Grease the Groove method applicable to gymnastics moves?

Hey guys,

I have read the Naked Warrior by Pavel Tsatsouline and was very impressed with the information outlined and tension techniques etc I found really helpful. Anyway I was wondering if you can apply GTG to aquiring gymnastics moves?

For example tuck planche pushups, or static holds, or pistols?

Well I am actually GTG'ing with pistols and one arm pushups and am nearly there but once I get these down I will move onto Coach Sommers pistol progressions and a compound pulling movement. Maybe the harder chins/ pullups.

Anyway do you think this will work? I would love to know?

Thanks

GTG works. I used it for many months. I would also throw in some kettlebell cardio at this time if you aren't doing anything else. I worked OAPU and pistols for a while and then added L-sit pullups and leglifts. Eventually I decided to start deadlifting again and just made a little 5x5 routine.

Right now I am doing GTG front lever work. I think GTG might work very well with static holds, maybe even better than dynamic work. I am also curious about other peoples opinions on this subject.

If you have it set it up and you can do it, you'll benefit a lot since many gymnastics skills are about neurogotical motor patterns and being a king/queen of efficiency.

If it takes a 1000 repetitions of a handstand to hold a handstand that is decent it really is a matter of numbers.

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replys. Ortprod, thanks for your personal GTG experiences. One thing though. Were you GTG'ing 4 things at once? Because I dunno if you know but Pavel recomends ideally only GTG'ing 2 exercises. Just a thought. Tell us how the front lever GTG training goes mate . Would love to know. Also how long did it take you to get one arm pushups and pistols?

BlairBob thanks man. At present I do set set of around 40-60% of my max every 15 mins for each side of the body but for a few hours here and there throughout the day when I can. So it looks like this for an example:

12pm: Right arm: one arm pushups. Right leg: Pistols

12.15pm: Left arm: one arm pushups. Left leg: Pistols

And I carry on doing this throughout the day when I can but obviously I have breaks when I go out or have dinner etc. But since I read the CNS makes basically full recovery at around 5 mins rest, I feel that doing a set on each side of the body every 15 mins isn't gonna overtrain me. Also although I do a set every 15 minutes, there is a 30 minute rest in between side of the body.

What are your thoughts? Once again thanks lads!

gymrob,

I started with just the pistols and OA pushups at first. I was working a 9-5 job so I would do them on my breaks and at lunch. I started using boots on the pistols. Got them pretty quick. Always had a tough time with my right leg though because I have a tight hip on that side. The OAPU weren't that hard for me even at the beginning because I was used to benching around 300lb. That combined with much martial arts experience, I knew how to create the tension that Pavel speaks about already.

After a while I became concerned about not being able to pull my bodyweight in different directions so I made a routine (a 5x5) out of HSPU, L-sit pullups, Leglifts, deadlifts. I still kept doing pistols and OA pushups gtg style.

I haven't done them in a while but I can still drop down and do my OA one leg pushups. Pistols are still pretty hard for me when using a weighted vest though. The weight that pulls you down to your butt is intense.

GTG front levers are coming along. I still find 15seconds in an advanced tuck position pretty hard. I do 4 sets of 15 still. My abs hurt, lol.

Hope this helps,

-J