Flares- where to start?

[Matthew Green]

I'd love to be able to do flares someday but Im currently nowhere close. Ive seen a few tutorials on youtube but Im a long way off.

What basic drills need to be mastered before I can start to get it?

[Edward Smith]

my new coach recently asked me what my goals were for this half of the year i said flares he said first come circles. so i would learn circles first. also check out drills and skills its got it under pommel horse i think.

[hairConditioning]

if you do circles before your flares, youre flares will be really low ...

im a bboy and i didnt learn circles before flares and look at bboy flares these flares are mostly pretty high and with good momentum!

gymnasts flares are not bad, but mostly the flares of gymnasts are really low, they compensate the lack of momentum with strenght (thats not bad, just another way to do it)!

both are nice, and nearly the same technique but how i said if you train circles first your flares will be a little lower because you apply the height from your circles ...

and why you should learn circles before your flares? you want flares not circles ...

there are a lot "drills" you can do to get the strenght you need for flares (of course do a lot flares, haha).

planche/tuck planche (you dont need a planche to get flares, but it will help), v-sit/manner, hanging leg raises, of course all other exercises which makes you stronger ...

a good thing is to learn the upper body-positions while your legs are still on the ground. for the back part (back looks to the ceiling) you are nearly in a planche position, lean to the front, your legs are on the ground. for the front part (your belly looks to the ceiling) you lean to the back, your legs are on the ground ... and the same for the right and left part with one arm, for example legs and your right arm on the ground and lean to the right and so on ...

of course you have to be stretcht out good, you need both splits.

for active flexibility you could lie on your back and hold the v-shape of your legs for some seconds ... you lie on your side and raise your upper leg and pull it in direction of your face!

look a lot videos and train at least 3 to 4 times a week, without failure!

[Coach Sommer]

Gymnastic Flairs vs. Bboy Flairs

There is a tremendous difference between the flairs that bboys do and those that gymnasts do. Bboys focus on the height of the foot which forces the hips to drop, while gymnasts need to do exactly the opposite and focus on extension of the body with the hips as high as possible. This results in the gymnast's legs being lower than a bboys, but their body is much more extended. This is necessary doing leather work on the pommel horse where low hips will result in contact with the pommels :cry:. It is also the reason that circles first are a must for developing gymnastic type flairs.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[hairConditioning]

ok, the thing with the pommel horse sounds good, ive never though about it!

but the gymnasts are most notably pretty low in the front (not in the back), it looks like a "sitting position".

that the body is more extended thats true too, most gymnasts have their leg in one line with their body (on each side). bboys are often a little "piked".

but the talk about bboy vs. gymnast flairs (thomas flair or flare?) is out of the question, is it?, thats just two more or less different ways to do the trick, both good just with another goal.

some question to you coach sommer:

if a gymnast would do a "bboy-flair" on the floor will he stated worse, i mean is there a definite form he have to do?

(of course, straight and spread legs, but the high of the hips and so on?)

[Coach Sommer]

If a gymnast did a flair "Bboy" style, the deductions for execution would be severe. A gymnast only looks as though he is sitting in the front if his flairs are incorrectly executed.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Guest Brusi]

There' s one more difference - the way a gymnast and a bboy start flairs.

BBoy - http://youtube.com/watch?v=IGttIqpAmMc

Gymnast - http://youtube.com/watch?v=w2xaUjoKGVk

But who cares it still an outstanding move.

By the way, is it a must to train this on a mushroom if you don't have any intentions to try it on the pommel.

[hairConditioning]

why should it be a must if you dont have any intentions to do it on a pommel?

99% of the bboys dont know a pommel or a mushroom, haha, and do good flares!

(but i think it could be easier at first, cause you dont touch the ground with your feet, learn the upper body part, and of course less stress on your wrists!) ... but if you want to train it for gymnast competitions maybe there is a reason to do it an a pommel? i dont know.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1hMsw1hHRoc some good flares and combination (just a nice clip!)

gymnast flares, i dont think pros, but with good speed and mostly nive form.

for sure there are some more differences, but the nature of this move is the same in both sports: large circles with each leg, hip work for high and how to say, haha, "stable arms as fundament for your legs" ...

(gymnasts point their toes, gain some room for the lower leg with good stretch and so on ...)

but you said it: who cares

[Guest Brusi]

Hello

Mushrooms are just two expensive......... :roll: and I'm not a gymnast :?

Can I use a chair (low and stable ) instead of a mushroom :roll: ?

Thanks for the help

[Edward Smith]

You could use a chair but I would suggest against it. If you have an old (well unwanted/unneeded) chair that is solidly built (strength and stability) you could cover it with foam or some like material and cover the foam with some sort of material. In essence making your own mushroom, I think this would be more learner friendly, having no sharp edges to work with.

Alternately, you could use floor or make/buy some sort of pommel horse trainer. Get or make something like 3 feet of log chopped in half cover in something smooth (although splinters could be good motivation :twisted: ).

Ed

[Gregor]

Home made mushrooms can be much better 8)

[Edward Smith]

Yes! Homemade Mushrooms can be alot better than I described 8) !

Gregor could you please elaborate on how you think homemade mushrooms can be better (unless of course you meant better than what I described).

Cheers,

Ed

[Gregor]

Yes! Homemade Mushrooms can be alot better than I described 8) !

Gregor could you please elaborate on how you think homemade mushrooms can be better (unless of course you meant better than what I described).

Cheers,

Ed

No I meant much better then in stores 8)

In gym we have4 or 5 home made mushrooms and are alot better then those wich we bought. They are more softer on a touch (better for wrists) and much more stably.

[Guest Brusi]

I found a plan of a homemade mushroom: http://www.westsideacademy.com/boysteam/buildit.php

[Gregor]

If I where you, I would put another wooden plate on the bottom of mushroom for better stability.

[sasquatch]

I can't do a full flare yet, (don't practice them often because of hip problems.) but something I read that really helped me is try to kick up to the sides, not up in front.

[Coach Sommer]

Yes, it is very helpful to focus on lifting the leg up behind the ear rather than kicking up in the front. From there, try to kick the legs diagonally across the body rather than simply up and down. Also pressing the hips forward will greatly help in increasing the elevation of the flairs.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer