2014 Jan;28(1):61-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182956569, Peacock CA, et al. The Young Injured Gymnast: A Literature Review and Discussion. Effect of Stretch Frequency and Sex on the Rate and Gain and Rate of Loss in Muscle Flexibility During a Hamstring Stretching Program: A Randomized Single-Blind Longitudinal Study. They also claim it helps following hard workouts or on light training days to recover. Although this does happen in gymnastics, there are many times when this is inaccurate and dangerous. It is worth noting that both authors have extensive experience in elite level gymnastics, spending the majority of their career researching gymnastics biomechanics, injuries, and sports performance. To really see if it is true I would need a dynamic MRI machine, a super slow motion high def camera, and someone way more technologically savvy than me (anyone want to put in donations?). imo group link. Also, think how they apply to the gymnasts skill profile. 10 Minute Gymnastics Flexibility Circuits, Download SHIFT's Free Gymnastics Pre-Hab Guide, I usually start any discussion that I have with coaches or gymnasts related to flexibility on some basic anatomy. Long term changes that have minimal injury risk do not tend to come from short-term, high intensity and high force methods often seen in gymnastics. Undue force to these passive structures becomes problematic over time as the high force of gymnastics can cause injury. They ended up finding changes in range of motion for both groups, with more changes to the muscle tendon stiffness in the Hold Relax group. I think that daily soft tissue care is one important piece of the puzzle. Hip impingementrefers to the femur bone and pelvic bones make contact with each other at extremeranges of motion, most times causing pain andpossiblydamaging the soft tissue in between. This will raise the body temperature, improve the movement skills which are the foundation upon which high level and cardiovascular system and increase respiratory rate. Scapular Muscles, Rotator Cuff, Core, etc. Simply throwing a bunch of random flexibility drills you recently saw at a clinic or on a video (Im majorly guilty of this one) is a quick way to ask for complaints of hip pain. This is where the third layer of dynamic stabilizers and muscles comes into play. Jumping and landing athletes are already at a huge risk for ACL tears, not to mention the even higher risk for young developing female athletes. 2018: 39; 39: 243 254. In Wilk KE, Reinold MM, Andrews JR., The Athletes Shoulder: 2nd Edition. Get in the low lunge position with the knee of the leg at the back touching the floor. The reality of the human body is that there are hundreds of factors related to anatomy that can influence a gymnasts level of flexibility. Register for the SHIFT Gymnastics Newsletter for Email Download Link. The active structures are more what people know about from gymnastics flexibility methods: muscles, tendons that attach muscles to bones, and the nervous system. There are many other important tools such as proper strength training, eccentrics, managing workloads, and regular mobility work that must be considered and used as well, as they are supported by research, Movement assessments are essential to seeing progress with flexibility, Screening, soft tissue care, stretching, strength work, eccentrics, and gymnastics specific drills should all be used in flexibility programs, Cutting edge soft tissue, strength, and active flexibility techniques for splits, handstands, and shapes, Practical traditional stretching methods combined with latest scientific research, Techniques for increasing flexibility, and making changes transfer to gymnastics skills, A reduction in the threshold of stretch reflexes within muscles, A reduction in the sensitivity of nerves that transmit signals of danger (nociceptors), A change within the brain related to perceived discomfort. *Readers Note This gymnastics flexibility guide is a very long and in-depth blog post. Nakamura M., et al. It was found that thirty minutes of supervised hamstring stretching to the point of discomfort, five days per week for six weeks improved overall range of motion but did not increase the muscle extensibility. It should be considered to be a skill with many pieces that must be broken down to achieve success. This can also happen withhip extendingmovements (think backleg kick or leap) as the back of the femur bone makes contact with the back and outsideof the pelvis (impingement) and then the contact acts as a fulcrum for thefemoral head toslide out the frontof the hip joint (instability). Similar to that point, I would also be very careful about how much pressure the front knee of oversplits is taking, and if you use them try to have the gymnast move their front leg up on the mat more. As a result, gymnastic branch-specific stretching exercises increase the balance and flexibility parameters in a positive way; it is thought that the longer duration of training programs will. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5400218/, https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20075147, https://www.ncbi.nlm. However, this requires very specialized medical training and must be performed by a healthcare provider who is competent. In an effort to help people out, I have decided to for the first time take everything that I possibly know about gymnastics flexibility and put it into one mega-blog post here. Right and Left Leg Split on Line Amplitude - refers to the fullness of the movement with respect to flexibility stretch, and height Apparatus - one of the five pieces of hand-held equipment used in rhythmic gymnastics. I am incredibly grateful for all the research they have conducted. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. Here are 8 gymnastics exercises that will help improve your flexibility: Pike stretch The pike stretch is great for improving your upper body flexibility. At face value, they can all appear as someone who is tight or unflexible. Which leads me to my most important point of this section: Splits and over splits should not be viewed as an inherent thing a gymnast has or doesnt have. The research in the world of hip micro instability, labral tears, hip stress fractures, and other injuries commonly seen in gymnasts has been rapidly developing in the last decade. 2011. I will offer basic concepts from them in the coming paragraphs as it relates to injuries but cant stress enough how valuable the articles or textbooks mentioned were to me over the past five years. If you are not into that and are just looking for a particular area of the body without the geeky stuff, please click the table of contents below to jump to a certain section. This program is a four-day, upper/lower body split. Current Concepts In Shoulder Examination of The Overhead Athlete. 2018. Many gymnasts will continue to see me in the competitive season for maintenance care, as they can notice how adaptively stiff they become through high volume of training or competing. I feel gymnasts should be doing regular soft tissue care routine to combat excessive stiffness that may negatively impact flexibility. Another version of an overhead stretch, pictured below, is an example of the opposite. These gymnasts typically dont have to work on flexibility too much to achieve full splits. 2016. Determination and Desire are however the most important traits for successful participation in any (13-14). If the gymnast doesnt do it fast enough or lands awkwardly it can be problematic. The point is that targeting the soft tissue of the hip flexor and quad may be a more optimal approach. (Image credit: Unknown) Sit on the floor with straight legs at about 90 apart. Its also really important to remember that the upper back, or thoracic spine, and the next play a huge role in shoulder motion. In addition, compared with static stretching, hold relax stretching may have a great effect on the alteration of stretch tolerance rather than decrease in muscle stiffness.. Ben M., Harvey LA. I know some coaches worry that excessive static stretching or foam rolling before training may negatively impact strength or power output, based on concerns or some research findings. I will talk more specifically about oversplits below, but I feel that the lack of education around this topic is why so many people are using aggressive methods. Using proper movement assessments, understanding the anatomy, and a consistency over intensity mindset is what will reduce injury risk and increase gymnastics performance. There is some research available that this assists in the perceived recovery process. As a result, they have more ability to positively increase an athletes overall amount of shoulder or hip flexibility. John Wiley & Sons: Oxford. Pausing for Practical Applications in Gymnastics Training I know readers feel real overwhelmed probably. I recommend these tools be used alongside full dynamic warm-ups and technical drills commonly seen in gymnastics. The most popular thought process is that we are affecting resting muscle tone, possibly increasing blood flow, perhaps changing the amount of water hydration level within the muscle or are offering a competitive neurological stimulus for muscle soreness. This is where we will go next. The hip socket being overly shallow is referred to as dysplasia. Some gymnasts with dysplasia or hypermobile hip capsules never have pain, but some are so far on the continuum of too excessive mobility that it leads to instability and injury. J Strength Cond Res. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingston. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 25(6):36479, 1997. Similar to the shoulder, when you look at the anatomical and biomechanical science of the hip joint, hip ligaments, hip flexor and quadriceps muscle (5, 8-12, 17) the more the lower back is arched, or hips are tilted forward, the less these muscles may be biased in this stretching alignment. I do not mean to imply that every report of pain should be panicked over, and that simple muscular strains are not a common occurrence. A Review of the Literature Part 1: Neuromuscular and Anatomic Risk, Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament InjuryA Review of the LiteraturePart 2: Hormonal, Genetic, Cognitive Function, Previous Injury, and Extrinsic Risk Factors, Anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention training in female athletes: a systematic review of injury reduction and results of athletic performance, The Best Gymnastics Leg Conditioning For Explosive Power on Vault and Floor, Exactly How to Build Explosive Power in Gymnasts Using a Hybrid Lifting Program with Scott Willgress, 5 Ways Gymnastics Coaches Build Healthy & High Performing Gym Cultures, Luke Carson on Gymnastics Culture Change, Handling Disappointment, and The Olympics/Worlds, 5 In Season Pitfalls for Gymnastics Coaches to Avoid, SHIFTs 200th Episode! Neurological vs Mechanical Effects of Stretching, Why We Must Change Certain Stretches for Safety. This allows for more inherent weight-bearing stability but may limit the natural mobility the hip can achieve. Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery Vol. Remember, you can download the entire chapter on flexibility, the 10-minute flexibility guides, or the pre-hab guide here. Download My New Free 10 Minute Gymnastics Flexibility Circuits Send Me the Circuits! The traditional model of gymnastics typically involves twenty to thirty-minute time periods where static stretches are held, active flexibility drills are done, or specific exercises are repeatedly done in high volume to gain range of motion. This said, I believe the majority of the effects of stretching come through neurological means. These two things often happen together in very flexible gymnasts, theoretically as the contact of the femur on the pelvis creates a fulcrum type point for the head of the femur to lever against contributing instability. It is one of the fastest ways to increase injury risk over time and stall progress in skill progression. Seated Overhead Screen with Stick Sitting at the wall with the lower back flat and head against the wall, the gymnast raises the bar overhead with the arms shoulder-width apart and palms down. So here are some main take always to help. It can be accomplished through an addition by subtraction type approach of using an alternative exercise or changing the alignment of certain common gymnastics stretches. Improves flexibility in shoulders, feet, and hamstrings Wall sits - To do a proper wall sit start with your back flush to the wall, and position yourself like you are sitting in a chair. Tumbl Trak Athlete Wellness and Recovery Kit, Front splits, straddle splits, handstands and pommel horse/parallel bar flexibility, Downloadable checklists to use at practice, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4295707/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6322373/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945046/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26944667, https://shiftmovementscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Book-Cover.jpg, The Ultimate Gymnastics Flexibility Guide, Tom Meadows on Developing Elite Male Gymnasts and His Best Coaching Advice, Helping Gymnastics Coaches Stay Happy In The Gym and Change Their Cultures. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. the increased range of motion could not be explained by the structural changes in the muscle-tendon unit and was likely due to increased stretch tolerance possibly due to adaptation in nociceptive nerve endings.. They include rope, hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon. May 22, 2022 | In hot and cold water therapy for feet benefits | . Med Sci Sports Exerc. There are some times when we are aiming to just get the body going, and other times when we are looking to truley increase joint range of motion. Surrounding the ball and socket of the shoulder is something called the joint capsule as well as ligaments. If you are more curious about learning the medical side of hip injuries in hyper-flexible athletes, I highly recommend reading these articles. I want to emphasize that proper stretching and soft tissue work is not the only method to improve flexibility and performance for gymnasts. 2015 Jun;25(3):346-55. doi: 10.1111/sms.12228. While on this note, there are a few stretches that really need to be advised against in gymnastics. Again, these are just my thoughts. When an athlete reports hip or shoulder pain, far too many people are jumping to the conclusion and assuming that these reports of pain are just pulled muscles. Stretching the shoulders overhead typically produces discomfort in the underarms where the lats and teres major are, with some possible chest tissue stretching where the pecs are. There are some cases where young children do not have natural hypermobility but are gifted in their bodyweight strength abilities. They tell me they often times find temporary progress, but nothing seems to stick long term and actually show up in their skills. This is true both in training and in our medical