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Thoughts on Why To Use The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) In Gymnastics

A few months back, an article came out in Technique magazine about the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and it's concepts. I think it was a great introduction, but I have been meaning to pitch in my two cents on why I feel using the FMS is…
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How Much Flexibility Is Too Much For A Gymnast?

I've been touching on this concept a lot in the last year, and I think it's very important for the people involved in gymnastics to consider. Gymnastics is well known as a sport that requires an excessive amount of mobility and flexibility (I…
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3 Reasons Why A Gradual Return To Gymnastics Following Injury Is Key: Pain Science, Tissue Adaptation, and Psychology

I've been working on this piece for a while, trying to put together the different thoughts that have been buzzing in my brain for the last few years. Although I'm optimistic we can make a big dent in gymnastics injuries, unfortunately it is…
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Are Dips and “Skin The Cat” Type Stretches Dangerous For Female Gymnasts?

I've been brewing on this topic for over a year now, originally sparked one of Eric Cressey's articles on the possible dangers of using dips with baseball players.  Reading that article and some other literature made me start to scratch…
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Screening Overhead Mobility in Gymnasts (Application of The JBJ Approach To Handstands Pt 3)

Last month I started writing about how I apply the Joint by Joint Theory proposed by Gray Cook/Mike Boyle into a basic gymnastics movement, the handstand. In Part I of this article series I went over some background info, and talked about the…
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5 Reasons Why I Don’t Push My Gymnasts Down During Splits – Part 2

The response to Part 1 of this post was incredible and ended up being one of the most viewed pieces of content on the site. I got some great feedback and it was awesome to see people enjoyed it. I think it's a topic many people involved in gymnastics think…
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5 Reasons Why I Don’t Push My Gymnasts Down During Splits – Part 1

Bet that title caught your eye as you were browsing. Well it's true, safe to say I haven't really pushed anyone down during splits or much of any flexibility for quite some time now. I had plenty of memories as a gymnast standing up after…
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Gym Quick Tips: Cue Your Gymnast’s Core with The Moving Fulcrum Conditioning Drill

As many people who follow my blog may know, I have written about my concerns with doing high volume dynamic arch up type conditioning with gymnasts. This includes lots of arch ups/superman's, uppers, lowers, weighted arching, and so on. Although…
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3 Reasons Why Not To Stretch Toe Point In Gymnasts With A History Of Ankle Sprains

I wanted to blog quick about a scenario where it might be a good idea NOT to stretch a gymnasts ankles for a toe point. Ankles are one of the most frequently injured body parts in gymnastics with a variety of injuries from getting crunched…
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5 Easy Screens for Detecting Back Pain in Gymnasts

It's widely known that lower back pain is a huge problem in both male and female gymnastics.  Despite more education coming out and progress being made, I unfortunately still treat a ton of gymnasts weekly at Champion for lower back pain.…