gymnastics strength training workout
Gymnastics Strength Training is all about building the right foundation of strength and flexibility. This is something that takes TIME and PATIENCE to achieve. To get you started, we enlisted Beau Whitman, retired gymnast and cancer survivor, to put you through a gymnastics-inspired workout to get you moving.
CORE (4 minutes)
Hollow Hold
8 rounds 20 seconds on / 10 seconds off
Three versions to scale
1. Knees bent
2. Legs flat
3. Legs lifted 2 inches off the ground
10-minute AMRAP
It does not matter how many rounds you finish. It is about focusing on quality over quantity.
Complete 3 reps of every movement below:
Inchworms with push up
Pike push up
V-Ups
Candlestick Jumps
Scaled
Inchworms no push up
Regular push up
Sit-ups
Candlestick Jumps
MOVEMENT BREAKDOWN
Inch Worm
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Stand tall, your feet roughly hip-distance apart. Check your posture—your ears should be aligned over your shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles, your abdominals engaged.
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Take a breath in, then as you exhale, look down at the ground and start reaching your hands toward the floor in front of your feet, allowing your back to bend forward, rolling down one vertebra at a time. Allow your knees to bend slightly, as needed, to enable your hands to reach the ground.
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Place your hands on the floor in front of your feet. Inhale and walk your hands forward, one at a time, allowing your heels to lift off the floor as your body begins to straighten. When your hands are directly under your shoulders, check your form—you should be in a full plank position with your core, chest, quads, triceps, and shoulders engaged, your body forming a straight line from heels to head.
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Perform a pushup by sending your elbow back and slowly lowering to the ground until your chest touch and then rise.
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Once back in the plank slowly walk your hands back until you reach your feet. From here you can slow extend back up to standing position.
Floor Handstand Push up
1. Start with your feet in a wide stance, just outside of shoulder width. From here walk your hands out in front of your feet, so your arms are shoulder-width apart.
2. Create a cat-back or hollow body by pushing your chest/back to the sky.
3. Start to lean forward and at the same time allow your arms to bend backward like a push-up. Your head should be relaxed the whole time.
4. Once your head is on the flow, drive your heels and butt back as you press through your palms to perform the pike push up.
5. As you return to starting position remember to extend your arms and drive your chest down to hit full extension.
V-Ups
1. Lay flat on the floor with feet together and hands above your head and next to your ears.
2. Press your belly button into the ground so your lower back flattens.
3. From here imagine if everything from above your chest is one body part and sit up and reach for the sky not your feet.
4. Right after your start to sit up bring your feet up
5. Then return back to the ground in starting position
Candle Stick Jumps
1. Start laying flat on your back on the floor.
2. Try and keep your knees as straight as possible and your toes pointed as you contract your abs.
3. Bend your knees and quickly lower them to the ground touching or almost touching your butt.
4. Use momentum from the roll and lean forward and stand up.
5. Immediately jump into the air with your arms above your head, then repeat.
To see more workouts, coaching, and inspiration from Beau, follow him on Instagram: @beau.whitman