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 synthesizing new tissue and growing at an incredible rate.

years of consistent practice will be required to develop the m a n n a . H o w e v e r , how to do a few basic moves to help you get started. skin, joints and muscles, your movement map will be clearer. 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 significantly less t h a n that of the full front lever. The shoulders should be slightly leaning forward. It m a y be performed either legs, continue to focus on pressing the hips forward; this is essential. Do n o t solid foundation of basic strength t h r o u g h the use of FSPs a n d FBEs. It should As w i t h most of the preceding variations, the half front lever continues to be Manna In the next four chapters, we will explore these movements, While w o r k i n g the various planche variations, strive to h o l d the hips level Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great do this correctly, your belly will push against the floor and 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 both directions. If a client has a hard time rolling, we know gymnastics elements and, seemingly, the simplest of all a b d o m i n a l lowering from a h a n d s t a n d . h o w e v e r the elbows h a v e progressed from a bent to a straight-arm position. BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY y o u r strength increases, y o u r legs will naturally rise higher. 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 begin. This is a very challenging position a n d can take years to develop. It is, spread, the easier the transition from the flat tuck front lever to the straddle movements. 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 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 Difficulty rating: WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM 17 There is a ton of great information out there when it comes to Difficulty rating: time will be a major milestone in y o u r athletic development. extending the legs behind. Sitting on the floor in a straddle, place one h a n d in the center a n d the other reducing the strain on the lower back, b u t also greatly lessening the strength this out! 3 reps at 90% As I said earlier, you have to put this information to the test. Reverse lunge 15 steps per leg, do 10 pushups, then r e m o v e the legs from the floor a n d go directly to the planche. 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 Crosscrawls are nothing new. Youve probably even done Keeping the h e a d neutral (neither tucked d o w n 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 now who cannot crawl well. Others of you may find that you ease this transition considerably. letters in the alphabet. But, for now, and because it works 21

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 however, be significantly less t h a n that of the planche. The same general In the next four chapters, we will explore these movements, some crawl backwards, some dont crawl at all, though they 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 w i t h the calves in a vertical position w i t h the feet pointing at the ceiling. accessible. system. In other words, we are not stimulating the brain, the The back lever is also a necessary stepping-stone t o w a r d building the straight 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 As the leverage is m u c h less on this exercise a n d the difficulty is higher, y o u 24 Idem. keep crawling around as adults! elbows. 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 Vjust by learning how to use your own body. 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 b e t w e e n the wrists a n d elbows. The legs should n o t be touching the arms. 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 breathers, and we start using our accessory muscles to ecoming proficient at front levers will h a v e a strong carryover effect to stands are m u c h easier t h a n tuck planches d u e to the fact that utilizing the T S t r a d d l e L - PB l o w 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 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 be able to briefly rise off the g r o u n d . Do not be overly concerned. It will p a s s they certainly would affect how forces travel from the ground 27 before you train. You can use them as a warmup. There are 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 become fully connected and integrated, in every sense, these T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING 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 a n d feet stay level w i t h one another. U n d e r no circumstances allow the feet to 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; T lifting the legs while also simultaneously lifting the hips. The tendency is to friend which is much more valuable to me than any physical If something is important, you should do it everyday.34 hemispheres of your brain with the coordinated movement. the straddle L. Lower to the g r o u n d , switch h a n d s a n d repeat. 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 Trueprotein.com) mixed in throughout the day. I like to mix Playing may surprise you. You may find that you start 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM The Progressions j u m p in intensity of load. Do n o t u n d e r any circumstances, allow yourself to From the straddle back lever, b e n d the knees while simultaneously bringing the knees are no longer allowed to p r o v i d e additional support. Once again forces cross through our center from left to right, right to left,

works wonders for the client. We have witnessed rolling eventually be able to r e m o v e y o u r feet completely from the floor a n d hold P r o g r a m Design section. 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 opposite knee, you simply touch your opposite hand or 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 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 the center of gravity. contest on the stall bars (These bars are directly anchored to the wall a n d do 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 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 s a m e time; one will build u p o n the other. 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 pushups, then 1 broad jump. 25 pushups, then 1 broad the bad, then we can also retrain our breathing pattern for the 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 The neural connections in the brain are much like the Do 5 pullups or chinups, then 10 situps. Keep easiest thing in the world, right? W r o n g . Correctly done, the L-sit will m a k e your accessory muscles. Muscles require energy to contract. ago a n d I h a v e found that training straddle Ls several times a w e e k greatly straight. Bending the elbows greatly lessens the intensity of these exercises stronger and you are now ready to explore more levels of // F r o m the half back lever begin to gradually extend a n d straighten the knees. nerve signals, and movement patterns. A solid core is built by It bears re-mentioning however, that a correct tuck planche is executed w i t h inner unit and an outer unit. However you view the core, it is ineffective a n d will result in a great deal of w a s t e d time a n d effort. To DVD, The Secrets of Primitive Patterns. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM You can check Tim out at www.OPTfitness.net or email him 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 Play can lead to living! m u c h harder. Rolling is simply the act of lying on the floor and before you train. You can use them as a warmup. There are 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 Back Lever - straddle bringing your legs closer together. here; lean forward strongly, k e e p the elbows locked w i t h the hips a n d back Back Lever tied together in some way. You want to get a strong core? what he knows. Tim has had several training articles 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 Rolling is simply the act of lying on the floor and c o m m o n misconception on the m a n n a is to think that the position is achieved the bars is simply too low. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM nerve signals, and movement patterns. A solid core is built by BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY 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

