Women Giants: Strap Bar Vs. Real Bar

[GymRat]

Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone has insight on how difficult of a change it is to go from solid strap bar giants to getting solid giants on the real bars.

Thanks!

 

[still hanging]

My DD didn't like the the strap bar. She used it very few times before actually doing them, however all of her teammates spent a great deal of time swinging in the strap bar, which made me nervous but she came along just fine. As a matter of fact she was state bar champ just 2 months after getting her giants.

I think that the strap bar is an effective tool for developing good an swing technique while allowing more reps without worrying about coming off the bar.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

It took DD 6 months to move her giants to the regular bars and have a consistent giant. She swing around rather easily on the straps, but couldn't get "something" when she moved to the real bars. She was "this close" for months.... would get one, then not do it again for a couple of weeks, etc.

Once she got it, well, she has beautiful giants. The time it took to get around allowed her to have great form.

On the other hand, I've seen kids just "get" it. There are no rules

 

[dynamicduo]

I am only a mom of gymnasts, but I have 2 DDs working on this right now! DD1 never used the strap bar and she is days away from having 2 giants into her layout flyaway. She doesn't use grips and she likes the feel of the real bar because it is easier for her to shift her wrists!! DD2 loves the strap bar but can't seem to get it just yet on the real bar. She can sometimes but it's with a heavy spot. They have both been working on giants consistently since the beginning of March! Good luck!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

solid i would suppose...

 

[gracyomalley]

Spose it varies - DD has taken 2 years to get her giants - but that's 2 years of not working them during comp season and of having them then losing them (something with her tap? per coach), not being allowed to do them until that was fixed, etc....Her form is fantastic, though - never a bent knee/arm, excessive arch, etc....She has team mates who got them in a couple of months....different kids, different strengths.

DS the eldest has been doing straps maybe twice a month for a few months - but in 2 weeks almost has both front and back giants on Hbar...

 

[LizzieLac]

DD never was really able to do straps. You know, some kids can go around and around 10 times. Not mine. She learned on the bar over the pit, mainly through drills she was given and then figuring it out. Hard to say how long it took, becuase there were several months of lots of competition and the bar work was focused on bigger clearhips and not giants, but I would call it 2-3 months when actually working on it.

 

[wgymmom]

Ugh, mine's been on the strap bar for over a year on and off (never working them during comp season though). She STILL hasn't been asked to go on the pit bar yet.

 

[Quadqueen]

DD never was really able to do straps. You know, some kids can go around and around 10 times. Not mine. She learned on the bar over the pit, mainly through drills she was given and then figuring it out. Hard to say how long it took, becuase there were several months of lots of competition and the bar work was focused on bigger clearhips and not giants, but I would call it 2-3 months when actually working on it.

Yup. DD was very close to getting them on the real bars at her old gym - just needed a slight nudge over the top of the bar...moved to a new gym and was told she had to be able to do at least ten in a row on the strap bar before they allowed her to even try them on regular bars. She was frustrated, but eventually got those 10.

 

[Hayleigh]

At my gym, most of my current team took around 6 months to get giants competition ready from strap bar. We have a pretty solid progression, and most girls follow this.

We start by doing big tap swings. Then we do this on strap bar with a spot and we are pushed over the top to get used to the shift. While training this we also do cast handstand swings on the pit bar to get used to 'safe exits' if we don't make the giant. The next step usual is to be able to do 3-5 giants on strap bar with spotted handstands, then with just the first handstand spotted.
Once this is all done we go back on the pit bar and do spotted giants with backaways to get used to dismounts,
Finally we do spotted giants gradually decreasing support and do strap and pit bar giants without a spot as a side station.

I personally found this worked really well, but my biggest problem was remembering to tap when I first started on strap bar on my own because I was used to my coach telling me when to tap, I also had a fear of physically going over the top of the bar when I got to chalk bar, as I somehow got it into my head that if I didn't dish properly I would slip from handstand and end up on the floor in a heap :Ob

 

[midwestgymcoach]

I like strap bar for pure numbers. I can get the girls and/or boys to do way more tap swings and giants in the straps as opposed to the real women's rail or mens high bar. When they first go around the bar, I use a 3/4 giant technique. Never letting go through handstand for a couple months or so. Eventually, I spot them through a few to handstand then they go for it. I've noticed how fast they improve and build their confidence. After a month or so in the straps with pvc piping, they move to straps with gloves for wrist shift. Finally, onto their respective bar.