WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.

COM 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 Constantly using your accessory muscles to breathe has a L-sit - PB l o w 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 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 ineffective a n d will result in a great deal of w a s t e d time a n d effort. To It is composed of highly sensitive organs called the utricle, Difficulty rating: believe we can press reset with certain movements to CHAPTER FOUR Difficulty rating: DVD, The Secrets of Primitive Patterns. Manna excellence w i t h this position. Achieving the horizontal L-sit for substantial however, be significantly less t h a n that of the planche. The same general j u m p in intensity of load. Do n o t u n d e r any circumstances, allow yourself to 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 c r a m p s become too intense, stop the exercise for some stretching a n d massage 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 accessible. 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 While w o r k i n g the various planche variations, strive to h o l d the hips level Straddle L - PB they certainly would affect how forces travel from the ground L-sit - PB tuck people, that is play. Remember, these are just examples! training. great deal of stability within the h i p joint. circles. You can even try them while eating green eggs and 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 3 reps at 90% Once y o u feel comfortable w i t h the tuck planche, y o u can increase the do we reconcile these ideas? We examine the principles assessment tool for our clients, we have found that these straddle planche, it is also beneficial to practice tuck planche p u s h - u p s at the From the straddle back lever, b e n d the knees while simultaneously bringing 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 Straddle Ls, as well as L sits, are also easily integrated in the training of other 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 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 the back lever. 21 Planche - tuck to work together. With crawling, they are both working for support. b e t w e e n the wrists a n d elbows. The legs should n o t be touching the arms. 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 Back Lever - half below parallel; our major change will n o w be the straightening of the knees. 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;

attempt. 37 L-sit - PB yet allows y o u to continue building h i p a n d leg extension strength. 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 Dan John, Never Let Go (Santa Cruz: On Target athletes? WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM h 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM 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 also be u n d e r s t o o d that the vast majority of athletes fail in establishing an capable of anything to bodies capable of being paper O n e final general note on planches; w h e n training on the floor, hand positions Difficulty rating: Crosscrawls are nothing new. Youve probably even done cave in. N o w while maintaining this "flat b a c k e d " position, attempt to p u s h Rolling is simply the act of lying on the floor and Planche - straddle trying to progress as quickly as possible. It is also important to r e m e m b e r that 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM anatomy chart of muscles and notice how the muscles and eat junk all the time. You must take responsibility for what r e m o v e the legs from the floor a n d go directly to the planche. Once the tuck front lever feels firmly in control, it is time to m o v e on to the flat 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 L-sit 7 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 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 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 back to your belly using your legs or arms independently, 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 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 straightforward. It does h o w e v e r require great dedication; for m o s t people 1-2 Since we were just discussing strength training, We thought time will be a major milestone in y o u r athletic development. lessen the intensity of these exercises a n d thereby dramatically lower the 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 w i t h time a n d continued persistent training. It is composed of highly sensitive organs called the utricle, Feet, much like the hands, are full of nerve endings that send 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 eat anything all day Sunday, then go to bed. On Monday, integrated. Difficulty rating: continue m a k i n g progress t h r o u g h the planche progression. 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 held a 60-second L that night; despite our never w o r k i n g extended h o l d L-sits will absolutely crush the core a n d lower back of the beginning gymnastics integrated.

development in motor skills.18 Remember, all your muscles 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM As great as crawling is, we have found that some clients just relieves the discomfort w i t h i n the joint. Planche U p o n reaching the correct position, y o u r knees will be higher t h a n y o u r T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING this out! speed of the roll forward. shoes, but I would suggest when you train, or play, you on the planche series exercises are completely optional. Some prefer fingers How to CrossCrawl mobility through movement (some very particular introductory s u p p o r t strength for this skill. L-sit - PB advanced The neural connections in the brain are much like the 3 reps at 90% the right hemisphere, or the gestalt side, and the left nerve signals, and movement patterns. A solid core is built by BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY 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 the prior to beginning to successfully train the tuck planche. Initially frog assessment tool for our clients, we have found that these Notice that this is the only static position in our planche progressions w i t h 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 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 As I said earlier, you have to put this information to the test. 17 T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING Skip a mile. considered s o m e w h a t exotic. Even a m o n g our U.S. Olympic level athletes opposite knee, you simply touch your opposite hand or and we will weaken our core. Everything together makes the Manna - M S H bent h a n d s directly b e h i n d y o u r glutes. breathers, and we start using our accessory muscles to Be prepared, this is an extremely difficult variation e v e n for a d v a n c e d 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 Straddle L - high a n d will greatly increase the time required to master this position. 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 before. why do we do it so well and so easily, so instinctively? until you are able to perform 20 sets of 5 pushups and 10 sets forces cross through our center from left to right, right to left, At first it m a y not be possible for y o u to lift y o u r legs up to a completely now who cannot crawl well. Others of you may find that you a n d to the side. M a k e sure to continue to lean forward strongly w h e n Straddle L The first midline crossing movement we would like to pointing at the ceiling. The tendency here is to allow the hips to close, thereby

is n o w in sight. As w i t h the other planche variations, while learning the try to keep your eyes up. The crawling movement should be tendons lie in relation to one another. Even our DNA is in the we were designed. shoulder letters in the alphabet. But, for now, and because it works 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 BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM leg front lever a n d eventually the straight leg planche. In fact, in my opinion Though we have not found any solid sequence to performing a n d the only w a y to develop it is to progress t h r o u g h various straight-arm like Dr. Leroy Perry, the first chiropractor ever to serve as an 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 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 quickly. From the flat tuck planche position, begin to extend your knees b e h i n d y o u 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 work-load on the lower back a n d shoulder girdle, h o w e v e r it is still If something is important, you should do it everyday.34 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 area y o u are w o r k i n g in is safe a n d appropriate for this training. bringing your legs closer together. positions are provided. until you are able to perform 20 sets of 5 pushups and 10 sets h i p s back a n d u p . Your forward lean will increase as y o u r hips go higher. 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 keep crawling around as adults! BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY 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 tendons lie in relation to one another. Even our DNA is in the There is a ton of great information out there when it comes to allowing for faster communication between the hemispheres stronger and you are now ready to explore more levels of 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 inner unit and an outer unit. However you view the core, it is k e e p y o u r legs bent in this first variation of the straddle L. Unlike the regular You can check Tim out at www.OPTfitness.net or email him How to CrossCrawl When in life do we move the body without allowing the neck lever. and powerful forces; the key to a strong and resilient body.8 decide to take up climbing, this crawl can be a great way to combination of a b d o m i n a l strength a n d active flexibility; w h i c h develops a The strength that this position Reverse lunge 15 steps per leg, do 10 pushups, then easiest thing in the world, right? W r o n g . Correctly done, the L-sit will m a k e years of consistent practice will be required to develop the m a n n a . H o w e v e r , h o l d (MSH) held in a horizontal position. H o w e v e r , for m o s t people the gymnastics elements and, seemingly, the simplest of all a b d o m i n a l quite extensive a n d is covered in great detail in the Gymnastics Bodies

Bringing y o u r legs together p r e m a t u r e l y increases the difficulty of the element DVD, The Secrets of Primitive Patterns. We are simply trying to outsmart what we were designed to From Mike: conditioned, increase your time and/or your level of activity. focus should be keeping the h i p s pressed forward. Great pressure will be felt 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 Difficulty rating: Manna - M S H horizontal The p r i m a r y difference on this variation is that the knees will n o w be straight. b e e n established. would not want to do. Adjust, change, and tinker with them 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 on the floor, parallets or parallel bars. 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 for n e w trainees. Patience a n d perseverance are p o t e n t tools. Progress on the planche is most Day 2 how to do a few basic moves to help you get started. While h o l d i n g y o u r h i p s shoulder high, crazy and mix it up a bit if you like! Having said all of If something is important, you should do it everyday.34 two days a week with the bulk of their time and energy being your accessory muscles. Muscles require energy to contract. Place yourself, so that y o u are standing or sitting in a straddle w i t h your low and your feet travel to the outsides of your arm. It is as if Sitting on the floor in a straddle, place one h a n d in the center a n d the other 2A) Squats: 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 lowering from a h a n d s t a n d . would not want to do. Adjust, change, and tinker with them your head? best. Adjust the intensity of this m o v e m e n t by increasing or decreasing the the load on the back, the straddle back lever will once again be a q u a n t u m conditioned, increase your time and/or your level of activity. 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 positions that m o s t people are exposed to. It is a little bit exotic a n d forces 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 hips, will, over time, gradually increase the difficulty of this m o v e m e n t . solid foundation of basic strength t h r o u g h the use of FSPs a n d FBEs. It should allow us to be comfortable so we dont have to move. Things do this correctly, your belly will push against the floor and A d v a n c e d athletes m a y enter the straddle planche either from a straddle L or because it gets the feet involved (more so if you are barefoot). 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 capable of anything to bodies capable of being paper favorite) a n d others w i t h the h a n d s completely flat. Just experiment a n d find have quite a bit of variety in my diet. It allows me to eat T develops is transferable to a w i d e range of gymnastics skills. letters in the alphabet. But, for now, and because it works they certainly would affect how forces travel from the ground

the center of gravity. the biceps for the strain later on of XR planches a n d iron crosses. 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 excellent intermediate step. decide to take up climbing, this crawl can be a great way to Back Lever - flat tuck that Movement on all fours also helps to align the spine at Again, going barefoot may be the way to go if youre trying 90% of your developmental m a n n a time in. Most people will fail in the The Vestibular System the bars is simply too low. g r o u n d as y o u r h i p s m o v e forward. a reflexively strong center, your body will not be strong, and 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 Idem. eventually be able to r e m o v e y o u r feet completely from the floor a n d hold fake crawling. It is deliberate. Your shoulders and hips have tied together in some way. You want to get a strong core? 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM 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. reduce the very strength gains that y o u w e r e seeking in the first place. b e n t elbows. 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 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 key to becoming bulletproof. It is the key to life. The next W legs farther behind, y o u will also h a v e to lean a little farther forward to crossing movements can actually cause the brain to make 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 life to its fullest, you need to be healthy. Difficulty rating: training load on the shoulder girdle a n d lower back. 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 Difficulty rating: Free Time: Same as above Difficulty rating: function or the joints to move. This distorts the proprioceptive exceedingly difficult to maintain the s a m e good b o d y position that y o u h a v e master it on your hands and knees, and then in the Spider d y n a m i c strength training already occurs w i t h i n a matrix of relative strength. For a correct straddle L position, the legs should be parallel to the floor w i t h projects/project_ideas/MatlSci_p021.shtml receive regular vestibular stimulation show advanced beginning w h e n necessary a n d should be discontinued as soon as possible. A above the rings. Do n o t b e n d the elbows, y o u should feel the biceps pressing this static h o l d w i t h higher a n d higher legs, until y o u achieve nearly 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 Vm 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 When in life do we move the body without allowing the neck ymnastically speaking, static strength is the ability to h o l d or maintain the Do 5 pullups or chinups, then 10 situps. Keep

Back Lever - tuck 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 variations. friend which is much more valuable to me than any physical possess the combined strength a n d flexibility of the back, h i p a n d efficient. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM y o u r legs pulled as w i d e apart as possible. time passion. Mike has pursued continuing education with The Progressions N o w lift off of the bars while 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 held up simply means crown of your head to the sky, and sit is a preliminary step along the r o a d to a m a n n a . As such, they build up the As time passes, y o u will achieve a straddled 1/2 V position a n d t h e n finally a 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 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 frustrating for adults. There are some of you reading this right WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY 44 BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY some crawl backwards, some dont crawl at all, though they air, and you are not using as much energy by breathing with The Progressions both directions. If a client has a hard time rolling, we know 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 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 learn how to do them from an incline position or from your eventually build up to this skill; for a m a n n a there are no shortcuts. You m u s t opposite knee, you simply touch your opposite hand or allowing for faster communication between the hemispheres Difficulty rating: perform the spiderman crawl for a continuous 3 minutes, Feet, much like the hands, are full of nerve endings that send y o u get stronger in the straddle planche, y o u should increase the difficulty by Door Publications, 1999), p. 79. significantly less t h a n that of the full front lever. 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 to h a v e a great deal of difficulty initially w i t h lifting into the horizontal Front Lever - half pushups, then 1 broad jump. 25 pushups, then 1 broad Remember, your palms and feet are tied to your core some crawl backwards, some dont crawl at all, though they 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 eat junk all the time. You must take responsibility for what Back Lever straight over head. Using your right leg, reach across your 7 receive regular vestibular stimulation show advanced we h a d t h o u g h t w a s physically possible. In fact, in most gymnastics straight over head. Using your right leg, reach across your

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 With this variation it is perfectly fine to continue to allow y o u r legs to h a n g WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM the bottle rolls off, you are not keeping a long spine. This is a back to your belly using your legs or arms independently, 5. Learn how to run sprints. BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY ecoming proficient at front levers will h a v e a strong carryover effect to 3 reps at 90% is true. The position of our head and neck can facilitate h a s a strong straddle planche (19 seconds), b u t n o t a strong front lever, a n d Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great y o u r strength increases, y o u r legs will naturally rise higher. 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, Following are the basic static strength positions in m e n ' s gymnastics. m o m e n t u m . For additional information on utilizing the excellent technique of As y o u continue leaning forward y o u will hemispheres of your brain with the coordinated movement. of play and you should be on your way to becoming The L-sit on the Xtreme Rings is everything that the PB L-sit is - squared. D u e 24 Idem. T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING L, the straddle L should h a v e a forward lean while in support; the higher the T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM the straddle L. Lower to the g r o u n d , switch h a n d s a n d repeat. gains from this m o v e m e n t . Focus on maintaining a flat back w i t h completely works wonders for the client. We have witnessed rolling T by getting on your hands and knees, keeping a long spine Manna - M S H l o w 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 the bad, then we can also retrain our breathing pattern for 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM lifting the legs while also simultaneously lifting the hips. The tendency is to horizontal or level w i t h y o u r shoulders w i t h an approximately 45 angle 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 w i t h the calves in a vertical position w i t h the feet pointing at the ceiling. stands are m u c h easier t h a n tuck planches d u e to the fact that utilizing the Door Publications, 1999), p. 79. From Tim: amenable to its inclusion and with these movements. Do crosscrawls super slow Dan John, Never Let Go (Santa Cruz: On Target tied together in some way. You want to get a strong core? our training. It w o u l d be like asking a fish to not get wet. D u e to the fact that decrease the leverage of the m o v e m e n t , subsequently greatly increasing the will ignore the straight legs for n o w a n d focus solely on b u i l d i n g our toes. A r r a n g e yourself so that y o u r knees are resting against y o u r bent current level of strength. There are several options for entering a straddle back lever. Probably the

increases the muscular d e m a n d s of this m o v e m e n t . For beginners on the WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM mobility through movement (some very particular T girdle to be able to successfully perform it. O u t of the t h o u s a n d s of a n d torso. This is however, a very difficult position for beginners a n d y o u will Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great system. In other words, we are not stimulating the brain, the skin, joints and muscles, your movement map will be clearer. Allan is now 13 years old and a 5 year veteran member the a p p r o p r i a t e h i p strength necessary to perform it on the floor. system. In other words, we are not stimulating the brain, the This from their position on y o u r chest. Balance is critical here. As y o u extend y o u r From Tim: strength. The reverse is h o w e v e r not true. key to becoming bulletproof. It is the key to life. The next o p e n hips. 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 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 the h a n d s . Do this while continuing to maintain the flat back w i t h chest out, tuck planche the back a p p e a r s flat. now who cannot crawl well. Others of you may find that you Difficulty rating: Front Lever - straddle position. Build up to this over time as small shifts of even a few inches greater 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, while at the same time leaning back w i t h y o u r shoulders. At this time it is fine elbows. N o w gradually lean forward taking y o u r weight b o t h u n t o your second L w a s the expected standard. you like. If you are really deconditioned, start out gradually. 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 there are only a few w h o can do the m a n n a correctly. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM he L-sit, or half lever as it is sometimes called, is one of the m o s t basic Gray Cook and Lee Burton, Secrets of Primitive Patterns, Unfortunately p u s h u p b a r s will not w o r k for most beginners, as the height of Balance is also a key to this exercise. As y o u first begin to learn h o w to lean forward while simultaneously attempting to p u s h up into the straddle L w i t h w h i c h quite frankly cannot be d e v e l o p e d any other w a y . 34 the feet slightly above the knees. The h i p s in height should be s o m e w h e r e inhorizontal position. In all probability, at first, y o u will only be able to d r o p WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM O power boosting reflex is called the positive support reaction. addition, there are those w h o w o u l d quibble w i t h the planche being included diligently will i n d e e d succeed in developing a m a n n a . Reverse lunge 15 steps per leg, do 10 pushups, then Since we were just discussing strength training, We thought requisite a m o u n t of time developing the H M S H . 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.

load of y o u r b o d y w e i g h t . this by allowing y o u r legs to d r o p as l o w as necessary in order to succeed in stronger and you are now ready to explore more levels of m u c h harder. Performing midline crossing movements, also known as 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. As w i t h most of the preceding variations, the half front lever continues to be he straddle L is a graceful a n d elegant m o v e m e n t . It is an excellent and we will weaken our core. Everything together makes the h o w e v e r the elbows h a v e progressed from a bent to a straight-arm position. 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 s a m e time; one will build u p o n the other. 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 2B) Dips: 5 sets of 1015 reps T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING Be careful to m a i n t a i n a horizontal position. In an a d v a n c e d frog stand the knees continue to be braced on the arms; projects/project_ideas/MatlSci_p021.shtml 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 placed in front of y o u will h e l p to cushion any crash landings. 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 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 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 have quite a bit of variety in my diet. It allows me to eat 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 vertical straddled V. Do not give in to the t e m p t a t i o n to focus on lifting the easiest for beginners is from the flat tuck back lever simply extend the legs o u t 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 as you like. Skip a mile. 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 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. believe we can press reset with certain movements to WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM rail of the parallel bars or even any overhead single bar. Just be careful that Once y o u can hold the Low Straight Leg L comfortably, it is time to progress ago a n d I h a v e found that training straddle Ls several times a w e e k greatly breathers, and we start using our accessory muscles to Day 2 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 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 reducing the strain on the lower back, b u t also greatly lessening the strength BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY forces cross through our center from left to right, right to left, uncomfortable for y o u r wrists, these progressions can also be performed on BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY friend which is much more valuable to me than any physical help get a person connected. By pushing a Swiss ball on the triceps a n d back of the shoulders; initially severe c r a m p i n g of the For that reason, we will begin our quest for the m a n n a , w i t h the bent leg parallel position. That is fine, simply w o r k w i t h y o u r knees at the height that 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 Difficulty rating: to work together. With crawling, they are both working and we further lose our ability to be bulletproof! designed to do. If all you want to do is just be a good parent, As y o u r strength improves, continue to press y o u r hips further in front of the Xtreme Rings; the inherent instability of the rings themselves greatly perform the spiderman crawl for a continuous 3 minutes, H M S H is a very challenging position a n d will n e e d to be built up to gradually. regarding where your head should be while you are training As great as crawling is, we have found that some clients just 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 "flattening" will greatly increase the intensity of the tuck planche. In fact, I simultaneously attempting to p u s h the h i p s forward off of y o u r wrists. Do 27 P r o g r a m Design section. 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 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 by getting on your hands and knees, keeping a long spine Crosscrawls are nothing new. Youve probably even done the a t t e m p t at the 60-second L-sit crushed him. The Progressions 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 performance guidelines for the p r e v i o u s planche variations continue to apply Play can lead to living! Difficulty rating: works wonders for the client. We have witnessed rolling Quality w o r k on the various progressions is essential for being able to Everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the air, and you are not using as much energy by breathing with so the eyes are in place to see the world. Heads up! The way just by learning how to use your own body. performance exercise kinesiology and founder of the CHEK River Books, 2005), p. 131. 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 h a n d s in-between your legs. With y o u r h a n d s comfortably spaced apart, lift 24 Idem. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM w i d e r the better. You should actually feel y o u r hips actively pulling y o u r legs The reason m o s t people fail to develop a m a n n a is d u e to a flawed found static strength training to be invaluable in building the ligament a n d 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 y o u are comfortable. Sit up straight a n d be sure to keep y o u r elbows locked the bottle rolls off, you are not keeping a long spine. This is a y o u r static hold. As y o u r strength improves, gradually attempt to perform so the eyes are in place to see the world. Heads up! The way Difficulty rating: 3 reps at 90% BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY 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 elbow to your knee while standing, try doing them while you experience along the way. My destination is complete athletic

m u c h m o r e rapidly. Your goal is to eventually be able to pull y o u r h i p s up to horizontal or level volume, Liquid Steel. femoris to c r a m p strongly d u r i n g the maintenance of the position, especially 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 position. There is a big debate in the training community relation to each other at all times. of the h a n d s will cause most athletes to fail at this version. Back Lever - straddle The Progressions The neural connections in the brain are much like the elevated. Difficulty rating: regarding where your head should be while you are training experience along the way. My destination is complete athletic 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 great assistance to you. This practice h o w e v e r should only be u s e d in the For m a n y trainees, a d v a n c e d frog stands are a necessary intermediate step to a n d feet stay level w i t h one another. U n d e r no circumstances allow the feet to BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY L-sit. 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 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 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 beginning, it is perfectly acceptable for y o u r feet to be far b e l o w horizontal. resulting in a b o d y position that is s k e w e d sideways. In the next four chapters, we will explore these movements, Fundamental Static Positions straddle L, the m o r e substantial will be the forward lean. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM this out! provide stimulation to the developing vestibular system. This Constantly using your accessory muscles to breathe has a behind them. Namely, eat when youre hungry and eat for or your inner sense of self and all your senses, is intimately tuck front lever. As w i t h the flat tuck planche, the m a i n difference here is the Again, going barefoot may be the way to go if youre trying ease this transition considerably. P l a n c h e - flat t u c k either an arched back or pike in the hips. In the case of shoulder g i r d l e / l a t s River Books, 2005), p. 48. Once a strong back lever is developed, the planche progression will proceed order to preserve balance. This of course causes the h i p flexors a n d rectus Difficulty rating: d e v e l o p e d on the PBs. Be patient. Generally y o u r stabilizers will adjust to the vestibular system is stimulated by neck movement, among Planche - half crazy and mix it up a bit if you like! Having said all of 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 . large returns in your coordination, among many other Play can lead to living! 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

shoes, or minimalist shoes. They will allow your foot to S t r a d d l e L - PB l o w 5. Learn how to run sprints. time passion. Mike has pursued continuing education with Difficulty rating: Your strength will continue to i m p r o v e w i t h consistent practice. floor at all times. At this time, raising the knees m a y only be d o n e w i t h an After the 'basic foundation is achieved, the p r i m a r y focus of o u r Gymnastic 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 . fake crawling. It is deliberate. Your shoulders and hips have 22 bulletproof. Who cares how silly they make you look! 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 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 (straight). support. Remember that unlike L seats, straddle Ls m u s t lean forward in Idem. Allan Bower in a Manna at 7yrs old The first midline crossing movement we would like to 2A) Squats: Difficulty rating: will ever Performing midline crossing movements, also known as WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM Gymnastic Bodies volume, The D y n a m i c Physique. H o w e v e r , to ensure the Remember, your palms and feet are tied to your core W h e n performing a straddle L on the rings always attempt to lift the legs BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY ground.42 The leg muscles are indeed part of the core, and 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 frustrating for adults. There are some of you reading this right WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM 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 L-sit - XR Center yourself on a set of parallel bars (PB), parallets or p u s h u p bars. If y o u r 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 Once again the h i p s will struggle to close d u r i n g the extension, do not allow Difficulty rating: 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 marching backwards, try them super slow, try them while 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM front lever will be. nerves, your movement map will get fuzzy. 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 L-sit - XR advanced The back lever is also a necessary stepping-stone t o w a r d building the straight and powerful forces; the key to a strong and resilient body.8 I injured my left h i p some years 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 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 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

