Entries from July 2010 ↓

Gymnastike posted some training footage.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

That’s Leann Sweny, the women’s team coach and co-owner of Top Flight Gymnastics Training Center.

World Gymnastics posted an exclusive interview with Canadian gymnast Brittany Rogers, slowly recovering from a foot injury at Pacific Rim Championships in May.

If you follow Brittany on twitter @brittyrogers, you know she’s been frustrated.

The interview is much more upbeat. After the most National Team Training Camp:

… I think Canada has a great chance of making the Olympic team. We are so determined and so ready, and are all working towards it. Every little bit counts, and no matter who is chosen to represent Canada in London, everyone’s effort helped. 2012 is still one of my biggest goals. I haven’t lost sight of it, …

World Gymnastics – Catching Up With: Brittany Rogers

I’m surprised there’s no discussion regarding her coach Vladimir Lashin, resigning as National Coach, and returning to her gym full-time.

Australia’s Commonwealth Games men’s team:

* Phil Rizzo
* Prashanth Sellathurai
* Sam Offord
* Thomas Pichler
* Josh Jefferis

Australian Gymnastics Blog

Grace Chiu already has her 2010 Canada Cup Trampoline & Tumbling pics online at GraceClick.ca.

Karen Cockburn and Rosannagh MacLennan, both of Toronto, turned the tables on China’s world champions on Friday to win gold in women’s synchro trampoline at the 2010 Canada Cup.

At last year’s world championships in St. Petersburg, Russia, Li Dan and Zhong Xingping edged the Canadian duo for top spot in the event but this time around it was a different story. Cockburn, who has won a medal at the last three Olympic Games, and MacLennan finished with a total score of 132.90, well ahead of the Chinese pair at 129.5. …

Alberta Gymnastics

Karen and Rosannagh

… Alex Seifert of Calgary and Emily Smith of Burlington, Ont., captured the men’s and women’s senior tumbling …

Sounds like it was a great event.

coach Denis Vachon

Photos from the Facebook album: 2010 Canada Cup Trampoline & Tumbling competition by Grace Chiu GraceClick

full results on Gymnastics Canada

Coach Lukas Stritt used this graphic posted on the wall to emphasize some key points with his boys.

related page – Newfoundland MAG Winter Games Camp

At our 3-day fun camp in Newfoundland, kids had a half hour free to invent fun gymnastics activities. The best were put on this video.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Cygnus Gymnastics in St. John’s.

related post – Mountain Shadows – Have more FUN in the Gym

Click through to see them …

Exposure Manager

I’m en route to gym camp in Idaho. Doug Davis of Tumbl Trak will be bringing by some “toys” for us to test out. Fun.

Natelle Tulk sends us a link to this interesting fitness product.

One review:

… Bodyweight exercises that are challenging for conditioned trainers yet simple for beginners to learn and execute.

Range of motion and dynamics of the system allow you to perform unique, multi–planar exercises with varying resistance, something you can’t do on any other exercise machine.

Small size and light weight of the TRX allows for easy transport and storage – it’s a great option for people who travel and those who have limited workout space in their home.

The TRX weighs less than two pounds and can easily be brought on a business trip or put in a drawer while not in use. You can use the gym almost anywhere: attach it to a door in your house, hang it from a weight rack, mount it to a beam in the garage or take it outside and use it at the local playground or park. …

Sounds good. Very similar to Rings training.

The cost is far too high, however → $189.95.

You do get a kit with Training DVD and 35 page workout guide. But any gymnastics coach could rig up a similar apparatus for less than $20.

official web page – TRX® Suspension Training

The 17-year-old Grandville High School graduate was born with a right arm that extends to about elbow length, although she has no elbow, and one finger.

Growing up, she participated in soccer (her favorite), volleyball, basketball, and track.

But it was Dohring’s participation on the varsity gymnastics team that recently earned her a spot as one of four finalists for the ESPY Award for Best Female Athlete with a Disability. …

read more – The Detroit News

Good luck Linnea.

(via Gymnastics Examiner)

related post – Carol Johnston – Lefty

Senior
1st – Sam Offord
2nd – Thomas Pichler
3rd – Luke Wadsworth

Level 10/U18:
1st – Tyson Bull
2nd – Brody-Jai Hennessy
3rd – Kevin James

Australian Gymnastics Blog

full results are linked from Gymnastics Australia

… Capital’s Junior International elite, Mack Brannan …

Click PLAY or watch her training on YouTube.

Stalder bwd on HB with counter straddle -reverse hecht over HB to hang is named after Hanna Ricna (CZE) .

This vid was linked by Couch Gymnast.

Another terrific video tutorial from JAO:

A skill as old as the back handspring will have a thousand different drills to help learn it. This video represents a few of my favorites, but it is by no means exhaustive.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Of thousands of good drills like these, for me only 3 are critical:

• trust fall (spotted)
• trust fall bend knees slightly, straighten knees, return to start position (spotted)
• … same as #2, but the gymnast is spotted on a tip over to handstand on some

The trust fall is the most difficult part of the flicflac for beginners.

Beginners, once they can do it on the trampoline, should train downhill to ensure good technique.

Beginners should do long and low backward handsprings until they can do series. At that point coaches can consider advanced techniques … shortening the distance of the second half, for example.

There are 8 more great video tutorials on the JAO YouTube channel.

These two gymnasts are quite good at handstand walking.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

But I don’t like gymnasts doing these contests. It’s a pet peeve of mine.

Why?

Handstand walking teaches many bad habits. (bad line, bad form)

Kids learn to maintain balance by moving the hands (base of support) forward underneath them. This is bad preparation for many skills, particularly handstand on Parallel Bars.

My personal philsophy is to allow handstand walking backward and sideward, but almost never forwards.

… These girls are great tumblers, despite my concerns.

_____

Update: JO and K send us a related link, gymnasts from Capital Gymnastics in Texas doing handstand drills, including some handstand walking. (better form, still poor “line”)

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

… I’d still recommend the walking course be backwards and sidewards only.