practice arm balances with your hands in a closed fist position, holding on to something. By changing the angle of the load on the wrist, you can begin practicing skills and finding your balance. – Tuck Planche: Start in the squat with your feet and knees together. Round your upper back, keep butt low, lean as far forward as you can until your feet are nice and light. Naturally your feet will want to float. If you don’t get this feeling, continue leaning forward and make sure that your arms are straight and scapula is protracted. – Advanced Tuck Planche: Continue leaning forward, Round your upper back, keep butt low, lean as far forward as you can until your feet are nice and light to lift your toes, then bring your knees closer to the floor while keeping your back round and hips low. Your upper half will need to lean further forward to extend your bottom half. – Quick Tip: 1. Work the movements and do not rush the process. Understand your protraction and forward lean as you perform your progressions. 2. Build your strength with other exercises like Forward Lean Push Ups, and Front Levers. 3. Work your wrist flexibility! . . . . . #gmbfitness #gmbtrainer #strongfirst #goldmedalbodies #bodyweight #bodyweighttraining #calesthenics #bodyweightworkout #notyoga #yoga #crossfit #gymnastics #handbalance #handbalancing #crossfitgymnastics #corestrength #homeworkout #hometraining #yoga #handbalance #exerciseathome #straddleplanche #planche #tuckplanche #planchelean #howto #physicalfreedom #allaroundfitness #physicalautonomy

A post shared by Eduardo Orihuela (@eorihuela) on Oct 22, 2019 at 12:17pm PDT

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Posted @withrepost • @gmbfitness BRIDGE TUTORIAL – When it comes to stretching you want to work at a level that you can still breathe and smile through. There’s no need to force a stretch, if anything it’s counterintuitive. You’ll actually get tighter and sore if it hurts, so it’s somewhat frustrating but you have to be patient and work at a level that stretches but doesn’t hurt. – A good way to relax into the stretch is by breathing. Inhale deeply, hold your breathe a bit, and then exhale like your fogging up a mirror and relax into the stretch. You’ll feel instantly lighter and gain some range in the stretch if you just relax. Exhale with a nice big smile. – Here are some words and progressions demonstrated by GMB Trainer Eduardo @eorihuela – “After 8 years of wrestling and neglecting to stretch specifically my upper body, my chest, upper back, and shoulders were all tight. I made it a goal to be able to Bridge without feeling pressure in my lower back and experimented with training programs – one of which being the GMB Focused Flexibility Bridge Program and the other the GMB Integral Strength Program. You learn breathing and contraction techniques to help you relax into the stretch in various positions like Cat Cow variations and Bridge Progressions.” – Give the progressions above a go and see how it feels! – Quick tips: 1. Relax your glutes in the positions 2. Distribute the stretch throughout your back. Avoid pressure to the lower back 3. In the press up, have your shoulders above your hands. If this is difficult regress the movement by bending the arms or elevating the legs. 4. Stick with the variations you can handle. Skipping ahead will make things extremely difficult and possibly cause injury. 5. Remember to breathe and smile 😃 . . . . . . #gmbfitness #gmbtrainer #goldmedalbodies #bodyweight #bodyweighttraining #calesthenics #bodyweightworkout #homeworkout #homeexercises #exerciseathome #mobility #exerciseanywhere #yoga #gymnastics #martialarts #crossfit #capoeria #bridge #yogawheel #flexibility #flexible #yoga #gymnasticsbridge #thoracicmobility #allaroundfitness #physicalautonomy #physicalfreedom #physicaldevelopment #physicalfitness

A post shared by Eduardo Orihuela (@eorihuela) on Nov 21, 2019 at 7:49am PST

 

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WANT TO LEARN THE HUMAN FLAG? – The Human Flag is a combination of pushing, pulling, and anti-rotation contraction. The top hand is pulling while the bottom hand is pushing. You can use two horizontal bars like I’m using here, or you can use a pole. I find two bars like the Rogue Fitness attachment that I’m using here much more comfortable and easier to perform. – If you have a Heavy Turkish Get Up (more than half bodyweight) and Front Lever, you’ll have the scapular strength, straight arm strength, core strength, pushing and pulling strength, and body control for the Human Flag. Before attempting to do these though, seek out a coach near you or online to check out your technique. – Now I’m not saying this is the only way and I’m definitely not saying that you NEED a heavy TGU or Front Lever to Human Flag. I’m just saying, it’s going to make your progress a whole lot easier and safer while simultaneously improving your Front Lever and Get Up which have amazing carryover to numerous skills and activities. – Why the TGU? 1. Promotes shoulder stability, mobility, hypertrophy, and strength 2. Develops body and spatial awareness 3. Improves grip, core, and pushing strength 4. Huge carryover to sports, lifts, and daily life 5. Intro to Straight Arm work – Why the Front Lever? 1. Coordination of various muscles 2. Improves core, grip, and pulling strength 3. Improves body control 4. Huge carryover to sports and skills 5. Huge improvement in straight arm work- And of course, many more reasons! But the idea remains the same. If you can Front Lever and TGU Heavy the carryover to sports is fantastic as well as being able Human Flag by default.

