Who is more motivated?

I wonder which one of these two has greater motivation/incentive to hold it:

The Birthday Request

I got invited/requested by one of my Hot Shots, Scarlet, to work her birthday party at the gym last year (for a party that is this weekend).  She's been excited about it for well over a week.

Yesterday, I was all over them, being knit-picky, smash-mouthed, relentlessly badgering the Hot Shots on their form and focus; the quality of their effort, constantly demanding better. Finally, the exasperated future birthday queen looks at me and says in a fatigued way, "Please don't be like this at the birthday party."

Across the Floor Conditioning

Return Stations for Handspring Vault

"If I have 10 kids on vault, I'll have 8 stations."

-Tony Retrosi

I love idle stations for vault.  I hate having a line of gymnasts standing around.  If they aren't staying actively engaged and focused on gymnastics, they're going to naturally find other means of entertainment- namely distractions.









Even though my gym tries to maintain a rotation schedule with the other programs going on at the same time, besides team, finding space to set up extra stations is in part a "make it up when you get there" affair.  That's because being scheduled for vault doesn't entitle me to the area outside of the vaulting runway.

On one end of the runway we have a resi pit for handstand flatbackers.  The boys pommel horse area is next to this.  On the opposite end, a table that stands at the edge of the pit.  It's the only vaulting table and if want gymnasts to land on a firm surface, we have to go through the pain of moving the table onto the runway to stick a couple of 8 inchers behind it; then move it back when we're done.  Aside from that, it's stacking mats over the pit foam- which still leaves for an unstable landing surface.  For hosted meets, floor boards are placed over the pit.

To one side of the vaulting runway is a tumbletrak; and on the other side of that, some floor space and a carpeted wall, which I love.

On the other side of the vault runway we sometimes have a trampoline to use.

Amidst all this, I like to set up side stations and minimize any standing around.  Keep them moving as much as possible and utilize as much space and equipment as I can set up in a reasonable amount of time.

I haven't had them set this up in a while; but it's got the built in fun-factor:

If their vaults don't need constant hands-on supervision, it frees me up to be hands-on with a new side station until I feel confident that they at least understand the standard expected on it

Other things they sometimes do in their circuit:

• Toe-slide drill against the wall.
• 10 sec high knee running against the wall
• 10-20 sec shaped handstand against the wall
• 10 20 sec inclined handstand against the wall
• Block pushes
• Handstand blocking 
• Jumping off the beam or horse to work on sticks

We only have one vault runway.  A resi is on one end; on the other, a vaulting table whose permanent station is to be in front of the pit.  So the gymnasts only get to practice landing on a stable surface if we "arrange the furnishings".  It's unfortunate, but we make due with what we can. 

Sometimes I have a couple of different groups combined, giving an added challenge.  Remember:  We live in an imperfect world.  (I have to keep reminding myself of this).  So sometimes I will have the girls take turns in both directions, taking advantage of the table and the resi.

Elevator Ups

A great way to introduce the single leg shoot thru to gymnasts (and squat-ons and cast handstands) is what I call "elevator ups".

For single leg shoots:





For squat or pike ons (imperfectly executed, but you get the idea):



For cast handstands:

Recent Related:
Swing Blog

Sunday Funnies

You've goat to be kiddin'?!

Impress with Presses

I posted this before:

Also worth checking out:

Jason Mortimer's straddle press handstand progressions
Valentin Uzunov's Teaching the Press Handstand
Jay Thornton's straddle press to handstand

Via GymnasticsCoaching.com:

Yuri Marmerstein:

What we are looking for is that the arms are vertical. This means that the shoulder should be directly over the hand. …
Can you stack your hips directly above the hands without learning forward? Probably not unless you have amazing flexibility and the right proportions of length of arms, legs, and torso. This means that we must be in a mechanically inefficient position for some time.
Shoulder lean can be minimized by maintaining a strong base and demonstrating maximum compression in the body. …
“Order of Operations” in Press Handstand

When I was working at Redlands YMCA part-time, out of high school, I had a kinder-gym class with one 6 year old who could flawlessly do a straddle press handstand with zero shoulder lean.  Just naturally strong and flexible enough to get compact and circle her legs around the side and up to a handstand.  I've never had anyone as good at it, since.


Quality might not be totally there...but on quantity:

And to top that, 115 consecutive press handstands in under 10 minutes:

The feat is impressive, but totally unnecessary beyond a certain point, as time can be better spent improving on other attributes for the sport.

The only other person I know who might be able to give her a challenge is Makoto Sakamoto. 

I remember once in the Yates gym at UCLA while he was visiting with his BYU gymnasts (sometime in the early 90s, maybe), he did something ridiculous like 40 pike press handstands on the parallel bars followed by 40 handstand push-ups.  Just insane.  I asked him what his secret was and he basically told me that he maxes out every day.  It goes counter to the conventional wisdom of needing about 48 hours of rest in between sessions to give muscle fibers time to repair and grow stronger against future stress and damage.

The most recent feat I can find on the 'net, from almost a year ago, a bio at Hawaii Academy:

On his 53rd birthday, Mako performed 163 handstand pushups (in 30 minutes), touching his shoulders on each count, and without coming down from a handstand… a record no one has touched.

You can find out more about Andreea Iridon at The Couch Gymnast

Great read on Makoto Sakamoto here.

Sunday Funnies

Progression for Building a Strong Back Handspring

I like that Travis Rainer uses the octagon in such a way as to not allow the gymnast to simply be draped over it, in an arch.  One reason why I used to prefer the pac-man over the octagon was because it forced the gymnast to squeeze the butt and have an active shape change and active muscles in order to get it to move- not just sagging like a limp rag, coasting along like a passenger for the ride rather than being the driver.

My current preference these days, as far as unassisted, spotting devices is to use a simple spotting block to slide off of.  I might post a clip to better illustrate what I mean.  I'm probably the only one in the world who is doing it (and I swear, it's not because I'm crazy.  I only came up with it recently and think the results will validate and lend credibility, although it's only a drill with a specific purpose; and it alone isn't enough to acquire a backhandspring.  It is also technique-specific).

I also like Rainer's emphasis on the snap off the hands happening through the chest and shoulders and not piking in the hips.

Two Makes a Whole

Source:  Unknown

From American Anthem:

Bruin in Flight

Cool shot of Jessy MacArthur by Christy Linder last Saturday in Pauley Pavilion

Gienger with the Jumbotron in the background capturing the routine

Why?!?!

Apparently an MIT student at the time...aren't they supposed to be really, really smart?

I don't know who has less sense- the spotter or the spottee.

The Tangent-Release Principle

 Gerald George, Ph.D.:

Acrobatic Tumbling Toy

They're sold out, at almost $400.  Apparently, only a few are made each year:

This is a beautiful hand-made, hand-painted wooden toy, made in Germany. The little wooden figure performs a series of back-flips as he descends down the steps.

Automata like this have a history going back over 200 years, when mechanical toys were collected by rich and famous people.

Two somersaulting chinese jugglers were shown in a catalogue from 1803, while a book of collector's items published in 1850 shows a figure virtually the same as this. The internal mechanism used mercury, which flowed and so changed the centre of gravity, allowing the toy to 'tumble'. However the high cost of mercury and the fact that it was poisonous meant that production ceased around 1900.

Recently, a traditional German toymaker has re-invented the toy, with a different, patented, mechanism that uses weights and levers, instead of mercury.

The toy comes in an elegant wooden box, which opens to form the steps down which the automaton tumbles. Only a few of these are made each year.

Clinic with Dutch Coach Patrick Kiens

Sunday Funnies

Hat tip:  Gymnastics Coaching

Inverted Tight Stretch Snap to Hollow Drill

The Hard Way To Success - Episode 10 - Julia Bombach (NED)

The Difference Between Experts and Beginners

Giant Swing Efficiency

Source

Revolution of Slider Evolution and Innovation

Very creative, improvised use of the parachute to use for a Takamoto drill:

I assume Rebecca Sykes made this to share with Tony Retrosi's Gym Momentum.

I remember using the parachute at the end of obstacle courses for the purposes of sliding.

Just a week ago, I had an idea for Tumble Trak, who sell slider products:  Why not make them bigger?   They're fine for drills like this or this; or these. 

But why keep them at one size?  They were sized to move furniture, placed under furniture legs in some cases.   Certain creative exercises for humans could work better if the surface area were larger.  Maybe more grip action for the body to slider contact, too.

XR Slide is an example of customizing the slider concept for the specific purpose of exercise.  Too pricey, imo, though.

For further interest on the Takamoto:

Takamoto Drills

Half Takemoto Spot 

Full Takemoto

Full Takemoto Common Mistake

Marinitch - Takamoto Clinic

Handstand Balance

Sunday Funnies