What do you think about this conditioning plan?

Hi everyone,

So my progress is really good, I am making improvements everyday.

I have a question concerning my strength training and I hope to get some help.

I train „real“ gymnastics 6 days a week, but I am not on a team so it’s more open gym like, although there are very good coaches. There is always a warm-up together, but no real conditioning, that’s why I started this whole thing here.

What I really enjoy are press handstands, planches and V-Sits. I love working on them and I see progress everyday. At the moment, I can do 5 straddle presses in a row before my form fails, I can V-Sit Pike through Pike Press to Handstand with straight arms if my hands are 3.3 inches elevated and I also can hold a straddle planche for 2 secs at 45°.

My „goals“ for the future are first of all improving my gymnastics skills (getting the stalder to handstand on real bar, maybe a back pike instead of a tuck on beam, nicer split jumps, etc) and then definitely getting better at my handstand presses, meaning I want to be able to have more control while in a handstand, reaching a full split when I do walkovers, maybe piking through on floor, getting lower in my straddle planche and a nicer V-Sit.

My question is now how I should manage the regular conditioning while working on those things?

I thought about different options and this is what worked pretty well the last few weeks, I just don't know if it is good or not!

This is what my workout plan currently looks like 6 days a week:

• 30 mins warm-up and basic tumbling drills

• 2 hours regular gymnastics training (skills androutines)

• 30 mins active and passive flexibility (oversplits, jumps, leaps and kicks)

• 30-40 mins handstand presses and planche work

• 30 mins conditioning:

10 Chin-Up Pullovers with straight arms and legs

2x16ft rope climb in L

2x10 Pull-Ups plus max hold at the last set

1x15 Windshield Wipers

1x15 Leg Lifts from L to L

1x15 Full Leg Lifts

1x15 Stalder Leg Lifts

100 Hollow Rocks

2x10 Dips

1x10 Pike Push-Ups

1x30 normal Push-Ups

1x15 Single Leg Squats

1x15 Squat Jumps with ankle weights

Of course, I could start trying more pull-ups. I could start with L- Pull Ups, I could add weights to my dips or leg lifts etc. But what for? I don’t really mind if I do 10 or 12 Pull-Ups and I am definitely strong enough to do all the gymnastics skills I want to do. But I want to get better at the presses and planches!

My questions are now:

1) What do you think about this plan? Would it be better to do more sets of one exercise but every second day instead? I chose not to do so, because I often found myself really needing a rest day after I did too many sets. My muscles were so tired I wasn't able to give 100% in my standing tucks or other tumbling stuff. And I like to keep strength training as a daily habit.

2) Am I missing something, like a muscle group?

3) Is is possible my press handstand/planche/V-Sit progress will continue with this plan?

Thank You!

The first thing I see is that you're posting in a Foundation One forum, but you're not doing Foundation.  Skip the 100 hollow rocks and continue with FL training.  Skip the 2x10 dips and 1x30 and move through the HBP progressions.  Most of all, you're not following the Planche and Manna progressions, which will get you straddle planche and V-Sit.  

 

Assuming you have the recovery ability to do strength 6 days a week, I would do all the tumbling and skill work every day but for the conditioning, I would do a 3 day split:

Mon - Foundation A

Tues - Foundation B

Wed - Maintenance of existing skill/strength (exactly what you described above)

Thurs - Foundation A

Fri - Foundation B

Sat - Maintenance

Like Jeremy said follow foundation work. But if you meet roadblocks in strength-endurance or mobility you can always add accessory work to speed up the process.