Stretching Lats vs Shoulder Joint – Movement Tweak #1
Here is the first short video of an ongoing series I will be putting out called Movement Tweaks. In this video, I go over why unfortunately I think many gymnasts "go to" stretches for their lat muscles may not be the most effective. Unfortunately, I…
Why I Don’t Use Ankle Weights With My Gymnasts
To start, I'm aware this is another controversial topic in gymnastics. I have spent quite a long time organizing my thoughts and how to present them in a positive, constructive article. As a younger coach, I used to do a ton of ankle weight…
Concussion Tools for Gymnastics Coaches, Parents, and Medical Providers
I spent the last 4 days in Washington D.C. taking an Emergency Medicine Response course as part of my upcoming Sports PT boards (don't worry I passed). One area of injuries we spent a long time discussing and practicing was spinal/neck injuries…
Elastic Band ASSISTED Hip Drills For Better Angles and Control
Elastic band drills are all over gymnastics mainly being used as added resistance to hip motion. In the right scenario I think the resistance can be useful. However, I have noticed many gymnasts I work with show huge passive hip motion, but…
3 Thoughts To A Key Article – “Women’s Worlds Team Defying The Norm: Is Sixteen No Longer The Peak?”
Gymnastike put out a great article this week "Women's Worlds Team Defying The Norm: Is Sixteen No Longer The Peak?". I think the concepts behind this article are crucial for all of gymnastics to consider. This idea of age being just a number,…
How Many Impacts and Hyperextensions Do Gymnasts Actually Take?
Another set of the age old questions in gymnastics; "How much is too much?", "How much is enough to get a skill?", and "How much until we get nervous about injury?"A big concept that myself and other gymnastics healthcare providers talk about…
Gymnastics and Lifting Weights: Don’t Fear Plates, Kettlebells, and Barbells.
This is an extremely controversial topic in gymnastics: should gymnasts use external weights and barbell work for strength. This "elephant in the room" concept is way too big of an issue to address in one blog post, but I still want to open…
Guest Post By Rupert Egan: Gymnastics Periodization To Maximize Performance (Part 1)
Today I'm super excited to start a guest post series from my friend Rupert Egan. I originally starting talking with Rupert last year regarding strength and conditioning concepts for gymnasts. I recently had the chance to spend a week with…
5 Reasons Training Proper Breathing Is Key (Part 3): Increase Routine Endurance and Breathing Drill Videos
Two weeks ago I started this post, and people have really seemed to enjoy it. If you missed Part 1 (find it here) I covered some basics about breathing, some concepts related to core stability, and the influence of breathing on movement. In…
Tracking Growth and Development To Reduce Injury Risk In Gymnasts
I'm always trying to wrap my head around ways to integrate current literature and science about injury prevention into gymnastics training. One of the areas I have spent a lot of time thinking on is growth and development tracking, and how…