Its my opinion that the sport of gymnastics has yet to use a systematic, individualized, science-based system to flexibility methods in training. I hope that this guide can be a place for everyone in gymnastics to find some useful information without feeling so frustrated and overwhelmed. Cross-body shoulder stretch. Targeted Muscular Stretching, or PNF Techniques I feel this approach not only makes more sense from a gymnastics technique point of view, but also incorporates a lot of current scientific research on flexibility, soft tissue work, and human movement. This allows for more or less inherent flexibility, but as always many other factors contribute. The issue is more about, The lack of assessments being used before and after stretching, The lack of flexibility exercises that target active muscular structures (muscles and tendons) over passive structures (ligaments and joint capsules), The lack of a consistency over intensity mindset that is supported by research, and also avoids aggressive techniques that may cause injury, The lack of individuality and specificity being used based on a gymnasts individual issue, The lack of stretching being used as one small piece for the overall flexibility approach that carries changes in range of motion to actual skills, The current body of research on stretching suggests that, Changes in the nervous system are likely the main reason why stretching overtime increases range of motion (changing stretch reflex, changing perception of discomfort, desensitization of specific nerves), Changes in the muscle or tendon tissue itself also likely occur (change in number of sarcomeres, length of sarcomeres, amount of stiffness in muscle tissue). The glute muscles, deep hip rotators, other surrounding hip muscles, and core are essential for hip safety and performance. Many different thoughts and practices exist in daily gymnastics training. The larger changes related to global training design, may be more involved. Many gymnasts with stiff hips could benefit from a bit less squatting and jumping, and repace those exercises with glute and hamstring work. Beam, Parallel Bar, High Bar Technique Drills for Handstands of Behind the back motions (male gymnasts), When this circuit approach is done with an idea of consistency over intensity, followed by proper gymnastics technique or strength programming, I think it has a substantial effect on long-lasting. The majority of these articles theorize that the main reasons that stretching increases range of motion include. (7-9, 17). There may be a lot of variation on exact exercises/stretches included in your athletes' warm-up, but do try to include ALL of the following components: A blind approach to gymnastics flexibility training can cause serious hip injuries as the current medical research field has demonstrated. Not only do they happen quite a bit as a first time injury for a gymnast, they seem to keep popping up as re-occuring injuries for many gymnasts leading to cumulative issues down the road. . Place your right hand on the left arm's elbow and pull toward the chest. The important point here is that we must remember that changes in flexibility come about from slow, consistent, and patient application in training. doi:10.1007/s00167-016-4342-4, Kalisvaart MM, Safran MR. Microinstability of the hip-it does exist: etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. I generally recommend that not stretch have more intensity than a 3 or 4 out of 10 (0 is no discomfort, 10 is extreme discomfort). Unfortunately, I feel the load at the end of the limb may contributemore tothe forceful hip impingement, and also contribute more to the fulcrum based instability/subluxation stretching the soft tissue and possibly irritating the hip joint. 2015. What is likely easy for that gymnast to do in a flexibility video online is because she has unique hips. These stretches below are seen daily in gymnastics. As a result, they have more ability to positively increase an athletes overall amount of shoulder or hip flexibility. Being able to achieve a full over split, or even a regular full split for that matter requires many things to be going well from a movement point of view. They found that to achieve this full straddle split position; there was evidence of micro subluxation in the hip joints. Right and Left Leg Split on Line 2018. Yamaguchi T1, Ishii K, Yamanaka M, Yasuda K. Acute effect of static stretching on power output during concentric dynamic constant external resistance leg extension.J Strength Cond Res. 30-60 seconds per targeted muscle group, no more than 5/10 discomfort level. I strongly feel that gymnasts must earn the right to do over splits and must be mature enough to do them safely. Instead of just jumping to pushing down the knees of gymnast to get better lines or fix bent knees, I strongly suggest that people take time to figure out why the gymnast has bent knees to start with. Am J Sports Med 2011 39: 85S. The research in the world of hip micro instability, labral tears, hip stress fractures, and other injuries commonly seen in gymnasts has been rapidly developing in the last decade. These common active structures limiting overhead shoulder flexibility we want to focus on making more mobile. Although research is conflicting, self soft tissue care as is seen with foam rolling and other tools may have a role in reducing perceived soreness and increasing blood flow to muscles. 2018: 39; 39: 243 254. 389 398, Sands WA, McNeal J. Mobility Development and flexibility in youths. It is worth noting that both authors have extensive experience in elite level gymnastics, spending the majority of their career researching gymnastics biomechanics, injuries, and sports performance. Remember the biggest risk factor for an injury is a previous injury, and a lot of it has to do with what got the gymnast there in the first place. (18-26). My mentors have outlined that this was a crucial part of their work in professional-level sports through the competitive season, so I have adopted it into my practice with gymnasts. Hip Instability: Current Concepts and Treatment. Static stretching in 30-60 seconds bouts, done 5 times per week, for a total time of 5 minutes per muscle group per week, to the appropriate limit of discomfort, is supported by a majority of research to be optimal for increasing range of motion. Dr. Dave Tilley DPT, SCS, CSCS 115-122, Reinold MM, Curtis AS. The gymnasts who are naturally mobile with very flexible hips are almost always the ones we see used as demonstrators for speaking presentations, clinics, videos online, and during other flexibility talks. 