MAG The Demon Horse

[skschlag]

Article on pommel horse, and basically why we are not so good on it

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...s-gymnastics-pommel-horse-20160804-story.html

 

[profmom]

The note on Naddour's build (arms so long they nearly reach the tops of his knees) is what DS's coach says is an ideal build for horse. But I will also note for the record that neither Kohei nor Max has arm muscles so big that they impede their capacity to do horse. And yet they both seem to be able to get through a rings routine OK.

 

[lilmisssunshine]

When you see the guys on tv, I think all of them look so muscley and big. But it's like there's no frame of reference.
When I saw one of our teen boys standing for a photo with a bunch of the US team guys, it became so clear how short
they are.
Last night, we were watching a bit of Japanese coverage, and my husband pointed out their HC, who is a 32yo. I was
like, "He's not exceptionally big at all!!!" (He won Gold(s?) in the Athens Olympics.) My husband thought maybe it
was just that time had passed, but then there were some pics of the current guys on the team wearing normal suits and
they looked like average Japanese men like that.

 

[Hollowarchkick]

I was a pommel guy. It was not natural for me but I was taller and flexible. My first optional meet on pommels, I hit and got a 4.9
I got hurt and spent 6 months doing nothing but horse and floor mushroom. I never lost a state or regional meet on horse after that. I would go there whenever we had open gym, free time or when I got to workout early. I don't know if I liked it because I liked it or because I was good at it. I never lost AA if I hit horse and high bar. I knew if I could stay clean and hit a strong horse and high bar set that I'd usually be fine when the other guys got to horse. The secret to pommels is that there is no secret... Do the numbers and then do more. If I was on p bars, I'd drag a mushroom over and swing a few floor mushroom circles between turns. That being said... I sucked... Absolutely sucked on rings. My teammates always made fun of my wingspan on crosses.

 

[profmom]

I am coming to believe that Yamawakis were invented for pommel horse guys who have to do rings.

 

[lilmisssunshine]

Can anyone explain "Cheeseburgers on horse"? It seems to have been something that someone said while watching
a pommel routine (and I did see the video), but I totally don't get it.

 

[jenjean70]

I was a pommel guy. It was not natural for me but I was taller and flexible. My first optional meet on pommels, I hit and got a 4.9
I got hurt and spent 6 months doing nothing but horse and floor mushroom. I never lost a state or regional meet on horse after that. I would go there whenever we had open gym, free time or when I got to workout early. I don't know if I liked it because I liked it or because I was good at it. I never lost AA if I hit horse and high bar. I knew if I could stay clean and hit a strong horse and high bar set that I'd usually be fine when the other guys got to horse. The secret to pommels is that there is no secret... Do the numbers and then do more. If I was on p bars, I'd drag a mushroom over and swing a few floor mushroom circles between turns. That being said... I sucked... Absolutely sucked on rings. My teammates always made fun of my wingspan on crosses.

The coaches at our gym have decided to adopt the British way of training pommel...which is LOTS of circles- with weights on...we had an 8 year old do 400 consecutive circles on the mushroom last year and he has since beat that number this year.

 

[profmom]

The coaches at our gym have decided to adopt the British way of training pommel...which is LOTS of circles- with weights on...we had an 8 year old do 400 consecutive circles on the mushroom last year and he has since beat that number this year.

Just gotta say (as the parent of a kid who had to take substantial time off last summer/whose teammate was off pretty much all summer in 2015) that once they start hitting growth spurts, I don't think this is wise. It's hard to improve on PH if you are off the event entirely for six weeks-three months and then limited to circling with your feet in a bucket because you've gotten stress fractures in your wrists.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

when you look at the build of these top guys they are small, Louis looks a giant compared to the rest of the GB team yet he is only 6ft. They also seem to have light frames with good musculature. Its all relative.

 

[dancemom]

Regarding the British training system mentioned above, are the weights put on the ankles or the wrists?

 

[momto2js]

Weights are on ankles, but all the weight and stress is on your wrists and that is not a joint that has evolved to take that much stress. Mine is 9 and a circle king, but now it is do a few really well and get off to limit the wrist pain.

 

[Madden3]

I agree tons of circles are bad for the wrists. And wouldn't ankle weights especially so young be a risk for knee issues? No thank you.

My older DS is pretty decent at pommel. When he was a Level 5 he was circle contest king. And he started having wrist pain big time, to the point his HC, who is pretty anti-wrist supports, was saying he should get wrist supports. My concern over this brought me here for the first time iirc. Anyway, I eventually found an article about working smarter, not harder with mushroom circles. Basically, concentrate on form not quantity. After my son started doing that, wrist pain went away. And it did not hurt his progression on pommel any. It is still one of his best events, he is now a level 7 and hoping to go 8 this season, maybe. Certainly he could be a strong 8 on pommel. Some other events, not so much.

 

[2G1B]

My son loves pommel. LOVES it. Because he is good at it. But that also means that when he is bored, or avoiding other things, or showing off... he does circles. And... now he has stress fractures in both wrists. He is going to be devastated if he isn't still good at pommel when he eventually gets to do it again. We don't know yet when that will be...

 

[Madden3]

Ugh poor guy. Sometimes this sport bites.

 

[profmom]

It really does stink, 2G1B. But he will get through it, and when he gets back, tell him quality over quantity!