Gymnastics Course Movements PDF

HOLLOW AND ARCH POSITIONS HOLLOW BODY POSITION The hollow body position de nes midline stability for gymnasts. It is the basis for solid gymnastics movement. The hollow is characterized by a strong core contraction with active tissue from the big toes all the way to the ngertips....

HOLLOW AND ARCH POSITIONS HOLLOW BODY POSITION The hollow body position de nes midline stability for gymnasts. It is the basis for solid gymnastics movement. The hollow is characterized by a strong core contraction with active tissue from the big toes all the way to the ngertips. As the midline is shortened, there is a posterior pelvic tilt, and the spine is pulled into lumbar exion. Degrees of lumbar exion will vary depending on how it is being applied. For example, when used on the ground, the position is “more aggressive” or exaggerated in order to develop strength. We have found that athletes who demonstrate pro ciency in the hollow tend to nd all other core and stabilizing activities to be exceedingly simple. Find someone who can complete a Tabata hollow hold or hollow rock (eight intervals of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest) without loss of form and assuredly you have found someone with superior core strength. HOLLOW BODY POSITION (SUPINE ON THE FLOOR) No space between lumbar spine and oor Scapulae are elevated off the ground Hip is extended with a posterior pelvic tilt Knees and elbows are locked Arms are by the ears with active shoulders Ankles in plantar exion with pointed toes Lying on the back, begin by pointing the toes to the sky and reaching the hands high up on the shins. Press the low back into the ground, closing out all space. The scapulae should be lifted off the ground (this can also be done in a tucked position). Without losing your torso position, lower the legs as far as possi- ble while letting the ngers trace the legs. Pause once the feet are six inches off the ground. The toes are pointed, glutes are tight, abs are on, and scapulae are up. Then proceed to bring the arms up overhead and tuck the biceps to the ears with active shoulders. The limbs are locked, and active tissue is engaged throughout the entire body. 15 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | ARCH BODY POSITION The arch body position is achieved through a strong contraction of the posterior kinetic chain while lying prone on the ground. Much like the hollow, tissue is active throughout the body. Most athletes have an easier time establishing this position as it is less technical than the hollow. An aggressive arch will dependent upon active exibility of the shoul- ders, spine, and hips. ARCH BODY POSITION (PRONE ON THE FLOOR) Chest and quads are lifted off the oor Knees and elbows are locked Arms are by the ears with active shoulders Ankles are in plantar exion with pointed toes DRILLS AND SKILLS Hollow sit-ups Hollow rocks Shotguns V-ups Arch chest lifts Arch leg lifts Arch rocks Arm haulers Alligator Drills Hollow hold to arch hold Hollow rocks to arch rocks Shotguns to arm haulers Alternate between hollow and fl fl fi fl fi fl fl fi fi fl fl fi  arch positions, transitioning from one to the other by rolling while maintaining form. Armadillo Drills Elbows on knees One leg extended One leg one arm extended Rock the athlete up and back at any tempo while they main- tain a midline contraction. If the ground is smooth and soft, more aggressive movements can be employed, such as tipping the athlete from side to side or spinning him or her. 16 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | PULL-UP Primary movers: Latissimus dorsi, biceps brachii, brachioradialis. RING ROW Performed with the feet on the ground, the ring row begins with lat activation, then a pull to the rib cage. It is a good strength progression for pull-ups. STRICT PULL-UP Performed with arms locked out at the bottom and chin above the bar at the top. Lat activation initiates the movement before the arms begin to bend, and the hollow is maintained throughout. A prerequisite for kipping pull-ups. Slow Close/Open Drill (Hollow/Arch) Pause in hollow (close) Back to neutral (hanging straight, no swing or sway) Pause in arch (open) Beat Swing (Kip Swing) Close/open (hollow/arch) fast Become still with control (able to stop on a dime) 2-FOR-1 KIPPING PULL-UP Swing, swing, pull More lat activation on the pull (close the angle of the shoulder) Pull into the bar, then press away Teaches how to control the swing KIPPING PULL-UP As the feet tap forward, the hollow position is employed and the lats are actively engaged, effectively closing the shoulder angle and creating a slight weightless- ness before a pull into the bar. A push away occurs at the top, and the athlete passes back through the same position that was achieved on the way up. Active tissue is maintained throughout—even during transition movement. The kipping pull-up is an outstanding example of speed and power and requires both organic adaptation (strength and stamina) and a neurological adaptation (agility, coordination, and accuracy). BUTTERFLY PULL-UP In this course we do not cover the butter y pull-up. Many of the things we do in CrossFit have value as progressions from one movement to another. For example, we do front squats to help our cleans and overhead squats to help our snatches. The butter y pull-up is considered a “dead-end progression” and does not lead to anything else. We consider it a third-wave adaptation as proposed by Stephen Seiler (see “What Is Fitness?”): an ef ciency needed for competition. This has value for someone who is specializing in the sport of CrossFit. CrossFit Games athletes make up less than 1 percent of all CrossFit athletes, and the other 99 percent do not need to work on third-wave adaptations. The goal for most CrossFitters is to stay fl fi fl  healthy and active for as long as possible. 