Maximal contraction

Hi guys i am an amateur gymnast from Italy.

I attend an adult gymnastic class twice a week, where the focus is put on acrobatic skills rather than strength, and I also train at home with rings and pullup bar. I follow Coach Sommer's Static Strength Positions progressions.

I seem not to progress very much, regardless the advices given by my gymnastic teachers.

What it came to my mind is that I might have to get a maximal full body contraction each time I am practicing any static position, while so far I've been working out hard but not trying to contract fully each time.

Is a maximal full body contraction necessary for progressing, even when the effort does not require it?

Thanks,

richilincez

It helps a lot.

Grip as hard as you can, tense your abs, squeeze your glutes, pull your legs together and point your toes.

Doing this all the time will make it second nature.

So when you do a tuck planche or something, you should be trying to flex as much muscles as you can?

I don't think I do this.

Do you do it for every static position?

I definitely try to do full contraction for everything. Even though it might not be required at my/your skill level right now its good practice for when it will be necessary (cross, maltese, full planche etc). For example, when I do press handstands (against the wall still ) I definitely HAVE to squeeze everything but when I do an L-sit I can actually relax a little bit until I try to pull it into a V-sit, but I still keep everything nice and tight.

I would think if you don’t have to squeeze everything and try really hard then you should be about ready to move on to the next progression. For example I just started trying to straddle my legs in my planche. I go from straddle L to straddle planche (almost ) instead of L-sit to adv tuck. And I really lean forward and give it everything I have every time I try to rotate to the straddle planche.

When I can practice again I'll start trying everything with maximal contraction.

I seems like whenever I practice tuck planches I can hold my hips level with my shoulders on the first day, but then on the days after, my form sucks and I can't lift my hips in line with my shoulders, then I give them up, and try them again a few weeks later and the cycle starts over again.

sasquatch said:

then I give them up, and try them again a few weeks later and the cycle starts over again.

Do your best not to take a few weeks off, take maybe 2 (training) days max. So if you work out on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, try them on Monday and if you are having problems try them again on Friday. Just keep the workout going on the in-between days, just forgo doing the planche work.

I made the quickest progression when i started doing the tuck planche on two chairs. the height allowed me to lift/press into the tuck a lot easier. high parallettes would probably do the same. just a thought

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll try them when my arm feel better.

Does anyone have advice on breathing? It seems the more muscles I contract the harder it is for me to breath. Or will breathing come more natural in time?

Breathing is tough at times but you should slowly get used to the tension and thus be able to breathe more easily. Just do your best not to hold your breath! I am just starting to get the whole breathing thing down myself; I still catch myself holding my breath a little when I am trying really, really hard!

niftyvt said:

Breathing is tough at times but you should slowly get used to the tension and thus be able to breathe more easily. Just do your best not to hold your breath! I am just starting to get the whole breathing thing down myself; I still catch myself holding my breath a little when I am trying really, really hard!

Holding your breath or a very forced exhale is fine if it's truly a maximal effort. Doing this keeps intrathoracic and intraabdominal pressure high which helps to keep all of the musculature at maximal tension. In this case, take a couple breaths between reps.

However, as the movement gets a bit easier AND as you get used to doing maximal contractions you should be able to breathe during them.

...so it seems everybody is fully contracting while in a static hold...

that's what I m gonna try

Thanks for the help

richilincez

Good advice that I never knew. Thanks for the tips!