Coaches Core strength

[Tally Ho]

I coach some girls on our squad that really seem to struggle with their core/stomach muscles, we do lots of conditioning, and I know most of them eat healthy etc, does anyone have any good exercises we can try? Does anyone else find this the hardest muscle for their gymnast to form?

 

[tweez94]

Their is an absurd amount of core exercises for gymnasts to perform, just make sure it is an exercise that they can do correctly rather than in large numbers otherwise they will be working incorrect positions and thus incorrect muscles. The usual ones that everyone does form time to time are: situps, crunches, hollow rocks and holds, arch rocks and holds, tuck ups, v ups, variations of crunches, leg lifts, pushups, planks, straight body holds between panel mats, hollow body flutter kicks, hollow body scissor kicks, and body levers, the list is quite literally endless. I think one of the exercises that we as a club use more and more as time goes on are slider passes. If you use like a furniture mover you can do pushup walks, inch worms, scooches, glides across the floor.

 

[Gymishome]

This is my personal favorite which has the girls sore the next day.
Have the girls go into a plank position on their elbows. Have them hollow up as much as they can, and then lower back to the plank position. I tried to find a video on YouTube, but I couldn't find anything. So I apologize if this doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But have them do as many as you think they can. I have my girls do about 150.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

What specifically is the struggle with core? Front/back? Maintaining shape for a skill/drill, difficulty performing a specific skill/drill, general fatigue, routine fatigue, posture breakdown? Lots of possible struggles. If you have something specific in mind, yell back and perhaps the forum's sage's can provide some insight.

For me, generally speaking, our USA G L6-10's struggle with keeping a "smart butt" (tight gluteal muscles) and strong lower abs. They have been the hardest targets for our athletes. Some good core training/ injury rehab vids can be found at Larry Nassar's Youtube channel (Gymnast Doctor - http://www.youtube.com/user/gymnasticsdoctor?feature=watch ). Check it out and mine the good vids for ideas!





Best, SBG -

 

[Tally Ho]

What specifically is the struggle with core? Front/back? Maintaining shape for a skill/drill, difficulty performing a specific skill/drill, general fatigue, routine fatigue, posture breakdown? Lots of possible struggles. If you have something specific in mind, yell back and perhaps the forum's sage's can provide some insight.

For me, generally speaking, our USA G L6-10's struggle with keeping a "smart butt" (tight gluteal muscles) and strong lower abs. They have been the hardest targets for our athletes. Some good core training/ injury rehab vids can be found at Larry Nassar's Youtube channel (Gymnast Doctor - http://www.youtube.com/user/gymnasticsdoctor?feature=watch ). Check it out and mine the good vids for ideas!





Best, SBG -

Thanks yes it seems to be the lower abs

 

[BlairBob]

Master hollow hold, master L-hold/hang, master V-hang. After that, it's just doing harder progressions.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Do everything but do it right.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Thanks yes it seems to be the lower abs

Tally Ho, thanks for taking the time to further refine the apparent weakness. For lower core do check out Dr. Nassar's vids. I have modified some of the exercises and included portions in each of our training periods during the year. The lower ab strength (combined with glut strength) has made a difference in our athletes. They can hold a strong shape.

Nothing magical, just working the muscle groups as guided by some of the vids.

It did take some additional work to reinforce shape changing. At first it seemed almost to obvious to work on to me - shape changing. Our athletes had strong shapes, but their skill executions did not really benefit. It wasn't until I started adding further strength/shape training that worked the "changes" of the shapes that the executions got better. It is now a regular part of our training regime.

Tally ho, best to you and your athletes this season, SBG -