17 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | However, learning new movements and skills is incredibly fun and rewarding. If an athlete demonstrates strong pro ciency in strict and kipping pull-ups, then by all means encour- age and help him or her to learn the butter y kip or other new skills. 18 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | KNEE-TO-ELBOW AND TOE-TO-BAR Primary movers: Latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis, iliopsoas, rectus femoris. FLOOR DRILL Pretest: without the hollow position or lat activation, try to bring the knees to the elbows slowly. Most will nd this dif cult or impossible. Next, try the movement with a strong hollow position and lat activation. The movement is now easily achieved. STRICT KNEE-TO-ELBOW Stay compact with arms straight Knees ex and lift away from the oor Knees to elbows (focus on closing the angle of the shoulder) Spot at low back and hamstrings STRICT TOE-TO-BAR (Flexed or Extended knee) Stay compact with arms straight From knees-to-elbows position, extend the knee to contact the bar with the foot Straight leg to parallel (touch the bar and back to an L-sit) Straight-leg toes-to-bars (from a complete hang to feet touching the bar; requires more lat activation) Spot at low back and hamstrings 19 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | WITH A KIP If you can do the movement strict, the kipping variety is easy. Give the athlete a target, and raise it up as long as they can maintain a the kip movement. Hips will be slightly behind the frontal plane Bent-leg toes-to-bars (stay compact and ick the feet) Straight-leg toes-to-bars When trying to cycle toes-to-bars quickly, some athletes will prefer straight legs, while others will prefer a knee drive with a toe ick. Preference is in large part dependent on the athlete’s build and hamstring exibility. In general, the least effort is required by always keeping weight distribution close to the frontal plane. It is easier to do this with a knee drive and a ick of the feet than with a straight-leg movement. As with all movements in CrossFit, you should practice different varia- tions. Just because you learn how to jerk does not mean you should stop doing strict presses. The same goes for knees-to-elbows and toes-to-bars: Practice them strict and with a kip. For toes-to-bars, practice the following variations: strict straight leg, strict bent leg, straight-leg kip, bent-leg kip. Once you have become pro cient in these variations, challenge your self with these auxiliary drills: Around the world Windshield wipers Around the world can easily be scaled by going over a shorter barrier: PVC and a couple of plates to anchor it. Also try bent-leg variations. Windshield wipers can be scaled by staying in a tuck position. fl fi fi fi fi fl fl fl fl fl fl 20 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | BALL-UP Primary movers: Latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis. POINTS OF PERFORMANCE Arms stay straight throughout the movement. In the inverted position the hips are inline with the arms. The ball-up is a strict straight-arm movement in which an athlete slowly pulls himself or herself to inverted from hanging while maintaining a tight tuck position. The knees are pulled into the chest, the heels are pulled to the glutes, and the chin is tucked ( nd you inner doodle bug). While the athlete is developing the strength required to pull into and lower out of this position, spotters are usually needed. The spot is initiated at the low back and hamstrings. As the athlete moves into inversion, the hand at the low back will transfer to the shins and the hand at the hamstrings will transfer to the low back. An athlete who can successfully pull slowly into this position will nd pull-ups and toes-to- bars easy. The skills needed for the ball-up can also be applied to rope climbs in which the athlete is permitted to use the legs. The ball-up is a prerequisite movement for the pass-through, skin the cat, and straight- body inversion on the rings. 