HELP 43 Y.O. trying to learn circles

[kevp951]

Hello to all, this is me after 1 week of trying my home made mushroom wanting to do circles. and showing off my 43 y.o. coach Sommer inspired muscles (ha ha). i've been on the gymnastic bodies exercises for about 2 months now and doing front levers, pullups, around the world on mushroom, the frisbee work both ways (for circles), and some handstand work. what do i need to stop the piking and get more circles QUICK! I want at least 3 or 4 circles so I can develop these muscles and get some confidence. thanks to ANYBODY that can help. My ultimate goal is gymnastic flare on the ground and circles on the ground. I just uploaded to youtube my youtube username is Kevp951 and vid title is 43 y.o. trying to do circles on mushroom hopefully this paste takes you to my video http://www.youtube.com/user/kevp951

[David Picó García]

Well I'm not the best one to advice on that but i tried them some time ago and although couldn't do the circles at all, the advice a of the gym coach was not pike at the hips and to be as straight as possible.

[kbryk]

Yes, you are piking at the hips, and you seem to be throwing yourself, your circles are actually moving to fast, they have to be somewhat controlled, your setup could be better; I'm going to wait for someone with a little better descriptions to answer this question.

[kevp951]

yeah, my muscles are still weak for circles so i try to use a strong cast to help get started. I appreciate any info that any of you guys have. I'm gonna read it all and get to work very hard to improve myself. thanks in advance to anyone else with any help. kevin

[Coach Sommer]

Bucket Training Tips

kevp951,

Good start with your circle training. Your enthusiasm and work ethic certainly speaks well for the potential of your future progress.

To progress further, I would recommend setting up a bucket station to use with your mushroom. This is simply a bucket hooked to a rope attached overhead. If possible it will be most comfortable and effective if you can attach the rope to the bucket using some type of a swivel. You place your feet in the bucket and begin to swing.

The following tips will help your bucket training to be more effective:

1) Do not stand in the bucket, but rather continue to keep as much weight as possible on your hands. The bucket should only be used as a spotting aid; not a crutch. Strive To force your shoulders and core to do most of the work.

2) Focus on achieving a straight body and not allowing the hips to pike on the sides. You should feel your heels leading the way at the 3/4 portion of the circle.

3) Be conscientious about leaning and keeping the shoulders outside circling outside of the hands at all times.

If used correctly, bucket training can be quite beneficial in your quest to develop circles.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Blairbob]

No idea, why you are hopping around so much. Actually I do, but I don't reccomend it as a good approach as an entry.

Have you checked out Jim Bathurst's guide to circles yet? There used to be a circle guide with videos on Drillsandskills, but it's not there anymore. The tips guide is under Links.

Jim's guide http://www.beastskills.com/Circles.htm

Your elbows are bending as you place them down. No-no.

Look at these entry to the circle series. It's generally called a feint and not a cast, though it could be considered a feint/start and cast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSRwy3SzW6c He also has 2 more videos which are good to look at it. One video shows nice extension to begin with and the hips being counterturned.

This is another video with a few different boys. Basically you can see their mistakes when their second or third hand placement is too slow or when their shoulder is not outside of their hand. If the shoulder is placed inside of the wrist, you are too much to one side and pushing away from the mushroom.

this just shows the feint again. See how he really cranks it around his arm as he starts.

I'm in the process of doing a long winded circle guide as I got in my mushroom. My friend were going to do one but it has yet to materialize.

I recommend drilling the start to right before the first hand lifts. I call this the 1/8th circle. Your hips should be turned, leaning on the first arm. Don't just lean but push down on the mushroom through your shoulder. Try to bump your second arm away with the hips.

Swing your legs out as high as possible in the beginning. We want good extension. I generally don't teach the feint with one hand in the air to beginners.

2nd. Same as first but right after you bump the arm away, reach back and place the hand down, leaning and pushing on it.

3rd. Circle to 1/3rd of the mushroom. This is slightly past 1/4. I divide the mushroom into eigths but teach it in 3rds and quarters for simplicity.

4th. Circle to right before half. Hips should definitely be counterturned. Turned the opposite direction you are circling.

5th. Heels should be leading the second half of the circle. This is often where people start piking their hips back to complete the circle.

6th. Second hand placement time. Make sure to have the shoulder outside of the hand, pushing. If it's too late, no more circle.

7th heels keep leading. Think arched body like a seal stretch/cobra stretch.

8th time to replace the hand.

This is just impromptu. I have a guide somewhere that I used to post for my boys in the gym to go look at. I'll be following it when I create my circle guide/video.

Eventually, once an athlete is past 2 or 3 circles, I will teach them how to start farther out in the feint to pull their body through the start for added momentum. Typically I teach the feint on top and around the first arm of the circle with both hands on the mushroom.

Don't slap the mushroom. This kills your wrists on most mushrooms over time, especially the bigger or weaker one is.

Set up a bucket. You could use the mushroom or just do it on floor so there is less a chance of a bigger accident. Try to swing as fast as possible so you are barely putting bodyweight in. One of the Crossfit Journals has a guide on setting up a bucket. Bucket attached to a swivel basically on some rope. You can get fancy like I did and attach a plate where I had a ring go through and attach the swivel and reinforce the inside of the bucket. Ehh, really for the effort. Wear some socks so you don't scrape the skin off your feet.

[kevp951]

Thanks for all of the info. I did not realize that my arms should not be bent. Everything listed here will should get me pointed in the right direction and save me from spending a lot of time on the wrong things. I have a much better understanding of what I should be striving for now. Hopefully I'll have a new vid to post in a few months. thanks again! kevin

[Mark Weaver]

Kevin,

Did you make that trainer yourself?

[kevp951]

Yes i made the mushroom myself, but i found the link to the instructions on this website. It's in the SKILL DEVELOPMENT forum, topic is "circles on floor". Here's an attempt at pasting the link here also. http://www.westsideacademy.com/boysteam/mushroom.php

Very cheap to make but you need a jigsaw to cut the plywood circles. Don't try a circular saw becasue you will end up hurt, or worse. The guy at Home Depot said that's a good way to lose a body part (trying to cut circles out with a circular saw) so thanks to the helpful guy for the tip. btw, I'm up to 1 1/2 circles and got rid of some of the piking. Also got my first 2 moves on pommel horse tonight at open gym first time ever on one of those....it's awesome!!