What's a "girl push-up"?

Handstand Obstacle Course 2016

Handstand Obstacle Course 2016 from TJ Tuuha on Vimeo.

Holy Wow!

Handstand flatback drill

I got this idea originally from Swing Big:

Modifying a staple exercise for the little ones

Slider drills across the floor is part of the regular warm-up that many of the boys team, lvl3s, and preteam kids do.

With a new crop of preteam kids, I figured out a way to modify one of the harder exercises for them:

Tic Tac Toe Conditioning Relay Sprints

This remains one of our current favorite conditioning games:




Since we don't give them endless blocks to fill up the hoops, it creates a bit of a different strategy after you've made 3 placements than your traditional tic tac toe.

 Makes them do more running!  :-)

Adductors & Abductors with Resistance Bands

Some conditioning ideas and shaping drills

The gym owner calls this funeral music.  But the slow pace of the music is killer for strength training.

Super Bowl Sunday: 48 to 27

Hat tip:  JAG

Hollow Push-Up Beam Crawls while Piggybacking Foam Block

Since we did not have all the beams, I thought I'd kill some time on the two high beams we did have with a little conditioning and concentration game. The Hot Shots loved it so much, we spent 2/3rds of our beam time on it. I figured they were getting stronger working their core and support strength. Since they were enthused about it, why not?

At first, they had trouble; then they started figuring out a certain "cheat"- foam block on the upperback and behind the head. I might have to create a rule on no resting the foam behind the neck; but if it helped them keep their round turtle back, I couldn't really complain.

Fun Friday: 3-Person Team Cheesy Mat Race

Sound Buttons for Gymnastics Conditioning, Contests, Games

I wanted to find recordable sound buttons, but from what I had read, the volume on the speakers weren't that great.  Similarly, the Staples Easy Button also was low volume and would be all but inaudible in a noisy gym.

I acquired these buttons at Lakeshore Learning Center and they are pretty fun. Here are just a few uses I played around with.

You can definitely make it into a conditioning game. For example: Timed push-ups (say, 30 seconds).

- 1 point for touching the button at the bottom
- 1 point for touching the button at the top of the push-up
- Minus 2 points for any wriggling of the body

For the planching push-up challenge, award progressively higher points for each button, with the one furthest out (forcing a stronger lean) being valued with the most points.

Bungee bar candle levers

Gymnastics Progressions

Justin Laury's new resource site is now open for business.  Check it out.

I've long admired his attention to body shaping.

Press/Cast Handstand/Stalder Shape Conditioning

Have not done this exercise in a very long time:

That's a preteam/new level 3 kid.  Thought I'd try it with her at the end of her practice.


Below, I think this was a level 5 kid; maybe training old level 6:

Assisted Press Handstand Station

Spotting Method for Pre-Team Chin-ups

  I learned this spotting method from Michael Manzanet of Broadway Gymnastics School, for spotting chin-ups/pull-ups.
Open hand squeezed between the legs by the gymnast. It helps the gymnast maintain form (like squeezing a beanbag); and the gymnast only gets an assist if she needs it by squeezing the spotter's hand.

This was just a quick take (and the coach in the video is new to this.  The spotter does not grab the gymnast.  The gymnast "grabs" the spotter's hand).  The gymnast can also squeeze with the feet, too, instead of the knees.

Hover Ball for Slider Exercises

I'm always looking to improvise products toward usage in gymnastics drills.

Today while at Rite Aid, I happened to notice a product called "Hover Ball".

I could not take it out of the package, but it appeared to be a foamy half sphere glued onto a furniture slider. 

When I got home, I looked it up.

Personally, I think it's a pretty lame toy.  Especially for that price.  And I don't think it's probably that hard to tip over. 

However, as a slider for conditioning, I think it's comparable to my friend's product, the Xpodz.

Hover Balls ae $9.99 at Rite Aid.  I'm tempted to get a couple even though we now have plenty of Xpodz foot sliders at my gym; and I have a pair of Xpodz as well as an ab slider.

I'm wondering if I get 4 of them, they could serve as a base for a small block for some creative block pushes....

Straddle-L Press Drill

I love half presses and holding pancake handstands.  Most beginners will rush to reach the handstand and end up unfolding the legs prematurely and arching.  This looks like an interesting way to train straddle-L 1/2 presses:

Featuring @our_acro_trio 👏🏼 press handstand drill! #gymnasticsshoutouts

A video posted by Gymnastics/Dance/Cheer/Acro (@gymnasticsshoutouts) on Sep 3, 2015 at 7:32pm PDT

Hat tip:  World Gymnastics Academy

Water Weights

Novelty item just for fun.  If I could just fill these up with even more water- then we're talkin'!

Maybe some bottled water company should market their bottles in the shape of dumb bells.  I'd love to bicep curl a 5 gallon jug a few times before setting it on the water cooler dispenser.

And here's a Gymnastike throwback Thursday to a Technique Tuesday: