front hip circle problems

[nasticsISlove 72]

in the level 5 bar routine, there is a front hip circle. i can do one but i am in a tucked position instead of a piked. and no matter how hard i try to keep my legs straight, it never seams to work. do you have any advice?

 

[gracefulone]

First of all, you really need to concentrate on squeezing your legs tight. Also, you should be bending in half, like doing a pike stretch on floor, as you come around the bar.

 

[GABcoach]

A lot of my girls have the same problem with their front hip circles. It is only natural to make yourself smaller because it helps you rotate around the bar as quickly as possible. Try and focus on gaining more momentum at the beginning of your front hip circle...arching your back as you fall forward and then piking as tightly as possible will help you get around the bar quickly.

 

[purpleterah]

front hip

our coach uses a stuffed animal between the legs if you drop the animal you did sit ups and push ups. this made you think about squeezing your kegs as hardas possible/ It also give you a spot to chase around the bar. You are not chasing your feet as you go around. My DD tells the kids when you do a front hip you should see your feet almsot all the time. Also dont drop your hips. a solid front hips starts with your thighs just above the bare.
Danielle

 

[CoachSteph]

try thinking of it as like ur sandwhiching the bar its just like pike on the floor if u have enough power ull get it around try squeezing ur knees or putting a band around them to keep them 2gether and to remind u 2 squeeze them good luck

 

[flpflp7]

When starting to learn a front hip circle it's easiest to do it by arching into it. But after you can do that well you should try to go into it from a hollow position leaning over the bar. Try to stay as hollow as possible until you're halfway through then pike around the rest of the way pressing down with your arms as you come around to the top. Doing it like that should hopefully help you keep your legs straight! Good luck!!

 

[BlairBob]

Bare in mind, arching into the front hip is now a deduction.

An evil trick for keeping the knees is straight is applying a small piece of plastic behind the knee joint with some tape. If they bend their knees it pokes them. I need to remember to do this again ( for evil fun ).

Basically have a spot hold you in the stretched position or do it yourself and fold focusing on keeping those knees straight. In this drill, you are not actually doing a front hip. You will end up sort of just rolling over. Focus is on straight knees and folding nose to shins before you sort of roll over.

 

[hammy]

I tell my girls to push down on the bar (to put the bar by their knees), look up at the highbar, and look at it as you go forwards, when you can't see it anymore pike, and then pull yourself over the bar. Hopefully that made sense and is a little help.

 

[taintedlovexzero]

well first you have to put your theighs on the bar. keep your arms completly straight untill the very end. its hard to get the timing right, but once you get it you'll think it was stupid to fuss over.

 

[lannamavity]

I make devo kids do this drill before they ever try a FHC:

stand in a stretch on the floor (arms by ears)
bend over and touch the floor with arms/legs straight
without bending knees, push up on toes and roll forward w/straight arms
through a candle position (or your legs will smash your face)
maintain straight legs
before your seat hits the floor, push down on the floor with straight arms
stop in a piked position with feet at head height off the floor

If you can't do this drill, then the FHC will still be a problem.

Besides the stretch into the fall, you are probably missing the candle-to-pike transition at the end of the FHC. To compensate, you bend your legs to create rotation.

Good luck

 

[BlairBob]

Thanks, lannamavity. I use pike forward rolls to teach how to do straight arm forward rolls ( like back extension rolls ) and as a front hip circle drill. Totally forgot about that last post.

 

[chabuc]

I make devo kids do this drill before they ever try a FHC:

stand in a stretch on the floor (arms by ears)
bend over and touch the floor with arms/legs straight
without bending knees, push up on toes and roll forward w/straight arms
through a candle position (or your legs will smash your face)
maintain straight legs
before your seat hits the floor, push down on the floor with straight arms
stop in a piked position with feet at head height off the floor

If you can't do this drill, then the FHC will still be a problem.

Besides the stretch into the fall, you are probably missing the candle-to-pike transition at the end of the FHC. To compensate, you bend your legs to create rotation.

Good luck

That's a good drill. I was never able to get front hip circles. I am starting again soon and I will start working on these.

 

[gymadison]

thank you iannamavity! i printed out your post on the drill for front hip circles - my dd7 level 4 has been having so much trouble - anyway i took the drill to her gym today for her private lesson and after doing about 10 of your drills SHE GOT IT!!! so thank you so much for the great tip - dd thanks you and so does her coach - as a matter of fact all the girls will be doing that drill tomorrow during practice

 

[MyrtleWarbler]

I make devo kids do this drill before they ever try a FHC:

stand in a stretch on the floor (arms by ears)
bend over and touch the floor with arms/legs straight
without bending knees, push up on toes and roll forward w/straight arms
through a candle position (or your legs will smash your face)
maintain straight legs
before your seat hits the floor, push down on the floor with straight arms
stop in a piked position with feet at head height off the floor

If you can't do this drill, then the FHC will still be a problem.

Besides the stretch into the fall, you are probably missing the candle-to-pike transition at the end of the FHC. To compensate, you bend your legs to create rotation.

Good luck

OK, I consider myself to be well-versed in gymnastics terminology, and yet I can't for the life of me figure out this drill! I get that it starts like FR with straight arms and legs... Through candlestick, but hands still by ears in the roll (??)... I can't quite figure out those last steps. Push down on the floor with straight arms... exactly where/what position are their arms? And, what is the final ending position... it says piked position with feet at head height... like in a V-sit?

I have tried it myself while someone read it to me, and I'm just not sure I got it! I feel like an idiot! I have girls that really need some new FHC drills. Some please help clarify! Thanks!

 

[BlairBob]

I think it should be stated that the arms ( biceps ) should be touching the ears with an open shoulder angle.

Pike at the hips. Try to be in as a compressed pike as possible.

One of the real tricks is not simply placing your hands by hips on the floor but reaching past the knees toward the ankles.

Does this help? Worst comes to worse, I can probably go film it in my living room. I'd rather not unless necessary.

 

[lannamavity]

OK, I consider myself to be well-versed in gymnastics terminology, and yet I can't for the life of me figure out this drill! I get that it starts like FR with straight arms and legs... Through candlestick, but hands still by ears in the roll (??)... I can't quite figure out those last steps. Push down on the floor with straight arms... exactly where/what position are their arms? And, what is the final ending position... it says piked position with feet at head height... like in a V-sit?

I have tried it myself while someone read it to me, and I'm just not sure I got it! I feel like an idiot! I have girls that really need some new FHC drills. Some please help clarify! Thanks!

BlairBob got it right...it's a pike roll. As soon as the hands leave the floor, they reach up, overhead and out past the knees to touch the floor. The most important thing is that the feet stop abruptly before they hit the floor, which is where the problem comes at the end of the front hip circle: failure to maintain a pike.

Keep trying!

 

[Jojogymgirl]

Aside from that drill, there are things you can do in the front hip circle. As you're falling forward, think about trying to "eat a pizza" (that's how i had to learn it). The "pizza" is really far away from the bar. Really, what you're doing, is stretching away from the bar to gain momentum. Don't arch while you're doing this. If you have momentum, you don't have to bend your knees. You should make sure you have a decent pike on the floor. Work exercises to strengthen the muscles that you need to have tight legs on the front hip circle. Have someone spot you so that you can do it slow, but do it correctly. Better yet, if you have a strap bar, you can ALWAYS go there for FHC work. You WILL spin around the bar, so then you don't have to worry about bending your legs. Spotting and "pizza" and strap bar (aside from the drill, stretching, and conditioning) will make it better. Oh, and make sure you shift your wrists at the correct time!