A post shared by Eduardo Orihuela (@eorihuela) on Dec 2, 2019 at 8:17am PST

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WANT TO HOLLOW BACK PRESS? – The Hollow Back Press is a combination of the Handstand Push Up and Bent Arm Planche. The move looks really cool and takes some practice even if you have the strength, flexibility, and balance. I actually learned this by accident – I was going through the @gmbfitness Parallettes 2 program and did a lot of Handstand Push Ups and Arm Levers. Then one day I saw some some guy on Instagram do it and I tried it. I failed for the first week or so but eventually learned to do it. It was mostly learning the pattern of the movement to fill in the gap between the vertical and horizontal position and hand placement. – 1. Don’t try to skip ahead. Make sure your wrist flexibility is very good as the move requires a greater forward lean. 2. Eventually you’ll need a Handstand to do this. Develop good balance in the HS while building your base strength and flexibility. No matter how strong you are, if you can’t balance the HS, it’ll be extremely hard to progress. 3. Work on other strength first. Exercises like Forward Lean Push ups, Military Press, Inverted Presses can be made infinitely harder and translate to more than just one skill. Use exercises like those to build strength. 4. Work longer on negatives. Bridge the gap by working the descent of the motion and holding the bottom of the position. As you get stronger you can press up with a Straddle . . . . . . #gmbfitness #gmbtrainer #goldmedalbodies #strongfirst #flexiblesteel #bodyweight #bodyweighttraining #bodyweightworkout #bodyweightexercises #bodyweightfitness #calesthenics #kettlebellexercises #crossfit #crossfitgymnastics #gymnastics #physicalautonomy #physicalfreedom #physicalstrength #physicaldevelopment #physicalfitness #allaroundfitness

A post shared by Eduardo Orihuela (@eorihuela) on Nov 26, 2019 at 10:06am PST

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L-SIT (SOUND ON 🔊) – The L-Sit is such a cool movement that can get you strong for a variety of skills and activities like Straddle Press Handstand or even rock climbing. Even “bad” or “incorrect” forms of this is still difficult bc of the hard flexion your abs and hip flexors have to do. But if you want to progress this skill to more advanced bodyweight exercises, here’s what you should follow: – 1. Tall posture: Make sure that your shoulders are away from your ears. 2. Elbow pits forward: This might cramp up your triceps but fight for this as this will strengthen your arms and help you with straight arm work. 3. Lift knees to chest: This is where the balance and core really lights up. Make sure you’re able to keep steps 1-3 as you lift feet from floor. If you need to, just keep your toes on the floor for now. 4. Gradually extend and straighten: Make sure you’re able to keep your posture as you extend your legs. If you’re not at this level yet, no problem! This takes time, and you can speed up your progress by improving your all around strength and hamstring flexibility . . . . . . #gmbfitness #gmbtrainer #strongfirst #bodyweight #bodyweighttraining #bodyweightworkout #homeworkout #homeworkout #calesthenics #hometraining #homeexercises #exerciseathome #gymnastics #crossfit #crossfitgymnastics #martialarts #corestrength #flexibility #lsit #mobility #movement #strength #trainanywhere #physicalautonomy #physicalfreedom #handbalance #yoga #howto #parallettes #allaroundfitness #hometraining

A post shared by Eduardo Orihuela (@eorihuela) on Nov 19, 2019 at 12:41pm PST

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PANCAKE – The Pancake is a great demonstration of flexibility in the hips, hamstrings, back, and adductors and extremely useful for advanced bodyweight exercises that involve a straddle such as Straddle Planche, Straddle Press, Straddle Front Lever, etc. The following are modifications to the Pancake and can also be applied to the Middle Split. Start on an elevated surface like a couch, bench, or chair with your legs bent and chest open. Pulse in and out of the movement and place your hands in a position that feels good for you. – When it comes to stretching you want to work at a level that you can still breathe and smile through. There’s no need to force a stretch, if anything it’s counterintuitive. You’ll actually get tighter and sore if it hurts, so it’s somewhat frustrating but you have to be patient and work at a level that stretches but doesn’t hurt. – A good way to relax into the stretch is by breathing. Inhale deeply then exhale like your fogging up a mirror and relax into the stretch. You’ll feel instantly lighter and gain some range in the stretch if you just relax. – Here you’ll see two ways you can place your hands: 1. Behind your head (without cranking your neck) 2. With a weight. Could be a barbell, kettlebell, weight plate, etc. Quick Tips: 1. Stay consistent – Skills, whether its strength, flexibility, or body awareness requires consistency, persistence, and patience 2. Be mindful – Skipping ahead just makes the process take longer 3. Be OK with sucking at first. Skills will be hard for a VERY long time. Regress if you have to . . . . . . #gmbfitness #gmb #gmbtrainer #goldmedalbodies #bodyweight #bodyweighttraining #middlesplit #sidesplit #bodyweightworkout #bodyweightexercise #bodyweightexercises #calesthenics #stretching #stretchingexercises #stretchingroutine #stretchingtips #allaroundfitness #flexibility #yoga #gymnastics #crossfit #stretches #crossfitgymnastics #flexiblesteel #strongfirst #physicalautonomy #physicalfreedom

A post shared by Eduardo Orihuela (@eorihuela) on Nov 18, 2019 at 11:19am PST

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BUILD A HOME GYM – I personally prefer training at home. I control my music, I do chores or work while I rest, I can shower then take a nap, I save time and money, etc etc. I’m not saying you need or should train at home, but I wanted to make this video bc I always get questions about my parallettes and pull up bar. – Everything in the video cost me less than $30. – Parallettes: Homeade out of PVC = $20-$30. If you want to make your own you can google “GMB DIY Parallettes” for instructions and recommendations. – Pull up Bar: This was my first and only door frame pull up bar. I bought it at a nearby sports authority when I was 16. $25 and it came built. – Suspension Bar: This is actually two pieces of equipment. 1. Dowel Rod: $5 2. Straps: $5 I bought both of these at Home Depot and the straps support 500lbs. They’re literally the same as gymnastics rings straps (and can hold gymnastics rings if your pair break) – You can go real fancy too if you’d like. My point is, you don’t have to. However, depending on what you’re doing and what you’re using it for, it might be worth it to spend the extra money on better equipment. All of my bodyweight stuff is cheap but my kettlebells are ~$2 (including shipping) per pound. I like quality kettlebells bc the handle friction is very important for me and safer when performing ballistic movements. The last thing you want is a slippery handle when you’re performing kettlebell snatches. I bought my kettlebells from Rogue and have one 12KG, 16KG, 20KG, and one 24KG at home. At the gym I have one from 12KG-48KG in 4KG jumps.

A post shared by Eduardo Orihuela (@eorihuela) on Nov 13, 2019 at 2:21pm PST

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PULL UP/FRONT LEVER PREP – Whether you’re trying to get your first pull up, first one arm pull up, or first Front Lever you’ll want to add this into your arsenal to develop scapular control. I learned this movement from Ryan @ryhurst in the Front Lever YT video and started practicing more while shooting for the awesome new @gmbfitness program coming out! – The goal here is to teach your body to pull your shoulders down while your arms are completely straight. I like to think of this as a straight arm pull down with your lower body dangling and relaxed. You kind of look like a hanging zombie. – Don’t to hyperextend your neck, but initiate the movement with scapular depression. Keep your arms straight and pull your body back. If your thoracic is tight, you’ll feel a nice stretch as you extend. Open your hips and aim to pull as far as you can with control mimicking a loose Front Lever Pull – Quick Tip: Work at your level! No need to force yourself to go higher if you’re adding momentum. The idea here is total body control. . . . . . . #gmbfitness #gmbtrainer #goldmedalbodies #strongfirst #bodyweight #bodyweighttraining #bodyweightworkout #bodyweightfitness #calesthenics #pullupprep #frontlever #frontleverraises #allaroundfitness #crossfit #gtmnastics #crossfitgymnastics #mobility #physicalautonomy #physicalfreedom #physicaldevelopment #physicalfitness

A post shared by Eduardo Orihuela (@eorihuela) on Nov 12, 2019 at 9:02am PST

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HANDSTAND PUSH UP TUTORIAL – When you’re first learning to HSPU, you should be practicing several things: 1. How to balance on your hands with easier poses like Crow or Headstand. 2. Core exercises to engage the core and get you into the right position like Dead Bugs and Glute Bridges. 3. Flexibility where it’s needed like the wrists, hamstrings, and shoulders. 4. Strength in the upper body to support your bodyweight while upside down. – 1. Inverted Press 2. Float 3. Tuck Bent Arm Stand 4. Bent Arm Stand 5. Negative Headstand Push up 6. Headstand Push Up 7. Negative Handstand Push Up 8. Handstand Push Up – I want to say that these are the names that I learned for each exercise therefore to avoid confusion this is what I’m going to call them. Call them whatever you’d like, the name is irrelevant in regards to this post. – Quick Tip: From the Handstand slowly bend the elbows as you lower. Lean forward while your toes move backwards. Stop when your head is close to the floor. Your body will form a diagonal line by squeezing your butt and bracing abs. Push back into the HS . . . . . . . #gmbfitness #gmbtrainer #goldmedalbodies #strongfirst #bodyweight #bodyweightworkout #bodyweightexercises #crossfit #bodyweightfitness #crossfitgymnastics #gymnastics #bodyweightworkouts #calesthenics #homeworkout #handbalance #handbalancing #yoga #notyoga #handstandpushup #hometraining #homexercises #exerciseathome #physicalautonomy #physicalfreedom #allaroundfitness

A post shared by Eduardo Orihuela (@eorihuela) on Nov 5, 2019 at 2:12pm PST

 

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