clinic. Ensure you are warmed up correctly Shu B., Safran MR. Hip Instability: Anatomic and Clinical Considerations of Traumatic and Atraumatic Instability. I find many gymnasts who have shoulder injuries or are struggling with flexibility display significant strength deficits within their upper back and scapular area. The Hyper Flexible Hip: Managing Hip Pain in the Dancer and Gymnast. This creates a situation where the femoral head has more access to move in larger ranges of motion, creating significantly more hip mobility in all planes. Lastly, I have made a Gymnastics Pre-Hab Guide that includes daily soft tissue work, stretching, and weekly circuits to help with reducing the risk of injuries in gymnasts. It is not always about the length of the muscle at one spot like the hip or shoulder that makes everything goes right. Relax, then The thought process is that by following the anatomy of the shoulder joint and latissimus dorsi, teres major, and pec musculature 62-64, this version of an overhead flexibility drill biases stretching the soft tissue that needs attention and takes the pressure of the often already hypermobile shoulder ligaments. Some of the gymnasts could be born more lax and likely have been successful in gymnastics because of it. Stretching has been around for decades in gymnastics as well as other sports. Herbert RD1, de Noronha M. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Your legs should be at a 90 angle. As a result, gymnastic branch-specific stretching exercises increase the balance and flexibility parameters in a positive way; it is thought that the longer duration of training programs will have a positive effect on the athlete's performance. I will take a few paragraphs to explain the current body of research on stretching, outlining some important studies that have been done. There has been a large spike in the rate of hip flexor strains, groin strains , and cranky shoulders that I feel is being very much swept under the rug in gymnastics. improvements on how we have typically taught athletes/gymnasts to stretch their hip flexors, groin and lats. 2007 Oct 17;(4):CD004577. They also tend to have excessively mobile hip capsules, similar to the shoulder. Now let me tie this into why I no longeruse of ankle weights. Acute Effects of Stretching on Passive Properties of Human Gastrocnemius Muscle-Tendon Unit: Analysis of Differences Between Hold-Relax and Static Stretching. These structures and systems tend to have much more potential to change through training. For 12 Weeks, 2 days a week and 90 min. From there I will take a deep dive into some cultural issues that exist in gymnastics, and then conclude with step by step flexibility examples for each main region of the body that gymnasts struggle with including the shoulders, hips, ankles, and wrists. So I know this has been an absolute beast of an article. (17) Adjunctive radiographic X-Rays or advanced medical imaging can also be helpful to see a boney congruency. The science must be blended with expert coaching opinion and consistency in training. Dynamic flexibility is often the focus during warm-up exercises. This is because a large body of manual therapy and self-soft tissue work does not recommend very intense/painful pressure, or extremely long bouts of foam rolling are needed to gain the positive benefits. I feel this issue comes up during fast dynamic movements like jumps, kicking drills, leaping, running, mens pommel work, and so on. It canhelp to lower their injury risk for another ankle sprain, but it also can help their performance by increasing single leg and double leg landings/jumps etc. My best recommendation is that people become more familiar with the research, practice, and use of self-soft tissue work. Its my opinion that other aspects to physical preparation like strength or skill training, cause more structural changes to muscle tissue due to their higher force and volume nature. Surgical tubing also works, but again the tubing needs to be quite stiff. However, I have seen these types of problems snowball into huge injuries quickly in gymnasts I treat. Wilk KE, Arrigo CA, Andrews JR. Current concepts: The stabilizing structures of the glenohumeral joint. This can happen statically for a period of time (static stretching), with the use of momentum and holding of end range (dynamic or active stretching), or sometimes with muscle contractions and stretching together (PNF or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation). The Hyperflexible Hip Managing Hip Pain in the Dancer and Gymnast. The analogy I use with people from a coaching background is to compare it to the giant swing and the necessary components to complete the skill. Self-Soft tissue work of human Gastrocnemius Muscle-Tendon Unit: Analysis of Differences Between Hold-Relax and Static.... Flexors, groin and lats and ribbon long and in-depth blog post best is! Decades in gymnastics stabilizers and Muscles comes into play feet benefits | both in training prevent reduce... 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