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 The neural connections in the brain are much like the River Books, 2005), p. 131. this static h o l d w i t h higher a n d higher legs, until y o u achieve nearly Unquestionably s o m e of my athletes are incredibly talented, two days a week with the bulk of their time and energy being Balance is also a key to this exercise. As y o u first begin to learn h o w to lean concept of this book. Whether or not you believe rolling speed of the roll forward. From Tim: WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM at the m a n n a . In my experience, the correct p r i m a r y focus for developing a W Trueprotein.com) mixed in throughout the day. I like to mix the feet slightly above the knees. The h i p s in height should be s o m e w h e r e inCrosscrawls are nothing new. Youve probably even done time passion. Mike has pursued continuing education with n e w d e m a n d s being placed on t h e m over the course of a few weeks. people, that is play. Remember, these are just examples! p a l m s d o w n will b u i l d greater biceps strength in addition to allowing the the load on the back, the straddle back lever will once again be a q u a n t u m c r a m p s become too intense, stop the exercise for some stretching a n d massage 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 Everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the Playing may surprise you. You may find that you start this by allowing y o u r legs to d r o p as l o w as necessary in order to succeed in bulletproof. Who cares how silly they make you look! they certainly would affect how forces travel from the ground When in life do we move the body without allowing the neck develop rotary trunk stability. It prepares us for gait; BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY 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 crazy and mix it up a bit if you like! Having said all of Difficulty rating: found static strength training to be invaluable in building the ligament a n d 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 help get a person connected. By pushing a Swiss ball elevated. vestibular system is stimulated by neck movement, among some crawl backwards, some dont crawl at all, though they two days a week with the bulk of their time and energy being We are simply trying to outsmart what we were designed to (straight). Straddle L - high w i t h time a n d continued persistent training. Day 2 the position, striving to lift y o u r h i p s to shoulder high. With consistent From Mike: variations. Rather t h a n all exceptional athletes, w h a t I h a v e developed is an efficient a n d 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 decide to take up climbing, this crawl can be a great way to

T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING designed to do. If all you want to do is just be a good parent, the h a n d s . Do this while continuing to maintain the flat back w i t h chest out, projects/project_ideas/MatlSci_p021.shtml will absolutely crush the core a n d lower back of the beginning gymnastics Gray Cook and Lee Burton, Secrets of Primitive Patterns, large returns in your coordination, among many other 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. 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 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 as you like. the back lever. 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 Bringing y o u r legs together p r e m a t u r e l y increases the difficulty of the element From Mike: try to keep your eyes up. The crawling movement should be Warmup by pressing reset. how to do a few basic moves to help you get started. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM 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 to the Horizontal L. The difference b e t w e e n this a n d the prior version is Difficulty rating: relation to each other at all times. 24 Idem. elbows. N o w gradually lean forward taking y o u r weight b o t h u n t o your 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 receive regular vestibular stimulation show advanced your head? 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 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, T conditioned, increase your time and/or your level of activity. Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great y o u are comfortable. Sit up straight a n d be sure to keep y o u r elbows locked River Books, 2005), p. 48. circles. You can even try them while eating green eggs and athletes. Even as small an adjustment as one inch forward of the h i p s in front and we further lose our ability to be bulletproof! 7 assessment tool for our clients, we have found that these perform the spiderman crawl for a continuous 3 minutes, favorite) a n d others w i t h the h a n d s completely flat. Just experiment a n d find w h i c h quite frankly cannot be d e v e l o p e d any other w a y . In appearance, the m a n n a resembles an inverted L- sit. To execute a m a n n a BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY As I said earlier, you have to put this information to the test. great deal of stability within the h i p joint. eat junk all the time. You must take responsibility for what eventually build up to this skill; for a m a n n a there are no shortcuts. You m u s t Remember, your palms and feet are tied to your core compensate. The w i d e r y o u r legs are, the easier the straddle planche will be. In

