21
Nov, 2019

Home pull up bar and gymnastic rings

When working through my home training courses, the chances are you will need a pull up bar. Many landlords won’t let you screw them into a wall, so get one that slides in and out of a door way. I’ve liked the JML one because, like me, its been around for ages,

JML Awesome Gym Door Frame Workout/Pull-Up Bar Home Gym for Upper Body Exercises

but there are lots of cheaper ones around too

I have to say that I own my own home so, Ive screwed mine into the wall.

Once you have a pull up bar, you can get a set of gymnastic rings. I started importing them in 2005 in tiny batches, and I think they cost £50 plus.

Today £20 gets you a nice wooden pair. Here is a good example, opt for wood if you can.

Sundried Wooden Gymnastic Rings with Straps Exercise Gym Rings Crossfit Gymnastics Athletic Dip Rings

My love of wallbars

I think I got to use some wall bars in an early PE lesson, probably 45 years ago. Since then, wall bars were something that stood unused in school gyms.

It was a delight to have Alex Jerrom bring them back into my consciousness. We got a small set for Crossfit London at Bethnal Green E2 and now, almost daily. I try and do something on the wall Bars.

Many people are now discovering that wall bars are an essential part of developing body weight  exercise and gymnastics. Its great to see the Coach Sommer recommends them too.

I see lots of publications making the rounds, pretending to promote new and creative wall bar exercises. Im lucky to be an avid book fan, so rather than fritter a fortune on line on badly researched E-books, I get to go to my library.

I love “Gymnastik Atlas” by  J.G. Thulin. published in 1928. Im going to try and work through the  Wall bar exercises that are scattered throughout this amazing book

Here is  a great Hamstring stretch. It helps develop your pike. Notice how the gymnast has walked his feet as near to his hands as his flexibility can stand. The crouch position takes the stretch off, straightening the leg, puts the stretch back on

wall bar hamstring

Diagnosing my round-off issues

Here is the grim truth. Apart from my lunge problems, I have a “where my hands go” problem. Green is where my hands should be, blue is where they go.

So 1st port of call when fixing your round off is to draw around your feet and try a round off with your hands covered in chalk.

It gives you grim feedback. If your ego can cope!

You can then take a video clip and watch the disaster in “SLOMO”

This, is surely, partly to do with shoulder flexibility

So here is how to begin to fix it.

1) Position specific work

hold the position against the wall
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Try this yoga type exercise
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2) generic Shoulder flexibility work

I’ll add a link once Ive finished the video

31
Jan, 2014

The importance of conditioning the tuck

One of the crucial abilities in gymnastic tumbling is the ability to pull your knees into your chest and make a ball: The Tuck.

If you cannot, or won’t, ‘Tuck” your tumbles will be  open,  slow and difficult to land.

This means that you must get your  calves  to stick to your hamstrings and your knees to your chest with a rounded back . The G force of most tumbles will try and rip this shape apart. Make sure you can squeeze the tuck both through body control ( abs, chest and leg compression) and by pulling your knees in by grabbing your upper shin’s. As much time as you spend dish and arching, allocate to the tuck, especially if you are open  and lazy in your front and back tuck. On the whole, get this shape with the head sort of  neutral, not  massively strained back ( you are preparing for both a front and back tuck).

If you were taught the basics properly, you will be used to this position in your forward rolls. As an adult, most gymnastic teachers will shy off demanding that you properly tuck in your rolls, and thus leave you unconditioned. The forward roll will put you into a tuck by the nature of the move, but its more a “flop into place tuck” than one you have worked for. I’ll post more later, but hold that tuck in  a variety of positions.

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