Category: Gymnastics

Kip progressions

I’d say the most frustrating skill to learn in women’s Gymnastics is Kip on Bars.

Here’s an excellent and comprehensive overview of progressions and conditioning for both Glide and Kip.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Bars – Double Layout dismount, 1/2 out 

In TRAINING. 

It would be easy to under-rotate this in competition. 

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.


Hardy Fink – Be Gymnast Centered

Gymnastics is under review worldwide. We hear much about the problems.

Hardy Fink offers solutions.

Hardy has attended more World Championships & Olympics than anyone else. He’s the principle author of the FIG Age Group Programmes for all disciplines. And he’s led more FIG coach education courses worldwide than anyone else.

We should listen and learn.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (49min)

SAVING handstand on Bars

I admire gymnasts who have the physical preparation and mental quickness to SAVE a handstand that ends up in reverse planche position.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Round-off drills

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

My preference is to teach beginners a straight leg hurdle, with late lunge. Tammy Biggs talks about the pros and cons of straight leg vs bent leg hurdle here.

Straight leg is cleaner, for sure.

My two favourite round-off drills could be added to Jason’s list.

• “cartoff” (cartwheel to run backwards)

• fly round-off on trampoline (feet together round-off)

Both are easy for beginners. Neither allows the kids to pike down.

Rachael Denhollander – What Is a Girl Worth?

Available in hardcover, Kindle and audio.

Recommended children’s book – How Much Is a Little Girl Worth?

Click PLAY or watch Rachael on YouTube.

H Bars do break – metal fatigue

I still recall the day in the 1990s when my boss Keith Russell insisted we recycle the horizontal bar at University of Saskatchewan. Pay for a new one.

He felt they had to be replaced every 10 years in a Gym with many adult male gymnasts.