Difficulty rating: what he knows. Tim has had several training articles the legs together.

In the final position, a half back lever will continue to m i d d l e split hold. At first y o u m a y n o t be able to m o v e the h i p s forward off knee.23 They can be done sitting, standing, or lying down. 34 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM CHAPTER FOUR T 24 Idem. the feet slightly above the knees. The h i p s in height should be s o m e w h e r e inh a n d outside of y o u r leg just in front of the hips. P u s h up a n d a t t e m p t to h o l d of play and you should be on your way to becoming Gray Cook and Lee Burton, Secrets of Primitive Patterns, atching s o m e o n e perform a m a n n a seems to blur the b o u n d a r i e s of w h a t allowing for faster communication between the hemispheres a d v a n c e d frog stand. Allowing the elbows to b e n d removes stress from the Difficulty rating: 22 T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING is true. The position of our head and neck can facilitate Back Lever 5. Learn how to run sprints. the a p p r o p r i a t e h i p strength necessary to perform it on the floor. here; lean forward strongly, k e e p the elbows locked w i t h the hips a n d back The neural connections in the brain are much like the frustrating for adults. There are some of you reading this right tuck L a n d that you n e e d to w o r k on t w o chairs or elevated bars. In the ratio y o u m a y ask? As gymnasts, it is literally impossible to neglect this p a r t of Front Lever - straddle Begin from a straddle sit on the floor. Partially roll b a c k w a r d t h e n quickly roll Gray Cook and Lee Burton, Secrets of Primitive Patterns, g r o u n d as y o u r h i p s m o v e forward. to the t r e m e n d o u s instability of the rings, y o u will probably find it allow y o u to start w i t h y o u feet m u c h lower a n d m a k e the exercise m o r e Be sure to w o r k in a clear area, w h e r e y o u have r o o m to roll b a c k w a r d if c o m m o n misconception on the m a n n a is to think that the position is achieved straight a n d level. knees tightly to the chest will m a k e this exercise easier. At first y o u m a y only both directions. If a client has a hard time rolling, we know Front Lever - tuck circles. You can even try them while eating green eggs and w i t h time a n d continued persistent training. a r m s locked a n d the rings t u r n e d out that y o u m a s t e r e d d u r i n g the regular XR anatomy chart of muscles and notice how the muscles and River Books, 2005), p. 131. L-sit - PB l o w initial training, it will. D y n a m i c strength is an essential c o m p o n e n t in the compensate. The w i d e r y o u r legs are, the easier the straddle planche will be. As I said earlier, you have to put this information to the test. stronger and you are now ready to explore more levels of s a m e time; one will build u p o n the other.

until that time occurs, our p r i m a r y focus n e e d s to r e m a i n on establishing a account. It is t r u e that p a l m s up will place less stress on the biceps, b u t the work-load on the lower back a n d shoulder girdle, h o w e v e r it is still is incorrect. It is essential on a t t e m p t i n g to rise up into position that the h i p s we were designed. Initially, do n o t be overly concerned about y o u r feet being below horizontal nerve signals, and movement patterns. A solid core is built by n o t allow the knees to lift above the h i p s , b u t keep t h e m b o t h parallel to the The Progressions horizontal or level w i t h y o u r shoulders w i t h an approximately 45 angle On lifting y o u will naturally w a n t to allow the feet to lift above the hips. This before you train. You can use them as a warmup. There are 7 there are only a few w h o can do the m a n n a correctly. Back Lever - straddle decide to take up climbing, this crawl can be a great way to regarding where your head should be while you are training It is composed of highly sensitive organs called the utricle, lever. Warmup by pressing reset. develops is transferable to a w i d e range of gymnastics skills. Warmup by pressing reset. little and you will see what we mean. vertical straddled V. Do not give in to the t e m p t a t i o n to focus on lifting the straddle planche, it is also beneficial to practice tuck planche p u s h - u p s at the As for the grip, this is a personal choice, h o w e v e r I r e c o m m e n d p a l m s d o w n crazy and mix it up a bit if you like! Having said all of movements. do we reconcile these ideas? We examine the principles the floor as well as on the bars. W o r k h a r d a n d persevere in the p u r s u i t of Do not lean back, nor should y o u allow y o u r h e a d to fall back. This is Everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY Door Publications, 1999), p. 79. Constantly using your accessory muscles to breathe has a Play can lead to living! become fully connected and integrated, in every sense, these learn how to do them from an incline position or from your parallets, on p u s h u p bars or e v e n on a set of kettlebells. Front Lever Difficulty rating: you like. If you are really deconditioned, start out gradually. Back Lever - flat tuck relation to each other at all times. capable of anything to bodies capable of being paper uncomfortable for y o u r wrists, these progressions can also be performed on Fundamental Static Positions shoulder girdle & elbow joint, w h i c h is exactly w h e r e it n e e d s to be in order to our training. It w o u l d be like asking a fish to not get wet. D u e to the fact that 3 reps at 90% great assistance to you. This practice h o w e v e r should only be u s e d in the legs, continue to focus on pressing the hips forward; this is essential. Do n o t

proficient at t h e m a n d can hold a 10-second front lever. A n o t h e r athlete, Josh, by getting on your hands and knees, keeping a long spine b e t w e e n these t w o exercises can be extreme. A d v a n c e d frog s t a n d s help to beginning w h e n necessary a n d should be discontinued as soon as possible. A variations. why do we do it so well and so easily, so instinctively? the back lever. As great as crawling is, we have found that some clients just w i t h y o u r shoulders w i t h an approximately 45 degree angle b e t w e e n the a r m s parallel to the floor. At first it m a y not be possible for y o u to lift y o u r legs up to a completely performance guidelines for the p r e v i o u s planche variations continue to apply d y n a m i c strength exercises, as outlined in The D y n a m i c Physique. H o w e v e r h a n d s in-between your legs. With y o u r h a n d s comfortably spaced apart, lift series, to k e e p the back as flat as possible at all times. Keeping the back flat // L-sit - PB easiest thing in the world, right? W r o n g . Correctly done, the L-sit will m a k e WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM time passion. Mike has pursued continuing education with also be u n d e r s t o o d that the vast majority of athletes fail in establishing an power boosting reflex is called the positive support reaction. vestibular system is stimulated by neck movement, among There is a ton of great information out there when it comes to do this correctly, your belly will push against the floor and legs farther behind, y o u will also h a v e to lean a little farther forward to WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM increases the muscular d e m a n d s of this m o v e m e n t . For beginners on the before. Everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the Notice that this is the only static position in our planche progressions w i t h flat. The p r i m a r y difference of this variation is that n o w the knees will be b e n t very i m p o r t a n t to keep the elbows straight, as b e n d i n g the elbows will greatly regular part of your life. Constantly using your accessory muscles to breathe has a development in motor skills.18 Remember, all your muscles As y o u continue leaning forward y o u will h o w e v e r the elbows h a v e progressed from a bent to a straight-arm position. necessary. N o w simply sit on the g r o u n d w i t h y o u r legs straddled (apart), the designed to do. If all you want to do is just be a good parent, Difficulty rating: synthesizing new tissue and growing at an incredible rate. athletes I Difficulty rating: current level of strength. Difficulty rating: In the next four chapters, we will explore these movements, Play can lead to living! N o w lift off of the bars while right next to y o u r hips. W i t h the a r m s straight, once again strive to p u s h the be intense. Your goal is to eventually be able to pull y o u r hips up to WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM

best. Adjust the intensity of this m o v e m e n t by increasing or decreasing the designed to do. If all you want to do is just be a good parent, become fully connected and integrated, in every sense, these concentrate on the leg lift only and, w h i l e it is true that the legs do travel resulting in a b o d y position that is s k e w e d sideways. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM the grip that y o u prefer. If y o u find that a flat h a n d s u p p o r t on the floor is too bulletproof. Who cares how silly they make you look! For that reason, we will begin our quest for the m a n n a , w i t h the bent leg G we h a d t h o u g h t w a s physically possible. In fact, in most gymnastics Back Lever or your inner sense of self and all your senses, is intimately In appearance, the m a n n a resembles an inverted L- sit. To execute a m a n n a of play and you should be on your way to becoming eventually be able to r e m o v e y o u r feet completely from the floor a n d hold h i p s forward off the wrists. W h e n d o n e correctly, y o u r legs will lift off the t h e n subsequently fail to build up the extension strength necessary to succeed y o u r h i p flexors, h o w e v e r the w i d e r a n d m o r e stable your legs are, the easier w i t h patience a n d a lot of sweat, m a n y of the people w h o follow my p r o g r a m The shoulders should be slightly leaning forward. It m a y be performed either experience along the way. My destination is complete athletic continue m a k i n g progress t h r o u g h the planche progression. athlete to transition into a n d out of the back lever from other positions m o r e T will simply stop y o u r m o t i o n at a V-sit. As y o u continue p u s h i n g forward a n d Do 5 pullups or chinups, then 10 situps. Keep by leaning b a c k w a r d s while a t t e m p t i n g to lift the legs. Actually the m a i n front levers a n d planches are all examples of static strength elements. I h a v e before again continuing the d a y ' s w o r k o u t . With this variation it is perfectly fine to continue to allow y o u r legs to h a n g a n d quicker the d e v e l o p m e n t of the m a n n a will be. the right hemisphere, or the gestalt side, and the left Once y o u h a v e m a s t e r e d the flat tuck planche position y o u are r e a d y to w o r k lift higher t h a n horizontal. The higher the legs a n d h i p s lift, the farther least it has worked well for me. Just 5 minutes a day can favorite) a n d others w i t h the h a n d s completely flat. Just experiment a n d find There is a ton of great information out there when it comes to b e t w e e n the a r m s a n d torso while maintaining y o u r "flattened" back. To Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great two days a week with the bulk of their time and energy being WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM Be prepared, this is an extremely difficult variation e v e n for a d v a n c e d BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY bviously, for those of us w h o are m e r e mortals, it is not possible to simply forward while simultaneously attempting to p u s h up into the straddle L w i t h As the leverage is m u c h less on this exercise a n d the difficulty is higher, y o u that this is a n o t a ring planche a n d that w i t h the p r o p e r progressions a n d The following progressions m a y be performed on the Xtreme Rings, a single In the next four chapters, we will explore these movements, the hips shoulder high. D e p e n d i n g on y o u r initial strength levels, it m a y take Front Lever - half

to the straight leg position. development in motor skills.18 Remember, all your muscles frog stand, lean forward taking all of y o u r w e i g h t on y o u r a r m s a n d shoulders rings, it is often easiest to begin from a bent leg straddle L a n d then extend o u t position. There is a big debate in the training community rather t h a n p a l m s u p ; unless there is an injury that n e e d s to be t a k e n into athletes? why do we do it so well and so easily, so instinctively? BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY lever. n o t allow y o u to lean back at all or to pull d o w n w i t h y o u r lats - all p u r e core S t r a d d l e L - PB l o w how to do a few basic moves to help you get started. Straddle Ls, as well as L sits, are also easily integrated in the training of other 17 of the knees a n d hips. and powerful forces; the key to a strong and resilient body.8 the back lever n e e d s to be established before a planche will be successful. placed in front of y o u will h e l p to cushion any crash landings. so the eyes are in place to see the world. Heads up! The way front lever will be. to the Horizontal L. The difference b e t w e e n this a n d the prior version is d o w n slightly before being at the basic of y o u r strength. A t t e m p t i n g to lean The 1/2 Planche will greatly intensify t h e stress on the lower back while in the How to CrossCrawl BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY integrated. forces cross through our center from left to right, right to left, b e e n established. or your inner sense of self and all your senses, is intimately the top position of the m a n n a . If the m a n n a is a rare skill, the h i g h m a n n a is nearly non-existent. In fact, other h a n d s while a t the same time pressing y o u r h a n d s d o w n t o w a r d s y o u r hips. While w o r k i n g the various planche variations, strive to h o l d the hips level For a correct straddle L position, the legs should be parallel to the floor w i t h H o w e v e r for those p l a n n i n g to progress to the straight planche in the future, as p r o g r a m s a r o u n d the country the m a n n a is a relatively rare skill a n d elbows. w i t h the calves in a vertical position w i t h the feet pointing at the ceiling. like Dr. Leroy Perry, the first chiropractor ever to serve as an Our center is not a two dimensional X. It is three H M S H is a very challenging position a n d will n e e d to be built up to gradually. pushups, then 1 broad jump. 25 pushups, then 1 broad behind them. Namely, eat when youre hungry and eat for w h i c h quite frankly cannot be d e v e l o p e d any other w a y . develop rotary trunk stability. It prepares us for gait; as w i d e as possible a n d t h e n striving to pull t h e m w i d e r still. C o n t i n u e to feel by getting on your hands and knees, keeping a long spine anatomy chart of muscles and notice how the muscles and W a y back w h e n , w h e n I w a s a b e g i n n i n g gymnast, my first coach h a d us do b o d y motionless in an often mechanically d i s a d v a n t a g e d position. L-sits, patience, this position is attainable by a reasonably fit, h a r d w o r k i n g athlete.

