Men How to improve on pommel horse

[HopefulGymnast]

Hey everyone,

Not sure if to post here or on coaches page.
I'm very much a beginner in mens gymnastics. I'd like to get better at pommel horse, I wonder if anyone has some good info on how to gradually progress. I'd like to learn the strength to do more skills, and do them more fluently. I am already working on strength training and muscle building in general.

I wanted to ask, does anyone have any tips or resources on how to gradually progress strength and technique needed for this? I think the PH specific strength may be the main issue for me.


In case it's useful to know, I can do on pommel horse.
- Suise simple mount (quite neat)
- 1/2 or at best 1/1 circle but its messy and not 1 fluid movement, I tend to hit my legs on the pommel horse in the movement.
- 1 legged scissor/circle
- at most 1 circle on mushroom, but it's a bit harder than for kids maybe, because I'm an adult woman so I'm adult sized and that thing is quite low to the ground.

It'd be really cool if I could one day do more fluid circles, a scissor, and maybe even a circle with 1/3rd travel one day but I understand that may be very ambitious.

 

[Dahlialover]

The mushroom is actually a really good place to start. Even through it is low to the ground you have to keep your legs up high on the pommel horse to get over the handles, so the mushrooms is good preparation. You could put a mushroom up on a bit of a pedestal to get a bit more height. Getting past the first circle on mushroom is really hard. You just have to keep on working to figure out the rhythm. Good luck!

 

[skschlag]

Do you have access to a bucket with the horse? Something like this? It could help you get the idea and build strength:

 

[HopefulGymnast]

Do you have access to a bucket with the horse? Something like this? It could help you get the idea and build strength:

I think we actually do! I know there's one at our gym, I've used it before, I'll just need to check if I have good access to it. I think we might even have a mini pommel like that rather than a mushroom, I think I'd much prefer that for some reason.
I think it's a great idea, especially for building strength without immediately overtaxing my shoulder. I'm also a great believer that to build strength you need a load level that you can do a lot of reps of, not just 1 or 2 reps at your skill limit.
Looking forwards to trying it when I can (currently injured leg).

 

[HopefulGymnast]

The mushroom is actually a really good place to start. Even through it is low to the ground you have to keep your legs up high on the pommel horse to get over the handles, so the mushrooms is good preparation. You could put a mushroom up on a bit of a pedestal to get a bit more height. Getting past the first circle on mushroom is really hard. You just have to keep on working to figure out the rhythm. Good luck!

Thanks! Will be trying more of it when I can return to training again!