Looking for a proper start and guidance

[val]

Hey people Val here. From singapore. I'm 25 this year, and i've done recreational gymnastics when i was 17. Learnt a little bit of tumbling, such as front tucks, back tucks, side flips, round off back tuck. But then after enlisting into the military my skills all disappeared. So after like 2 years of being inactive I decided to make a come back.

When i came back everything i picked up was self taught and from videos and stuff, i haven't gotten my round off back tuck back yet and my back tuck is lacking a huge amount of confidence. I do have open gym sessions which i frequent once a week.

I'm just wondering can anyone give me some pointers on how do start training smart and learn proper techniques? Like what would be the right way to approach training and how do i train even without the access of a gymnastics hall at time and what can i do to maintain and further improve?

Thanks!

[Joshua Naterman]

The single best thing you can do is get your own copy of Building The Gymnastic Body. It has all the progressions for basic strength. That will help you learn exactly how to build your basic strength step by step. Basic strength is planche, FL, BL, Manna, L-sit, Straddle L, handstand, handstand push ups, beginning rings work, and more. It's a LOT. You'll be lost without the book.

The second thing you should do is start doing the WODs posted here. They are not random. They are a specific training cycle that Coach uses to develop his athletes all the way from beginners to national champions. Follow them and you WILL succeed! Once you have the book, you'll understand the WODS and you will probably have a lot of questions on how to scale them down to your abilities. Make sure you aren't shy about asking! Every answer will be in reference to the book, so without it you're severely handicapped.

[Blairbob]

Well for skill training, there was a thread where I posted basics of all the events, minus women's UB and BB. I need to update it.

Drills&Skills.com is a good start for skill training.

[val]

Thanks for the feedback guys, don't mind me asking but what does WOD stand for?

[Saber2]

WOD=Workout Of the Day

[Mikyewicz]

Hi there I'm going to start with Coach's WODs and I have a question about Static positions and WODs.

So should I just work on prerequisites before every WOD for warm-up or just add FL, BL, PL etc... ?

For example:

1. SSC - FL, BL, PL, L-sit etc...

2. WOD

or

1. Prerequisites

2. WOD

I'm currently working on my Prereq. and most of them are at 60s or close (except the incredible Hollow Hold, still tough, maybe because of my 6'0")

But recently, I injured myself really badly... Impingement in shoulder, super-painfull wrists and tendonism of eye muscles (weird but yes). I spend some time in hospital and now I'm like a new again. So I'm afraid of overtraining So i think doing both - Prereq + SSC then WOD will be too much. What do you think guys?

Thanks in advance!

(PS: sorry for my english... I'm still learning).

[Rik de Kort]

You have to complete the prereqs before starting static work on HS, German hang and L-sit. Then if you hit the appropiate prerequisites, you can start training BL/FL and PL. If you utilize an SSC with the 50% of max protocol, you ought to be fine.

[Joshua Naterman]

You need to work on the parts that were injured for a while as your first priority, and worry about doing WODs and all that after you have 3-4 months of solid higher volume training.

Right now you should be working on inverted hangs, hollow holds, curl ups (as specified in BtGB), external rotation work, parallel bar supports and slow shrugs in the PB support, slow chin ups and pull ups if you can do them pain free, and much higher rep band-assisted pull ups (also with a slow tempo). Same goes for push ups, forcing yourself to stay in a hollow plank shape the whole time (if that means a small ROM at first, that's fine, but I think you will find that going down super slow allows you to stop and correct the shape each time you start to lose it).

Slow = 3-5s down, 4-6s up.

super slow = 10s down, 10s up.

I would also suggest false grip work, starting with short range of motion foot-supported rows.

Between that and whatever lower body work you want to do, you should be set.

If you think you are healed enough, you are usually wrong, but are always free to do what you like. This is just my 2 cents.