forward the s h o u l d e r s m u s t press in order to compensate for the change in synthesizing new tissue and growing at an incredible rate. shoes, but I would suggest when you train, or play, you to the t r e m e n d o u s instability of the rings, y o u will probably find it For the beginner, this exercise will n e e d to be d o n e on the PBs, h i g h parallets, master it on your hands and knees, and then in the Spider 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 The Progressions 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM Difficulty rating: w i t h the shoulders. As w i t h the front lever, m a k e sure that the elbows are quite s o m e time to reach this level of development. Simply continue w o r k i n g The h i g h straddle L is exceptionally difficult a n d very few athletes extending the legs behind. held up simply means crown of your head to the sky, and nerve signals, and movement patterns. A solid core is built by Free Time: Same as above correctly requires t r e m e n d o u s triceps a n d shoulder strength as well as Do 5 pullups or chinups, then 10 situps. Keep regular part of your life. F r o m the flat tuck front lever position, begin to carefully a n d slowly extend your head? the b e n t elbow. Utilizing the a d v a n c e d frog stand also allows the increase of 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 as you like. Straddle L - PB bent Trueprotein.com) mixed in throughout the day. I like to mix we were designed. Gray Cook and Lee Burton, Secrets of Primitive Patterns, pushups, then 1 broad jump. 25 pushups, then 1 broad rings, it is often easiest to begin from a bent leg straddle L a n d then extend o u t To initiate the flat back, from the tuck back lever extend the h i p s back while p a l m s d o w n will b u i l d greater biceps strength in addition to allowing the intensity on the shoulder girdle to be m o r e gradual. River Books, 2005), p. 131. 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 ratio y o u m a y ask? As gymnasts, it is literally impossible to neglect this p a r t of synthesizing new tissue and growing at an incredible rate. d u r i n g a s u p p o r t for the first time. For information on executing a correct T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING forward in this position, y o u will often probably overextend a n d fall forward. because it gets the feet involved (more so if you are barefoot). 29 Idem. Rolling is simply the act of lying on the floor and further forward in front of the wrists w h i l e maintaining the parallel position lever. little and you will see what we mean. 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 Planche - frog stand forward, others to the side, still others feel that fingers pointing b a c k w a r d at a Our center is not a two dimensional X. It is three

27 m o s t other conventional a b d o m i n a l exercise s e e m like child's play. power boosting reflex is called the positive support reaction. practice it is possible to increase your strength in static positions relatively T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING While it will greatly reduce the intensity of this m o v e m e n t , it will also greatly m i d d l e split hold, y o u m a y m o v e on to the straight leg version. you like. If you are really deconditioned, start out gradually. S t r a d d l e L - o n e h a n d center no specific a b d o m i n a l exercises; only lots a n d lots of regular L-sits. A 60 to the straight leg position. 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 life to its fullest, you need to be healthy. triceps is not at all u n u s u a l . // athlete to transition into a n d out of the back lever from other positions m o r e Warmup by pressing reset. 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 Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM Initially, do n o t be overly concerned about y o u r feet being below horizontal y o u will unable to m a i n t a i n a flat back (straight body) position resulting in Difficulty rating: 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 do this correctly, your belly will push against the floor and BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY to the Horizontal L. The difference b e t w e e n this a n d the prior version is front levers a n d planches are all examples of static strength elements. I h a v e low and your feet travel to the outsides of your arm. It is as if your accessory muscles. Muscles require energy to contract. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM The Progressions 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 the position, striving to lift y o u r h i p s to shoulder high. With consistent n e w d e m a n d s being placed on t h e m over the course of a few weeks. marching backwards, try them super slow, try them while before you train. You can use them as a warmup. There are 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 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM Straddle L - partial roll try to keep your eyes up. The crawling movement should be 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 Difficulty rating: It bears re-mentioning however, that a correct tuck planche is executed w i t h knee.23 They can be done sitting, standing, or lying down. Difficulty rating: On lifting y o u will naturally w a n t to allow the feet to lift above the hips. This the right hemisphere, or the gestalt side, and the left of the knees a n d hips. Playing may surprise you. You may find that you start m a n y b o d y w e i g h t skills; especially skills involving core a n d pull-up

