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Your Flexibility is Holding You Back

By admin on April 25, 2012 in Flexibility & Contortion

One of the most useful things to do in any training is to look at what your weaknesses are. When it comes to most hand balancing and acrobatics, this can be split up into three main areas.

Strength – Let’s face it. Most moves take strength to be able to do and without it you won’t have a chance of doing them.

Skill – Another obvious one. It takes skill which is built up through practice to do anything requiring balance or aerial coordination.

Flexibility – Many people, especially men, don’t want to face this one. Sometimes all you need is to be more flexible.

In certain cases, you can make up for a lack of one, with another. For instance, let’s take the aerial. If you don’t know what that is, think of a no handed cartwheel. A lot of women in gymnastics easily work up to this movement. Why? Two words…

Hip Flexibility.

What is the one area that most men don’t have much flexibility in? Yeah, the hips (myself included but I’m working on it).

Sure, with more power, you can lift yourself higher and accomplish the aerial. I’ve been there. But if you just open up your hips it becomes almost effortless.

Hip flexibility helps for the Aerial

What stops many people in doing handstands? Wrist pain. What helps to cause that? Lack of wrist flexibility. (Been there too)

All the skill in the world won’t help you if you’re in pain and can’t even hold the right position because of it.

When it comes to bridging movements, what stops people? Is it lack of strength or skill? Almost never, but instead it is flexibility. (Believe it or not, the first time I did a hand bridge my back was pretty much straight!)

Of course along with that is having strength in those flexible ranges, and proper stretching will build that too.

With the proper flexibility certain moves become effortless. And that’s what we all want right? Not just being able to muscle our way through a move, but show an ease and grace while doing it, that makes other people go “wow you make it look so easy.”

That’s the idea behind Focused Flexibility. To specifically work on what you need. It’s not some generic stretching program, but is structured to give you what you need.

Tons of people have picked up this new course based on my recommendation. Won’t you join them?

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Focused Flexibility Review

By Bac on April 19, 2012 in Flexibility & Contortion

In the last post on Acrobatic Stretching we talked about how important flexibility is to your training.

If your flexibility is holding you back, I’ve found a new resource that will allow you to break through those blocks you’ve been having.

This program was very similar to the ideas I had on stretching before hand. Great trainers often think alike.

Still I picked up a few refinements, not to mention awesome and effective stretches I had not been doing before.

Since adding these in, I feel I’m making even faster progress towards my goal of hip flexibility to do the pancake drill.

In one, a variation of the Supine Dynamic Hip Rotations, I felt my hip cramp up like never before during the stretch. Yet when I was all said and done in the exercise my flexibility was already improved.

It’s affordable and immediately downloadable which means you can start on the program today.

Check it out here.

If you’re looking for something truly ground-breaking with a new scientific breakthru guaranteeing to double your flexibility tonight, this is not it.

But if you want an Easy System, that helps you to target your specific flexibility goals, this is exactly what you need.

What I like about Focused Flexibility is they give you a series of exercises to start with as a baseline. Then they tell you if you can’t do these well, which of the many stretches they show you will help you.

They also target the exercises, to specific conditions, like tight hips, that you may have.

The idea isn’t to do every stretch but to focus on the ones you need to achieve the flexibility you desire.

Perhaps you’ve picked up a program from the Gold Medal Bodies guys before. If so you know they have high quality material. This program is no different.

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Acrobatic Stretching

By Bac on April 17, 2012 in Flexibility & Contortion, Presses & Pushup

Stretching for acrobatics whether hand balancing or tumbling, is a must. Well, actually I should say flexibility is a must.

But the only way to get flexible is stretching, right?

In most cases yes, but not always. Stretches are just one sub-set of movement that involves getting to your end range of motion. This is then usually held although there are variations here as well.

The truth is you can build your flexibility with movements that don’t involve anything that looks like stretching in some cases. A person that can’t do a full range squat, will improve their flexibility by working on squats, with or without weights. This alone can loosen up the calves, quads, hamstrings, hips and back to where they’ll eventually be able to achieve the full range.

That is one route. Specific stretches aimed at helping this person would be another.

Let’s say you are working on the handstand. Perhaps you need more shoulder or wrist flexibility.

A great stretch for wrist flexibility

What about handsprings? Additional shoulder and back flexibility can help. So can hip flexibility.

If you’re doing bridging movements, you need all around spinal flexibility, not to mention the shoulders and wrists.

I don’t like to “stretch” for stretching’s sake. If you do, that’s fine with me. Some people like it just because they feel good afterwards. But if I’m going to do it, I always have a specific purpose behind it.

My average training, and all the moves I do, give me more then enough flexibility to get through my everyday life, and to keep me generally flexible.

However, if I want to achieve a specific move, sometimes the best, or only route to achieving it is by increasing flexibility. Once again this can take the “movement” route or the “stretching” route. What I do really depends on the move, and in some cases is a combination of the two.

Now when we talk about stretching, there are several kinds. You have static stretching. You have various forms of isometrics or PNF stretching. Then you have dynamic stretching.

My personal favorite is dynamic. After all, dynamic movement is usually where you want to apply your new found flexibility. Still the others, especially the isometrics version, done right, can be a big help.

In any case, this is the framework of what I do. Pick a goal. Identify the different ways you can get there. Start with what looks like the best route, or often a combination of things. Put this into action. Adapt and continue to experiment from there. This applies to more then acrobatics stretching.

Here’s an example. In my progress towards a straight arm press handstand, I’ve realized one thing. If I had the right flexibility I could do the movement without problem. It’s really not a strength issue!

And the specific drill I’ve been working towards is what’s known as the Pancake. I would wager that most people that could lay their torso flat on the ground, could do a press handstand, if not right away, then with a little more work.

