We all know there are so lots of diverse coaching techniques, schooling packages, and coaching personalities. Quite a few gymnastics coaches successfully get their gymnasts much better, but they do not essentially include more than enough activity precise schooling into their programs. I have viewed gymnasts gain from the general strength routines such as drive ups, but when it comes time to complete specified techniques the gymnast’s muscle tissue are not always organized, accustomed to the sequence of actions for the competencies, or sturdy adequate in every placement required to safely and securely finish the skill.
Gymnasts seriously need to have a selection of coaching to incorporate sport certain instruction in addition to normal strength conditioning in purchase to a lot more intently simulate the capabilities in our activity. For case in point, numerous straight arm workouts these as the entrance lateral raise, press handstand, or planche drills much more carefully simulate gymnastics competencies than bent arm workouts these as the drive up, bench press, or reverse dips.
Here is 1 straight arm workout that has served a lot of gymnasts bolster their upper body, shoulders, and back again muscular tissues, becoming much better in two quite vital motions. Considering the fact that the gymnast typically will have to be capable to open up and near the shoulder angle through skills on uneven bars, I have incorporated a really practical workout which incorporates the two up and down movements. This a person need to aid her learn to efficiently transition from 1 arm motion to the up coming with ease. Image your gymnast undertaking a glide kip, forged handstand, crystal clear hip handstand. She will have to reverse shoulder movements quite a few occasions inside of this limited period of time. Once you see the shoulder movements important to hook up these competencies you will see the causes I had for incorporating two physical exercises into just one drill more than a decade back. This work out essentially alternates the motions of opening and then closing the shoulder angle.
Lie Down Solid/Kip Drill (Barbell / Toning Bar)
1. Location your gymnast throughout this workout. Give her whole directions prior to she begins the exercise.
2. Setting Up: Have your gymnast lie on her back again among two folded panel mats with her arms higher than her head. Her head must continue to be among the mats, but her fingers and wrists should really go past the mats in purchase to allow the bar to approximately contact the ground right after it is lifted above head for full selection of movement.
3. The folded mats ought to be a number of inches larger than your gymnast whilst she is lying involving them for safety explanations. The bar will have to be long ample so that each and every stop can relaxation on the middle of a single of the mats. The bar will be lifted from and returned to the mats without touching your gymnast. There must be ample clearance for your gymnast to slide in or out even though the bar rests on the mats. While you will be spotting your gymnast, the mats will also help avoid the bar from touching her. If a single mat on every single side is not substantial adequate, remember to use two folded mats on every single facet. If the bar is introduced down also speedily or falls, it really should land on the mats, not your gymnast. This is a pretty risk-free work out when the mentor and gymnast maintain protection in thoughts.
4. The moment the mats are established up, place the bar on the mats and make guaranteed it will not drop between the mats or roll off.
5. Setting up Posture: As soon as the mats and bar are in place, instruct your gymnast to sit between the mats, slide her legs under the bar, and then lie down. She must place herself so that the bar is previously mentioned her hips.
6. At the time positioned, enable your gymnast to grasp the bar and then straighten her arms. Instruct your gymnast to preserve her arms straight, but not to lock them.
7. Be watchful the bar does not change to an unsafe starting off situation.
8. Upcoming, instruct her to elevate the bar up toward ceiling and then towards the ground over her head to simulate a forged to handstand motion with her higher entire body.
9. Remind your gymnast to continue to hold the bar securely and then enable her to lift the bar off the flooring, toward ceiling all over again, and then reduce it to the mat over her hips to simulate a kip with her higher human body.
10. Allow for your gymnast to go on with a number of repetitions if she is capable. Notify her that it need to be a constant movement when she is snug.
11. Your gymnast will very likely need to have additional location lifting the bar from the mat (the initiation phase) which requires the shoulders (deltoids) than she will on the return period which entails the back (latissimus) muscle mass. Be geared up to spot all phases of this workout. You can have a single coach location every single part. To location the raise from the mat, kneel on one particular of the mats to enable your gymnast carry off the mat. Kneel close to her head to location the elevate from the floor. Make guaranteed you can access the bar, in particular when it is over your gymnast’s human body.
12. Start off with the lightest bar probable, maybe even a broomstick to make sure suitable basic safety and kind. Once accustomed to this work out, your gymnast can use weights on a barbell or a firming bar, but it should really often depend on her toughness and experience. If you are making use of a bar with no weights, you can wrap a thick towel around just about every stop to assistance reduce your gymnast’s knuckles from touching the ground.
