We all know there are so quite a few diverse coaching approaches, instruction applications, and coaching personalities. Quite a few gymnastics coaches effectively get their gymnasts more robust, but they do not essentially incorporate ample activity distinct coaching into their applications. I have viewed gymnasts gain from the common power physical exercises these types of as thrust ups, but when it comes time to perform selected abilities the gymnast’s muscle tissues are not generally geared up, accustomed to the sequence of movements for the expertise, or strong plenty of in each placement essential to safely full the skill.
Gymnasts truly will need a selection of training to include activity precise coaching other than standard energy conditioning in purchase to extra intently simulate the capabilities in our sport. For example, lots of straight arm workout routines these as the entrance lateral increase, press handstand, or planche drills additional closely simulate gymnastics competencies than bent arm workouts these as the force up, bench push, or reverse dips.
In this article is 1 straight arm training that has served several gymnasts strengthen their upper body, shoulders, and back muscle tissue, starting to be stronger in two really essential motions. Due to the fact the gymnast often must be ready to open up and near the shoulder angle during techniques on uneven bars, I have integrated a pretty practical training which incorporates both up and down movements. This just one really should aid her understand to successfully transition from one particular arm motion to the up coming with relieve. Photo your gymnast carrying out a glide kip, solid handstand, obvious hip handstand. She will have to reverse shoulder movements many occasions in just this small time period of time. As soon as you see the shoulder movements needed to connect these abilities you will see the causes I had for incorporating two routines into a person drill more than a 10 years ago. This workout basically alternates the motions of opening and then closing the shoulder angle.
Lie Down Solid/Kip Drill (Barbell / Toning Bar)
1. Spot your gymnast all through this physical exercise. Give her whole guidelines before she starts the workout.
2. Setting Up: Have your gymnast lie on her back in between two folded panel mats with her arms earlier mentioned her head. Her head need to stay concerning the mats, but her hands and wrists need to go further than the mats in buy to allow for the bar to approximately touch the floor right after it is lifted about head for complete array of motion.
3. The folded mats will have to be a few inches greater than your gymnast while she is lying involving them for basic safety reasons. The bar need to be prolonged sufficient so that every stop can relaxation on the heart of one particular of the mats. The bar will be lifted from and returned to the mats without the need of touching your gymnast. There must be ample clearance for your gymnast to slide in or out when the bar rests on the mats. While you will be spotting your gymnast, the mats will also aid avoid the bar from touching her. If 1 mat on each aspect is not large enough, remember to use two folded mats on just about every aspect. If the bar is introduced down way too speedily or falls, it really should land on the mats, not your gymnast. This is a incredibly safe training when the mentor and gymnast hold security in head.
4. Once the mats are established up, spot the bar on the mats and make sure it will not slide amongst the mats or roll off.
5. Setting up Placement: Once the mats and bar are in position, instruct your gymnast to sit between the mats, slide her legs under the bar, and then lie down. She must posture herself so that the bar is earlier mentioned her hips.
6. Once positioned, enable your gymnast to grasp the bar and then straighten her arms. Instruct your gymnast to maintain her arms straight, but not to lock them.
7. Be cautious the bar does not change to an unsafe starting position.
8. Future, instruct her to lift the bar up towards ceiling and then toward the flooring previously mentioned her head to simulate a forged to handstand motion with her higher physique.
9. Remind your gymnast to keep on to keep the bar securely and then make it possible for her to raise the bar off the floor, towards ceiling yet again, and then decrease it to the mat above her hips to simulate a kip with her upper overall body.
10. Allow your gymnast to carry on with a number of repetitions if she is in a position. Tell her that it ought to be a ongoing motion as soon as she is comfy.
11. Your gymnast will possible require extra location lifting the bar from the mat (the initiation section) which involves the shoulders (deltoids) than she will on the return stage which requires the again (latissimus) muscles. Be organized to place all phases of this physical exercise. You can have one coach location every single part. To spot the raise from the mat, kneel on 1 of the mats to help your gymnast raise off the mat. Kneel close to her head to spot the raise from the ground. Make absolutely sure you can arrive at the bar, especially when it is previously mentioned your gymnast’s system.
12. Start off with the lightest bar probable, possibly even a broomstick to make certain suitable security and kind. The moment accustomed to this exercising, your gymnast can use weights on a barbell or a firming bar, but it should always depend upon her power and working experience. If you are utilizing a bar with no weights, you can wrap a thick towel about each and every conclude to enable reduce your gymnast’s knuckles from touching the flooring.