The Pancake Drill (from DrillsAndSkills.com)

Yet having all the strength in the world for bent arm press handstands, is just not enough. I still work on other progressions towards the movement and am making progress. But I realize the biggest thing I can do for this exercise is too improve my hip flexibility. This just illustrates one specific case.

I recently came across a new resource on the topic of flexibility that I’ll be sharing with you later this week.

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First Back Lever

By Bac on February 15, 2012 in Rings

I was “playing” at the park yesterday with my friend. Great to always have a camera on hand.

Here I was able to hold my first back lever with legs straight but also together.

Check off one major goal for this year!

The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing

Compare this to my earlier straddle back levers.

The crazy thing is I haven’t even been working on this skill lately. I have been working towards one arm pullups and a number of exercises with the Power Wheel to strength the abs. I guess those two things are carrying over. I also noticed I was better at various front lever progressions we worked on.

I also think that it may have been a little easier on these monkey bars, over the rings that I’ve normally done them on. But then I did another back lever, possibly even better then this one, on some rings they had there a little later. Sorry, no video of this one but I will have lots more from the park in coming weeks and months.

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Bar Kip Tutorial

By admin on January 17, 2012 in Bars

Over the years I’ve only done a little bit of bar work. I remember one day back in gymnastics I decided to try out the bar kip. The other people there told me how to do it and in a couple tries I had it down.

This video shows you how its done.

To do the bar kip you need to learn how to use your body. Its not so much a strength move (though a foundation of strength is necessary) but learning how to divert your force when and where needed. You need to be tight at certain parts and explode in others.

Though the end result is being over the bar, this is different than a muscle up, done on the bar. That is more of a pullup or bent arm exercise into the position, even if kipping is used to aid in the movement, while this is straight armed mostly and done completely with body momentum. Of course both are great, just different applications. Actually now that I think about it, you’d probably get benefit in training both of these, in order to improve both to some degree.

If you want more from the Tapp Brothers I recommend checking out their Parkour Crash Course or How to do the Backflip.

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Amazing Hand Balancing Video

By admin on January 13, 2012 in Flexibility & Contortion, Handstands, One Hand, Presses & Pushup, Walking & Jumping

Here’s another video of an amazing hand balancer.

The video starts off with 15 straddle L presses to handstand.
This is followed by 10 handstand pushups, a half pirouette, then 3 more.
Using rotating hand balancing stands a series of elbow lever press to handstands.
Front and side splits (including extended).
One arm handstands in a variety of positions on the floor and on stands.
This is followed by one arm presses and hopping from hand to hand.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the move at the 5:30 mark before (it has to be way harder then the straddle version)
A variety of walking, holds, human flag, the grand arch and much more.
And it ends with one of the most visually appealing hand balancing stunts.

Hand balancing is not a lost art to this individual. Thanks to Mark for sending me this video.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

How to do the One Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick

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5 Craziest Gymnastic Moves

By admin on July 11, 2011 in Bars, Tumbling

I saw this video of the 5 Craziest Gymnastic Moves and felt it had to be shared here. You most likely have never seen these moves (and possibly never even heard of them) unless you’re in the profession.

#5 – 1.5 Twisting Kovacs on the Gymnastic High Bar

#4 – Triple Twisting Double Backflip on the Floor

#3 – Full Twisting Triple Backflip off the High Bar

#2 – Triple Backflip from the Parallel Bars

#1 – The Tkachev Salto

Now you may not agree that these are the craziest moves EVER but they’re certainly up there and a blast to watch.

If you have any other crazy videos to share post a link below. And if you can do any of these skills (or even come close) tell us about it.

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Victorian on Rings

By admin on October 21, 2010 in Rings

Here is a video of a great routine, even including a rarely seen Victorian on the rings at 0:08 by Stanford’s Peter Derman.

Obviously quite impressive.

These skills may be way beyond your ability but that doesn’t mean you can’t be inspired by them.

In my gymnastics class I’ve talked quite a bit about the tumbling and even parallel bars and progress is still coming fast there. But I also play around with the rings.

For the first time I hit multiple muscle-ups on the rings in a row without re-gripping. Never worked on that before. Also working a bit towards one arm chinnups. Still have a long ways to go there.

Another thing that is inspiring is that there’s a couple guys there that can just about do the iron cross. Watching videos is one thing but seeing it live and up close is another.

If you get around people that are better than you, you have no choice but to be pulled upwards.

Good Luck and Good Gymnastics,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Want your own pair of Gymnastic Rings? You can get them here…

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Regaining My Wrist

By admin on October 19, 2010 in Flexibility & Contortion

As you know if you’ve been sticking around here for a long time I’ve had chronic issues with my right wrist making it much less flexible then my left one.

With handstands taking some degree of flexibility this has made progress hard at times. In fact, it has gotten so bad at times I couldn’t do a handstand. (At least not a straight one, if you notice in some pictures I’m favoring my left side.)

This stretch alone wasn't cutting it...

Walking around, presses, and forget about a one hand handstand on the right arm. At times its better, at other times its worse.

But in the last couple weeks I have made lots of improvement. This is because I have been following a systematic approach that hits the issue from all sides.

I truly believe that within a few months I will completely get over this pain that has held me back for nine years.

I write this message to ask who is interested in this information?

If it was one simple thing I would just write about it or throw a short video up explaining my process. But it takes more than that.

What I’ve been doing addresses the physical, nutritional, mental and even emotional sides of a bad wrist. While I believe this approach would work for just about any chronic issue, I can’t say for sure.

Of course, if you do have a chronic joint pain or problem I know you’re willing to try about anything to fix it up.

Just comment down below if you’re interested.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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