m u c h m o r e rapidly. time will be a major milestone in y o u r athletic development. For m o r e advanced athletes, the regular L - s i t m a y be m a d e m u c h m o r e "flattening" will greatly increase the intensity of the tuck planche. In fact, I he straddle L is a graceful a n d elegant m o v e m e n t . It is an excellent behind them. Namely, eat when youre hungry and eat for WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM allow us to be comfortable so we dont have to move. Things forces cross through our center from left to right, right to left, on the floor, parallets or parallel bars. reducing the strain on the lower back, b u t also greatly lessening the strength try to extend y o u r h i p s back b e h i n d y o u until y o u r back is flat. skin, joints and muscles, your movement map will be clearer. h a v e trained, only t w o w e r e able to execute this element. Once in excellence w i t h this position. Achieving the horizontal L-sit for substantial this out! 21 straightforward. It does h o w e v e r require great dedication; for m o s t people 1-2 no specific a b d o m i n a l exercises; only lots a n d lots of regular L-sits. A 60 elbow to your knee while standing, try doing them while you Back Lever - tuck yourself up w i t h only y o u r h a n d s on the floor a n d y o u r knees on y o u r elbows WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM If something is important, you should do it everyday.34 m a n n a is forward extension of the h i p s in front of the h a n d s ; or m o r e simply strength necessary for the V-sit, w h i c h is essentially a leg lift on the h a n d s a n d Make small adjustments from w o r k o u t to w o r k o u t trying to either increase the Difficulty rating: relieves the discomfort w i t h i n the joint. Difficulty rating: the right hemisphere, or the gestalt side, and the left k e e p y o u r legs bent in this first variation of the straddle L. Unlike the regular T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING try to keep your eyes up. The crawling movement should be focus should be keeping the h i p s pressed forward. Great pressure will be felt T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING works wonders for the client. We have witnessed rolling this by allowing y o u r legs to d r o p as l o w as necessary in order to succeed in From the flat tuck planche position, begin to extend your knees b e h i n d y o u keep crawling around as adults! y o u get stronger in the straddle planche, y o u should increase the difficulty by Difficulty rating: locked a n d the chest up w i t h the back flat. 27 With the Gymnastics Bodies Program, all increases in m a x i m a l a n d d y n a m i c Be careful to m a i n t a i n a horizontal position. practice it is possible to increase your strength in static positions relatively Once the tuck front lever feels firmly in control, it is time to m o v e on to the flat Tuck y o u r legs a n d a t t e m p t to lift t h e m until they are parallel with the floor. system. In other words, we are not stimulating the brain, the shoes, but I would suggest when you train, or play, you time passion. Mike has pursued continuing education with

Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great gymnastics elements and, seemingly, the simplest of all a b d o m i n a l now who cannot crawl well. Others of you may find that you The n o r m a l performance criteria that y o u developed on the PBs for y o u r L-sit by themselves. We do h o w e v e r focus strongly on front levers. Allan is quite s u p p o r t position on the rings, see the XR s u p p o r t entry in the section on dip Straddle L - PB bent B While it will greatly reduce the intensity of this m o v e m e n t , it will also greatly fake crawling. It is deliberate. Your shoulders and hips have over the years h a v e h a d solid m a n n a s . below parallel; our major change will n o w be the straightening of the knees. to work together. With crawling, they are both working d o w n w a r d to the g r o u n d ) . Bringing the legs together greatly increases t h e life to its fullest, you need to be healthy. The first midline crossing movement we would like to w i d e r the better. You should actually feel y o u r hips actively pulling y o u r legs least it has worked well for me. Just 5 minutes a day can From Mike: As y o u r strength improves, continue to press y o u r hips further in front of opposite knee, you simply touch your opposite hand or Do not be overly concerned if y o u r n o w straight legs are far below horizontal. further forward in front of the wrists w h i l e maintaining the parallel position T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING In the beginning, squeezing i n w a r d w i t h the a r m s into y o u r lats will also be of skin, joints and muscles, your movement map will be clearer. considered s o m e w h a t exotic. Even a m o n g our U.S. Olympic level athletes forget to keep the shoulders pulling back a n d the h a n d s pressing d o w n . straight-arm strength is a completely different animal t h a n b e n t - a r m strength BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY inner unit and an outer unit. However you view the core, it is the straddle L. Lower to the g r o u n d , switch h a n d s a n d repeat. elbow to your knee while standing, try doing them while you athletes. Even as small an adjustment as one inch forward of the h i p s in front straddle L. This rolling version helps to alleviate that p r o b l e m by utilizing still a p p l y here. Performed correctly, the back s h o u l d be flat, the elbows a n d to the side. M a k e sure to continue to lean forward strongly w h e n exercises. H o w h a r d can it be to simply stay in one position? It m u s t be the Difficulty rating: 24 Idem. Once y o u feel comfortable w i t h the tuck planche, y o u can increase the Day 2 The neural connections in the brain are much like the held w i t h the hips a n d back flat, h o w e v e r n o w the legs are b r o u g h t together A caveat is required here; training the s u p p o r t static strength positions can system. In other words, we are not stimulating the brain, the decrease the leverage of the m o v e m e n t , subsequently greatly increasing the be quite taxing on the wrists; especially w i t h o u t an a d e q u a t e developmental It is i m p o r t a n t to emphasize keeping the a r m s completely straight d u r i n g the breathers, and we start using our accessory muscles to Free Time: Same as above positions that m o s t people are exposed to. It is a little bit exotic a n d forces

Front Lever people, that is play. Remember, these are just examples! ground.42 The leg muscles are indeed part of the core, and 90% of your developmental m a n n a time in. Most people will fail in the r e m a i n a secondary focus until an a d e q u a t e foundation of basic strength h a s Like regular L-sits, straddle Ls are m u c h m o r e difficult w h e n performed on Difficulty rating: T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING The p r i m a r y difference on this variation is that the knees will n o w be straight. elbows. N o w gradually lean forward taking y o u r weight b o t h u n t o your River Books, 2005), p. 131. will absolutely crush the core a n d lower back of the beginning gymnastics low and your feet travel to the outsides of your arm. It is as if strength. The reverse is h o w e v e r not true. we are w o r k i n g w i t h b o d y w e i g h t progressions, all of our maximal a n d Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great have quite a bit of variety in my diet. It allows me to eat forward in this position, y o u will often probably overextend a n d fall forward. You can check Tim out at www.OPTfitness.net or email him requisite a m o u n t of time developing the H M S H . on the straddle planche. Finally! After m o n t h s of h a r d consistent w o r k the e n d are too far extended forward a n d n e e d to pull y o u r legs back a bit. D o n ' t stated - p u s h i n g the hips forward in front of the h a n d s , not on lifting the legs. d r o p b e l o w the level of y o u r knees, y o u are attempting to go too h i g h for y o u r on the planche series exercises are completely optional. Some prefer fingers As y o u will n o w be h o l d i n g y o u r legs horizontal a n d parallel to the floor y o u WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM r e m o v e the legs from the floor a n d go directly to the planche. forward strongly. Also strive to k e e p the t h u m b s t u r n e d out d u r i n g the Using the e n d of the parallel bars, parallets or even t w o chairs sit w i t h y o u r difficulty of this exercise by progressing on to the flat tuck planche. The tied together in some way. You want to get a strong core? 27 When in life do we move the body without allowing the neck d u r i n g a s u p p o r t for the first time. For information on executing a correct marching backwards, try them super slow, try them while L, the straddle L should h a v e a forward lean while in support; the higher the quite s o m e time to reach this level of development. Simply continue w o r k i n g Gymnastic Bodies volume, The D y n a m i c Physique. H o w e v e r , to ensure the L-sit - XR believe we can press reset with certain movements to will ever as you like. (sometimes far below!) w i t h this variation. You will find that straightening A d v a n c e d athletes m a y enter the straddle planche either from a straddle L or 3 reps at 90% letters in the alphabet. But, for now, and because it works Dan John, Never Let Go (Santa Cruz: On Target strength will automatically equate to increases in relative strength as well. Back Lever - half large returns in your coordination, among many other y o u will unable to m a i n t a i n a flat back (straight body) position resulting in

position is lost, immediately r e t u r n back to the 1/2BL to p r e p a r e for the next life to its fullest, you need to be healthy. the biceps for the strain later on of XR planches a n d iron crosses. just by learning how to use your own body. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM projects/project_ideas/MatlSci_p021.shtml to allow y o u r back to curve as y o u learn a n d b u i l d strength in the m o v e m e n t . The h i g h straddle L is exceptionally difficult a n d very few athletes W h a t a b o u t relative strength a n d developing a h i g h strength to b o d y w e i g h t at the m a n n a . In my experience, the correct p r i m a r y focus for developing a the load on the back, the straddle back lever will once again be a q u a n t u m b o t h h a n d s in the center. There will be a m o m e n t a r y h o l d of the straddle L at exert d u r i n g these exercises. Also, as w i t h the u p c o m i n g planche series, it is position. Build up to this over time as small shifts of even a few inches greater directly to the shoulder girdle. For m a n y non-gymnasts, the j u m p in intensity would not want to do. Adjust, change, and tinker with them Trueprotein.com) mixed in throughout the day. I like to mix works wonders for the client. We have witnessed rolling this p u l l i n g d u r i n g the entire m o v e m e n t . Be p r e p a r e d for major cramps in N o w that a basic foundation h a s b e e n laid, w o r k on the M a n n a itself can m i d d l e split hold, y o u m a y m o v e on to the straight leg version. As great as crawling is, we have found that some clients just begin in a full squat a n d place your h a n d s next to y o u r toes. N o w , as in the Door Publications, 1999), p. 79. back to your belly using your legs or arms independently, m a n y b o d y w e i g h t skills; especially skills involving core a n d pull-up 37 farther t h a n the h i p s , the h i p s m u s t rise also in order to enable the m a n n a to 3 reps at 90% The Progressions Do 5 pullups or chinups, then 10 situps. Keep achieve this position, think of pulling y o u r s h o u l d e r s back a w a y from y o u r because it gets the feet involved (more so if you are barefoot). y o u are simply leaning o n the straight-arm rather t h a n being p r o p p e d u p b y would not want to do. Adjust, change, and tinker with them eventually build up to this skill; for a m a n n a there are no shortcuts. You m u s t are still straight a n d level a n d the a r m s are locked, h o w e v e r n o w the back is Planche tendons lie in relation to one another. Even our DNA is in the Manna Planche - half your sense of self, your reality, your balance, your posture, simultaneously attempting to p u s h the h i p s forward off of y o u r wrists. Do stronger and you are now ready to explore more levels of In an a d v a n c e d frog stand the knees continue to be braced on the arms; Straddle L - high Reverse lunge 15 steps per leg, do 10 pushups, then Difficulty rating: The Progressions Difficulty rating: eat anything all day Sunday, then go to bed. On Monday, Crosscrawls are nothing new. Youve probably even done

Be sure to m a i n t a i n the correct position for y o u r legs, if y o u feet start to air, and you are not using as much energy by breathing with From Tim: your head? t e n d o n strength of the joints, as well as h a v i n g a p r o f o u n d effect on core previously, the wrist specific p r e p a r a t i o n series that I use w i t h my athletes is straight. Bending the elbows greatly lessens the intensity of these exercises the bad, then we can also retrain our breathing pattern for the Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great keep crawling around as adults! a n d feet stay level w i t h one another. U n d e r no circumstances allow the feet to receive regular vestibular stimulation show advanced hemispheres of your brain with the coordinated movement. tied together in some way. You want to get a strong core? d y n a m i c strength training already occurs w i t h i n a matrix of relative strength. Straightening the angle of the knees, while continuing to m a i n t a i n the flat It is essential on this m o v e m e n t as w i t h all of the progressions in the m a n n a The L-sit on the Xtreme Rings is everything that the PB L-sit is - squared. D u e m o v e m e n t can m a k e the tuck planche. will probably find that y o u cannot h o l d y o u r legs as h i g h as y o u did in the conditioned, increase your time and/or your level of activity. length of your static h o l d or the extension of your position. Do n o t try to s u b s e q u e n t strength gains. shoes, but I would suggest when you train, or play, you Manna - high When in life do we move the body without allowing the neck the center of gravity. entire w e i g h t of y o u r legs a n d mid-section w i t h an extremely d i s a d v a n t a g e d will greatly lessen y o u r leverage on this exercise a n d m a k e the m o v e m e n t static strength element. H o w e v e r it is not u n c o m m o n for a beginning trainee and powerful forces; the key to a strong and resilient body.8 years of consistent practice will be required to develop the m a n n a . H o w e v e r , WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM girdle to be able to successfully perform it. O u t of the t h o u s a n d s of nor lifted u p ) will aid in m a i n t a i n i n g a flat back d u r i n g the straddle back pushups, then 1 broad jump. 25 pushups, then 1 broad Remember, your palms and feet are tied to your core Your goal is to eventually be able to pull y o u r h i p s up to horizontal or level a reflexively strong center, your body will not be strong, and WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM the h a n d s a n d wrists, especially while m a i n t a i n i n g straight legs. Therefore we some crawl backwards, some dont crawl at all, though they until you are able to perform 20 sets of 5 pushups and 10 sets solid foundation of basic strength t h r o u g h the use of FSPs a n d FBEs. It should b u t w i t h the knees b e n t at 90 (in this position the feet will be p o i n t i n g that Movement on all fours also helps to align the spine at W h e n performing a straddle L on the rings always attempt to lift the legs Manna exceedingly difficult to maintain the s a m e good b o d y position that y o u h a v e spread, the easier the transition from the flat tuck front lever to the straddle Rather t h a n all exceptional athletes, w h a t I h a v e developed is an efficient a n d The Progressions

7 assessment tool for our clients, we have found that these horizontal legs. L-sit - PB tuck hemispheres of your brain with the coordinated movement. F r o m a n inverted h a n g , while keeping y o u r back r o u n d e d w i t h y o u r knees 17 y o u r legs out from y o u r chest. As w i t h the planche, the w i d e r your legs are years to build a m a n n a also h a p p e n s to be the simplest a n d most of the US Jr. National Team U p o n reaching the correct position, y o u r knees will be higher t h a n y o u r h a n d s a n d also u n t o y o u r knees b y leaning t h e m o n y o u r elbows. Using your BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY I injured my left h i p some years two days a week with the bulk of their time and energy being While h a n g i n g in an o v e r h a n d grip (i.e. w i t h fingers p o i n t i n g a w a y from you), go t h r o u g h the progressions patiently a n d thoroughly. o p e n hips. forward d u r i n g the back lever variations will greatly aid y o u in maintaining as y o u can. L-sit From the straddle back lever, b e n d the knees while simultaneously bringing lifting the legs while also simultaneously lifting the hips. The tendency is to BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY to work together. With crawling, they are both working Rolling is simply the act of lying on the floor and for n e w trainees. speed of the roll forward. d e v e l o p e d on the PBs. Be patient. Generally y o u r stabilizers will adjust to the Difficulty rating: think y o u will be extremely surprised at h o w m u c h h a r d e r such a small air, and you are not using as much energy by breathing with Sitting on the floor in a straddle, place one h a n d in the center a n d the other y o u r static hold. As y o u r strength improves, gradually attempt to perform train the SB w i t h less t h a n a totally flat back. If at anytime, the flat back As w i t h most of the preceding variations, the half front lever continues to be BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY Manna - M S H horizontal and with these movements. Do crosscrawls super slow mobility through movement (some very particular y o u r buttocks up a n d attempt to bring y o u r legs up in front of you. Be sure to The Vestibular System WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM integrated. the knees are no longer allowed to p r o v i d e additional support. Once again and we further lose our ability to be bulletproof! WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM h i p s back a n d u p . Your forward lean will increase as y o u r hips go higher. how to do a few basic moves to help you get started. Do n o t try to lift your legs at the expense of pressing the h i p s forward; this friend which is much more valuable to me than any physical levers to completely trash y o u r core. R e m e m b e r that y o u are s u p p o r t i n g the

shoulder regular part of your life. Center yourself on a set of parallel bars (PB), parallets or p u s h u p bars. If y o u r believe we can press reset with certain movements to BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY conditioned, increase your time and/or your level of activity. a b d o m i n a l strength is very low, you m a y also begin on t w o chairs, as this will straight over head. Using your right leg, reach across your L-sit - XR advanced yet allows y o u to continue building h i p a n d leg extension strength. bringing your legs closer together. Planche - straddle addition, there are those w h o w o u l d quibble w i t h the planche being included is n o w in sight. As w i t h the other planche variations, while learning the 2B) Dips: 5 sets of 1015 reps a n d the only w a y to develop it is to progress t h r o u g h various straight-arm reduce the very strength gains that y o u w e r e seeking in the first place. 29 Idem. 2A) Squats: tendons lie in relation to one another. Even our DNA is in the tuck front lever. As w i t h the flat tuck planche, the m a i n difference here is the Difficulty rating: Since we were just discussing strength training, We thought Difficulty rating: In this position the a m o u n t of help that the knees can p r o v i d e is minimized as marching backwards, try them super slow, try them while parallel position. That is fine, simply w o r k w i t h y o u r knees at the height that the area y o u are w o r k i n g in is safe a n d appropriate for this training. however, be significantly less t h a n that of the planche. The same general simultaneously lifting the shoulders a n d p u s h i n g b a c k w a r d w i t h the h a n d s . attempt. Performing midline crossing movements, also known as Difficulty rating: weight. With the future tuck planche, the majority of the stress will go ymnastically speaking, static strength is the ability to h o l d or maintain the significantly less t h a n that of the full front lever. Bodies training will shift to the d e v e l o p m e n t of " p o w e r " utilizing gymnastic WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM introductory s u p p o r t strength for this skill. while at the same time leaning back w i t h y o u r shoulders. At this time it is fine efficient. allowing for faster communication between the hemispheres This often m e a s u r e d in m o n t h s , not weeks. Don't get too caught up in minutiae or BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY the back. N o t e that in the tuck planche the back is curved, while in the flat Again, going barefoot may be the way to go if youre trying they certainly would affect how forces travel from the ground Patience a n d perseverance are p o t e n t tools. Progress on the planche is most assessment tool for our clients, we have found that these above the rings. Do n o t b e n d the elbows, y o u should feel the biceps pressing

straddle L, the m o r e substantial will be the forward lean. do we reconcile these ideas? We examine the principles Rolling is simply the act of lying on the floor and position. There is a big debate in the training community ineffective a n d will result in a great deal of w a s t e d time a n d effort. To Difficulty rating: WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM and we further lose our ability to be bulletproof! WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM b e t w e e n the wrists a n d elbows. The legs should n o t be touching the arms. function or the joints to move. This distorts the proprioceptive We are simply trying to outsmart what we were designed to help get a person connected. By pushing a Swiss ball A t t e m p t i n g to raise the h i p s by leaning back rather t h a n pressing the h i p s WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM he L-sit, or half lever as it is sometimes called, is one of the m o s t basic support. Remember that unlike L seats, straddle Ls m u s t lean forward in O n e final general note on planches; w h e n training on the floor, hand positions Dan John, Never Let Go (Santa Cruz: On Target knee.23 They can be done sitting, standing, or lying down. extending the legs behind. Unquestionably s o m e of my athletes are incredibly talented, WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM breathers, and we start using our accessory muscles to F r o m the half back lever begin to gradually extend a n d straighten the knees. Feet, much like the hands, are full of nerve endings that send As progressing to the tuck back lever substantially increased the intensity of ease this transition considerably. master it on your hands and knees, and then in the Spider elevated. DVD, The Secrets of Primitive Patterns. conditioning p r o g r a m . Press h a n d s t a n d s , pull-ups a n d d i p s are especially crossing movements can actually cause the brain to make for support. the Xtreme Rings; the inherent instability of the rings themselves greatly Though we have not found any solid sequence to performing the prior to beginning to successfully train the tuck planche. Initially frog d o w n t o w a r d s the g r o u n d . The p r i m a r y difference is that w h e n the core fails, fake crawling. It is deliberate. Your shoulders and hips have importantly, a solid w o r k ethic. For the front lever series m a k e sure to use a shoulder w i d t h o v e r h a n d grip P r o g r a m Design section. bulletproof. Who cares how silly they make you look! they certainly would affect how forces travel from the ground Difficulty rating: experience along the way. My destination is complete athletic Straddle L - PB y o u r h a n d s . This will result in y o u r h i p s gradually rising higher a n d higher. 29 Idem. w i t h the shoulders. As w i t h the front lever, m a k e sure that the elbows are also w o r k i n g on developing a solid h i g h m a n n a . Are they all exceptional

as they struggle to h a n d l e the load of your b o d y w e i g h t . The contraction will y o u r strength increases, y o u r legs will naturally rise higher. that y o u r weight will n o w be b o r n e solely by y o u r a r m s a n d shoulder girdle; just by learning how to use your own body. quickly. knees on y o u r elbows will allow y o u r legs to h e l p y o u r shoulders bear the shoes, or minimalist shoes. They will allow your foot to held up simply means crown of your head to the sky, and strength). I cranked o u t ten repetitions w i t h o u t ever h a v i n g d o n e the exercise To adjust y o u r regular XR L-sit, p u s h the hips forward until they are next to rail of the parallel bars or even any overhead single bar. Just be careful that will ignore the straight legs for n o w a n d focus solely on b u i l d i n g our a n d will significantly slow y o u r progress. A r m s that are almost straight are a n d torso. This is however, a very difficult position for beginners a n d y o u will T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING training. a n d will greatly increase the time required to master this position. It bears re-mentioning however, that a correct tuck planche is executed w i t h Fundamental Static Positions Skip a mile. help get a person connected. By pushing a Swiss ball frustrating for adults. There are some of you reading this right m o s t efficient d e v e l o p m e n t of the athlete, d y n a m i c strength training m u s t The Vestibular System Start w i t h a H M S M on the floor. Emphasize h i p s in front of the h a n d s . A forward, others to the side, still others feel that fingers pointing b a c k w a r d at a regarding where your head should be while you are training t h a n my o w n athletes, I h a v e personally only seen one other in competition. will h a v e e n o u g h height a n d clearance to, if y o u wish, w o r k this exercise on River Books, 2005), p. 48. the b e n t elbow. Utilizing the a d v a n c e d frog stand also allows the increase of Feet, much like the hands, are full of nerve endings that send From Mike: n e w d e m a n d s being placed on t h e m over the course of a few weeks. (fingers pointing away) as this will increase the a m o u n t of lat p o w e r y o u can the bottle rolls off, you are not keeping a long spine. This is a Difficulty rating: little and you will see what we mean. Unfortunately p u s h u p b a r s will not w o r k for most beginners, as the height of Once a strong back lever is developed, the planche progression will proceed h a n d s directly b e h i n d y o u r glutes. both directions. If a client has a hard time rolling, we know 45 angle to be best. Some swear by s u p p o r t on fingertips (my personal BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY The back lever is also a necessary stepping-stone t o w a r d building the straight receive regular vestibular stimulation show advanced 2B) Dips: 5 sets of 1015 reps learn how to do them from an incline position or from your alone. Do not use y o u r knees on y o u r elbows for assistance. H o l d i n g the the a t t e m p t at the 60-second L-sit crushed him. ecoming proficient at front levers will h a v e a strong carryover effect to either raise above or d r o p b e n e a t h t h e hips, they s h o u l d r e m a i n level in

beginning, it is perfectly acceptable for y o u r feet to be far b e l o w horizontal. performance exercise kinesiology and founder of the CHEK leg front lever a n d eventually the straight leg planche. In fact, in my opinion great deal of stability within the h i p joint. try to keep your eyes up. The crawling movement should be ago a n d I h a v e found that training straddle Ls several times a w e e k greatly Trueprotein.com) mixed in throughout the day. I like to mix P l a n c h e - a d v a n c e d frog s t a n d For the beginner, this exercise will n e e d to be d o n e on the PBs, h i g h parallets, d e v e l o p m e n t of a m a n n a simply because they w e r e too impatient to s p e n d the and we will weaken our core. Everything together makes the There are several options for entering a straddle back lever. Probably the however, w o r t h the effort. The majority of the c h a m p i o n s I h a v e developed 44 (straight). eat junk all the time. You must take responsibility for what diligently will i n d e e d succeed in developing a m a n n a . Difficulty rating: people, that is play. Remember, these are just examples! While h o l d i n g y o u r h i p s shoulder high, planche position c o m p a r e d to that of the straddle planche. It will still, efficient. performance exercise kinesiology and founder of the CHEK Difficulty rating: failure, y o u will be able to r e m a i n straight & flat b u t unable to keep y o u r feet vestibular system is stimulated by neck movement, among they could get into. It is very good for building shoulder girdle strength a n d lessen the intensity of these exercises a n d thereby dramatically lower the learning about all things health related and he loves sharing The horizontal m i d d l e split h o l d is the position that y o u will s p e n d at least femoris to c r a m p strongly d u r i n g the maintenance of the position, especially first thing we start doing when we start learning how to strength development. The static exercises h e l p to build a m a z i n g strength Technically this is not a p u r e static strength element, b u t rather an e m b e d d e d Straddle L - partial roll this static h o l d w i t h higher a n d higher legs, until y o u achieve nearly Front Lever - flat tuck the h i g h m a n n a . To proceed to the h i g h m a n n a from the m a n n a , focus on p a l m s d o w n will b u i l d greater biceps strength in addition to allowing the Difficulty rating: contest on the stall bars (These bars are directly anchored to the wall a n d do T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING pointing at the ceiling. The tendency here is to allow the hips to close, thereby b e n t elbows. begin. This is a very challenging position a n d can take years to develop. It is, c o m m o n mistake by beginners is to squeeze one lat h a r d e r t h a n the other T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING because it gets the feet involved (more so if you are barefoot). The strength that this position mobility through movement (some very particular The m a i n difference b e t w e e n an a d v a n c e d frog stand a n d the tuck planche is WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM

BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC B O D Y Keeping the h e a d neutral (neither tucked d o w n It is a grave error to allow the legs to rest on the arms d u r i n g this element. he back lever is usually one of the first "real" gymnastics strength your sense of self, your reality, your balance, your posture, After the 'basic foundation is achieved, the p r i m a r y focus of o u r Gymnastic Difficulty rating: projects/project_ideas/MatlSci_p021.shtml possess the combined strength a n d flexibility of the back, h i p a n d and we will weaken our core. Everything together makes the crossing movements can actually cause the brain to make letters in the alphabet. But, for now, and because it works The Progressions load of y o u r b o d y w e i g h t . this to h a p p e n . There is no n e e d to immediately go to a fully extended O WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM volume, Liquid Steel. increase b o t h at the same w o r k o u t . BE PREPARED - just a small m o v e m e n t we were designed. To initiate the flat back, from the tuck back lever extend the h i p s back while to be able to adequately h a n d l e the n e w training load. As m e n t i o n e d Remember, your palms and feet are tied to your core straight over head. Using your right leg, reach across your trying to progress as quickly as possible. It is also important to r e m e m b e r that until you are able to perform 20 sets of 5 pushups and 10 sets O n e day, one of the senior g y m n a s t s challenged me to a h a n g i n g leg lift decide to take up climbing, this crawl can be a great way to d e v e l o p m e n t of gymnastic abilities a n d is explored t h o r o u g h l y in the BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY We are simply trying to outsmart what we were designed to Difficulty rating: of the h a n d s will cause most athletes to fail at this version. Strive to maintain your "flat" back position. If y o u are unable to do so, y o u perform the spiderman crawl for a continuous 3 minutes, the bars is simply too low. easiest for beginners is from the flat tuck back lever simply extend the legs o u t Balance is also a key to this exercise. As y o u first begin to learn h o w to lean N o w from the straddle sit on the floor, place y o u r h a n d s b e h i n d y o u r legs S t r a d d l e L - o n e h a n d center accessible. j u m p in intensity of load. Do n o t u n d e r any circumstances, allow yourself to gains from this m o v e m e n t . Focus on maintaining a flat back w i t h completely from their position on y o u r chest. Balance is critical here. As y o u extend y o u r WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM Straddle L tuck planche the back a p p e a r s flat. lowering from a h a n d s t a n d . ground.42 The leg muscles are indeed part of the core, and probably n e e d to build up to it gradually. At first, simply lift y o u r h i p s as h i g h D e p e n d i n g on y o u r individual strengths, yes it is quite c o m m o n for front T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING

concept of this book. Whether or not you believe rolling y o u r h i p s forward in front of y o u r h a n d s while continuing to h o l d the legs Idem. the bad, then we can also retrain our breathing pattern for the the knees greatly increases the strength d e m a n d s on y o u r hips. A c c o m m o d a t e still bent, so be diligent a n d keep t h e m straight. Allan is now 13 years old and a 5 year veteran member and with these movements. Do crosscrawls super slow so the eyes are in place to see the world. Heads up! The way sit is a preliminary step along the r o a d to a m a n n a . As such, they build up the have quite a bit of variety in my diet. It allows me to eat synthesizing new tissue and growing at an incredible rate. Planche - frog stand held flat w i t h no h u n c h i n g or c u r v a t u r e allowed. Do n o t allow y o u r chest to BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY function or the joints to move. This distorts the proprioceptive Difficulty rating: master it on your hands and knees, and then in the Spider c r a m p s become too intense, stop the exercise for some stretching a n d massage Manna - M S H l o w as you like. Once again the h i p s will struggle to close d u r i n g the extension, do not allow WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM nerves, your movement map will get fuzzy. crazy and mix it up a bit if you like! Having said all of cave in. N o w while maintaining this "flat b a c k e d " position, attempt to p u s h the h a n d s . Do this while continuing to maintain the flat back w i t h chest out, Once y o u are able to press y o u r hips forward off your wrists in the bent leg some crawl backwards, some dont crawl at all, though they m o s t other conventional a b d o m i n a l exercise s e e m like child's play. W h o l d (MSH) held in a horizontal position. H o w e v e r , for m o s t people the 19 O n e evening I h a d a static L-sit contest w i t h my s o m e of my athletes. Allan Our center is not a two dimensional X. It is three friend which is much more valuable to me than any physical allow us to be comfortable so we dont have to move. Things Planche - tuck River Books, 2005), p. 48. a reflexively strong center, your body will not be strong, and your accessory muscles. Muscles require energy to contract. The first midline crossing movement we would like to foundation. The wrists will consequently require special physical p r e p a r a t i o n b r i n g y o u r knees to y o u r chest a n d t h e n strive to lift y o u r h i p s in front of y o u on the triceps a n d back of the shoulders; initially severe c r a m p i n g of the T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING The Progressions nerves, your movement map will get fuzzy. L-sit. Difficulty rating: forward will result in a total lack of progress on this skill key to becoming bulletproof. It is the key to life. The next

floor at all times. At this time, raising the knees m a y only be d o n e w i t h an The reason m o s t people fail to develop a m a n n a is d u e to a flawed you like. If you are really deconditioned, start out gradually. h a s a strong straddle planche (19 seconds), b u t n o t a strong front lever, a n d F r o m the flat tuck front lever position, begin to carefully a n d slowly extend How to CrossCrawl Though we have not found any solid sequence to performing Once y o u can hold the Low Straight Leg L comfortably, it is time to progress This variation requires vastly less flexibility t h a n b o t h h a n d s in the center a n d like Dr. Leroy Perry, the first chiropractor ever to serve as an eat junk all the time. You must take responsibility for what 2A) Squats: Manna - M S H bent provide stimulation to the developing vestibular system. This combination of a b d o m i n a l strength a n d active flexibility; w h i c h develops a g r o u n d directly in front of y o u r feet. By directly, I m e a n right next to y o u r Allan Bower in a Manna at 7yrs old provide stimulation to the developing vestibular system. This WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM perform the spiderman crawl for a continuous 3 minutes, As time passes, y o u will achieve a straddled 1/2 V position a n d t h e n finally a Difficulty rating: this out! Again, going barefoot may be the way to go if youre trying 3 reps at 90% Begin this position by a s s u m i n g a full squat a n d placing y o u r h a n d s on the Playing may surprise you. You may find that you start hips, will, over time, gradually increase the difficulty of this m o v e m e n t . excellent lower back strength a n d flexibility. Quality w o r k on the various progressions is essential for being able to Be p r e p a r e d for some exceptional c r a m p s in b o t h y o u r h i p flexors a n d the held a 60-second L that night; despite our never w o r k i n g extended h o l d L-sits allows the chest to r e m a i n elevated, w h i c h is essential in eventually achieving nerve signals, and movement patterns. A solid core is built by a regular do this correctly, your belly will push against the floor and You can check Tim out at www.OPTfitness.net or email him D o n ' t w o r r y , h a v e fun w i t h it a n d enjoy s o m e n e w training. Some pillows intensity on the shoulder girdle to be m o r e gradual. is true. The position of our head and neck can facilitate circles. You can even try them while eating green eggs and increase the height of y o u r m a n n a , simply p u s h y o u r hips forward. Keep Idem. P l a n c h e - flat t u c k Place yourself, so that y o u are standing or sitting in a straddle w i t h your second L w a s the expected standard. capable of anything to bodies capable of being paper L-sit - PB advanced BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY T before you train. You can use them as a warmup. There are

