January 13th - Finally Some Gym Training Advice to Share

Cobwebs are gone, creativity is flowing, and challenges are ensuing. I hit the gym for an hour and a half tonight to train. Warm up as always and began to envision the first set-up of the night.

Ultimately I decided precision was the name of the game, so this was the setup:

5-6' stack of mats down to a 2' folded mat down to a soft landing.

The mat in the middle is great because it can be moved back and forth, depending on what you are working on.

A nice little backflip exercise is precision-ing to the middle mat and then down to the ground. By swinging your arms through this can be achieved fluidly, without hesitation. It takes a bit of practice, but really increases your aerial awareness.

For frontflips, we practiced both large gaps and short gaps. In my opinion it is a REALLY good exercise to practice front flips from height to a precision landing almost directly below you. This teaches you to jump UP and focuses on getting over the tendency that most have to lean forward before the frontflip, casting them out and killing overall height and rotation.

This setup was also good for practicing precision sideflips and gainers, although with sideflips it may be useful to practice landing on a skinny mat parallel to the way you are going to help with the tendency to move forward or backward instead of in a nice strait line.

As for gainers, I LOVE this type of setup because first of all it is intimidating, and second of all it allows for a combo into a frontflip (something I can do but have not yet mastered).

**The key in creating a gym setup like this is to set it up with the following in mind:

-It lends itself to many different moves

-Adequate protection (the "soft stuff") so that if and when you do "eat it" you won't get hurt...which brings me to my next point

-KNOW HOW TO FALL! Perhaps I will devote a blog to this in the future?

-Never let your setup limit your imagination

-Probably more stuff that doesn't come to mind

This went on for a while, intermixed with screwing around (you have to have fun!); however I was not able to stay the whole time, so I left early.

Reflections:

-In one footed fronts it is EXTREMELY important for me to remember to push HARD with the planting foot if I want the move to feel "effortless"

-When performing a frontflip from height, it will feel like you are going to land back on what you are jumping from if you are used to jumping out...this is ok...you will land at a proper distance if you embrace it.

Tomorrows Practice:

-Kill those one footed fronts and then transition to aerial twists

-Gainer to front combo perhaps?

-Sideflip on the other side and focus on proper form for BOTH sides

-???

30 mins French CHECK!

30 mins Reading CHECK!

30 mins Stretching CHECK!

350 pushups CHECK!

Wow, it is so important to stretch. The extreme load I am putting on my body is starting to be noticeable in my shoulder/back connection I am going to be careful and keep watch of it. If I believe I am damaging something, I WILL put a hold on pushups until I am healed, despite the emotional attachment to the idea of 10,000 pushups in one month; however, at this point I believe I'll be ok =)