The next training is far more evident. This a single also aids the gymnast with precise gymnastics techniques for the reason that she will be in and out of a handstand. The Planche – Virtual Handstand – Planche Drill is a great physical exercise for entire body tightness, control, upper overall body power, and main toughness. This drill is an suitable workout for gymnasts on so many stages, which includes individuals envisioned to carry out the solid handstand and very clear hip handstand on bars in the in the vicinity of potential.
1. Instruct your gymnast to stand with her again to a recognizing block or mat stack, place her palms on the ground, and then position just one foot/ankle on the block. At the time your gymnast has a person foot/ankle on the block, she can then spot her other foot/ankle up on the block.
2. Now your gymnast should really be in an elevated drive up situation with her ft on the block. Your gymnast’s legs, hips, and upper body must continue being off the ground through this exercise.
3. Now that your gymnast is in the elevated force up placement, instruct her to move her palms nearer to the spotting block and her shoulders ahead in buy to variety a slight planche situation.
4. As soon as your gymnast is in the planche posture with her toes on the block, instruct her to squeeze her buttocks and then to pull her stomach button in. You must see the decrease part of your gymnast’s again elongate into the appropriate low back again placement for a handstand (pelvic tilt).
5. Immediately after your gymnast has fashioned the proper form with her decrease human body, instruct her to drive down on the flooring and pull in her upper body concurrently. The portion of your gymnast’s back amongst her shoulder blades need to increase toward the ceiling. Your gymnast has just executed a protraction / shoulder shrug in the planche force up placement. To enable train the shoulder shrug touch the portion of your gymnast’s back again that is involving her shoulder blades and check with her to press up on your hand to variety the rounded again.
6. Instruct your gymnast to hold that restricted condition throughout the relaxation of the physical exercise.
7. To start out the workout, instruct your gymnast to carry a single of her legs up towards the ceiling, but to preserve her other foot/ankle on the block. Your gymnast’s physique, with the exception of the foot/ankle nevertheless supported on the block must have moved as a single device up to the one leg, or digital, handstand. The leg that is pointed toward the ceiling should be the one forming the handstand condition along with the upper body.
8. Your gymnast’s shoulders, hips, and a person ankle ought to be specifically previously mentioned her palms even though the other leg remains supported on the block. Inform your gymnast that her hips and shoulders should continue to be square with the block. Her buttocks must be less than, stomach in, hip opened, upper body in, and shoulders in a shrug/stretched place. Remaining square and tight is not normally uncomplicated for the gymnast.
9. As soon as your gymnast is in the suitable one leg, or virtual, handstand position she can start out the return motion by slowly and gradually reducing her totally free leg back to the block and shifting her shoulders a bit ahead so she returns to the planche press up place. Your gymnast’s human body need to transfer as one unit to the commencing place. Instruct your gymnast to retain her head in line with her backbone, neither tucked in nor tilted again.
10. Up coming, instruct your gymnast to return to the one leg, or digital, handstand posture by lifting her free leg back 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 up, and sq. her shoulders and hips with the block. Your gymnast will have to provide her shoulders and head into alignment for the right handstand form all over again. Instruct your gymnast to glance at the flooring just above her hands for the planche and then at the block for the handstand.
11. Once your gymnast understands the motion of the digital handstand to planche and back to the handstand, inquire her to full a number of repetitions right before stopping if she is ready.
12. Tell your gymnast not to planche as well significantly ahead right up until she builds strength and gets quite comfortable so she does not collapse.
13. You should also tell your gymnast to talk when she is fatigued so that you can allow her to rest. This exercise places great strain on your gymnast’s wrists. You must make it possible for her to relaxation when she communicates that her wrists are obtaining exhausted.
This workout, when executed the right way, carefully simulates the shoulder motions of the cast handstand and apparent hip handstand on uneven bars. You can use a ground bar as prolonged as the flooring bar is secure.
The continuous change in shoulder angle will cause a change in the need on your gymnast’s higher entire body muscle tissues. Your gymnast really should acquire toughness in a extensive variety of positions just after doing this drill frequently and constantly more than the system of time.
As you can see, these physical exercises are so much distinctive from drive ups because of the straight arm schooling which so carefully simulates gymnastics competencies. Your gymnast’s total upper body will be challenged with this training. If performed regularly and consistently this drill must help tremendously with overall upper body energy in addition to precise gymnastics capabilities.
Although the push up and bench press are excellent physical exercises, they do not actually simulate the gymnastics skills of woman gymnasts. Gymnastics techniques need to be simulated in a risk-free manner in buy to train a gymnast’s thoughts and body to perform gymnastics expertise properly and competently.
Karen M. Goeller
www.GymnasticsDrills.com