Feet, much like the hands, are full of nerve endings that send Once y o u are able to press y o u r hips forward off your wrists in the bent leg 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 front levers a n d planches are all examples of static strength elements. I h a v e Difficulty rating: 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 position. Build up to this over time as small shifts of even a few inches greater h a v e trained, only t w o w e r e able to execute this element. Once in forward while simultaneously attempting to p u s h up into the straddle L w i t h Manna - M S H bent capable of anything to bodies capable of being paper as you like. H M S H is a very challenging position a n d will n e e d to be built up to gradually. friend which is much more valuable to me than any physical Difficulty rating: Difficulty rating: h a s a strong straddle planche (19 seconds), b u t n o t a strong front lever, a n d trying to progress as quickly as possible. It is also important to r e m e m b e r that reduce the very strength gains that y o u w e r e seeking in the first place. As y o u r strength improves, continue to press y o u r hips further in front of 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 y o u will unable to m a i n t a i n a flat back (straight body) position resulting in It is composed of highly sensitive organs called the utricle, do we reconcile these ideas? We examine the principles because it gets the feet involved (more so if you are barefoot). either an arched back or pike in the hips. In the case of shoulder g i r d l e / l a t s Front Lever - half h a n d s directly b e h i n d y o u r glutes. athlete to transition into a n d out of the back lever from other positions m o r e The first midline crossing movement we would like to the area y o u are w o r k i n g in is safe a n d appropriate for this training. The Progressions Idem. work-load on the lower back a n d shoulder girdle, h o w e v e r it is still position. There is a big debate in the training community forward d u r i n g the back lever variations will greatly aid y o u in maintaining Difficulty rating: knee.23 They can be done sitting, standing, or lying down. 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 44 or your inner sense of self and all your senses, is intimately 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 Back Lever - half allowing for faster communication between the hemispheres the bottle rolls off, you are not keeping a long spine. This is a a regular air, and you are not using as much energy by breathing with 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 Difficulty rating: The L-sit on the Xtreme Rings is everything that the PB L-sit is - squared. D u e planche position c o m p a r e d to that of the straddle planche. It will still, lever.

m o s t other conventional a b d o m i n a l exercise s e e m like child's play. first thing we start doing when we start learning how to Notice that this is the only static position in our planche progressions w i t h Difficulty rating: the bottle rolls off, you are not keeping a long spine. This is a become fully connected and integrated, in every sense, these shoes, or minimalist shoes. They will allow your foot to eat anything all day Sunday, then go to bed. On Monday, the right hemisphere, or the gestalt side, and the left of the knees a n d hips. Straddle L - PB Difficulty rating: T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY lessen the intensity of these exercises a n d thereby dramatically lower the be intense. Your goal is to eventually be able to pull y o u r hips up to 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 the back. N o t e that in the tuck planche the back is curved, while in the flat on the planche series exercises are completely optional. Some prefer fingers least it has worked well for me. Just 5 minutes a day can Since we were just discussing strength training, We thought this out! 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 regular part of your life. L, the straddle L should h a v e a forward lean while in support; the higher the concept of this book. Whether or not you believe rolling mobility through movement (some very particular Difficulty rating: allow us to be comfortable so we dont have to move. Things life to its fullest, you need to be healthy. Performing midline crossing movements, also known as 17 straightforward. It does h o w e v e r require great dedication; for m o s t people 1-2 Constantly using your accessory muscles to breathe has a 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM Free Time: Same as above d y n a m i c strength training already occurs w i t h i n a matrix of relative strength. It is composed of highly sensitive organs called the utricle, anatomy chart of muscles and notice how the muscles and Straddle Ls, as well as L sits, are also easily integrated in the training of other 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 7 leg front lever a n d eventually the straight leg planche. In fact, in my opinion directly to the shoulder girdle. For m a n y non-gymnasts, the j u m p in intensity h o l d (MSH) held in a horizontal position. H o w e v e r , for m o s t people the 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 nerves, your movement map will get fuzzy. Once the tuck front lever feels firmly in control, it is time to m o v e on to the flat 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 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM

beginning, it is perfectly acceptable for y o u r feet to be far b e l o w horizontal. The Progressions 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM 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 A d v a n c e d athletes m a y enter the straddle planche either from a straddle L or you like. If you are really deconditioned, start out gradually. experience along the way. My destination is complete athletic 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 y o u r static hold. As y o u r strength improves, gradually attempt to perform 29 Idem. least it has worked well for me. Just 5 minutes a day can 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 Difficulty rating: key to becoming bulletproof. It is the key to life. The next and we further lose our ability to be bulletproof! girdle to be able to successfully perform it. O u t of the t h o u s a n d s of 3 reps at 90% system. In other words, we are not stimulating the brain, the of the US Jr. National Team 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. y o u r legs pulled as w i d e apart as possible. little and you will see what we mean. train the SB w i t h less t h a n a totally flat back. If at anytime, the flat back Difficulty rating: Constantly using your accessory muscles to breathe has a The Vestibular System Remember, your palms and feet are tied to your core knee.23 They can be done sitting, standing, or lying down. believe we can press reset with certain movements to still a p p l y here. Performed correctly, the back s h o u l d be flat, the elbows L-sit - PB l o w decrease the leverage of the m o v e m e n t , subsequently greatly increasing the hemispheres of your brain with the coordinated movement. knees tightly to the chest will m a k e this exercise easier. At first y o u m a y only pointing at the ceiling. The tendency here is to allow the hips to close, thereby Fundamental Static Positions is true. The position of our head and neck can facilitate diligently will i n d e e d succeed in developing a m a n n a . While h o l d i n g y o u r h i p s shoulder high, the right hemisphere, or the gestalt side, and the left Though we have not found any solid sequence to performing 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 be quite taxing on the wrists; especially w i t h o u t an a d e q u a t e developmental Idem. Difficulty rating: and we will weaken our core. Everything together makes the floor at all times. At this time, raising the knees m a y only be d o n e w i t h an 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM still bent, so be diligent a n d keep t h e m straight. 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

2B) Dips: 5 sets of 1015 reps WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM back to your belly using your legs or arms independently, CHAPTER FOUR continue m a k i n g progress t h r o u g h the planche progression. 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 while at the same time leaning back w i t h y o u r shoulders. At this time it is fine Again, going barefoot may be the way to go if youre trying d e v e l o p e d on the PBs. Be patient. Generally y o u r stabilizers will adjust to the conditioned, increase your time and/or your level of activity. rings, it is often easiest to begin from a bent leg straddle L a n d then extend o u t strength trainee. Front Lever shoes, but I would suggest when you train, or play, you easiest for beginners is from the flat tuck back lever simply extend the legs o u t function or the joints to move. This distorts the proprioceptive performance exercise kinesiology and founder of the CHEK placed in front of y o u will h e l p to cushion any crash landings. w i d e r the better. You should actually feel y o u r hips actively pulling y o u r legs 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 "flattening" will greatly increase the intensity of the tuck planche. In fact, I How to CrossCrawl For the beginner, this exercise will n e e d to be d o n e on the PBs, h i g h parallets, 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 by getting on your hands and knees, keeping a long spine Everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the resulting in a b o d y position that is s k e w e d sideways. Once a strong back lever is developed, the planche progression will proceed also be u n d e r s t o o d that the vast majority of athletes fail in establishing an held up simply means crown of your head to the sky, and forces cross through our center from left to right, right to left, Planche - straddle 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 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 simultaneously attempting to p u s h the h i p s forward off of y o u r wrists. Do Patience a n d perseverance are p o t e n t tools. Progress on the planche is most marching backwards, try them super slow, try them while Difficulty rating: 90% of your developmental m a n n a time in. Most people will fail in the 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 from their position on y o u r chest. Balance is critical here. As y o u extend y o u r Difficulty rating: 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. behind them. Namely, eat when youre hungry and eat for allows the chest to r e m a i n elevated, w h i c h is essential in eventually achieving Door Publications, 1999), p. 79. 2B) Dips: 5 sets of 1015 reps horizontal or level w i t h y o u r shoulders w i t h an approximately 45 angle opposite knee, you simply touch your opposite hand or As I mentioned, the m a n n a is generally a rare skill; except in my p r o g r a m . why do we do it so well and so easily, so instinctively?

he back lever is usually one of the first "real" gymnastics strength 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 N o w lift off of the bars while BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY there are only a few w h o can do the m a n n a correctly. Once again the h i p s will struggle to close d u r i n g the extension, do not allow S t r a d d l e L - o n e h a n d center your accessory muscles. Muscles require energy to contract. development in motor skills.18 Remember, all your muscles nerves, your movement map will get fuzzy. Difficulty rating: 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 help get a person connected. By pushing a Swiss ball Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great 34 circles. You can even try them while eating green eggs and 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 forward in this position, y o u will often probably overextend a n d fall forward. 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 O perform the spiderman crawl for a continuous 3 minutes, we h a d t h o u g h t w a s physically possible. In fact, in most gymnastics little and you will see what we mean. Fundamental Static Positions 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 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 develop rotary trunk stability. It prepares us for gait; Allan is now 13 years old and a 5 year veteran member master it on your hands and knees, and then in the Spider 19 allow us to be comfortable so we dont have to move. Things W h e n performing a straddle L on the rings always attempt to lift the legs people, that is play. Remember, these are just examples! back to your belly using your legs or arms independently, P l a n c h e - a d v a n c e d frog s t a n d Our center is not a two dimensional X. It is three 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 The 1/2 Planche will greatly intensify t h e stress on the lower back while in the (sometimes far below!) w i t h this variation. You will find that straightening P l a n c h e - flat t u c k Front Lever - straddle Dan John, Never Let Go (Santa Cruz: On Target L-sit T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING parallel position. That is fine, simply w o r k w i t h y o u r knees at the height that tendons lie in relation to one another. Even our DNA is in the behind them. Namely, eat when youre hungry and eat for straight over head. Using your right leg, reach across your Front Lever 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 focus should be keeping the h i p s pressed forward. Great pressure will be felt The following progressions m a y be performed on the Xtreme Rings, a single

For m a n y trainees there is significant j u m p in intensity w h e n progressing regarding where your head should be while you are training Complete descriptions as well as progressions for developing all of the basic allowing for faster communication between the hemispheres BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY Back Lever - tuck 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 . marching backwards, try them super slow, try them while support. Remember that unlike L seats, straddle Ls m u s t lean forward in 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 best. Adjust the intensity of this m o v e m e n t by increasing or decreasing the efficient. 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 a reflexively strong center, your body will not be strong, and B 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 Once y o u can hold the Low Straight Leg L comfortably, it is time to progress the top position of the m a n n a . (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 In an a d v a n c e d frog stand the knees continue to be braced on the arms; A caveat is required here; training the s u p p o r t static strength positions can crossing movements can actually cause the brain to make intensity on the shoulder girdle to be m o r e gradual. to the straight leg position. 5. Learn how to run sprints. m o v e m e n t can m a k e the tuck planche. shoes, but I would suggest when you train, or play, you synthesizing new tissue and growing at an incredible rate. excellent intermediate step. Your goal is to eventually be able to pull y o u r h i p s up to horizontal or level life to its fullest, you need to be healthy. The Progressions F r o m the flat tuck front lever position, begin to carefully a n d slowly extend Play can lead to living! fake crawling. It is deliberate. Your shoulders and hips have straddle L. This rolling version helps to alleviate that p r o b l e m by utilizing your sense of self, your reality, your balance, your posture, 27 on the triceps a n d back of the shoulders; initially severe c r a m p i n g of the When in life do we move the body without allowing the neck h a n d s in-between your legs. With y o u r h a n d s comfortably spaced apart, lift eat anything all day Sunday, then go to bed. On Monday, Difficulty rating: projects/project_ideas/MatlSci_p021.shtml WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM While it will greatly reduce the intensity of this m o v e m e n t , it will also greatly efficient. 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 Manna - high tuck front lever. As w i t h the flat tuck planche, the m a i n difference here is the quite s o m e time to reach this level of development. Simply continue w o r k i n g importantly, a solid w o r k ethic.

no specific a b d o m i n a l exercises; only lots a n d lots of regular L-sits. A 60 Difficulty rating: the b e n t elbow. Utilizing the a d v a n c e d frog stand also allows the increase of 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 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 and powerful forces; the key to a strong and resilient body.8 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 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 Our center is not a two dimensional X. It is three There are several options for entering a straddle back lever. Probably the 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, tuck planche the back a p p e a r s flat. The reason m o s t people fail to develop a m a n n a is d u e to a flawed 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 Center yourself on a set of parallel bars (PB), parallets or p u s h u p bars. If y o u r The Progressions stronger and you are now ready to explore more levels of a n d the only w a y to develop it is to progress t h r o u g h various straight-arm Straddle L BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY Since we were just discussing strength training, We thought Performing midline crossing movements, also known as a n d will significantly slow y o u r progress. A r m s that are almost straight are like Dr. Leroy Perry, the first chiropractor ever to serve as an 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 positions are provided. 3 reps at 90% introductory s u p p o r t strength for this skill. ratio y o u m a y ask? As gymnasts, it is literally impossible to neglect this p a r t of The strength that this position Initially, do n o t be overly concerned about y o u r feet being below horizontal frustrating for adults. There are some of you reading this right 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 From Tim: the a p p r o p r i a t e h i p strength necessary to perform it on the floor. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM The p r i m a r y difference on this variation is that the knees will n o w be straight. requisite a m o u n t of time developing the H M S H . Difficulty rating: For that reason, we will begin our quest for the m a n n a , w i t h the bent leg ymnastically speaking, static strength is the ability to h o l d or maintain the 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 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 increases the muscular d e m a n d s of this m o v e m e n t . For beginners on the 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 the Xtreme Rings; the inherent instability of the rings themselves greatly skills. This simplifies y o u r training a n d increasing the effectiveness of y o u r 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 length of your static h o l d or the extension of your position. Do n o t try to Difficulty rating: 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 shoulder

As progressing to the tuck back lever substantially increased the intensity of difficulty of this exercise by progressing on to the flat tuck planche. The we were designed. considered s o m e w h a t exotic. Even a m o n g our U.S. Olympic level athletes 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 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. develops is transferable to a w i d e range of gymnastics skills. order to preserve balance. This of course causes the h i p flexors a n d rectus b e n t elbows. works wonders for the client. We have witnessed rolling With this variation it is perfectly fine to continue to allow y o u r legs to h a n g amenable to its inclusion parallets, on p u s h u p bars or e v e n on a set of kettlebells. ground.42 The leg muscles are indeed part of the core, and WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM River Books, 2005), p. 131. positions that m o s t people are exposed to. It is a little bit exotic a n d forces straight over head. Using your right leg, reach across your a n d will greatly increase the time required to master this position. 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 forget to keep the shoulders pulling back a n d the h a n d s pressing d o w n . The h i g h straddle L is exceptionally difficult a n d very few athletes BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY 29 Idem. athletes? This Door Publications, 1999), p. 79. 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 for support. triceps is not at all u n u s u a l . Reverse lunge 15 steps per leg, do 10 pushups, then Warmup by pressing reset. horizontal legs. exercises. H o w h a r d can it be to simply stay in one position? It m u s t be the large returns in your coordination, among many other 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 they could get into. It is very good for building shoulder girdle strength a n d WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM before. front lever will be. 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 what he knows. Tim has had several training articles Manna WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM Difficulty rating: WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM breathers, and we start using our accessory muscles to The n o r m a l performance criteria that y o u developed on the PBs for y o u r L-sit T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING on the floor, parallets or parallel bars. Your strength will continue to i m p r o v e w i t h consistent practice. ,,

y o u get stronger in the straddle planche, y o u should increase the difficulty by addition, there are those w h o w o u l d quibble w i t h the planche being included key to becoming bulletproof. It is the key to life. The next WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM lever. would not want to do. Adjust, change, and tinker with them patience, this position is attainable by a reasonably fit, h a r d w o r k i n g athlete. Free Time: Same as above Unfortunately p u s h u p b a r s will not w o r k for most beginners, as the height of and we will weaken our core. Everything together makes the both directions. If a client has a hard time rolling, we know b e e n established. 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 for n e w trainees. to work together. With crawling, they are both working To adjust y o u r regular XR L-sit, p u s h the hips forward until they are next to BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC B O D Y G We are simply trying to outsmart what we were designed to Difficulty rating: experience along the way. My destination is complete athletic athletes I forward, others to the side, still others feel that fingers pointing b a c k w a r d at a 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 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 Place yourself, so that y o u are standing or sitting in a straddle w i t h your As time passes, y o u will achieve a straddled 1/2 V position a n d t h e n finally a Like regular L-sits, straddle Ls are m u c h m o r e difficult w h e n performed on Dan John, Never Let Go (Santa Cruz: On Target straight a n d level. eat junk all the time. You must take responsibility for what 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 Gymnastic Bodies volume, The D y n a m i c Physique. H o w e v e r , to ensure the to h a v e a great deal of difficulty initially w i t h lifting into the horizontal learn how to do them from an incline position or from your Straddle L - PB bent now who cannot crawl well. Others of you may find that you position. There is a big debate in the training community Skip a mile. River Books, 2005), p. 48. excellent lower back strength a n d flexibility. 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. fake crawling. It is deliberate. Your shoulders and hips have is true. The position of our head and neck can facilitate so the eyes are in place to see the world. Heads up! The way integrated. learning about all things health related and he loves sharing T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING 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 O n e final general note on planches; w h e n training on the floor, hand positions held a 60-second L that night; despite our never w o r k i n g extended h o l d L-sits

h i p s back a n d u p . Your forward lean will increase as y o u r hips go higher. WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM 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 shoes, or minimalist shoes. They will allow your foot to 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 the a t t e m p t at the 60-second L-sit crushed him. Difficulty rating: tied together in some way. You want to get a strong core? 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 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 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 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 of play and you should be on your way to becoming s u b s e q u e n t strength gains. On lifting y o u will naturally w a n t to allow the feet to lift above the hips. This training load on the shoulder girdle a n d lower back. second L w a s the expected standard. of play and you should be on your way to becoming a reflexively strong center, your body will not be strong, and BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY sit is a preliminary step along the r o a d to a m a n n a . As such, they build up the relieves the discomfort w i t h i n the joint. hips, will, over time, gradually increase the difficulty of this m o v e m e n t . WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM straddle planche, it is also beneficial to practice tuck planche p u s h - u p s at the Straightening the angle of the knees, while continuing to m a i n t a i n the flat 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 Though we have not found any solid sequence to performing The Progressions BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY power boosting reflex is called the positive support reaction. For m a n y trainees, a d v a n c e d frog stands are a necessary intermediate step to Make small adjustments from w o r k o u t to w o r k o u t trying to either increase the a d v a n c e d frog stand. Allowing the elbows to b e n d removes stress from the frustrating for adults. There are some of you reading this right T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING try to keep your eyes up. The crawling movement should be 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 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 regarding where your head should be while you are training 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 do this correctly, your belly will push against the floor and we were designed. keep crawling around as adults! quickly. 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 WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM parallel to the floor. training. have quite a bit of variety in my diet. It allows me to eat WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM

L-sit - PB advanced over the years h a v e h a d solid m a n n a s . 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 Do not lean back, nor should y o u allow y o u r h e a d to fall back. This is would not want to do. Adjust, change, and tinker with them load of y o u r b o d y w e i g h t . 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 gains from this m o v e m e n t . Focus on maintaining a flat back w i t h completely t h a n my o w n athletes, I h a v e personally only seen one other in competition. T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING provide stimulation to the developing vestibular system. This just by learning how to use your own body. 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 BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY Skip a mile. further forward in front of the wrists w h i l e maintaining the parallel position current level of strength. letters in the alphabet. But, for now, and because it works do we reconcile these ideas? We examine the principles toes. A r r a n g e yourself so that y o u r knees are resting against y o u r bent regular part of your life. correctly requires t r e m e n d o u s triceps a n d shoulder strength as well as vertical straddled V. Do not give in to the t e m p t a t i o n to focus on lifting the series, to k e e p the back as flat as possible at all times. Keeping the back flat until you are able to perform 20 sets of 5 pushups and 10 sets vestibular system is stimulated by neck movement, among capable of anything to bodies capable of being paper As y o u continue leaning forward y o u will a n d to the side. M a k e sure to continue to lean forward strongly w h e n have quite a bit of variety in my diet. It allows me to eat WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM Difficulty rating: straight-arm strength is a completely different animal t h a n b e n t - a r m strength lift higher t h a n horizontal. The higher the legs a n d h i p s lift, the farther 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 legs farther behind, y o u will also h a v e to lean a little farther forward to Be careful to m a i n t a i n a horizontal position. crazy and mix it up a bit if you like! Having said all of foundation. The wrists will consequently require special physical p r e p a r a t i o n Back Lever 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 a n d torso. This is however, a very difficult position for beginners a n d y o u will power boosting reflex is called the positive support reaction. tendons lie in relation to one another. Even our DNA is in the Difficulty rating: bulletproof. Who cares how silly they make you look! to the t r e m e n d o u s instability of the rings, y o u will probably find it yet allows y o u to continue building h i p a n d leg extension strength. weight. With the future tuck planche, the majority of the stress will go Quality w o r k on the various progressions is essential for being able to 19 function or the joints to move. This distorts the proprioceptive

Difficulty rating: 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 I injured my left h i p some years elbow to your knee while standing, try doing them while you L-sit - XR advanced After the 'basic foundation is achieved, the p r i m a r y focus of o u r Gymnastic 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 concentrate on the leg lift only and, w h i l e it is true that the legs do travel DVD, The Secrets of Primitive Patterns. Straddle L - XR Planche 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 Do n o t try to lift your legs at the expense of pressing the h i p s forward; this Planche - tuck w i t h the shoulders. As w i t h the front lever, m a k e sure that the elbows are 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 bviously, for those of us w h o are m e r e mortals, it is not possible to simply 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, Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves (Salt Lake City: Great 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 and with these movements. Do crosscrawls super slow Planche - frog stand 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 . 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 The Vestibular System 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 your sense of self, your reality, your balance, your posture, 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 How to CrossCrawl 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 Difficulty rating: U p o n reaching the correct position, y o u r knees will be higher t h a n y o u r 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 low and your feet travel to the outsides of your arm. It is as if the biceps for the strain later on of XR planches a n d iron crosses. 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 possess the combined strength a n d flexibility of the back, h i p a n d below parallel; our major change will n o w be the straightening of the knees. 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 that Movement on all fours also helps to align the spine at strength development. The static exercises h e l p to build a m a z i n g strength Strive to maintain your "flat" back position. If y o u are unable to do so, y o u decide to take up climbing, this crawl can be a great way to 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 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 go t h r o u g h the progressions patiently a n d thoroughly. first thing we start doing when we start learning how to crossing movements can actually cause the brain to make WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM practice it is possible to increase your strength in static positions relatively you like. If you are really deconditioned, start out gradually.

the prior to beginning to successfully train the tuck planche. Initially frog integrated. Back Lever - flat tuck bring y o u r legs together until y o u h a v e reached a horizontal m a n n a position. inner unit and an outer unit. However you view the core, it is Allan Bower in a Manna at 7yrs old T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING k e e p y o u r legs bent in this first variation of the straddle L. Unlike the regular Once y o u feel comfortable w i t h the tuck planche, y o u can increase the the legs together. In the final position, a half back lever will continue to BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY 22 held up simply means crown of your head to the sky, and BUILDING THE GYMNASTIC BODY above the rings. Do n o t b e n d the elbows, y o u should feel the biceps pressing pushups, then 1 broad jump. 25 pushups, then 1 broad 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 Manna - M S H horizontal uncomfortable for y o u r wrists, these progressions can also be performed on provide stimulation to the developing vestibular system. This 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 Again, going barefoot may be the way to go if youre trying learn how to do them from an incline position or from your Gray Cook and Lee Burton, Secrets of Primitive Patterns, From the flat tuck planche position, begin to extend your knees b e h i n d y o u As great as crawling is, we have found that some clients just WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM straddle L, the m o r e substantial will be the forward lean. locked a n d the chest up w i t h the back flat. 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 Planche - half exceedingly difficult to maintain the s a m e good b o d y position that y o u h a v e Begin from a straddle sit on the floor. Partially roll b a c k w a r d t h e n quickly roll 5. Learn how to run sprints. elbow to your knee while standing, try doing them while you time passion. Mike has pursued continuing education with this to h a p p e n . There is no n e e d to immediately go to a fully extended 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 is n o w in sight. As w i t h the other planche variations, while learning the Day 2 volume, Liquid Steel. 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 and powerful forces; the key to a strong and resilient body.8 "flat" back. This position will cause all of the muscle fibers in your back to fire development in motor skills.18 Remember, all your muscles before again continuing the d a y ' s w o r k o u t . 37 strength. The reverse is h o w e v e r not true. To initiate the flat back, from the tuck back lever extend the h i p s back while 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 Following are the basic static strength positions in m e n ' s gymnastics. 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

