Urgently need some advice! Skill and strength progression for a beginner?

Started by katlinchen, November 24, 2013 · 1 Replies · 1,653 Views

katlinchen

Hey guys! I am new to your board, I am from Europe (Austria) and I really admire the great gymnasts of your country! I hope I can find some help here!

I am flexible (oversplits and good back and shoulder stretches) and not too weak (15 hanging leg raises to L position and 30 V Ups, 35 push-ups, elbow lever, press handstand against a wall)

I can do a front walkover, a kickover, one-handed cartwheel, and a roundoff, I started gymnastics 4 months ago. I don't want to get really good on bars or vault, I just want some tumbling and strength skills:

Front handspring

Back handspring

Front tuck

Back tuck

Aerial

Side aerial

Front aerial

Back handspring layout

And some combinations like RO BHS Back Tuck

A straddle press to handstand

20 hanging leg raises

I know that nobody can tell but what would you think how long it would approx. take me if I am willing to work hard and eat clean (lot of protein)?

I train gymnastics 8 hours a week

Stretch everyday

Train some sets of leg raises and press handstands everyday at home

Hope someone can help me!!

Bipocni

The problem is you're asking how long it's going to take to learn technical skills.  These are subject to your own learning curve, and are much harder to predict than the relative simplicity of graphing strength development.

 

The only help I can give you is to strongly recommend you work on developing back and front limbers as well as side splits.  Being able to perform perfect back/front limbers will ensure that you're not going to injure yourself trying to perform a skill your body isn't adequately prepared for, so that by the time you start training handsprings you're performing a move you already know, just faster.  Unfortunately that's the long way of doing it, but you will be much stronger and healthier because of it.  I understand the desire to learn these skills as quickly as possible, but at least make sure you're working the strength positions as well.

 

As for the straddle press to handstand, you've picked one hell of a move.  Obviously getting decent at freestanding handstand pushups would be a huge plus, and handstand wall walks are highly recommended by Coach as a developmental tool for handstand presses.  The main difficult I imagine you'll find is with actively pulling into the straddle position.  As I mentioned before, side splits and pikes will ensure you have the range of motion to enter a straddle L, but passive and active flexibility are two different things.  Learning L sits on the floor will help with the strength portion, and seated leg lifts are great for isolating that hip flexor function.  You can even take this one step further and try straddle hanging leg lifts, although I have no personal experience with those so I can't tell you how much help they will be.

 

Anyway I know I didn't answer your question, but I hope you've found my information helpful.  (Sorry, I do tend to go off on a tangent.)