Asking for help in gymnastics training program design

[Chris H Laing]

No conditioning?

And Steven is probably gunna tell you you need more gymnastics work

[Garrett Smith]

No specific "conditioning", other than some HeavyHands and some hill running from time to time. I don't care that much for it, I've also had to repair too many "metcon maniacs" adrenals from too much of it.

Come to think of it, my "Jedi Training" yoga-ish class has a decent amount of conditioning.

Either way, I'm happy with my plan. I'm not trying to beat the world in anything real soon...

[Steven Low]

I would do more gymnastics work... everyday... especially with skill work like circles, handstands and such. But yeah, that's up to you.

[Blair Lowe]

not enough HS work, shame-shame-shame. more press HS of some variant and wall HS or HS walking.

I would say keep the mushroom circle walks for home and get on pommel horse and work basic swing. Yes, it doesn't seem to be exactly double leg work but I think learning to coordinate single leg swing will help you learn the rhythm of double leg swing ( then again, one of the little guys can do circles but has pretty crappy single leg swings ). Also, it's bloody hard.

You're going to a gymnastics gym and not practising any PB swing. shame-shame-shame. If you're not interested in PB, I don't blame you, but PB swing to HS is a fundamental that helps with a lot of things besides basic strength like PB walks.

I think Steven and I would be dismayed unless you're working tap swings on rings. However, if you're wary of your shoulders, that is a bonafide concern.

Video 2 of wrists is ok, video 1 done correctly is far more useful. In fact this is the Men's Future Stars warmup series ( basically the men's versions of TOPS which is an adjunct to training towards being an elite ). While most of the boys performed the series poorly, it has been talked about at Coach Sommer's and refilmed and posted.

As for gymnastics I'm a big fan of a body lever hold and superman hold off pommel horse or vault for teaching proper shapes. I like putting them in the warmup besides the bottom of the pistol and assisted pistols or pistols. One of the first warmup drills is holding the bottom of the pistol with or without assistance for 15-30s. Same with L's and straddle L's.

Please do a cartwheel sometime. I try to follow a cartwheel a day keeps the frowns away.

[Garrett Smith]

Thanks for the further input guys. I was pretty sure all I had to do was post up what I was thinking of doing in order to get more focused input...

I did not mention that I do try to get in some HS work every day at the office. Both face-to-wall (usually to get my form down and warm-up) and freestanding.

Blair, I asked the main coach at my gym about learning ring swings and he told me they were hard on the shoulders. That made me lose all interest right there, I like my shoulders. Knock on wood, I've never had any issues with them.

I did want to include some pommel at the gym. Will do. I'll work in some PB, maybe the end of the warm-up with some PB walking (instead of dips) and some PB swings.

I'll add some of those things to the warmup (pistols and shape holds).

I'll plan on adding in some basic tumbling and tramp in between the upper-body-heavy stuff.

I had been doing many of the things you mentioned, Blair, in the workouts before. I had little to no direction then so progress seemed haphazard. I'm going to make notes from this thread tonight to take to the gym and start feeling out the new setup.

Thanks again, this is exactly what I was looking for.

[Blair Lowe]

I could probably write up or possibly send you corresponding links on the web per apparatus if you want.

A good ring swing requires flexible shoulders. Most beginners swing through their upper torso ( diaphraghm/arm pit area or in their hips ). Until you start ring action, it doesn't engage the shoulders much unless your shoulders are very tight. If you can extend your arms vertical without arching your back or opening up your chest, you have good flexibility. If their is a shoulder angle, you might feel some tightness, especially in the rotator cuff areas. This isn't as affected as much in a tap swing on bars just because.

Roger Harrell used to have a dandy of a PB walk. Do 1 dip, walk the length, do 1 dip. Now either do as many of these as possible or do 2 dips on the second walk, 3 on the 3rd or you can also start the beginning with 3 or 5 dips, etc. Dip swings are good too.

Tramp work is pretty much all the " cardio " gymnasts need.

[Garrett Smith]

The long "warm-up" and short "workout" last night went very well. Will post here later. Thanks again for the help, it felt so much more productive.

That wrist pre-hab helps so much in "waking up" the wrists for handbalancing.

And yes, cartwheels were done...

[Garrett Smith]

Here's the workout:
http://www.cathletics.com/forum/show...&postcount=333

[Blair Lowe]

very cool. I used to have one workout plan that was sort of all the basics in the toolbox when I didn't have time for a workout to work on skills. Basically basics and conditioning. Generally, and hour+.

I use the wrist prehab for everything from gymnastics to crossfit workouts, and especially any BB or Oly lifting to typical martial art training.

[Garrett Smith]

The wrist prehab is awesome. Both my friend Steve and I really noticed it in our handstands--much smaller balance checks both over/underbalance.

The "warm-up" was ~50 min. "Workout" was about 15-20.