The 2nd workout is a lot more clear. This a single also can help the gymnast with particular gymnastics techniques since she will be in and out of a handstand. The Planche – Digital Handstand – Planche Drill is a terrific exercise for physique tightness, regulate, higher overall body energy, and core energy. This drill is an correct physical exercise for gymnasts on so a lot of concentrations, together with individuals predicted to accomplish the forged handstand and very clear hip handstand on bars in the in close proximity to long term.
1. Instruct your gymnast to stand with her back to a recognizing block or mat stack, area her arms on the floor, and then put just one foot/ankle on the block. At the time your gymnast has one particular foot/ankle on the block, she can then place her other foot/ankle up on the block.
2. Now your gymnast should really be in an elevated thrust up placement with her feet on the block. Your gymnast’s legs, hips, and chest really should continue being off the ground all over this work out.
3. Now that your gymnast is in the elevated push up placement, instruct her to go her hands closer to the recognizing block and her shoulders ahead in buy to form a slight planche place.
4. Once your gymnast is in the planche position with her toes on the block, instruct her to squeeze her buttocks and then to pull her tummy button in. You need to see the decreased portion of your gymnast’s back again elongate into the accurate reduced back again position for a handstand (pelvic tilt).
5. Right after your gymnast has fashioned the appropriate form with her reduced entire body, instruct her to push down on the floor and pull in her upper body simultaneously. The portion of your gymnast’s again in between her shoulder blades must rise toward the ceiling. Your gymnast has just executed a protraction / shoulder shrug in the planche force up situation. To enable train the shoulder shrug touch the portion of your gymnast’s back that is concerning her shoulder blades and question her to drive up on your hand to type the rounded again.
6. Instruct your gymnast to maintain that limited shape throughout the rest of the physical exercise.
7. To start the exercising, instruct your gymnast to elevate 1 of her legs up towards the ceiling, but to keep her other foot/ankle on the block. Your gymnast’s overall body, with the exception of the foot/ankle however supported on the block should really have moved as just one unit up to the solitary leg, or digital, handstand. The leg that is pointed toward the ceiling must be the one particular forming the handstand shape alongside with the upper human body.
8. Your gymnast’s shoulders, hips, and one ankle need to be instantly higher than her palms whilst the other leg remains supported on the block. Advise your gymnast that her hips and shoulders should really keep on being square with the block. Her buttocks need to be below, tummy in, hip opened, chest in, and shoulders in a shrug/stretched placement. Remaining sq. and limited is not generally quick for the gymnast.
9. Once your gymnast is in the correct one leg, or digital, handstand placement she can begin the return motion by slowly reducing her no cost leg back again to the block and shifting her shoulders a little forward so she returns to the planche force up place. Your gymnast’s human body ought to move as a single device to the starting off place. Instruct your gymnast to hold her head in line with her backbone, neither tucked in nor tilted back.
10. Subsequent, instruct your gymnast to return to the solitary leg, or digital, handstand placement by lifting her totally free leg again up earlier mentioned her hips so that she is vertical, with the exception of her supported leg. She must also open her armpits back again up, and sq. her shoulders and hips with the block. Your gymnast must convey her shoulders and head into alignment for the suitable handstand form once again. Instruct your gymnast to look at the floor just over her hands for the planche and then at the block for the handstand.
11. After your gymnast understands the motion of the virtual handstand to planche and back to the handstand, inquire her to entire a couple of repetitions before stopping if she is equipped.
12. Advise your gymnast not to planche far too significantly ahead until eventually she builds power and becomes very cozy so she does not collapse.
13. You should also advise your gymnast to communicate when she is fatigued so that you can permit her to relaxation. This training puts huge pressure on your gymnast’s wrists. You should make it possible for her to rest when she communicates that her wrists are obtaining fatigued.
This workout, when executed correctly, intently simulates the shoulder motions of the forged handstand and distinct hip handstand on uneven bars. You can use a flooring bar as extensive as the floor bar is steady.
The consistent adjust in shoulder angle triggers a alter in the demand on your gymnast’s upper entire body muscle groups. Your gymnast need to produce toughness in a large selection of positions immediately after accomplishing this drill commonly and regularly around the course of time.
As you can see, these exercise routines are so a lot distinct from press ups for the reason that of the straight arm coaching which so carefully simulates gymnastics expertise. Your gymnast’s whole higher entire body will be challenged with this workout. If carried out usually and continuously this drill should support enormously with over-all higher system strength in addition to particular gymnastics capabilities.
Whilst the push up and bench push are good physical exercises, they do not truly simulate the gymnastics capabilities of feminine gymnasts. Gymnastics abilities have to be simulated in a safe and sound method in get to practice a gymnast’s intellect and entire body to accomplish gymnastics skills safely and securely and proficiently.
Karen M. Goeller