It is composed of highly sensitive organs called the utricle, From Tim: Performing midline crossing movements, also known as learning about all things health related and he loves sharing from the straddle front lever to the front lever. The half front lever is an your accessory muscles. Muscles require energy to contract. effective m e t h o d of b u i l d i n g m a n n a s . The best w a y that I h a v e found over the amenable to its inclusion 5. Learn how to run sprints. y o u r legs pulled as w i d e apart as possible. held tightly into y o u r chest, a t t e m p t to lower y o u r hips b e h i n d y o u to a Playing may surprise you. You may find that you start large returns in your coordination, among many other Skip a mile. forward the s h o u l d e r s m u s t press in order to compensate for the change in order to preserve balance. This of course causes the h i p flexors a n d rectus skills. This simplifies y o u r training a n d increasing the effectiveness of y o u r key to becoming bulletproof. It is the key to life. The next y o u are comfortable. Sit up straight a n d be sure to keep y o u r elbows locked maintain a flat back a n d hips, b u t n o w the calves will be vertical w i t h the feet WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM m u c h harder. The m a i n d e v e l o p m e n t a l exercise for b u i l d i n g a m a n n a is the m i d d l e split first thing we start doing when we start learning how to This is n o t to insinuate that d y n a m i c strength w o r k will not take place in o u r Since we were just discussing strength training, We thought Straddle L - XR u n d e r s t a n d i n g of the actual m o v e m e n t itself. The c o m m o n belief is that a VDVD, The Secrets of Primitive Patterns. toes. A r r a n g e yourself so that y o u r knees are resting against y o u r bent the bottle rolls off, you are not keeping a long spine. This is a stands are m u c h easier t h a n tuck planches d u e to the fact that utilizing the Crosscrawls are nothing new. Youve probably even done now who cannot crawl well. Others of you may find that you found static strength training to be invaluable in building the ligament a n d excellent intermediate step. Difficulty rating: 19 inner unit and an outer unit. However you view the core, it is strength trainee. Difficulty rating: Following are the basic static strength positions in m e n ' s gymnastics. Bringing y o u r legs together p r e m a t u r e l y increases the difficulty of the element A b o u t 75% of my senior athletes can perform a m a n n a ; w i t h several of those straddle L, n o w a t t e m p t to lift y o u r h i p s to shoulder high by pressing y o u r correctly requires t r e m e n d o u s triceps a n d shoulder strength as well as your head? what he knows. Tim has had several training articles In shoes, or minimalist shoes. They will allow your foot to For m a n y trainees, a d v a n c e d frog stands are a necessary intermediate step to held up simply means crown of your head to the sky, and

efficiently. A n d m o r e importantly, this p a l m s d o w n grip also helps to p r e p a r e h o w e v e r m o s t are simply persistent w i t h average talent and, m o s t knees on bent-arms allowed the legs to s u p p o r t a great deal of the b o d y ' s Be sure to r e m e m b e r to keep h i p s shoulder h i g h a n d elbows tight a n d straight. horizontal position. In all probability, at first, y o u will only be able to d r o p triceps is not at all u n u s u a l . optimal s u r p l u s of basic strength a n d p r e m a t u r e l y focus on d y n a m i c strength positions are provided. y o u r b o d y to exert strength in a position that m o s t people d i d n ' t even k n o w Difficulty rating: either an arched back or pike in the hips. In the case of shoulder g i r d l e / l a t s power boosting reflex is called the positive support reaction. An extremely stable m a n n a is a m a n d a t o r y r e q u i r e m e n t for even attempting Difficulty rating: back to your belly using your legs or arms independently, Your strength will continue to i m p r o v e w i t h consistent practice. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM or even in-between t w o chairs as they will probably not as yet h a v e d e v e l o p e d If something is important, you should do it everyday.34 eat anything all day Sunday, then go to bed. On Monday, ,, rectus femoris (the muscle in the u p p e r m i d d l e of y o u r quadriceps). If the In b o t h instances of either core or s h o u l d e r / g i r d l e failure, the feet will sink As I mentioned, the m a n n a is generally a rare skill; except in my p r o g r a m . opposite knee, you simply touch your opposite hand or be able to briefly rise off the g r o u n d . Do not be overly concerned. It will p a s s Difficulty rating: to h a v e a great deal of difficulty initially w i t h lifting into the horizontal the position, striving to lift y o u r h i p s to shoulder high. With consistent p r i m a r y difference b e t w e e n the tuck a n d flat tuck planche is the position of Reverse lunge 15 steps per leg, do 10 pushups, then "flat" back. This position will cause all of the muscle fibers in your back to fire difficult by transitioning to the A d v a n c e d L-sit. In the a d v a n c e d L-sit the legs bring y o u r legs together until y o u h a v e reached a horizontal m a n n a position. training load on the shoulder girdle a n d lower back. simply that y o u r legs are n o w h i g h e n o u g h d u r i n g the static h o l d to be m o m e n t u m . For additional information on utilizing the excellent technique of a c c o m p a n y i n g lift of the hips. Constantly strive to p u s h the h i p s further a n d that Movement on all fours also helps to align the spine at Complete descriptions as well as progressions for developing all of the basic in a list of fundamental static strength positions. H o w e v e r it m u s t be n o t e d develop rotary trunk stability. It prepares us for gait; low and your feet travel to the outsides of your arm. It is as if Free Time: Same as above WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM e m b e d d e d statics in y o u r training, they are discussed t h o r o u g h l y in the In addition, y o u will also n o w be w o r k i n g on correctly t u r n i n g out the rings concept of this book. Whether or not you believe rolling As I said earlier, you have to put this information to the test. Day 2 quite extensive a n d is covered in great detail in the Gymnastics Bodies For m a n y trainees there is significant j u m p in intensity w h e n progressing