Unassisted Cross Pulls by 6'2" 200lb Norwegian Track Star

WOW.

Another nice clip of Andreas Thorkildsen doing gymnastics (assisted cross pulls), senders, and dip variations.

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This guy REALY proves you dont have to be 5 feet 2 inches to train gymnastics!

What's with top javelin athletes doing gymnastics like this, but no other sport has figured it out?

The Virginia Tech Poll Vaulting Team has been training with us 2 days a week for the past 2 years or so. The do things like giants on high bar (in a strap bar), muscle ups, rope climbing, swings on rings, XR dips, handstand work including HSPU, and trampoline work just to name a few things. They are a very accomplished team and several guys have commented on how their numbers increased as a result of their supplemental gymnastics training. I think more track and field people work with gymnastics than advertised.

It's funny you mentioned pole vaulting, I saw a video of some girl pole vaulters doing fast skin the cats as an exercise. It would certainly make sense for a lot of athletes to train certain gymnastic movements.

Coach Sommer said:

Once they complete the HS walking circuit they may rest, however if they fall they must begin again from the start.

wow that is hard.Your athletes are well conditioned so I suppose it would only take them a few goes at most. For the rest of us...the warmup would probably take all day!

slizzardman said:

It's funny you mentioned pole vaulting, I saw a video of some girl pole vaulters doing fast skin the cats as an exercise. It would certainly make sense for a lot of athletes to train certain gymnastic movements.

Today made me said . . . 3 gymnasts . . .one left after warm-up leaving just me and the girl in charge of the gym for that day (the officers take turns running the gym every day, my day is mondays). . . and the entire varsity pole vaulting team of about 15. Basically we had a gymnastic gym with no gymnasts! I still dont consider myself a gymnast . . . maybe when I get a solid cross/planche then I will start using the title. 8)

Coach Sommer said:

Now that being said HS walking is an excellent conditioning/warm-up exercise. Generally for my advanced athletes I require 160' nonstop; beginning with 40' forward walking, then 40' backward walking, then 40' walking sideways to the right side and then 40' walking sideways to the left side. We usually do this in warm-up. Once they complete the HS walking circuit they may rest, however if they fall they must begin again from the start.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thats just about what some of the girls do, except they take a breather after every 40' except the one girl she does the forward and backward walking in one go and the takes a break. They all have great skills but they all seem unmotivated and lost unless someone is yelling at them to do stuff (like a coach) . . . when they show up to the gym. . .

I think I am gaining skills just as fast as they are losing them! :shock:

Very inspiring post for tall people!