WAG Their casts are getting worse. Help!!

[BarCoach]

I took 5 weeks off gym for maternity leave. Now I'm back, and I'm not sure what they did while I was gone. Their casts were never great but most of them could be easily spotted to handstand. Now they are loose and struggling. The biggest problem I see is not leaning far enough forward over the bar (a couple of them are definitely scared). How can I help my girls cast bigger? They've looked the same since the beginning of April.

 

[BlairBob]

More upper body strength.

My boss and I developed a drill from Block Malteses.

On a low single rail, set up 2 P-bar blocks right to just underneath the bar. You might have to squeeze panel mats under the bar to make the height right.

Basically they lay on the bar around their hips with their shoulders supported by the blocks. You kind have to angle the blocks like a wedge instead of parallel.

So, basically they lay on the bar and blocks while holding the bar and heel drive to a supported shoulderstand. It will get them to get used to going to vertical.

Of course, if they don't have the strength to lean over the bar, it won't really work on that. You could use ankle weights for a more aggressive heel drive/Reverse Leg Lift for posterior chain strength ( glutes, hams, lower back ).

 

[BarCoach]

Really interesting drill. Going to have to try that. Thanks.

 

[fuzi]

More upper body strength.

My boss and I developed a drill from Block Malteses.

On a low single rail, set up 2 P-bar blocks right to just underneath the bar. You might have to squeeze panel mats under the bar to make the height right.

Basically they lay on the bar around their hips with their shoulders supported by the blocks. You kind have to angle the blocks like a wedge instead of parallel.

So, basically they lay on the bar and blocks while holding the bar and heel drive to a supported shoulderstand. It will get them to get used to going to vertical.

Of course, if they don't have the strength to lean over the bar, it won't really work on that. You could use ankle weights for a more aggressive heel drive/Reverse Leg Lift for posterior chain strength ( glutes, hams, lower back ).

I'm having trouble visualizing this. Could you post a picture or two?

 

[BlairBob]

I'm not coaching right now so this is the best I can do.

[video=youtube;QTSjlZTyhQs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTSjlZTyhQs[/video] That's a block maltese.

So imagine that under a single rail while holding the bar with the hips on the bar piked.

 

[GymCoachR2]

The first drill in this post is great. Put a couple mats on the other side of a low single rail, or a resi on the other side of the low bar. It helps A LOT with fear. It's also great to start when they are little.

Cast to — what now? | Swing Big!

Spotted swings to handstand on P bars are always a good go to.

 

[BlairBob]

Spotted swing to HS on PB is good too if you can get access to them.

Basically getting over the fear of being in a HS on a bar.

That drill I talked is basically that. It's not terribly hard but way less scary than just cast to HS.