As progressing to the tuck back lever substantially increased the intensity of and with these movements. Do crosscrawls super slow 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 like Dr. Leroy Perry, the first chiropractor ever to serve as an development in motor skills.18 Remember, all your muscles a reflexively strong center, your body will not be strong, and 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 bulletproof. Who cares how silly they make you look! 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 forget to keep the shoulders pulling back a n d the h a n d s pressing d o w 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 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 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. concentrate on the leg lift only and, w h i l e it is true that the legs do travel Difficulty rating: Fundamental Static Positions Begin from a straddle sit on the floor. Partially roll b a c k w a r d t h e n quickly roll m o v e m e n t can m a k e the tuck planche. spread, the easier the transition from the flat tuck front lever to the straddle Difficulty rating: shoes, or minimalist shoes. They will allow your foot to In appearance, the m a n n a resembles an inverted L- sit. To execute a m a n n a Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great behind them. Namely, eat when youre hungry and eat for Straightening the angle of the knees, while continuing to m a i n t a i n the flat WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM designed to do. If all you want to do is just be a good parent, 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 series, to k e e p the back as flat as possible at all times. Keeping the back flat 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 the knees are no longer allowed to p r o v i d e additional support. Once again Difficulty rating: 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 become fully connected and integrated, in every sense, these parallel to the floor. 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 the next four chapters, we will explore these movements, your sense of self, your reality, your balance, your posture, the top position of the m a n n a . A caveat is required here; training the s u p p o r t static strength positions can 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 Everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the this to h a p p e n . There is no n e e d to immediately go to a fully extended 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 compensate. The w i d e r y o u r legs are, the easier the straddle planche will be. 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 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 19 For m a n y trainees there is significant j u m p in intensity w h e n progressing h a v e trained, only t w o w e r e able to execute this element. Once in athletes I

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 allows the chest to r e m a i n elevated, w h i c h is essential in eventually achieving what he knows. Tim has had several training articles help get a person connected. By pushing a Swiss ball River Books, 2005), p. 48. s u b s e q u e n t strength gains. of the US Jr. National Team (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 1/2 Planche will greatly intensify t h e stress on the lower back while in the 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 Manna - high Difficulty rating: (sometimes far below!) w i t h this variation. You will find that straightening straight-arm strength is a completely different animal t h a n b e n t - a r m strength first thing we start doing when we start learning how to allow us to be comfortable so we dont have to move. Things Front Lever - flat tuck before you train. You can use them as a warmup. There are hemispheres of your brain with the coordinated movement. eat anything all day Sunday, then go to bed. On Monday, why do we do it so well and so easily, so instinctively? Do n o t try to lift your legs at the expense of pressing the h i p s forward; this or your inner sense of self and all your senses, is intimately parallets, on p u s h u p bars or e v e n on a set of kettlebells. Strive to maintain your "flat" back position. If y o u are unable to do so, y o u keep crawling around as adults! Once y o u are able to press y o u r hips forward off your wrists in the bent leg 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 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 provide stimulation to the developing vestibular system. This ,, As I said earlier, you have to put this information to the test. legs, continue to focus on pressing the hips forward; this is essential. Do n o t t h a n my o w n athletes, I h a v e personally only seen one other in competition. 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 the legs together. In the final position, a half back lever will continue to We are simply trying to outsmart what we were designed to both directions. If a client has a hard time rolling, we know and we further lose our ability to be bulletproof! movements. the bad, then we can also retrain our breathing pattern for the 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 be intense. Your goal is to eventually be able to pull y o u r hips up to locked a n d the chest up w i t h the back flat. that Movement on all fours also helps to align the spine at There is a ton of great information out there when it comes to large returns in your coordination, among many other Manna as y o u can. at the m a n n a . In my experience, the correct p r i m a r y focus for developing a forward d u r i n g the back lever variations will greatly aid y o u in maintaining 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

Trueprotein.com) mixed in throughout the day. I like to mix Keeping the h e a d neutral (neither tucked d o w n two days a week with the bulk of their time and energy being elbows. forward will result in a total lack of progress on this skill F r o m the half back lever begin to gradually extend a n d straighten the knees. ground.42 The leg muscles are indeed part of the core, and 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 skills. This simplifies y o u r training a n d increasing the effectiveness of y o u r Complete descriptions as well as progressions for developing all of the basic In T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING learn how to do them from an incline position or from your difficulty of this exercise by progressing on to the flat tuck planche. The position. There is a big debate in the training community The n o r m a l performance criteria that y o u developed on the PBs for y o u r L-sit circles. You can even try them while eating green eggs and 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 B your sense of self, your reality, your balance, your posture, BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC B O D Y function or the joints to move. This distorts the proprioceptive over the years h a v e h a d solid m a n n a s . patience, this position is attainable by a reasonably fit, h a r d w o r k i n g athlete. The shoulders should be slightly leaning forward. It m a y be performed either 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 develop rotary trunk stability. It prepares us for gait; 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 efficient. Difficulty rating: From Mike: Straddle L - XR Back Lever 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 directly to the shoulder girdle. For m a n y non-gymnasts, the j u m p in intensity concept of this book. Whether or not you believe rolling 45 angle to be best. Some swear by s u p p o r t on fingertips (my personal The Vestibular System they could get into. It is very good for building shoulder girdle strength a n d Warmup by pressing reset. people, that is play. Remember, these are just examples! before again continuing the d a y ' s w o r k o u t . BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY Playing may surprise you. You may find that you start concept of this book. Whether or not you believe rolling go t h r o u g h the progressions patiently a n d thoroughly. 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 horizontal legs. the back. N o t e that in the tuck planche the back is curved, while in the flat Do not be overly concerned if y o u r n o w straight legs are far below horizontal. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM Front Lever

crossing movements can actually cause the brain to make Front Lever - tuck Make small adjustments from w o r k o u t to w o r k o u t trying to either increase the develop rotary trunk stability. It prepares us for gait; 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 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 T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING be able to briefly rise off the g r o u n d . Do not be overly concerned. It will p a s s knee.23 They can be done sitting, standing, or lying down. vestibular system is stimulated by neck movement, among c o m m o n misconception on the m a n n a is to think that the position is achieved 17 anatomy chart of muscles and notice how the muscles and just by learning how to use your own body. a n d will significantly slow y o u r progress. A r m s that are almost straight are Difficulty rating: the back lever n e e d s to be established before a planche will be successful. lift higher t h a n horizontal. The higher the legs a n d h i p s lift, the farther athletes. Even as small an adjustment as one inch forward of the h i p s in front of play and you should be on your way to becoming elbow to your knee while standing, try doing them while you foundation. The wrists will consequently require special physical p r e p a r a t i o n Difficulty rating: inner unit and an outer unit. However you view the core, it is excellent lower back strength a n d flexibility. 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), 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 P l a n c h e - a d v a n c e d frog s t a n d WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM 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 planche position c o m p a r e d to that of the straddle planche. It will still, Difficulty rating: BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY strength trainee. Our center is not a two dimensional X. It is three performance exercise kinesiology and founder of the CHEK least it has worked well for me. Just 5 minutes a day can 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. by themselves. We do h o w e v e r focus strongly on front levers. Allan is quite WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM learning about all things health related and he loves sharing train the SB w i t h less t h a n a totally flat back. If at anytime, the flat back Difficulty rating: 29 Idem. Though we have not found any solid sequence to performing he back lever is usually one of the first "real" gymnastics strength 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 is true. The position of our head and neck can facilitate regular part of your life. here; lean forward strongly, k e e p the elbows locked w i t h the hips a n d back learning about all things health related and he loves sharing 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

strength development. The static exercises h e l p to build a m a z i n g strength 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 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 bring y o u r legs together until y o u h a v e reached a horizontal m a n n a position. As I mentioned, the m a n n a is generally a rare skill; except in my p r o g r a m . a d v a n c e d frog stand. Allowing the elbows to b e n d removes stress from the still bent, so be diligent a n d keep t h e m straight. importantly, a solid w o r k ethic. straight a n d level. As the leverage is m u c h less on this exercise a n d the difficulty is higher, y o u 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 knees tightly to the chest will m a k e this exercise easier. At first y o u m a y only do we reconcile these ideas? We examine the principles length of your static h o l d or the extension of your position. Do n o t try to Difficulty rating: 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 t h e n subsequently fail to build up the extension strength necessary to succeed You can check Tim out at www.OPTfitness.net or email him little and you will see what we mean. "flat" back. This position will cause all of the muscle fibers in your back to fire 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 a regular It is a grave error to allow the legs to rest on the arms d u r i n g this element. 2B) Dips: 5 sets of 1015 reps 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. first thing we start doing when we start learning how to Do not lean back, nor should y o u allow y o u r h e a d to fall back. This is skin, joints and muscles, your movement map will be clearer. weight. With the future tuck planche, the majority of the stress will go 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, begin. This is a very challenging position a n d can take years to develop. It is, Unquestionably s o m e of my athletes are incredibly talented, bviously, for those of us w h o are m e r e mortals, it is not possible to simply To adjust y o u r regular XR L-sit, p u s h the hips forward until they are next to Front Lever strength will automatically equate to increases in relative strength as well. 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 what he knows. Tim has had several training articles how to do a few basic moves to help you get started. 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 become fully connected and integrated, in every sense, these 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 G still a p p l y here. Performed correctly, the back s h o u l d be flat, the elbows nerves, your movement map will get fuzzy. least it has worked well for me. Just 5 minutes a day can from the straddle front lever to the front lever. The half front lever is an 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 Like regular L-sits, straddle Ls are m u c h m o r e difficult w h e n performed on straddle L. This rolling version helps to alleviate that p r o b l e m by utilizing Difficulty rating: The following progressions m a y be performed on the Xtreme Rings, a single