21 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | PASS THROUGH Primary movers: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoid. POINTS OF PERFORMANCE From the inverted position in the ball-up, the hips continue past the frontal plane and lower until they are in line with the shoulders. The line created by the shoulders and hips will be parallel to the oor. In the pass-through, a tight tuck position is still maintained, with the arms straight and toes pointed. In spotting, the hands continue to hand off to one another as the athlete is transitioning. Both hands will be spotting at the shins. Once the athlete achieves and feels the position, spot him or her during movement back to the inverted ball-up and then to the ground. The arms stay straight throughout. The pass-through is a scaled version of a back lever, which we will get to later. FRONT LEVER Primary muscles: Latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis, rectus femoris. The front lever is a static hold in which the body is held supine (face up) while gripping the rings or bar. The shoulders, hips, and ankles are in alignment parallel to the ground. This movement requires a great amount of strength! FLOOR DRILL In a hollow position on the oor, try to pull a piece of PVC to your quads with your lats while your partner pulls up on the PVC. The palms will always face down in the front lever. GET INVERTED From the ball-up position, the toes extend toward the ceiling. If you are on a rig, the shins will be touching the bar. Spotters will spot at the low back and hamstrings. LOWER IN DEGREES While developing this movement, practice lowering the body a small dis- tance, then pulling back to inversion: ve degrees, 15 degrees, 30 degrees, etc. If you get beyond the point where you can pull back to inversion, simply lower slowly down to the ground. SCALING You can also develop this movement by shortening the lever. Various scaling options include a tuck position, a one-leg tuck position, and a straddle. fl fi fi fl fi  “Ice cream scoops” are another great way to develop the front lever. From the top of a pull-up, pop out to a front lever and return back to the top of the pull up. The body stays straight the entire time, and the goal is to move between a bent-arm position with the body vertical and a straight-arm posi- tion with the body horizontal. 22 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | BACK LEVER Primary muscles: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoid. The back lever is a static hold in which the body is held prone (face down) while gripping the rings or bar. The shoulders, hips, and ankles are in align- ment parallel to the ground. This skill also requires a great amount of strength but is sometimes con- sidered easier because the shoulders naturally help stop your range of motion in shoulder extension. FLOOR DRILLS Lie face down on the oor try to press a piece of PVC to your hamstrings while your partner pulls up on the PVC. Try it with supinated and pronated grips to see which feels better. It is recommended that athletes whose elbows hyperextend use a pronated grip. However, the supinated grip is more technical and considered proper in gymnastics as it allows better transition to more advanced skills on the rings. GET INVERTED From the ball-up position the toes extend toward the ceiling. If you are on a rig, the calves will be touching the bar. Spotters should spot at the abs and quads. LOWER IN DEGREES While developing this movement, practice lowering a small distance and then pulling back to inver- sion: ve degrees, 15 degrees, 30 degrees, etc. The spotter’s role becomes increasingly important as the athlete gets closer to a full back lever. If needed, simply pull the knees back toward the body (ball up) and get out of the movement. SCALING You can also develop this movement by shortening the lever. Practicing the pass-through is a great scaling option. 23 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | RING SUPPORT Proper execution of a ring support is done by actively pressing down into the rings. There is a slight turnout of the hands (about 45 degrees) so the arms are not relying on the straps for stability. The hands stay pressed to the sides. The athlete should look forward, creating a straight line from head to pointed toes. Shoulders are neither exter- nally nor internally rotated to excess. PROGRESSIONS The hands can be turned inward 45 degrees or fi fl brought parallel to each other. IRON-CROSS As with most skills, shortening the lever is the easiest way to scale the iron cross. Feed the hand through the straps and grab onto the ring from the outside. The top of the ring will be touching the inside of the forearm. From here, hop up to support. As you allow the hands to come away from your sides, the strap will effectively shorten the lever – instead of shoulder to wrist, the lever becomes shoulder to about forearm or elbow. Practice lowering yourself in degrees - ve, 10, 15, etc. - until you can pause in position with the hands and shoulders level with each other. Concentrate hard to keep the elbows locked out! You can also practice without the aid of the straps by lowering in degrees from a normal ring support, or with the use of specialized equipment such as the Ring Thing from Power Monkey. 24 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | DIP Primary muscles: Pectoralis major, triceps brachii, deltoid. PARALLEL-BAR DIP Static apparatus before dynamic Strength progression for ring dips BOX RING DIP The feet are elevated onto a box to scale the load. This is a good scaling option for athletes who can do parallel-bar dips but are not stable on the rings. RING DIP The ring dip is a controlled movement with the eyes xed on the horizon. The end range of motion puts the shoulders parallel with or below the elbows. EROM is as low as possible. To complete the movement, press back up to support to re-estab- lish locked-out elbows with a slight turnout of the hands. SPOT All variations can be spotted at the waist. The ring dip has long been utilized to as an essential strength-and-conditioning exercise in gymnastics. Because of the instability of the rings (dynamic appara- tus), ring dips are more dif cult than parallel-bar dips. This instability helps build greater strength and control, and improvements in your stabilizing muscles greatly reduce injury risks. In the ring dip, it is important that the body line stays straight and the hips lower at the same rate as the shoulders. A common fault is a pivoting motion forward in which the body line breaks and the hips barely lower or do not move at all. It is not recommended to teach a kipping movement for the dip until an athlete can demonstrate adequate strength in the push-up, parallel-bar dip, and ring dip itself. Intensity is good, but the gymnastics view is that it should not be prioritized over mechanics, consistency, strength, and form. If an athlete decides to apply a kip to this movement, the idea is the same as with the pull-ups: we are moving from a lower plane to a higher plane by adding momentum. As in other dynamic move- ments, the kipping ring dip follows the core-to-extremity rule. The kip gives us a brief state of weightlessness: the lower body initiates the movement and imparts momentum, and the arms then nish the movement. Bands can be used as a scaling option, but we use them with hesitancy because you do not want them to become a crutch for your athletes. There is no need for a band wider than three-quarters of an inch. If an athlete is using a thicker band, he or she is most likely not pro cient in push-ups and bar dips and should readdress these movements before attempting ring dips. For all scaling options, fi fi fi fi fi  follow this basic rule: If an athlete is not making progress using a scaling option, try something different. 25 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | MUSCLE-UP Primary mover: will power! Although the muscle-up is not worth any points in gymnastics, it is a really cool move- ment that only small percentage of people can do. When it is accomplished, it should be celebrated! SCALING FROM THE FLOOR (Toenail spot and false grip) From the knees, toes on the oor, pinkies facing each other (boxer) High pull to sternum Transition to low dip Press to support Transition back to low dip Transition and freeze at high pull to sternum Lower back to ground (boxer) FALSE GRIP Bend/ ex the wrist to a 90-degree angle and position the ring diagonally across the palm from between the thumb and index nger to the pisiform (the small wrist bone by your ulna). Pistol-point technique: Set the crook of your wrist on the rings then grab the rings and make little pistols with your index ngers. Ask, “Who like muscle-ups?” Then point to your- self and say, “I do!” Voila: false grip! Low-dip squeeze - As you lower back down and get ready to transition from low dip to high pull, squeeze the rings and do not let them slide as you transition below the rings. This technique effectively helps you maintain your false grip. 26 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | MUSCLE-UP In gymnastics, a muscle-up is a display of raw strength and is done strict in as straight a line as possible as opposed to just starting from a hang and getting to support by any means necessary. Our mission is to develop exceptional movement in everything we do, and it is no different with the mus- cle-up. It begins from a dead hang with a false grip. From there, pull and engage the shoulders and lats, squeeze the glutes, and maintain a hollow. The pull continues through the transition, with the head in a neutral position looking forward. Once the transition is made, a press to support com- pletes the movement. Pro ciency in strict movement will make the movement easier and safer when momentum is added. 27 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | BENT-ARM UPRISE Swing (Kip Swing) Close/open (hollow/arch) With control (able to stop on a dime) Keep tension on the ring straps fl fi fl fi fi  While swinging, you have to be long, connected, and tight PULL TO THE HIPS/PULL AND TRANSITION Spotted from the side at the low back and hips. Swing 1, Swing 2, Swing 3, pull to the hips. Maintain a straight body throughout and work to get the shoulders hips and hands level with the rings. Swing 1, Swing 2, Swing 3, pull to the hips and transition to support. There is more than one way to skin a cat. The correct progression or scaling option is the one that helps the athlete progress to the nal movement safely. What helps one ath- lete understand the movement might not work for another. Other techniques include sitting on the band, placing the band on the lats, kipping off the oor, moving through negatives, among other options. Overall, never overlook the importance of strength. Progressions are great for feeling and learning positions, but in most cases the athlete who cannot get a muscle-up usually needs more strength development. 28 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | PISTOLS Primary movers: Gluteus maximus, rectus femoris, vastas medialus, vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis. The pistol requires strength, balance, and exibility/mobility. If any element is lacking, it will be dif cult to complete a pistol, and understanding these three components can give great insight as to how to help a client achieve the movement. The pistol begins from a standing position with one foot off the ground. The planted leg exes into a squat, while the other leg is extended forward but held off the ground. In the bottom position, the hip crease is below the patella. Key points of performance include keeping weight in the heel and ensuring the knee tracks over the toe. The forward counterbalance will almost always force the loss of the lumbar curve unless the athlete has extremely exible hamstrings. SCALING OPTIONS A handful of options can help athletes get a feel for the movement. The easiest and most basic way to start to develop a pistol is to squat with your feet and heels together. From there, the next progression is to plant one leg and cross one leg behind the other leg. This is a good option for someone with tight hamstrings or who cannot yet stand up using one leg only. If the athlete tends to end up on the ball of the foot in the bottom of the pistol, try to elevate the heel by having the athlete stand on a plate, for example. This works well for athletes with tight hamstrings or poor range of motion in dorsi exion. If the athlete can almost complete the movement but always seems to fall backward, use 29 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | a weight to counterbalance such as a kettlebell or dumbbell. This scaling option closely resembles the actual movement and works well for athletes who are close to achieving the pistol. Other options include squatting to a bench or a box or standing on the edge of a box and squatting down while the free leg hangs off the side. Both work well for anyone with poor balance or limited leg strength. Strength, Balance, and Flexibility! 30 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | HANDSTANDS We are looking for virtuosity in everything we do. We are always striving for exceptional positioning and trying to make everything look effortless. In the handstand, we do not just want to balance on the hands; we want to nd great form and alignment, which, fl fi fl fi fl fi fl fl in turn, will make handstands much easier. The correct position is achieved by pressing through the shoulders, nding your hollow, squeezing your glutes, squeezing the heels together, pointing the toes, and looking ahead with the eyes while the head stays neutral. In this position, the anatomy is stacked and a straight line is created from the wrists to the pointed toes. Everything is aligned: wrist, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, and toes. Work toward stacking and aligning everything. Being out of alignment is not ef - cient and quickly leads to fatigue. A handstand is performed without the aid of a wall and on various apparatus (e.g., oor, parallel bars, beam, high bar, uneven bars, rings). In this course, we teach and spot the handstand in open space, and we work to see and correct common form faults. In groups of three, we will have a lead spotter, assistant spotter, and an athlete perform- ing the handstand. The athlete will start in a lunge position, and when cued to place the hands on the ground, the athlete will lean into a compromised lunge position. In the com- promised lunge position, one leg will be extended in the air. The lead spotter will be the coach on the side of the extended leg. Spotters will step up and center the athlete’s hand between their feet. Without moving the feet, the lead spotter reaches back and engages 31 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | the athlete with a rm grip around the quad and hamstring. The assistant spotter is waiting at the ready. We will rotate through this progression until everyone understands foot and hand placement. The next step is to get the athlete inverted. When the athlete is cued to kick up, the lead coach will assist the athlete into an inverted position. The assistant coach grabs hold of the other leg as the athlete comes into the handstand. When making corrections, one coach (usually the lead coach) should do the correcting to avoid overwhelming the inverted athlete. When cueing, remember the triage technique and correct the most important issues rst (arms locked and pressing tall, hollow position engaged, straight hip, then pointed toes). Also be mindful to give an actionable cue. Do not just say what they are doing wrong. Instead of saying, “You’re arching your back,” or, “You’re bending your knees,” instead say, “Squeeze your abs,” “Find your hollow,” “Look for your toes,” or, “Straighten your knees.” Sometimes a variety of cues are needed before the athlete understands what needs to be done. You can also give physical cues. For example, lift up on the leg to get the athlete to press tall, tap the feet to get the athlete to point the toes, etc. 32 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | HANDSTAND PUSH-UP Primary movers: Deltoids, triceps brachii. The handstand push-up (HSPU), sometimes considered a headstand push-up, begins in a handstand. The athlete then lowers to a headstand, creating a triangle with the hands and the top of the head before pressing back up to a handstand. The triangle creates a slightly disadvantageous lever system because the hands are further away from the frontal plane. As explained earlier in the course, disadvantageous levers build a great deal of strength. In a barbell press, the hands and bar are kept close to the frontal plane to make the lift fi fi fi fi fl  ef cient. The press is an open-chain movement in which balance is more easily main- tained by keeping the bar in this plane. However, in HSPU without the aid of a wall, keep- ing the hands and head aligned creates more instability. A wall is often utilized when performing handstand push-ups, which usually results in a loss of position. Gymnastics progresses from basic skills to more advanced skills, and maintaining the hollow position and creating the triangle will allow an athlete to progress to higher skills and develop dominating strength in the movement. In the purest gymnastics version of the movement, HSPU would be done on parallettes (EROM) without the use of a wall. The athlete would lower until the shoulders contact the bars and are level with the hands before pressing back to a handstand. Achieving this level of balance and strength takes a lot of practice and effort, but when it is reached, a headstand push-up against a wall becomes incredibly simple. BOX DRILL The box drill is a great scaling option because it effectively decreases the load of the movement while maintaining full range of motion. The athlete places the toes on the center of a box and pikes the hips to create an inverted position. The same rules of the HSPU apply: the athlete lowers to create a triangle and then presses back up, making sure to open the shoulder completely at the top of the movement. HANDSTAND WALK The best way to learn how to walk on your hands is to learn how to hold a handstand without any movement. Though it sounds strange, nding balance without moving will allow you to walk wherever you want. Once you have balance, start in a handstand, then take a couple of steps and reestablish motionless balance. Two steps soon become four, then eight and so on. As you begin to move, think of holding a pose with the body and allowing a slight lean to be your guide. BOX DRILLS On a box, create an inverted position as explained above. Shift your weight from side to side by lifting your palms slightly off the ground. If that feels OK, try alternately lifting each hand to tap the shoulder. The next step is to travel around the box in a circle, a movement sometimes referred to as “Conans.” Each time you travel around, you become stronger and stronger, as the titular character did in the 1982 movie “Conan the Barbarian.” 33 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | HEADSTAND PROGRESSIONS Knees on elbows Knees off elbows and tucked to chest Extend one leg up, bring it back, then do the same with the other leg Both legs up together (full headstand) The headstand is a very basic skill that allows athletes to work on balance while inverted. If it is spotted, the spotter’s primary job is to make sure the athlete does not topple over into a roll. This is achieved by spotting/block- ing the low back and making sure that the leg extension upward is slow, controlled, and performed without losing the hollow. This is especially important for beginners who might not have a basic understanding of how to perform a forward roll. The hands and head form a tripod to create a base of support. HAND BALANCE Other hand-balancing drills that will help athletes work toward more advanced gymnastics skills such as the planche are: Bent-arm frog stand Straight-arm frog stand Tuck planche The bent-arm frog stand is a hand-balance drill in which the knees are placed on the elbows, with the head off the oor. The straight-arm frog stand is basically the same as the previous drill except the arms are straight (elbows locked out). It is slightly more dif cult. fi fi fl fi The tuck planche is similar to the previous drill, except the knees are tucked into the chest and not resting on anything. The goal in the tuck planche is to hold the shoulders and hips parallel to the oor. This move- ment requires much more strength than the frog-stand variations. All three of these variations are spotted by blocking the shoulder. It is imperative that you do not let anyone fall on his or her face. With one hand on the shoulder, the other hand can spot at the hamstring or shin. 34 