although my log doesn't go back to when i first started working on it, if i recall it really doesn't take that long (relative to beasty skills like the front lever and planche). i started out doing tuck-sits on the edge of my bathtub, and once those were at around 10 seconds i moved to L sits. I really didn't go about them in the best way-going to failure too often.  I found that just improving overall mid-section strength and stability (planks in my case) along with some hip flexor work (knees to elbows/knee raises/leg raises) did the trick. I hadn't really tested an L sit for the better part of a year, and just doing the above exercises my L-sit went from a rough 8-10 sec last fall to a decent 15 sec now.

that said, if you want to get an L-sit, the best/fastest way is to just do it. Start off working on tuck sits, train them frequently (but allowing recovery days), and go for total time. So try to avoid failure for the most part. Set a workout goal of, for example, 30 sec, and then do small, doable sets until your total time is there. Eventually, it will take you fewer sets to hit your time goal, and then eventually you can progress to an L-sit. Probably when you can do a tuck sit for 10-20 seconds i imagine. I rushed and jumped into L sits before i was ready to make the most of my beginner progress so i'll just say to be patient.

soo i suppose that was a bit more than you were asking for, and since i never gave you a true time answer, i'll now say that you should be able to have an L sit in 1-4ish months depending on where you're starting, how hard you work, balancing recovery, etc...very roundabout i know, but i hope that helps

felt quite good today. Also learned a bit more about sleep cycles in psyche today so after calculating (approximately) the timings of my REM sleep, i'm going to see if i can get things so i 1)maximize my sleep, which is always good, and 2)wake up in REM sleep which supposedly makes you feel better upon waking.

lifting was solid (as evidenced by the consistently green work sets), though i will probably be able to get 1-2 more 10lb jumps with my deadlift before switching down to 5# jumps.

Wednesday:
-deadlift (*note: need to move feet a tad closer on work set)
135x5
205x3
245x1
265x1
285x5 (right turned out)

-dips
bwx5
20x3
30x1
35x1
40x5x3 (feeling strong)

-OA fat bar row
50x5
75x5
85x3
90x1
95x5x3 (grip was fading. may need to start cycling up the weights. will see)

-push press
105x5x3 (mmmmhm feeling nice)

-bulgarian squat
70x5x3

cool down
-body lever negatives
2x6

-cuban rotation
35x10x3

good sprint session last night. my butt is a little sore so i know my form was decent.

as for today, 290# was doable, but me-oh-my the spinal compression is sumptin fierce. I stretched my thoracic spine out a little bit right after my set, and i burst out laughing as this weird tickle/discomfort surged through me. Only had time to do squats, pull ups, and bench. rest times for pull ups and bench were at most 2 min but usually less, so i didn't up the weights today.

Sunday:
sprints
100yd sprint
100yd jog
...4x

4:54

Monday:
-atg squat
135x5
185x3
225x1
245x1
265x1
290x5
285x5
280x5

-pull ups
bwx5
20x3
30x1
35x5x3

-bench press
95x5
115x3
135x1
150x5x3

well i totally haven't posted in a while...thought i recorded friday's workout but apparently not.

saturday i played alot of quidditch, and everyone (all 25 of the participants!) did really well and it was quite intense. we also recorded the full 2.5 hours, so there will totally be a harry potter club quidditch video at some point. The evening was a ballin' awesome tacular halloween night, so of course i didn't do any sprints or bodyweight circuitry.

Friday:
-atg squat
135x5
185x3
225x1
245x1
265x1
290x5
285x5x2

-bench press
95x5
115x3
135x1
155x5x2
145x5

-pull ups
bwx5
20x3
30x1
35x1
40x5
35x5x2

cool down
-farmer's walk (total weight carried)
140x50stepsx3

-face pull
100x12x2

-L sit (resting 10 sec between "sets")
8, 6, 4, 2 sec

-Landmine twists
60x8x3

Sunday:
sprints
100yd sprint
100yd jog
...4x

4:48 (:06 improvement)

-pull ups (30sec rests)
15-5-5-5 (grip tired out on the chubby bar)

really got some intensity going on deadlifts yesterday. on my final rep i got some crazy eyes going just before (almost made myself laugh). Not sure why, but i just forgot to lock out my final rep, so i rested a minute, and did one more. It also occurred to me that i could use this method to add reps when trying to work towards a new weight jump. Something of a variation of clusters for strength.

