Girl can only straddle planche? VERY IMPORTANT

Hey guys, I registered only for a very important question.

I am a gymnast since ever, I am competing L8. Of course, we do some conditioning, I can press to handstand in pike and straddle, tons of ropce climb and leg lifts - however, we do not do any of those things the guys do, like levers or plaches and I never wanted to or worked for it.

My brother is a gymnast though since 12 years and he has all those skills. Also a full planche and iron cross. He is really into that so I kind of know a bit about it.

Yesterday we had a new girl join our gym. She is 17 and has done some kind of gymnastics before but I don't know what exactly.

Anyways, she is a beast. She could of course do some handstand presses in pike and straddle, like all girls in out team, she could also hold a nice V-Sit with legs pointing straight up, but moreover, she is able to hold a straddle planche for a few seconds!!! My brother says it is not perfect, she is not horizontal (maybe 25degrees?) and her butt is kind if sticking out. However, it is amazing and we were all flashed.

I talked to her a little and now here is the weird thing; she can not do a front or back lever and also no side lever. She said she never trained for them and when she tried she was not better than me - but I am far from planches!!!

Is that possible? I always thought a planche is a lot harder!!!

Explanation?

Thank You!!

Of course that is possible because planche and front and back levers are completely different skills/exercises.

The issue is one of training and necessity.  Unlike the men, women receive very little benefit scorewise from pursuing intensive planche training and as a consequence tend not emphasize it.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach Sommer said:

The issue is one of training and necessity.  Unlike the men, women receive very little benefit scorewise from pursuing intensive planche training and as a consequence tend not emphasize it.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thanks for your answer. Yes, I know, there is a lot less emphasise on that in WAG. Sometimes tiny light girls are able to do planches because they are conditioned well, but it is not common at all and I do not now any gymnast who can do a straddle planche.

The girl, I think she was a horse vaulter before, told me they worked a lot on different handstand presses in their training and she just tried to planche every now and then or going through a planche position during her press handstands. This is how she learned it. 

I was just amazed how different all of those movements are. I just remember my brother, he could do his back lever at age 7 already and front lever followed quickly, however, it took him at least 1 year longer to achieve a straddle planche.

The girl is also not really good in pressing strength. Most girls on my team can do between 8-15 really nice dips with perfect form, thumbs touching elbows and she could also do 10 or 12, but not necessarily more.

So she is on the same level as all of us strength wise, the only thing she can do additionally is a straddle planche.

So weird how our muscles work and what our body is capable of!

It's seen more in acrobatic gymnastics, because I believe it's rewarded by the acro gymnastics code more - some girls can even do a full planche:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sy_BNHUisg

pashamur said:

some girls can even do a full planche:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sy_BNHUisg

... and even maltese -

That's not a maltese. Body has to be at least close to level with the hands to be considered a maltese.

Paf said:

... and even maltese -

That's not a maltese; it's a wide planche, as stated in the video title