Gymnastics Article: Simulate the
Skills with Straight Arm Conditioning
We all know there are so many different coaching methods,
training programs, and coaching personalities. Many gymnastics coaches
successfully get their gymnasts stronger, but they do not necessarily
incorporate enough sport specific training into their programs. I have seen
gymnasts benefit from the general strength exercises such as push ups, but when
it comes time to perform certain skills the gymnast's muscles are not always
prepared, accustomed to the sequence of movements for the skills, or strong
enough in each position required to safely complete the skill.
Gymnasts really need a variety of training to include sport
specific training besides general strength conditioning in order to more closely
simulate the skills in our sport. For example, many straight arm exercises such
as the front lateral raise, press handstand, or planche drills more closely
simulate gymnastics skills than bent arm exercises such as the push up, bench
press, or reverse dips.
Here is one straight arm exercise that has helped many
gymnasts strengthen their chest, shoulders, and back muscles, becoming stronger
in two very important motions. Since the gymnast often must be able to open and
close the shoulder angle during skills on uneven bars, I have included a very
useful exercise which incorporates both up and down movements. This one should
help her learn to efficiently transition from one arm motion to the next with
ease. Picture your gymnast performing a glide kip, cast handstand, clear hip
handstand. She will have to reverse shoulder movements several times within this
short period of time. Once you see the shoulder movements necessary to connect
these skills you will see the reasons I had for incorporating two exercises into
one drill more than a decade ago. This exercise actually alternates the motions
of opening and then closing the shoulder angle.
Lie Down Cast / Kip Drill (Barbell or Toning Bar)
Spot your gymnast during this exercise. Give her full
instructions before she begins the exercise.
Setting Up: Have your gymnast lie on her back between two
folded panel mats with her arms above her head. Her head must remain between the
mats, but her hands and wrists should go beyond the mats in order to allow the
bar to nearly touch the floor after it is lifted over head for full range of
motion.
The folded mats must be a few inches higher than your gymnast
while she is lying between them for safety reasons. The bar must be long enough
so that each end can rest on the center of one of the mats. The bar will be
lifted from and returned to the mats without touching your gymnast. There should
be enough clearance for your gymnast to slide in or out while the bar rests on
the mats. Although you will be spotting your gymnast, the mats will also help
prevent the bar from touching her. If one mat on each side is not high enough,
please use two folded mats on each side. If the bar is brought down too quickly
or falls, it should land on the mats, not your gymnast. This is a very safe
exercise when the coach and gymnast keep safety in mind.
Once the mats are set up, place the bar on the mats and make
sure it will not fall between the mats or roll off.
Starting Position: Once 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 should position herself so that the bar is above her hips.
Once positioned, allow your gymnast to grasp the bar and then
straighten her arms. Instruct your gymnast to keep her arms straight, but not to
lock them.
Be careful the bar does not shift to an unsafe starting
position.
Next, instruct her to lift the bar up toward ceiling and then
toward the floor above her head to simulate a cast to handstand motion with her
upper body.
Remind your gymnast to continue to hold the bar securely and
then allow her to lift the bar off the floor, toward ceiling again, and then
lower it to the mat above her hips to simulate a kip with her upper body.
Allow your gymnast to continue with several repetitions if she
is able. Inform her that it should be a continuous motion once she is
comfortable.
Your gymnast will likely need more spot lifting the bar from
the mat (the initiation phase) which involves the shoulders (deltoids) than she
will on the return phase which involves the back (latissimus) muscles. Be
prepared to spot all phases of this exercise. You can have one coach spot each
portion. To spot the lift from the mat, kneel on one of the mats to help your
gymnast lift off the mat. Kneel near her head to spot the lift from the floor.
Make sure you can reach the bar, especially when it is above your gymnast's
body.
Start with the lightest bar possible, maybe even a broomstick
to ensure proper safety and form. Once accustomed to this exercise, your gymnast
can use weights on a barbell or a toning bar, but it should always depend upon
her strength and experience. If you are using a bar with no weights, you can
wrap a thick towel around each end to help prevent your gymnast's knuckles from
touching the floor.
The second exercise is more obvious. This one also
helps the gymnast with specific gymnastics skills because she will be in and out
of a handstand. The Planche Virtual Handstand Planche Drill is
a great exercise for body tightness, control, upper body strength, and core
strength. This drill is an appropriate exercise for gymnasts on so many levels,
including those expected to perform the cast handstand and clear hip handstand
on bars in the near future.
Instruct your gymnast to stand with her back to a spotting
block or mat stack, place her hands on the floor, and then place one foot/ankle
on the block. Once your gymnast has one foot/ankle on the block, she can then
place her other foot/ankle up on the block.
Now your gymnast should be in an elevated push up position
with her feet on the block. Your gymnast's legs, hips, and chest should remain
off the floor throughout this exercise.
Now that your gymnast is in the elevated push up position,
instruct her to move her hands closer to the spotting block and her shoulders
forward in order to form a slight planche position.
Once your gymnast is in the planche position with her feet on
the block, instruct her to squeeze her buttocks and then to pull her belly
button in. You should see the lower portion of your gymnast's back elongate into
the correct low back position for a handstand (pelvic tilt).
After your gymnast has formed the correct shape with her lower
body, instruct her to push down on the floor and pull in her chest
simultaneously. The portion of your gymnast's back between her shoulder blades
should rise toward the ceiling. Your gymnast has just performed a protraction /
shoulder shrug in the planche push up position. To help teach the shoulder shrug
touch the portion of your gymnast's back that is between her shoulder blades and
ask her to push up on your hand to form the rounded back.
Instruct your gymnast to hold that tight shape throughout the
rest of the exercise.
To start the exercise, instruct your gymnast to lift one of
her legs up toward the ceiling, but to keep her other foot/ankle on the block.
Your gymnast's body, with the exception of the foot/ankle still supported on the
block should have moved as one unit up to the single leg, or virtual, handstand.
The leg that is pointed toward the ceiling should be the one forming the
handstand shape along with the upper body.
Your gymnast's shoulders, hips, and one ankle should be
directly above her hands while the other leg remains supported on the block.
Inform your gymnast that her hips and shoulders should remain square with the
block. Her buttocks should be under, belly in, hip opened, chest in, and
shoulders in a shrug/stretched position. Remaining square and tight is not
always easy for the gymnast.
Once your gymnast is in the correct single leg, or virtual,
handstand position she can begin the return motion by slowly lowering her free
leg back to the block and shifting her shoulders slightly forward so she returns
to the planche push up position. Your gymnast's body should move as one unit to
the starting position. Instruct your gymnast to keep her head in line with her
spine, neither tucked in nor tilted back.
Next, instruct your gymnast to return to the single leg, or
virtual, handstand position by lifting her free leg back up above her hips so
that she is vertical, with the exception of her supported leg. She must also
open her armpits back up, and square her shoulders and hips with the block. Your
gymnast must bring her shoulders and head into alignment for the correct
handstand shape again. Instruct your gymnast to look at the floor just above her
hands for the planche and then at the block for the handstand.
Once your gymnast understands the motion of the virtual
handstand to planche and back to the handstand, ask her to complete a few
repetitions before stopping if she is able.
Inform your gymnast not to planche too far forward until she
builds strength and becomes very comfortable so she does not collapse.
You must also inform your gymnast to communicate when she is
fatigued so that you can allow her to rest. This exercise puts tremendous
pressure on your gymnast's wrists. You should allow her to rest when she
communicates that her wrists are getting tired.
This exercise, when performed correctly, closely simulates the
shoulder motions of the cast handstand and clear hip handstand on uneven bars.
You can use a floor bar as long as the floor bar is stable.
The constant change in shoulder angle causes a change in the
demand on your gymnast's upper body muscles. Your gymnast should develop
strength in a wide range of positions after performing this drill frequently and
consistently over the course of time.
As you can see, these exercises are so much different from
push ups because of the straight arm training which so closely simulates
gymnastics skills. Your gymnast's entire upper body will be challenged with this
exercise. If performed frequently and consistently this drill should help
tremendously with overall upper body strength in addition to specific
gymnastics skills.
Although the push up and bench press are great exercises, they
do not really simulate the gymnastics skills of female gymnasts. Gymnastics
skills must be simulated in a safe manner in order to train a gymnast's mind and
body to perform gymnastics skills safely and efficiently.
For more gymnastics drills and conditioning exercises visit
www.GymnasticsDrills.com.
By Karen M. Goeller
Karen Goeller has 30 years of experience
training athletes and an education that includes training in emergency medicine,
physical therapy, and nutrition. She has held certifications that include
Fitness Trainer, EMT-D, Nutritional Analysis, and many Gymnastics Certifications
among others. Goeller has tremendous experience with training in a variety of
settings. Karen Goeller is the author of the Swing Set Fitness books, the
Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning books, and many additional products. She has
written more gymnastics books than anyone in the USA. Her books are used by
fitness experts, sports coaches, teachers, and athletes worldwide. Karen Goeller
has worked for world's most famous gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi, owned a
gymnastics club for ten years, and has been featured in several newspapers and
on television many times.
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