Bri

Also check hand position. Hands should be roughly under the shoulders or slightly wider, fingers pointing forward or very slightly out. A lot of beginners creep the hands up toward the head, which increases wrist extension and shoulder strain at the same time.

Three weeks in and I hit 7. Never would have guessed that doing easier sets more often was the answer.

How slow is too slow? I've seen people say 10 seconds.

Full hang yes, top is honest on the first two and probably gets sketchy on the last ones.

Chest-to-wall 25 seconds is a good base, so you're not weak. The freestanding gap is a balance skill and it's practised, not trained — short frequent attempts beat long sessions. 10-15 kick-ups a day, every day, beats 60 on a Saturday.

Sharp and lingering an hour afterwards is a stop signal, not a train-around signal. Anything that outlasts the session by that much is worth getting looked at by a physio who works with gymnasts or climbers — not a general one, because most will just tell you to rest and you'll be back here in six weeks.

While you're waiting: the front-of-shoulder pinch in levers usually comes from letting the scapula slip into protraction and the humeral head drift forward as you fatigue. That's why it hits at second eight and not second two. Cut hold time to five seconds, do more sets, and film yourself from the side — you'll probably see the shoulder round forward right before the pinch starts.

Then five second holds with perfect position is your actual training for the next month. Stop the set the moment the position breaks, not when you fail. Still see someone about it.

Check your door frames before buying a leverage-style bar. They rely on a solid architrave and a fair bit of wall above the door. In a modern flat with plasterboard and a thin frame they either won't fit or will damage the wall, and you'll lose your deposit over a £25 bar.