2015 Jul;7(4):34658. This end range compression and increase in capsular laxity over time may predispose shoulder instability, subacromial impingement of the rotator cuff or biceps tendon, and labral damage. I recommend athletes start with light soft tissue prep or individual areas of focus before practice, then do a joint based preparation, followed by some light cardio to increase metabolic temperature and heart rate, and then do a full dynamic warm-up. Flexibility Training for Gymnasts Many concerns have been expressed recently about what is acceptable practice with regards to stretching exercises and flexibility training for gymnasts. This said, I believe the majority of the effects of stretching come through neurological means. J Athl Training 35(3):278285, 2000. This can be seen with the examples above. I will say take these research studies with a grain of salt due to their methods, smaller sizes, and sometimes using cadavers as subjects. I now look back to how I coached and trained as a gymnast 10 years ago, and am blown away with all the things I was doing that were not backed by scientific support. Your legs should be at a 90 angle. The golf ball (ball of the upper arm bone or humerus) is inherently larger than the tee (socket of the shoulder or glenoid fossa). Enseki et al., Nonarthritic Hip Joint Pain: Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health from Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. Many people say how easy their jumps and skills feel after taking them off, but I think this is a short-lived neurological trick that may not have the best long term carry over. Traditional forms of these stretches may contribute to the development of an injury. Gymnastics requires a significant amount of flexibility for skills to be done correctly and safely. This creates a situation where the femoral head has more access to move in larger ranges of motion, creating significantly more hip mobility in all planes. I more hope to highlight that assuming ongoing pain reports are no big deal and can be trained through, rather than thinking critically about the situation, can be very problematic. The shoulder joint itself can be thought about as a golf ball sitting on a tee. This will help them continue to get the strength training effect but wont continue to perpetuate their overhead mobility issue. J Hip Preserv Surg (2015) 2 (2):123-135.doi: 10.1093/jhps/hnv017. They tend to be more biased towards strength or power and less towards inherent flexibility. Given the material I have read, this has been my main thought process as well. Using proper movement assessments, understanding the anatomy, and a consistency over intensity mindset is what will reduce injury risk and increase gymnastics performance. The research in ballet dancers made me reconsider what must happen at the hip joint go to achieve such large ranges of motion needed for oversplits. Those looking for more research related to ACL tear mechanisms can start by following this link here. Like many people, I largely got my flexibility methods from lessons that my coaches passed down to me, the advice of other coaches at camps or clinics, and whatever I found on the internet through discussion forums. Returning to the analogy of a shirt sleeve, more naturally mobile athletes (gymnasts, baseball players) usually have a baggier shirt sleeve. Exercise selection, strength program balance, and athlete individuality also have a significant impact on limited progress in flexibility. Conflicting Research on Foam Rolling and Other Soft Tissue Care, Why Movement Assessments Are Key For Finding The Root Problem, Components of Splits and Handstand Flexibility, Not Feeding The Fire with Strength and Physical Preparation, How to Help Working In Complexes vs Just Stretching, Points for Knee/Elbow Hyper Extension and Ankle Toe Point Safety. Place your hands beside your hips on either side. By the end of a few months, they usually just throw their hands up and say he/she is just unflexible, they have bad genetics. It is also one of the main scoring components that judges evaluate during competitions. Sports Med. What About Static Stretching? Before kicking this off, please keep in mind that I wrote an entire book chapter on gymnastics flexibility, which you can download and find for free here. The problem is, between the massive amount of information on the internet, the rapid progression of scientific literature, and the wide range of possible reasons behind why someone struggles with flexibility, it can be absolutely exhausting to learn about and use practically to actually see long term results in the gy. A huge issue related to local ankle problems and also up the chain issues in gymnasts is the large imbalance that develops between the toes down motion (plantar flexion) and Toes up motion (dorsiflexion). Through very sophisticated mathematical models, they did show evidence of, a mechanistic multiscale model for stretch-induced sarcomereogenesis, in which chronic muscle lengthening is characterized through a scalar valued internal variable, the serious sarcomere number.. Shu B., Safran MR. Hip Instability: Anatomic and Clinical Considerations of Traumatic and Atraumatic Instability. It does not look nearly as impressive of a motion, but it is very specific to the goal we are trying to achieve of affecting the active structures while minimizing excessive stress on the passive structures. Itmay cause irritation to the impinged tissue, but also excessive strain to soft tissue and the hip ligaments/capsule that are being stretched with the instability. flexibility changes in a gymnast. Gymnastics is, therefore, a sports discipline that seeks to provide strength and flexibility to the body, through specific exercise routines. (3), For the