GYMNASTICS | WEEK 35 | 08/25/2019

Warm Up

2 Rounds

5 Down Dog to Cobra
30 Seconds Bench Tricep Stretch
30 Seconds Alternating Wrist Stretches
10 Scapular Pull-Ups

Down Dog to Cobra:

1. Begin in a plank position, with your hands under your shoulders and feet spread hip-width apart.
2. Push your hips up in the air and backwards, straightening out your arms, and pressing your hands into the floor.
3. Press your chest towards the top of your quads and remember to breathe, sinking into the position as much as possible. You may allow your knees to bend if the stretch on the hamstrings is too intense.
4. Re-shift forward, coming into a laying position on the floor (stomach in contact with the floor).
5. Lift your chest, so your body forms an arched position (the tops of your legs will remain in contact with the ground).
6. Take a few breathes, and continue moving back and forth.

Bench Tricep Stretch:

1. Begin sitting glutes-to-heels on the ground, facing your bench (or, any apparatus you are using: Chair, couch, desk, etc.)
2. Place your hands on the bench, palms down, and slide them forward until your elbows are supported. The goal is to keep the joint as comfortable and safe as possible.
3. Arms should be shoulder width apart.
4. With your knees together, lift your glutes and set your hips directly over your knees. Both legs should be together and creating aa 90 degree angle.
5. Allow your head to fall through your arms, and press your chest towards the floor.
6. Bend your elbows and pull your thumbs to shoulder blades. This will intensify the stretch in the triceps.
7. Engage your core by pulling the belly button into your spine. This will flatten out and protect the lower back. No sagging.

Alternating Wrist Stretches

1. Begin on the floor, sitting on your heels with your knees together.
2. With your fingers facing forward and elbows locked out, press your palms into the ground, and shift your shoulders back and forth over your hands, hinging at the wrist. Both palms should remain in contact with the ground for each rep.
3. Turn your hands 180 degrees until the face backwards (towards your body), and shift your shoulders back and forth over your hands, hinging at the wrists.
4. Next, re-set your hands on the floor, and turn your fingers in, until they face each other. Shift from side to side, fully over each hand, hinging at the wrist.
5. Turn your hands out, until your fingers face away from each other. Shift from side to side, fully over each hand, hinging at the wrist.
6. Repeat all variations with your palms facing up (back of the hands to the ground.)

Scapular Pull-Ups

1. Begin in a dead hang on the bar, with your hands shoulder width apart. You should be sinking down, with your shoulders in contact with your ears.
2. Engage the lats by “pulling down on the bar”, creating as much space as possible between your shoulders and ears.
3. Hold for two seconds.
4. Lower back down into your dead hang position.

4 Rounds

1:00 Low Ring Plank
10 Strict Pull-Ups
10 Low Ring Push-Ups

Subs and Modifications:

Regular Plank
Ring Rows
Regular Push-Ups

You will put time as score but as always quality is much more important than time. 1:00 planks may be broken up into smaller chunks if necessary.

Low Ring Plank:

1. Set your rings approximately 4-6 inches off the ground.
2. With your hands on the rings, come into a plank position.
3. Your hands should be fully wrapped around the rings, directly under your shoulders. Make sure your palms are facing in, towards each other.
4. Push up through the shoulders, getting as "tall" as possible. This will reinforce shoulder extension and give you a stronger base.
5. Squeeze your glutes and tuck your hips under to flatten out your lower back.
6. Legs should be tight and straight, with your feet together.

Strict Pull Ups:

1. Begin in a dead hang on the pull-up bar, with your hands gripping slightly outside the shoulders.
2. Pull down on the bar to activate the lats, creating space between your shoulders and ears.
3. Pull vertically until your chin passes the height of the bar. Your body should be in a tight hollowed position.
4. Under control, lower yourself back down into your starting position.

Low Ring Push Ups:

1. Set your rings approximately 4-6 inches off the ground.
2. With your hands fully gripping the rings, come into a plank position, with your palms facing in, towards each other.
3. Lower yourself towards the rings, until your shoulders make contact. Your body should continue to be tight as you move down.
4. Once your shoulders make contact with the rings, push yourself back up into your starting position.

Skill Focus: Handstand Rolls

5 Rolls from a High Box
5 Rolls from a Wall Handstand
5 Rolls From a Freestanding Handstand

Subs and Modifications:

Roll from the ground
Roll from a short/tall box
Use a partner and pads!

No score for this one!

Rolls from a High Box:

1. Begin standing in front of your tall box, with your feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides.
2. Squat down to the floor, and set your hands on the floor in front of you. Step each foot onto the box, and bring your hips over your hands as much as possible, as this will help create a very easy "tip over".
3. Tuck your chin into your chest as much as possible. You will stare are your belly button for the entire rotation, which will protect the head and neck. Do not keep a straight neck during the forward roll. Only the back of your head (Ladies, think of where a ponytail is) should touch the floor as you roll. The more you tuck your head in, the safer your neck will be.
4. To initiate the roll, your elbows will have a slow, consistent bend, until you find yourself rolling down one vertebrae at a time from the box to the floor. Make sure the elbows continuously bend, slowly lowering your body to the floor. Do not keep straight arms.
5. Your feet will land on the floor in front of you, setting you in a safe, seated position.
6. Once comfortable, you may increase speed, by moving faster through the steps.
7. To stand more quickly, pull your heels into your glutes, and shift your shoulders forward, fully over your toes to land in a low squat. Stand.

Rolls from a Wall Handstand:

1. Begin in a handstand agains the wall, with your stomach facing the wall.
2. To initiate the roll, tuck your chin into your chest (which will fave the shoulders and help round the back), and allow your elbows to slightly bend.
3. From here, your elbows will continue to bend (Slowly and under control), while your toes will slide down the wall. Sliding the toes down the wall is important to help slow the roll down.
4. As you near the floor, tuck your chin even more. Only the back of your head should ever come in contact with the ground. Remind yourself to stare at your belly button, to help keep everything rounded.

Rolls from a Freestanding Handstand

1. Make sure you have enough free space to practice safely.
2. Begin with your arms extended overhead, dominant leg out front.
3. Kick-up into a handstand hold.
4. To initiate the roll, tuck the chin into your chest and stare at your bellybutton, while simultaneously allowing your elbows to slightly bend. Your elbows will have a slow, gradual bend all the way to the ground.
5. As your shoulders and back roll onto the ground, pull your heels in towards your glutes to prepare for the stand.
6. Once your feet hit the ground, use your core to sit-up, pulling your shoulders over the front of your toes.
7. Come to a complete stand.

Use a partner and pads!