Good basics to work on at home for the gymnastically challenged?

[itstallgirl]

Hello everyone I'm new here. I'm starting adult gym classes in the next few weeks without any gymnastics experience. I was wondering if there was any good strength/conditioning/flexibility drills I could do at home or at the gym (not the gymnastics version, I belong to one where I swim and lift weights) before so I can get the most out of my classes. I already know about push ups and all sorts of different sit ups/crunches/abs drills. I can't really do a handstand or a headstand without a spot (it can be very dangerous with as much leg as I have waiving around uncontrolled, I almost broke an old roommate's nose when we were trying them). I can touch my hands to the floor too but can't do full splits. Anything basic and gymnastics specific would be great! I've heard of something called hollows reading around the website but aren't sure what they are. Thanks in advance for any help you have!

 

[Coach.Simon]

Something that will help you a lot is this handstand drill. Make sure you're barefooted, if you wear shoes you might have some shoeprints on your wall, and if you're wearing socks your feet will slip around and the drill will go from safe to dangerous in a matter of milliseconds.

1) Go on your hands and knees with the soles of your feet against the wall. You're facing away from the wall

2) Take little steps, and start walking your feet backwards up the wall.

3) If you can get pretty high (you should also try to straighten your legs out while you walk them up the wall) also start walking your hands back

4) keep your arms straight.

Because the handstand is easily the most important fundamental move in gymnastics, doing this drill to develop strength will help alot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGBeHhJqgZk

You can just watch the video if it didn't make sense lol

 

[itstallgirl]

Thank you so much! That seems like a perfect drill. I really want to do be able to have a strong handstand, I know it seems like such a silly simple little thing, but I've never been able to do it. Most people expect me to just be able to kick into one, but I have physics working against me (I'm actually been told I'm way too tall to model lol, and I'm out of proportion. I have a 40 inch inseam, a normal sized torso and tiny long stick arms that don't get bigger no matter how much I lift or how many push ups I do. Great body for a high jumper! Not so great for gymnastics). But I'll definitely work on this Physics be darned.

 

[Coach.Simon]

Let me know how it works out for you

 

[gymgurl]

I have a similar issue with the inability to build arm muscle but have massive leg muscles which means my tumbling is great but my bars well, i don't compete bars anymore another thing that will be good is working strength at home

 

[itstallgirl]

Coach.Simon- Will do!

gym girl- It's weird isn't. I can build a lot of muscle in my legs (it's still very lean muscle) but my arms... they're laughable! But I'll keep trying and working. I got into track because I was a natural and while I eventually had to work very hard at the higher national levels (I was training for USATF Outdoor Senior Nationals but missed it because of a foot injury that I've been dealing with throughout my Junior and College careers and my main event, triple jump, is the worst thing possible for it), the basics came so easy. I'm excited to be doing a new sport where even the intro is hard and I have to work my butt off for it.