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | PARALLETTES The parallettes are great tool for developing shoulder, triceps, and core strength. The drills and skills we will cover are tuck support, tuck planche, L-sit, push-up, dip, and shoot-through. The tuck support is a basic support position in which the athlete actively presses into the parallettes with the knees tucked close to the chest. The toes are pointed, and the hands are in line with the hips. A spottter would assist at the low back and shin. It should be noted that spotters must be careful to avoid getting an arm stuck between the athlete and the apparatus. The points of performance for the tuck planche on the oor apply to the tuck planche on the parallettes. The paralletes alleviate some pressure on the wrist and allow for more control of the movement. The athlete begins in a tuck support position, and the athlete presses into the tuck planche. As the athlete transitions from one movement to the other, the spotter’s front hand will be blocking at the shoulder and the rear hand will usually spot at the hamstring. This is bene cial for two reasons: the arm will not get trapped and the athlete can step down freely when needed. For the L-sit, we progress by starting from a tuck support and then allow the athlete to extend one leg at a time. The leg should be moved to exten- sion with control. The quad is exed, the knee is locked, and the toe point is slightly above the top of the hip (iliac crest). The spotter will transfer hand placement from the shin to under the calf. The next step is to extend both legs in the same manner detailed above. Active tissue is engaged, and a line parallel to the oor can be drawn from toe point to hip crest. The feet might look slightly elevated, but this is the form and control we are striving for. DOWN, UP, SHOOT IT! A shoot-through begins with the athlete in the top of a push-up with an active hollow body. The feet leave the ground and pass between the hands, and the heels meet the ground on the other side of the parallettes. A straight body line is re-established by elevating the hips. Shoulder extension is increased in this position. The athlete then moves back to the starting position. When working drills, skills, and warm-ups or just doing a fun conditioning activity, you can easily add a push-up and a dip. Do it as a fun and enter- taining cash out. Crank the music up and cue your athletes, “Down, up, shoot it! Down, up, shoot it!” Get creative and use any variety of move- ment you want. 35 of 53 Copyright 2015 © CrossFit, Inc. All Rights Reserved. V.3.0_20150809.KW COURSE MOVEMENTS Gymnastics Training Guide | RING AUXILIARY DRILLS RING PUSH-UP With the rings set a few inches off the ground, establish a strong hollow-body push-up position. Starting with hands parallel to each other, lower to the bottom of the push-up and press back to the top. Variations: Turn the hands out at the top, move them parallel at the bottom, and then turn fl fi fl fl fl  them out again at the top. A more advanced variation would be to keep the hands turned out throughout the entire movement. SINGLE-ARM EXTENSIONS Single-arm extensions begin from the top of the push-up position. The athlete lowers to the bottom of the push-up position, deliberately extends the right arm straight out to the side under control until the elbow is locked, and then brings the arm back in. The movement is repeated on the opposite side. Another variation is to extend the arm forward, placing the biceps by the ear. If an athlete is having trouble with balance or tipping sideways, the feet can be spaced slightly apart to help with stability. When performing these drills, it is important to avoid excessively tucking the ring under the body to create false support. T’S AND Y’S T-outs and Y-outs also begin from the top of a push-up position, except the knees are on the ground. In these drills, the arms will stay locked out the entire time. In a T-out, the arms will go straight out to the sides, and the rings will get further from each other as the chest lowers toward the ground. The athlete should take the movement as far as he or she is able without allowing the arms to bend. If the arms bend, the athlete needs to correct it, limit range of motion to a point where the arms can stay straight, or scale the movement. In a Y-out, the arms go forward and all the above points of performance apply. Taking the knees off the ground and performing a Y-out to bring the body parallel to the ground is an incredi- ble display of core strength. SCALING All these drills can easily be scaled either by placing the knees on the ground or by walking the feet or knees forward to limit the inclination of the body in relation to the oor. Walking forward effectively decreases the load, much like a push-up against a wall vs. the ground. These drills and skills are great substitutions for ring support holds and ring dips as they allow the athlete to work on a dynamic apparatus under modi ed conditions. SPOTTING These movements can be spotted from the side with one hand on the abdominal wall. Make sure to keep your face away from the straps. 36 of 53 fi fl