Author: Rick Mc

We have school groups in our Gymnastics Club every day. For recreational gymnastics. The number of overweight and obese children is shocking.

Kottke linked to an important Daily Beast article:

Ten years after his seminal book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser reflects on how little has changed in the production, safety, and consumption in America—but why he’s still hopeful.

Every day about 65 million people eat at a McDonald’s restaurant somewhere in the world, more than ever before. The annual revenues of America’s fast-food industry, adjusted for inflation, have risen by about 20 percent since 2001. …

About two thirds of the adults in the United States are obese or overweight. The obesity rate among preschoolers has doubled in the past 30 years. The rate among children aged 6 to 11 has tripled. And by some odd coincidence, the annual cost of the nation’s obesity epidemic — about $168 billion, as calculated by researchers at Emory University — is the same as the amount of money Americans spent on fast food in 2011. …

Still a Fast-Food Nation: Eric Schlosser Reflects on 10 Years Later

If you’ve never read Fast Food Nation, the Kindle edition is only $3.99.

It’s not easy being an obese child, as 3yr-old Leslie Downes found out in 1935.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Kottke)

Certainly school kids need to exercise more. Eat less. But how’s that going to happen?

I’m not optimistic for the future. 😦

A follow up to yesterday’s handstand post. Many more drills for “line” to consider adding to your program.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (8min)

From Gymnastics Planet.

Akash will be competing it this weekend. Very cool.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I was sorry to see that Marcel Nguyen did not compete it at American Cup.

(via Stick It Media)

Watch it on Facebook.

The Gators posted a 197.90, which also stands as the fourth-highest in school history, and the Utes finished with a 196.475.

Florida’s score is second only this season to the 198.05 turned in by UCLA on Feb. 26. …

No. 1 Florida Gymnastics uses nation’s second-highest total to defeat No. 7 Utah

Should I predict Florida will win NCAA Championships?

I did that Feb. 2nd, 2011. And was wrong.

Inconsistent Beam plagued the Gators last season. They’ve been much more stable in 2012.

… “We are out of time,” a clearly frustrated Utah coach Greg Marsden said. “We’ve squandered every opportunity on the road this year.”

Now the Utes, who finished the regular season on a two-meet loss for the first time in the program’s history, have less than a week to figure out their faults before hosting the Pac-12 Championships on Saturday. …

Utes get chomped by Gators

RESULTS AFTER SUBDIVISION 1: Pacific Rim Women’s Team/AA

1) CAN 219.000;
2) JPN 212.550;
3) RUS 210.500.

Sr. AA:
1. Lee 57.800;
2. Vaculik 55.100;
3. Moors 54.850.

Jr. AA:
1. Yumoto 53.600;
2. Kharenkova 52.950;
3. Baturina

USA competing flight 2.

Blythe: Six things we learned at Pac Rims:

• There’s depth in Russia.
• Hong Kong’s Hiu Ying Angel Wong impressed
• Christine Peng Peng Lee is incredible
• Colombia is a rising team
• cool skills from Japan
• perhaps the best Canadian WAG team ever

Details on Examiner.com Six things we learned at Pac Rims (women’s subdivision I)

Canadian Power Tumbler Emily Smith on Facebook:

I signed a Cirque contract this week 🙂 I will be performing in the show “Chemins Invisibles” from mid-may through September in Quebec. Don’t worry I’ll still be nailing Nationals and coming back to get ready for World Games 2013! PUMPED:

I recall Canadian Olympian Grant Golding coming back after 3 months training with Cirque du Soleil. He looked better, if anything, for the time away from his sport.

Grace Chiu GraceClick on Facebook:

Vali Stan (coach) at Pacific Rim with the NEW Canadian team.

That’s gymnastics legend Kate Richardson, medical with the team.

Ellie Black made a big splash at Gymnix.

I’ve never seen anything close to this incredible tumbling line.

2 1/2 twist step-out to 3/1 twist.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

She’s from Alta Gymnastics Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia, coached by Keiji Yamanaka.

Thank Dave Kikuchi for the video.

Arriving at a new gym, the very FIRST thing I did was put a handstand complex into the warm-up.

I’d say this is the most valuable 4-6min during our workout.

Tumbling Drills has a nice instructional on how to introduce wall handstand to beginners.

My go to source for physical preparation is Gymnastic Bodies. Coach Sommer literally wrote the book on the topic:

Wall handstands are your most valuable tool for learning a correct handstand. I recommend staying with them for a substantial period of time. …

To transition from wall handstands to free standing handstands, try the following drill: Perform a wall handstand with stomach to the wall. Place your wrists approximately 4-6? from the base of the wall. Keep one foot on the wall while pulling the other foot off the wall and extending that leg directly over your hips. At this time, your wrists, shoulders, hips and leg that is off the wall should be in one vertical line. Once you feel that you have achieved a strong stable position, slowly pull your supporting foot off the wall. When you lose your balance, simply catch yourself by replacing the foot on the wall and then continue on with the drill. …

Transitioning From Wall HS to Freestanding HS

Free of the wall, my favourite drill is 1) Handstand, 2) look at the toes, 3) slow pike down to stand.

Having the head “buried” is a good mistake, for 99% of the gymnasts I coach.

Advanced kids start on Floor Bar. Best practice is to dedicate time to this station every workout.

Gymnastics Adventure, Regina

Leave a comment if you are a wall handstand fanatic.