Coaches Squat-on for girls with short arms and long legs

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I have a 5 who can't seem to get her squat-on, and my usual tricks don't seem to be working.

So what progressions do you all like for squat-ons? In particular, what do you have for girls who don't have good balance and who have long legs and short arms?

 

[Deleted member 14190]

I have a 5 who can't seem to get her squat-on, and my usual tricks don't seem to be working.

So what progressions do you all like for squat-ons? In particular, what do you have for girls who don't have good balance and who have long legs and short arms?

=
Pike on

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

That's... um..... unlikely to happen for this girl

 

[Deleted member D3987]

start with a straddle on/sole position first and then work your way towards 1 leg between the hands and then over time 2 feet between the hands. i've had this before...short arms, no torso and longer legs. breaking it down to straddle then 1 foot then 2 feet will work. i just can't predict how long that will take though, but it will work.

 

[JBS]

She can "pop" and go airborne...but I have never taught it this way before...it just happens after a while.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

That's... um..... unlikely to happen for this girl

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How short are her arms? lol I've never had a gymnast who couldn't touch her toes in a pike position after some work. she just needs to get her butt up real high to put her feet on, pike or tuck. can she cast on the strap bar and do a sole circle???

 

[Gymsanity]

I think I know a little something about long legs, as one of my gymnasts legs would hit the bar uprights if she straddled too much. Her father had to duck to come through the front doors! Good news is I believe she still holds the University high jump record!
For fun and balance, I have the girls make two lines in front of the floor bar. They start with one foot on and then when I say 'go' they put on their other foot and see who can balance the longest. Winner goes back in line, the other......3 single leg roll ups on each leg. Works great and they love it. I use the same bar and have them practice doing squat on jump forward until that becomes easy. We then go to the low bar and start by having them cast and put their shins on (with a pad of course). Spot from the front to help keep their shoulders forward. Have them slip grip and roll forward. Be sure to spot, as if they don't get their hands around the bar all the way, it will be one quick trip!!! At first it will be more like a knee-on, but with practice it becomes a shin-on, then an ankle-on, and finally a foot-on (squat on). Hope it helps.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Geoffrey; Tough challenge. I have faced this before and it is difficult. In the most recent situation, the gymnast's growth spurt was in the legs and not the arms. We set-up stations for spotted 1 ft. squat ons. (Cast and while coach supports the extended leg, the gymnast puts 1 foot on the bar). Next step was for 1 ft. squat on's, no spot, (low bar with high mat surface underneath) with a couple of practices. When she was able to learn the "new balance" for the "new" body we went back to 2 ft. squat ons (low bar with high mat surface). It was possible for her to squat on, although her adaption was to have a high seat (almost a pike). We focused on the other bar skills to celebrate and challenge against the USA Gymnastics routine requirments (she was at the time an old L5). She came through confident and is doing well in prep for the new L5 routines. Fortunately the new USA G routines allow the sole circle as a bar change. She has mastered this skill and is proud of it.

It is very challenging when the body dimensions add complexity. Best sir.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

The reason I say a pike on is unlikely to work for this girl is that she's REALLY inflexible.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

The reason I say a pike on is unlikely to work for this girl is that she's REALLY inflexible.

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long legs, no flexibility, can't do a squat on, one drill will solve it all, hanging pikes on wall bars. do you have wall bars that the kids do leg lifts on? If so I will take a pic of one of my kids doing a hanging pike and pm it to you.

 

[iwannacoach]

Have her work about 100 in a week or two time span. Do them jumping from a block that puts her about hip height to the bar. Treat it like a squat on vault with no intention of balance or control, and have her jump forward as soon as her feet arrive to the bar, maybe to a resi with the bar set as low as it can go. Stacking on top of the resi will help her wrap her mind around the task.

Once she's been through about twenty successes, you can raise the bar a bit or give her a shorter/lower block to start from. This works well in a group setting as the kids do one and quickly walk around the bar to get in line, so 4 kids on the station and about 5 minutes gets them 10 to 15 reps. It should resemble circus dogs jumping one after the other through the flaming hoop. The subtle peer pressure alone is magnificent as they all want to keep up the pace so the kid behind them has to hurry to get ready for her climb onto the block.

No waiting, no thinking...... just doing.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

==
long legs, no flexibility, can't do a squat on, one drill will solve it all, hanging pikes on wall bars. do you have wall bars that the kids do leg lifts on? If so I will take a pic of one of my kids doing a hanging pike and pm it to you.

actually coachp, this is a good excercise but 'pulling' is the action. the action needed for the 'squat on' is a 'pushing down' action. therefore, the drill on the floor with a single bar where you press "in" forward and over the bar and press back "out" is better suited for the skill.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

actually coachp, this is a good excercise but 'pulling' is the action. the action needed for the 'squat on' is a 'pushing down' action. therefore, the drill on the floor with a single bar where you press "in" forward and over the bar and press back "out" is better suited for the skill.

==

The drill i mentioned is only for flexibility, it uses the gymnasts weight to press down a pike. (it's a hanging upside down pike position) And without pike flexibility (which the op said she has none), she cannot even begin to work the drill you mention. I think you are mistaking my drill with a hanging L seat. And yea, that would be a stupid suggestion.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

This is a hanging pike, probably the best pike stretch I have ever used. Actually uses the weight of the gymnast, kids like it too (not sure why). Start out slow though, it really works the hamstrings and back. You can also do it in the straddle position (hands go between the legs to grab bar on straddle).