geeks like me reading, they more specifically are subdivided into the Superior Glenohumeral Ligament, the Middle Glenohumeral Ligament, the Inferior Glenohumeral Ligament, and the Posterior Glenohumeral Ligament. It will be much less explanation, and more just videos and examples on how to help. I meet many well-intentioned gymnastics coaches and parents who are simply looking for an easy to use, but scientifically-backed flexibility program to help the gymnasts they know to increase their flexibility, reduce the risk of injury, and increase their performance. Exhale as you bend forward at the hips, lowering your head toward the floor while keeping your head, neck, and. Picture 3 is a lat stretch where the athlete sits Limitations in thoracic spine flexibility can create a situation where a gymnast is unable to get their arms fully above their head or behind their back. You can download all three here below, and I will also be sure to share lots of other free resources throughout this blog post for people to use at home. For me, it takes a minimal amount of time and does not seem to have too many negative effects when correctly implemented. I did this for a decade as a gymnast, and for the first five years I was coaching. Some of the gymnasts could be born more lax and likely have been successful in gymnastics because of it. In terms of stretching induced neurological changes to the muscle tissue, the majority of the articles theorize that the main reasons behind this include, All of these mechanisms may be occurring as people stretch consistently over a long period of time. Again, as presented by Beardsley and Skarbot, Self-Myofascial release does not appear to impede athletic performance acutely or in the short term. This is because a large body of manual therapy and self-soft tissue work does not recommend very intense/painful pressure, or extremely long bouts of foam rolling are needed to gain the positive benefits. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach 2(2) 2010. Atraumatic Hip Instability in Patients with Joint Hypermobility.Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine. This stretching exercise improves strength, stability and flexibility of the entire body. If the gymnast is already hanging out in a down and in position, they are predisposing themselves to continuously catch their over and over, leading to the re-occuring injury part mentioned above. A growing body of research refutes these mechanical theories, suggesting instead that in subjects who are asymptomatic, increases in muscle extensibility observed immediately after a single stretching session, and after short-term (3-8 week) stretching regimes are predominantly due to modification in subjects sensation. (18). Drill progressions for skills, strength and conditioning, managing fears, and dealing with pain or injury are among the most discussed. Im just saying there are many factors to consider and that there may be a more optimal approach to take. Im glad you asked! The bones themselves, and the shape/fit of these bones is often referred to as the first layer of the shoulder joint. For 12 Weeks, 2 days a week and 90 min. It has been great to see so many great surgeons, healthcare providers, and strength coaches share their thoughts and describe what still needs to be considered. Increasing muscle extensibility: a matter of increasing length or modifying sensation? This finding isnt inherently dangerous, or good as research always has its internal issues. Examination, treatment, intervention, and rehabilitation for athletes should only be performed by a licensed medical professional. Now please dont take this as me not being a fan of external loading for gymnasts, as I am a fan of that when properly used (see article here). Pictures 2 and 3 are showing a dynamic chest stretch over a foam roller where the shoulder blades are held down/ in while the arms slide on the floor from overhead to hip. 2007. Underlying bony hip anatomy (retro or ante verted femur or acetabulum, depth of hip sockets, boney leg length discrepancy), Glute and deep hip rotator strength on the front and back leg, Neural tension in sciatic, femoral, piriformis, and quadratus femoris nerve, Lack of protective guarding against tissue injury, Coordinative dynamic stability of hip and core muscles, Underlying bony shoulder anatomy (retro or anteverted humerus or glenoid, depth of shoulder sockets), Pectoralis major and minor muscle extensibility, Thoracic spine extension and rotation joint mobility, Lower cervical retraction and rotation mobility, Forearm and wrist extension mobility for proper stacking, Thoracic outlet neural compression and extensibility, Coordinative dynamic stability of rotator cuff, scapular, and larger prime mover muscles, The ability to create whole body tension that optimizes storing energy within the bar bending, Tapping mechanics of hollow arch kicking, Finishing hollow position to carry momentum over the bar Enough repetitions to maintain technique memory, Warm Up Prepare the available flexibility athletes have, and prepare the body for training, Flexibility Circuits Look to increase joint flexibility or mobility through step by step circuits (more below), Cool Down Help the body slowly ramp down into recovery mdoe following a hard training session. 2008;108:379390. Labral tears may progress to requiring surgical repair and putting an athlete out of training for months or even career-ending. The ability of the good quality gymnastics are based. It also stretches your hamstrings. 1) improve range of motion and I have seen what was thought to be a pulled hamstring end up being a pelvic growth plate stress fracture that required six months of time off and rehabilitation. Wilk KE, Macrina LC, Reinold MM. Soft Tissue care, specific stretching, and eccentrics can help male gymnasts get where they need to be. This can also happen withhip extendingmovements (think backleg kick or leap) as the back of the femur bone makes contact with the back and outsideof the pelvis (impingement) and then the contact acts as a fulcrum for thefemoral head toslide out the frontof the hip joint (instability).

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