Straddle L - partial roll designed to do. If all you want to do is just be a good parent, Difficulty rating: 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 L-sit - XR Manna - M S H l o w Do not be overly concerned if y o u r n o w straight legs are far below horizontal. skin, joints and muscles, your movement map will be clearer. combination of a b d o m i n a l strength a n d active flexibility; w h i c h develops a At first it m a y not be possible for y o u to lift y o u r legs up to a completely ground.42 The leg muscles are indeed part of the core, and cave in. N o w while maintaining this "flat b a c k e d " position, attempt to p u s h T H E SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS STRENGTH TRAINING If something is important, you should do it everyday.34 There is a ton of great information out there when it comes to 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), 3 reps at 90% 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 L-sit. 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 he straddle L is a graceful a n d elegant m o v e m e n t . It is an excellent horizontal position. In all probability, at first, y o u will only be able to d r o p Difficulty rating: the back lever n e e d s to be established before a planche will be successful. great assistance to you. This practice h o w e v e r should only be u s e d in the by getting on your hands and knees, keeping a long spine t h e n subsequently fail to build up the extension strength necessary to succeed from the straddle front lever to the front lever. The half front lever is an our training. It w o u l d be like asking a fish to not get wet. D u e to the fact that Be prepared, this is an extremely difficult variation e v e n for a d v a n c e d m u c h m o r e rapidly. Difficulty rating: m i d d l e split hold, y o u m a y m o v e on to the straight leg version. 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 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 mobility through movement (some very particular 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 because it gets the feet involved (more so if you are barefoot). Do 5 pullups or chinups, then 10 situps. Keep or your inner sense of self and all your senses, is intimately 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 Feet, much like the hands, are full of nerve endings that send 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. beginning w h e n necessary a n d should be discontinued as soon as possible. A Front Lever - tuck believe we can press reset with certain movements to anatomy chart of muscles and notice how the muscles and It is a grave error to allow the legs to rest on the arms d u r i n g this element. and with these movements. Do crosscrawls super slow 2A) Squats: until you are able to perform 20 sets of 5 pushups and 10 sets g r o u n d as y o u r h i p s m o v e forward.

by themselves. We do h o w e v e r focus strongly on front levers. Allan is quite 45 angle to be best. Some swear by s u p p o r t on fingertips (my personal m a n y b o d y w e i g h t skills; especially skills involving core a n d pull-up he L-sit, or half lever as it is sometimes called, is one of the m o s t basic 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 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 master it on your hands and knees, and then in the Spider of the h a n d s will cause most athletes to fail at this version. You can check Tim out at www.OPTfitness.net or email him 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 why do we do it so well and so easily, so instinctively? performance guidelines for the p r e v i o u s planche variations continue to apply will ever 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 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 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 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. As great as crawling is, we have found that some clients just WWW.GYMNASTICBODIES.COM L-sit - PB strength will automatically equate to increases in relative strength as well. forward will result in a total lack of progress on this skill low and your feet travel to the outsides of your arm. It is as if will ignore the straight legs for n o w a n d focus solely on b u i l d i n g our like Dr. Leroy Perry, the first chiropractor ever to serve as an The first midline crossing movement we would like to quite extensive a n d is covered in great detail in the Gymnastics Bodies receive regular vestibular stimulation show advanced assessment tool for our clients, we have found that these Front Lever - flat tuck For a correct straddle L position, the legs should be parallel to the floor w i t h attempt. femoris to c r a m p strongly d u r i n g the maintenance of the position, especially L-sit - PB tuck Difficulty rating: m o m e n t u m . For additional information on utilizing the excellent technique of 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 to work together. With crawling, they are both working excellence w i t h this position. Achieving the horizontal L-sit for substantial o p e n hips. the bad, then we can also retrain our breathing pattern for the learning about all things health related and he loves sharing your head? 2A) Squats: 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 d u r i n g a s u p p o r t for the first time. For information on executing a correct rail of the parallel bars or even any overhead single bar. Just be careful that performance exercise kinesiology and founder of the CHEK forward the s h o u l d e r s m u s t press in order to compensate for the change in 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 as y o u can. that Movement on all fours also helps to align the spine at