You should always treat your body like it is a machine. It needs to be taken care of, given the right fuel, and be fully repaired before slowly breaking it in for heavier use. It takes 6 months for muscle tissue to fully regenerate to pre-injury status and it takes the connective tissue portions of muscle 1-3 years, assuming no re-injury in the process. That's why I am suggesting that you really work on the basics, and with higher volume + lower weight. Give those tissues the time they need before starting to expose them to heavier loads.

As for your shoulders, that is the single biggest indicator that you have poor movement patterns. As I said, work on that scheme and focus on form. And external rotation work. Everyone here will have a different opinion on what is best for that, but you need to judge it on 1 thing: If you feel the muscles burn and get tired pretty much exclusively in the rear delts and infraspinatus area then you're doing something that is working for you. There should be no other sensations, unless it's your grip also getting tired. You should feel solid in the shoulder socket. Aim for 30-60s of constant tension, leave no separation between reps. Do not up the weight until you get to 60s constant tension with that weight. Do not increase weight beyond what you can handle for at least 30s of constant tension. Use a 2-3s up, 4-6s down tempo. It's a short range of motion, this is slower than it seems.

For all tempos, make SURE you either have a metronome ticking or a second hand in front of your face. Do not trust your own count, no matter how good you think it is or how good it really is. I always, always, always watch a clock for things like this when I'm not at home with my loudly ticking metronome.

Good luck and don't let yourself push too far too fast.

You may need to use google to learn about terms you don't know, if there are any.

Hit those 3x per week for 2-3 sets to failure of good form and you should be fine.

For the first 2 weeks I'd only do 1-2 sets. For the next two weeks I'd only do 2 sets, and then I'd do all 3 sets.

[Mikyewicz]

Dear Joshua,

You sir, you are amazing! Many thanks to you! This will help me alot!

I really appreciate the time you gave to write this down.

I think it won't be a problem, I can do easily pull-ups and push-ups pain free. Like I said, I feel 500% better now. But I will follow your advices and from now on I'll be more carefull.

Again MANY thanks to all of you guys!

[Nic Branson]

Anytime your bodies structure has been comprised by injury always start over and do your progressions and make sure they are right. Along with what you're doing ensure you are doing plenty of mobility work. Do not neglect your lat's in your stretching either.

For rotator cuffs one of the single best things you can do are farmers walks. When you pick up a weight and hold it at arms lengths at your sides your rotator cuff muscles suck your shoulders into their sockets and stabilize it. The walking adds some dynamic elements to ensure they maintain the ability for fine adjustments. Find a balance between weight and time.

[Joshua Naterman]

And make sure you feel it in the rotators. Actively use them to suck the shoulder in. Maybe this is not so important when you are already strong, but I know that for me the active use of the rotators in shrugs and rows is making a big difference in regaining strength and shoulder function. Of course I am also working hard on upper traps, as mine are a bit inactive on the right, but the farmer walks work well for the whole shebang!

[Mikyewicz]

These are very helpful ideas! I'll definitely try it ! Perhaps Farmer Walks are actually the same as Hanging iverted on rings (inverted hang), right? But without walking of course...

Yesterday I was doing some external rotation exercises with Theraband and some (really) slow shrugs on PB and on a rings while hanging inverted. It felt great!

Thank you guys for your help!

[Joshua Naterman]

These are very helpful ideas! I'll definitely try it ! Perhaps Farmer Walks are actually the same as Hanging iverted on rings (inverted hang), right? But without walking of course...

Yesterday I was doing some external rotation exercises with Theraband and some (really) slow shrugs on PB and on a rings while hanging inverted. It felt great!

Thank you guys for your help!

Similar, but not the same. You're welcome, glad we could help!

[antwren]

:? Hi....some advice please . I am a 52 year old man , pretty fit ....98kg and 14% body fat .I do weight training 3-4 times a week . I would like to begin incorporating more bodyweight moves in my training to improve my strength . I dont have access to gymnastics equipment ...and I have NO pretensions about becoming a gymnast at my age !! I have some tennis elbow pain at times , some shoulder niggles and a bit of arthritic knee pain ....that said I am determined not to sit back and let all that stop me . What kind of routine do you think would suit me and how often ?...many thanks in advance .