Just starting out, advice?

[Blairbob]

Coach, I think Erik since he has now been doing gym for at least 3 if not 4 years was just shrugged off as tight and inflexible. The usual prescribed stretches which lent him to developing very good shoulder extension but relatively little else. His dad was much the same way though mom had some flexibility during her gymnast years.

I've tried a whole bunch of stuff in the last 6-9 months like the shoulder and back protocols but recently I've taken to stretching him by hand using PNF. This has involved a lot of pain on his side and crying but after just 3 sessions is showing some gains. I first started stretching out just his hamstrings but last workout I started on his shoulders. This seems to be the only way to get tangible gains versus passive or contract/relax. Just not enough pressure I think.

His lack of shoulder flexion really hurts his FX ability to do a straight HS, pirouettes (which tend to be arched, planchy with wide hand placements [which also are common with his CW/RO work]) besides even a standing BHS. While we are working towards the L5 bonus of the 3s HS on PB, I can see that pirouettes could become problematic besides FHS step out to FHS in L6 and 7.

Surprisingly he has decent ring swing on rings for his inlocates. He as well doesn't have a lot of back flexibility so the chest roll stuff is difficult compared to Gumby-boy or myself.

Slizzard, see if you can teach her how to PNF you. Put her weight on you. It might be enough.

I am thinking I will continue to stretch him like this for at least next month if not. I don't think it will take all fall but if so. He seems to recover between workouts (MWF) well enough to do another session. We'll see how his shoulders are today. After working on his hamstrings just once, he made his straddle-L and L on floor. I am thinking his hamstrings negate his ability to flex and do a fast leg lift and V for kips (though a more open shoulder angle will help).

[Coach Sommer]

This has involved a lot of pain on his side and crying but after just 3 sessions is showing some gains.

I disagree with this approach.

In my experience, aggressive passive stretching alone has little long-term benefits for this type of gymnast. For these athletes, I have found that it is most effective to focus on active flexibility where the tight gymnast's own strength works for him to increase his flexibility.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Razz]

Watch out with two rapid shoulder stretching!!!! I always had strong tight shoulders even though my experience and effort in gymnastics until last year was silly I was still strong. But that is also when i realised i had to stretch my shoulders and i saw rapid gains but they were too rapid and i THINK that this might have had something to do with my dislocated shoulder i got in the end of february. just my experience but coach already said it i guess

p.s. it was mostly passive stretching to open shoulders and some dislocations i did, which was a very bad approach.