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Gymnastics Phase 6b: Middle Split Mobility & L-Sit to Shoulderstand on the Rings

Posted 19th October 2016 by Josh Schouten

CrossFitHackneyBoxThis is part b of the October gymnastics phase and should follow on from part a.   Our aim is to bring together the ring L-sit and the ring shoulder stand in this next 2weeks.  We will also continue with the middle split mobilisation drills.  For those of you struggling with the L-Sit to shoulder stand we will introduce you to some neat little tricks train this movement and make it feel a little easier.

For those who are very close to the shoulder stand on the rings this phase will hopefully get you there.  Take your time and move slowly through the movement, this is one of those occasions where momentum is not your friend…. the slower you can make the movement the more precision and control you will have.

The position of the rings and the elbows can play a key role in your shoulder stand alignment.  Move slowly and start to play and figure out what make the movement feel harder, and what make the movement feel easier.  You can not muscle your way through gymnastics, it’s not like weightlifting where poor technique can be overcome by brute strength.  Technique, skill, motor control, and coordination are critical to your success in gymnastics.

Don’t get me wrong, strength is still a very important aspect of bodyweight training, but being strong does not make a scrap of difference if your flexibility is lacking.  Position, position, position, and leverage can change the game, and those who are flexible won’t need as much strength to rise to the top.

Enjoy the last couple of weeks on this phase and hopefully you have seen some progress over the last couple of months.  Our next phase will kick off in a couple of weeks with the foundations of handstands.  Be prepared to go back to basics and spend a lot of time working on posture and alignment.

Good Training!!!

Middle Split warm-up (10min)

20 Altentation Cossack Squats
:60sec Hollow Body hold
15 Hollow Body Scapular Push-ups
2min Standing Pancake Stretch (weighted)
12-15 TEMPO push-ups 30×1 (incline if needed)
:90sec Cossack Squat Hold – aim to get the shin of the bent knee as vertical as possible

 

Shoulder and Hip Mobilisation  (12min)

3-5reps of Skin the Cat on the rings – tuck/adv-tuck/pike/straddle/hollow  (partner assisted)
:90each Back to the wall Butterfly Stretch (KB/DB’s/Weightplates on knees)
3-5reps of Skin the Cat on the rings – tuck/adv-tuck/pike/straddle/hollow
:2min Frog Stretch (dymond legs), activly squeezing the floor
3-5reps of Skin the Cat on the rings – tuck/adv-tuck/pike/straddle/hollow
:60sec each side – Partner assisted straddle side bends

L-Sit to Shoulder Stands (20min)

Play with L-sit to Shoulder Stand on the Rings/Boxes/P-bars – pike position

Body Awareness drills

P-Bar Tuck-Swings – As you swing back push-up as hard as you can

Ring Push-ups elbow position – in the bottom of the push-up play with the width of the rings, what happens?

Pike Press on box – midline compression and straight arm strength

Middle-Split Finisher (10min)

2min Wall Straddle Holds
15reps Legs pulled off the wall, open and shut
20reps Standing Straddle holds (fire the adductors)
2min Standing Straddle holds