The importance of straddle press handstands

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Out of curiosity: I've noticed that straddle presses seem to be emphasized very heavily in many high-level girls programs, often more than they are in boys programs; why is this? While it is certainly a great skill for both, it seems to me to be less crucial for female athletes than for male athletes (since male athletes use it on five out of six events, and females generally use it on only one or two). Is it overemphasized on the women's side, or under-emphasized on the men's side, or a bit of both? (Seems to me like option 3, but I'm curious to hear everybody else's take on this)

 

[Deleted member D3987]

females=lower center of mass=weaker core= weaker quads=lots more press handstands.

 

[gymnut1]

Can you expand on that a little dunno. I can't quite follow it. do you mean it is harder for girls to learn so they do more or easier.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

lower center of mass means more weight distributed below the belly button. more mass that has to battle physics. girls need a stronger core earlier on. but it's not that boys shouldn't do some of the same things. so, when you have a weaker core central to the part of the body that creates needed energy is where you will find slightly weaker quads. and remember the 3 body types. so some of this will vary athlete to athlete.

if you ask the kids, given that the press is done correctly, where they feel pain/discomfort they will tell you in the stomach between the belly button and pubic bone and in their quad muscles. now, if they bend their knees ever so slightly they get NO quad pain. remember, i said if the press is done correctly. it will hurt even more in both places when done from a straddle sit on the floor.

most boys at the same age are just weak. plain and simple. but, we have a naturally higher center of mass which means less weight to 'move' down below. so, as we get stronger presses become easier for us. good?

 

[Billy]

no rope climbing and no press handstands= no gymnastics.

Hmmm... my daughter's gym does presses maybe once a week. Maybe. They try them but they don't "train" them. And they don't even have a rope. At what point/level does this equal "no gymnastics?"

 

[coachmolly]

I never worked presses beyond the occasional attempt "for fun" until I switched to a new gym at 14. By that time, learning a press from nothing was all but impossible. As a younger gymnast I was close and have always been able to do a press from standing pretty easily, so I feel I could have learned it had it been emphasized from a younger age. I had plenty of strength and was pretty good with handstands regardless, but struggled with cast handstands on bars and feel more practice on presses from a younger age would have been very beneficial.

 

[gymdog]

Hmmm... my daughter's gym does presses maybe once a week. Maybe. They try them but they don't "train" them. And they don't even have a rope. At what point/level does this equal "no gymnastics?"

It is really important for optional bars. As far as presses, some girls in the JO program that are a fairly high level still have trouble with the seated presses. But they should still work on them, and they should be able to easily press from standing, and also do handstand lower down to not quite sitting and press back up. If they cannot press from standing this is an issue in an optional program as far as I'm concerned.

Rope climb, well that adds grip strength (optionals should be able to do it with no feet both sides pike and straddle) and also lower stomach, hip flexors, quads holding the legs at 90*. And some control and timing of strength to go up and down. Again you can see especially where these things would be key is on bars (which is the hardest event as a general rule and the most unlike the other 3). But of course it transfers to the other events as well and strength overall is always important in preventing injuries.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Hmmm... my daughter's gym does presses maybe once a week. Maybe. They try them but they don't "train" them. And they don't even have a rope. At what point/level does this equal "no gymnastics?"

coach molly answered below your post. by 14 would = no gymnastics.

 

[Bevis]

Straddle press handstands skill is mostly used as conditioning exercise, and in routines on balance beam or even floor exercise.
It is great for strength, flexibility, balance and body positioning.