L sit is improving. once i can do 2x10sec with 10 sec rest between sets i will start trying to do 30 sec total time.

Wednesday:
-deadlift
135x5
205x3
225x1
245x1
265x1
290x5 (right turned out)
290x1 (just making sure)

-OA fat bar row
50x5
75x3
85x1
90x1
97.5x5x3

-dips
bwx5
20x3
30x1
35x1
40x5x3 (sooo i forgot that last time i did 45x5x2, but these were kind of hard..oh well)

-push press (need to do smaller weight jumps now)
115x5x3

-split squat
80x5x3

cool down
-cuban rotation
35x13x2

-landmine twist
65x8x2

-L sit (getting better!)
8-8-4 sec (resting 10 sec between sets)

took off from squatting yesterday; i needed the rest day, and now i'm excited for the arrival of my weightlifting shoes! hopefully these will provide some needed stability to my squat.

Monday:
15-10-8-6-5 (ran out of time)

pull ups
pushups

resting 1min between sets

alrighty so i think that i may (for the jillionth time) have an idea of what is taking place in my squat that is hurting my hips. When i was practicing cat leaps/cat to cats earlier this summer, i strained my right hip because (i think) i fell short and ended up slamming down much more than if i could have properly absorbed the shock, compressing my hips pretty hard.

taking this to my back squat, i think that i may be losing tension at the bottom of my squat in an effort to truly go "toosh to the turf". Not a good idea with a couple hundred lbs on your back. Anyway, i'm going to put down a ball as a depth checker to see if i can avoid what is basically a mini butt wink(perhaps?) or at least loss of tension.

Friday:
-back squat
135x5
185x3
225x1
245x1
265x1
285x1
295x5
285x5
280x5

-pull ups
bwx5
25x3
35x1
40x1
47.5x5 (on final rep, i pulled 2/3, stalled..pulled a few inches, stalled...finished the rep. I've never stalled twice and finished the rep before!) 40x5
40x4

-bench press
115x5
135x3
160x5
155x5
150x5

cool down
-farmers walk (total weight carried)
140x80stepsx3

-body lever negatives
8-5-5

-face pulls
112.5x12x3

hey thanks a bunch david; i appreciate the compliment! Though i have to say that i'm still a long way off from what i'd consider beastly capabilities (and once i reach them i'll probably just keep looking higher ). Also after looking at the metcons you've been putting up i'm going to return the compliment; there's no way i could handle what you're doing.

so doing a bit of catching up..on saturday i went for a 1.5 hour-long bike ride with two friends-we biked from our homes to the mississippi river along the minneapolis greenway, and then played around with some fear stuff along a massive iron bridge spanning the river.

yesterday i did sprints, and it was shit-show. i don't know if i've ever had such a hard session (probably didn't help that it was cold and i hadn't done intervals in 2 weeks).

today i'm pursuing a theory as to what's hurting my hips in squatting, and i will absolutely Not record it here because i feel like i'd be jinxing it. also only had time to do most of my compound lifts and a quickie farmer's walk.

Saturday:
-biking (1.5 hours)
-play at heights

Sunday:
intervals (didn't even do that much but this was hard)
sprint 50yd
jog 50 yd
sprint 100 yd
...3x

(untimed)

Monday:
-back squat
135x5
185x3
225x1
245x1
265x1
285x1
295x5
285x5x2

-pull ups
bwx5
20x3
35x1
40x1
47.5x5
40x5

-bench press
115x5
135x3
155x1
160x5x2

cool down
-farmer's walk (total weight carried)
150x60steps (will start steps at 50 and do 3 sets next time)

it's interesting; i'm so used to starting my sessions with either a squat or deadlift, and when i don't i feel like i'm not "awake" yet. eventually my cns was up and going, but i could tell that i wasn't quite firing right away compared with when i do a legs movement first.

i'm also switching out farmer's walks for timed barbell holds. i figure that if i want to hold more weight, i have to hold more weight; same concept as beginner gains-just keep lifting steadily more.

Friday:
-bench press
115x5
135x3
155x1
160x5x3

-pull ups
bwx5
25x3
35x1
45x1
47.5x5
45x5x2

cool down
-bb hold
315x10secx3

-body lever negatives (amrap under control)
8-6-4

-face pull
120x12x3

Sunday:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

pull ups
pushups

resting 1 min between rungs