MAG Back Giant vs. Front Giant

[lilmisssunshine]

Basic question....what's the difference?

In my head, the difference should be that in a front giant, you lead with the front of your body going into a forward sort of motion, whereas the back giant, you'd lead with your back, going backwards.

But that doesn't seem to be the case. When my son does a back giant, his body is going forward.

He has this way of thinking about it where he's like a car tire, and in the back giant, the tire moves in a way where the car would move backwards. It makes sense to him, but when he tries to describe it to me, he gets all confused.

This morning, I finally remembered to look this up, and there isn't a handy explanation or YouTube video. There's something that seems to say it's about the positioning of the hands? But then I also did see a video of someone doing a giant where there back was leading, so I thought that maybe I was right from the start.

Can anyone explain to me?

 

[skschlag]

Back giants go down the back of the bar...so when they start, and front giants go over the front of the bar....

 

[skschlag]

Back giants go down the back of the bar...so when they start, and front giants go over the front of the bar....

Front giants are also in reverse grip....

 

[profmom]

It's the grip. Back giant, the hands are facing forward on the bar, like your hands are oriented when you type. Now make two fists and swivel your wrists so your knuckles and palms are facing you. That's front giant grip.

 

[profmom]

Now do the front giant grip thing. Twist your wrists around all the way so they are facing you again and they feel like they are going to break. That's eagle. Don't worry about that one for a while.

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

Back giant you fall to your stomach from handstand, front you fall to your back. Back giants start off with backward motion, front giants start with forward motion.

 

[acam1103]

His explanation about car tires makes sense to me!

From a cast to handstand position a front giant they are falling toward their back OVER the top of the bar. A back giant they are falling back the way they casted from. That’s how I understand it at least.

Profmom - thanks for the explanation of eagle. DS points it out to me all the time but I never understood what it was.

 

[krc]

It has to do with the direction of rotation of the body. A front giant is rotating fwd - if you release you will do a front flip. Back giant - backward rotation - back flip (flyaway)
An eagle or inverted (technically cubital grip) giant is a front giant done in rotated grip.

KRC

 

[3crazymonkeys]

Basic question....what's the difference?

In my head, the difference should be that in a front giant, you lead with the front of your body going into a forward sort of motion, whereas the back giant, you'd lead with your back, going backwards.

But that doesn't seem to be the case. When my son does a back giant, his body is going forward.

He has this way of thinking about it where he's like a car tire, and in the back giant, the tire moves in a way where the car would move backwards. It makes sense to him, but when he tries to describe it to me, he gets all confused.

This morning, I finally remembered to look this up, and there isn't a handy explanation or YouTube video. There's something that seems to say it's about the positioning of the hands? But then I also did see a video of someone doing a giant where there back was leading, so I thought that maybe I was right from the start.

Can anyone explain to me?

I always get confused too! In my head I think of it the opposite way then it’s called. My son explains it and it makes perfect sense to him but to me it’s still backwards. So I just think of what I want to call it and say the opposite when I’m talking to him about it.

 

[sce]

One of the many things that makes this sport difficult to understand. "Smile and wave boys, smile and wave."

 

[gymdog]

Your head version is reversed. His explanation of the car tires is pretty accurate haha although I've never thought of or heard that one before! Back giant you "fall" on your stomach and front giant you "fall" on your back. If you took the bar away and were freely in space then back giants would be back flips and front giants would be front flips.

 

[lilmisssunshine]

OK. I think I'm starting to get it... Maybe.

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

Front giant:

She casts to handstands, and falls towards her back, making her go forward (think handstand flatback or front handspring on vault, both going forward)

Back giant:

From the handstand, she falls back to her stomach, think back handspring drills (falling from handstand to either plank position or stomach: from the part her hands touch the ground you can see the similarities)

 

[lilmisssunshine]

Thank you!! Videos help and I must have been searching wrong because I couldn't find anything good.