Shaping Part 1: Core and Upper Body

Brandi Smith-Young, PTPerfect 10.0 Physical Therapy

Fellowship trained manual therapistBoard certified orthopedic specialist

www.perfect10physicaltherapy.com

perfect10pt@gmail.com

Introduction

Competitive gymnastTwo time USAG Collegiate National Champions at TWUBachelors in Kinesiology at TWUMasters in Physical Therapy at Tx St

Practicing for 6 years

Fellowship trained in Orthopedic manual physical therapy

Board certified orthopedic specialist in PT

One of 300 therapist in the US with these certifications

My passion:Bring sport specific quality care to gymnast

Decrease the number of injuries in gymnast

Improve performance, recovery time, decrease time lost in the gym, and improve return to sport status

Performance Enhancement

What’s the most common shape found in gymnastics?

Most Common Shape

Straight body position

Found in:– Handstand– Round off– Set for a flip– Release for a flyaway– Entry to a vault

Due to the stringent requirements placed on gymnast certain muscles naturally tend to develop stronger than others

Certain muscles get weak

Other muscles develop tighter

And some develop stretched

Shaping

What cause poor shaping?

Decreased rib cage range of motion

POOR CORE CONTROL!!!!!

Decreased shoulder “flexibility” (ROM) and control

Decreased hip “flexibility” (ROM) and control

Muscle imbalance

Some muscles are strong

While opposing muscles are weak

Some muscles are stretched out

While opposing muscles are too tight.

Common muscle imbalances

Contribute to poor shaping– Weak abdominals/core

Contribute to rib cage motion

Contribute to control

– Weak shoulder muscles– Weak hip muscles– Tight Lats and pecs– Tight hip muscles

To the left is the pre-session handstand.– Closed shoulders– Arched back– Head out

To the right is post 1 hour session working on what we are about to talk about.

Demonstration Time

Rib MobilityBreath in deep and hold breath.

Push air from up in the rib cage to down into the lower ribs.

Push air back up. Up-down

Make sure movement from ribs not hips or shoulder

3 times in one breath x3

Repeat breathing out and hold breath.

Rib MobilityBreath in deep and hold breath.

Push the air to one side of the rib cage.

Then to the other.

Make sure movement comes from rib cage, not hips or shoulders.

3 times in one breath x 3

Repeat breathing out and hold breath.

Ways to decrease imbalances

Strengthen the core– Pelvic clock

6 o’clock to 12 o’clock

x10

– Pelvic tilt (fig 1 & 2)Must tighten belly button up toward the nose and in toward the spine (40-50 on blood pressure cuff)

Not straight down into the floor

x10

Figure 1

Figure 2

Core cont’d

Alt Arms (fig 3)– Start with pelvic tilt (40-50

with blood pressure cuff)– Raise R arm over head

maintaining the tilt– No rocking of the hips– Raise L arm over head

back still flat– R arm back in– L arm back leg in– = 1 rep– x10

Figure 3

Upper AbdominalsCurl ups– Engage the abdominals

pulling the belly button up toward the nose and in to the spine, back flat

– Curl chin to the chest– Continue to curl each

individual spinal segment one at a time

– Keep the back pressed to the floor.

– Progress arms out to cross chest to behind the head.

– Only as many as keep form– 3-10 reps

ObliquesEngage abs belly button up and in, back flat

Breath in, hold as rotate the torso towards the bent knee

Breath out and in as hold 10 sec x10

Progress to 20-30-60 sec x2-5

Keep the elbow rotating towards on the ground.

Keep the opposite hip (leg straight) flat on the ground

Core cont’dHollow hold (fig 8)

– Start with knees bent hips at 90 deg (pump to 40)

– pelvic tilt (40-50 with blood pressure cuff)

– slowly move arms to hollow next to ears position

– slowly straighten knees out to hollow position

– Must keep cuff between 50-60 and belly button must stay up toward nose & into toward spine.

– Make sure belly not pooch out.– Hold 10-30 sec

Figure 8

Tweaking current conditioningGymnast are great at compensating

Make sure they remain hollow, flat back when doing core exercises

Do not allow an arch throughout the entire exercise– Ie. V-ups on floor or from the bars, hollow

holds, sit-ups, crunches, hanging sit ups, etc

Do not allow belly to pooch out

If can’t keep form decrease lever arm (bend legs or arms)

Stretching Pecs

Pec stretch (fig 9)– Have the gymnast partner

up.– One gymnast lays flat– The other gymnast either

puts on hand on the hip and the other on the opposite shoulder

– Or standing at their head press down on both shoulders toward the floor.

– Hold 1 min switch partnersFigure 9

Stretch Lats

Lat Stretch (Robots) (fig 10)– Keeping belly tight with

the back flat– Elbows stay shoulder

width apart (may require a partner to keep them there)

– Reach back toward the floor and slowly try to straighten the arms

– NO ARCHING– Hold 1 min repeat 2-3

time

Figure 10

Strengthen shoulder blade ms

Cat push/Rocking (serratus)(fig 11)

– Set shd blades down and back– Push through the heel of the

hands, rounding out like a cat– Start in the Cat Pushes– Once rounded, keep the upper

back rounded by pushing through the heels of the hands as rock back toward heels

– Keep rounded as return to the start position.

– Repeat x1 Figure 11

Strengthen shoulder blade ms

Wall slides (upper trap) (fig 12)

– Standing 6” from wall, place elbows shd width apart on the wall.

– Raise arms up as high as possible– Breath in as shrug everything up

toward the ceiling.– Shd blades toward ears.– Hold as breath out, keeping the

ribs expanded and the shd shrugged.

– Hold 10 sec x5

Figure 12

Strengthen shoulder blade msT ph I(middle trap) (fig 13)

– Lay face down with arms in a “goal post” position

– Set shoulder blades down and back. Keep there.

– Gently, lifting from the thumbs just high enough to slide a piece of paper under the arms.

– Make sure to relax the upper trap and only engage the middle trap.

– Hold 10 sec x5

Figure 13

Y ph II (fig 3)– Lay face down arms

in a bent arm Y position

– Set shd blades down & back.

– Gently lift from thumbs enough to slide a piece of paper underneath

– Make sure upper traps relaxed and shd blades stay down & back.

– Hold 10 sec x 5

Figure 3

ProgressionsUse these concepts to work on shaping.

Start hanging from the bar.

Progress in pushup position

Progress to pushup or straight body position on a block.

Butt-up pushup position

Handstand walking up the wall and holds

Progress to handstand holds.

Tennis ball or Rockers Butt-up Pushups

Rocker Handstand HoldsFloor/pommel/Pbar hand position

Bars hand position

Rockers Press ups floor hands

WHEN DO I STRETCH?Dynamic stretching at the beginning during warm-up.Static stretching at the end of workout when the tissue has been heated through the workout which increased core temperature.– This is when you will get your greatest changes.

You must stretch within 24 hours to maintain the changes or the tissue will creep back to prior length.

Latest research is showing greatest changes with stretching with vibration at 30 Hz (ie. Massager) Showing that stretching tolerance is the key to increased flexibility.

– The vibration tricks the nerves that feel pain into relaxing and allows for a stretch without the defensive muscle contraction.

Contact Information

Perfect 10.0 Physical Therapy & Performance Training

www.perfect10physicaltherapy.comperfect10pt@gmail.com

512-426-6593

Follow Perfect10PT on gymnastike, facebook, and twitter

All information from:

– The Manual Therapy Institute– http://www.mtitx.com/

– Shirley Sahrmann.Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndrome.