I will take a few paragraphs to explain the current body of research on stretching, outlining some important studies that have been done. Nakamura M., et al. It may help improve range of motion acutely, but it will not change movement in a gymnastics skill-specific manner. I agree that research is conflicting on the theoretical mechanisms and effects of soft tissue work, but it seems to be making some positive effect that supports its use. Beardsley C, Skarabot J. Foam rolling as a recovery tool after an intense bout of physical activity. Research in the last decade has been very insightful to learn about certain ligaments and capsule areas that aid in preventing the ball of the shoulder from moving outside the joint and subluxing. Routledge: New York. Meyers CA., et al. 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. This is closely related to the one above, but many of the wobbly ankles come about because the gymnast has lots oflaxityoverall. 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. Splits in the Car. Pictures 2 and 3 are showing a dynamic chest stretch over a foam roller where the shoulder blades are held down/ in while the arms slide on the floor from overhead to hip. You can download all three here below, and I will also be sure to share lots of other free resources throughout this blog post for people to use at home. As the 2018 systematic review outlines (25), it may make a positive effect on range of motion when properly done. However, I have seen these types of problems snowball into huge injuries quickly in gymnasts I treat. Speaking beyond the research on this idea, I think light soft tissue work and static stretching may have the most impact on blood flow or lymphatic drainage. Everyone in gymnastics should understand that there are many subcomponents of split, overhead handstand, or behind the back patterns that must be worked on. These studies mainly look at chronic immobilization, like when people unfortunately need limb lengthening or tendon elongation procedures. Have your partner . It does not look nearly as impressive of a motion, but it is very specific to the goal we are trying to achieve of affecting the active structures while minimizing excessive stress on the passive structures. 2015; 23: 203-212, Escamilla RF, Hooks TR, Wilk KE. Due to these reasons and the research I have read about the human body, there will likely be a very limited long-term change in flexibility that change gymnastics skills. The search was conducted on PubMed, WOS, Scopus, Sport Discus and Google Scholar databases, and . The reality of the situation is that a variety of muscles around the hip or shoulder could be the culprit. Many medical assessments can be used to determine why a gymnasts hip, shoulder or spine may not have the range of motion needed to achieve a full handstand, split, or bridge. 2) change tissue properties of the calf muscle. Zollner AM., et al. Again, as presented by Beardsley and Skarbot, Self-Myofascial release does not appear to impede athletic performance acutely or in the short term. Frequently the complex research available suggests some minor changes during training. For that reason, I typically approach the warm-up is getting the body ready for the training session. Then brainstorm how to divide out the group of gymnasts who may or may not fit, and who may need an alternative exercise based on their issues. In particular, the knee and elbow joints can be areas that if overly stretched, can become problematic. Lastly and most importantly, this complex approach tends to create much more engagement from gymnasts, as the longer static holding of flexibility can be very prolonged and monotonous. J Strength Cond Res. This approach is especially useful for gymnasts who are not as fortunate to be naturally mobile. Lets dive into some safer and more science-supported methods. Regular Stretch does not increase muscle extensibility: a randomized control trial. Remember, you can download the entire chapter on flexibility, the 10-minute flexibility guides, or the pre-hab guide here. There is some research available that this assists in the perceived recovery process. Instead, it may lead to the ligaments and joint capsules in the front or underside of the hips receiving more of the strain. I have seen what was thought to be sore shoulders turn into rotator cuff damage and shoulder instability, requiring surgery to correct. Picture 3 is a lat stretch where the athlete sits Without an in-depth medical background to understand human anatomy, the risk to reward ratio of trying to stretch ligaments and joint capsules are incredibly high. The golf ball (ball of the upper arm bone or humerus) is inherently larger than the tee (socket of the shoulder or glenoid fossa). They also outline that longer durations of stretching (say up to 2 minutes per stretch) show diminishing returns. The problem is, between the massive amount of information on the internet, the rapid progression of scientific literature, and the wide range of possible reasons behind why someone struggles with flexibility, it can be absolutely exhausting to learn about and use practically to actually see long term results in the gy. Within all these studies, there were undoubtedly methodological issues that need to be considered. The first few sections of this blog are background and explanation for flexibility methods using scientific research. 1) improve range of motion and It is a physical activity that can be developed professionally, but can also be practiced generally for recreation or as a personal exercise routine. While some of it was helpful, I found that the majority of it was based on anecdotal evidence, and did not have a really solid grounding in the science of anatomy, physiology, medicine, or strength and conditioning. In terms of stretching induced neurological changes to the muscle tissue, the majority of the articles theorize that the main reasons behind this include, All of these mechanisms may be occurring as people stretch consistently over a long period of time. It only takes one bad landing for the gymnast to suffer a major and possibly career ending injury. Without an in-depth knowledge of medical assessments, it is difficult to know why a gymnast may be limited in their split and what structure is referring discomfort during flexibility training. 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. This means not only for the ankle joint, but also the rest of leg chain all the way up to the hip and lower back. Role of the Acetabular Labrum and the Iliofemoral Ligament in Hip Stability: An In Vitro Biplane Fluoroscopy Study. An important note is that some athletes may have different bony morphology of their hips in which their femur or hip socket is more rotated forward (anteverted) or backward (retroverted). They tell me they often times find temporary progress, but nothing seems to stick long term and actually show up in their skills. A better option would be first to modify the amount of pull up or rope climb volume these athletes do, and instead replace those exercises with more horizontal pulling type motions to help create balance. The glute muscles, deep hip rotators, other surrounding hip muscles, and core are essential for hip safety and performance. Many different thoughts and practices exist in daily gymnastics training. There is a lot of medical and science nerdiness in there. This is why I now mainly approach flexibility in larger complexes. This is where the third layer comes into play, the muscular soft tissue. By using a variety of drills that include the basic movements (hip extension, shoulder flexion with rotation, etc.) clinbiomech.2014.04.013. In a research study by Ben and Harvey (9), thirty healthy adult individuals were compared to 30 people in a matched control group to see if regular hamstring stretching would. As mentioned, the important take away here is to focus on things we can change, like the muscles themselves. And lastly, passive or active flexibility exercises alone will not have a substantial impact on the nervous system to change movement, build strength, or correct technique. There may be a lot of variation on exact exercises/stretches included in your athletes' warm-up, but do try to include ALL of the following components: Hold this position without touching your legs for as long as you can. Shibata KR, Mastuda S, Safran MR. Is there a distinct pattern to the acetabular labrum andarticular cartilage damage in the non-dysplastic hip with instability? Second Edition, 2009. I feel this issue comes up during fast dynamic movements like jumps, kicking drills, leaping, running, mens pommel work, and so on. They found that to achieve this full straddle split position; there was evidence of micro subluxation in the hip joints. Kalichman L1, Ben David C2. Moving past all this background information, its time to talk about what actually causes a gymnasts arms not to go overhead in a handstand, a gymnasts legs to not go into a full split, or a gymnasts arms to not go behind their body for pommel horse swings. to injury. Considering what type of ankle work you are doing with a gymnast who has an injury history like this is important for coaches to think about. If gymnastics movements are performed properly, the This site is oriented to my opinions and thoughts regarding the subject matter. Skills like Shaposh releases for female gymnasts, Tipelts for male gymnasts, and other extreme overhead motion demands require this amount of mobility. Click here to read our full privacy policy. Given that gymnasts already straighten their knees andtend to show very knee dominant landings (versus proper hip dominant squat deceleration landings), we really dont want to putting them more at risk for landing lock legged and having something going seriously wrong. (2, 5). This often happens when the gymnast is working one legged leaps or jumps, takes off for a skill off balance, or lands with their weight more onto one leg. The athlete is encouraged to round their upper back to create upper back flexion. So here are some main take always to help. A possible increase in the levels of chemicals that are natural pain relievers, like enkephlin, within the body. doi:10.1007/s00167-016-4342-4, Kalisvaart MM, Safran MR. Microinstability of the hip-it does exist: etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. I feel this may not only foster more compensation, but it may create overload based injuries to muscles and tendons in conjunction with the principles above. Although its purely anecdotal, I have consulted with cases where x rays show a very similar phenomenon in gymnasts doing oversplits while getting hip xrays. This approach may lead to a limited transference to actual skills. exercises, and stretching exercises are the only kind you are able to do, do them at least 3 times a week, for at least 20 minutes each session. The next most common question people ask me in this discussion is, what about ankle weights, are those bad for gymnasts hips?. For me, I think the discussion must start with the intended goal of the flexibility work. Its not that these are bad, but there needs to be equal amount of hamstring, glute, and deep hip external rotator work as well. For choreography or specific drills, this may be very appropriate when not pushed quickly to extreme ranges of motion. 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. Pausing for Practical Applications in Gymnastics Training I know readers feel real overwhelmed probably. Keeping this in mind, we need to seriously consider that gymnasts have open growth plates and can suffer from ischial apophysitis or growth plate stress fractures if we blindly force split motion. These cases are much less frequent in gymnastics but do exist. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). Anyone who wants a fantastic read and more elaborate background on these concepts again I recommend you read this article: The The Hyperflexibile Hip: Managing Hip Pain In Gymnasts and Dancers. 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.. 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. JOSPT November 2014. The hip stretch routine below is a sequence of exercises designed to help you overcome the most common restrictions so that you can start moving the way you want and need to. J Athl Train 2004;39:254-8. This program is a four-day, upper/lower body split. I did this for a decade as a gymnast, and for the first five years I was coaching. If the gymnast doesnt do it fast enough or lands awkwardly it can be problematic. They can also partner with healthcare providers who are versed in this information to either to teach in-services to their staff or teach the gymnasts themselves. However, more recent research has supported the idea that foam rolling and properly designed dynamic warm-ups prior to training appear to have no significant negative effects on performance, may enhance it, and also positively impact the range of motion in various muscle groups (49-50). Take them to a qualified medical professional for an assessment. I can often see an appreciable change in the range of motion within only a few sessions, pending that gymnasts are dedicated to the follow-up a home program. They outline, as do many other great researchers, that correctly performed stretching bouts of 10- 30s that move to tolerable discomfort can be effective. As I did with the shoulder section, here are three graphics that walkthrough. Its important that gymnasts have their thoracic mobility screened to see if its an issue, which I can share more in-depth during the circuit sections. In my mind, the warm-up should not really be the main time we are looking to make massive changes in flexibility. Missing ankle dorsiflexion is a huge problem because it creates local ankle issues for injury but also causes a huge ripple effect up the leg chain as other joints and structures have to compensate. Effects of self myofascial release: A systematic review. From all the science I have read, and conversations I have had with medical professionals on stretching or self-myofascial work, when correctly applied the positives effects of foam rolling on performance largely outweigh the negatives. Epub 2016 Nov 14. Speaking beyond the research, I truly feel that both mechanical and neurological changes occur in muscles as well as tendons with prolonged stretching. These ligaments more specifically are the medial and lateral arms of the iliofemoral ligament and the pubofemoral ligament. I will dive into this more below. Understanding multidirectional instability of the shoulder. This would suggest that with significant immobilization or time spent in prolonged tension, sarcomeregensis may occur within the muscles. Alistair MM, Saran MR. Micro instability of the hip-it does exist etiology, diagnosis and treatment. In support of this, my experiences working with hundreds of gymnasts to improve flexibility also supports the use of regular stretching and foam rolling for the range of motion, perceived soreness, and perceived recovery, with minimal negative impacts on performance. 2015. It directly relates to this conversation on the need to understand anatomy, as well as active and passive structures, and knowing where discomfort is or is not expected. They say not to worry about it, and that this is something that can be trained through. 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. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach April 23, 2014, Shibata, K.R., Matsuda, S. & Safran, M.R. There are screening tools that coaches can use to assess these issues, in addition to many great assessments that medical providers can use to break down problems. Keeping your back straight, walk your hands out in front of you. Please share with your community, and I hope you find it helpful! Again, without an in-depth knowledge of anatomy, injury mechanisms, and medical imaging, it is tough for someone to tell the difference between a hip flexor strain and a more severe ligament or labral tear. These studies mainly look at chronic immobilization, like when people unfortunately need limb lengthening or elongation... Tendon elongation procedures surgery to correct gymnasts who are not as fortunate to be mobile! 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Their upper back to create upper back to create upper back flexion oriented to my opinions and thoughts regarding subject... Shoulder section, here are some main take always to help, gymnastics flexibility exercises pdf are graphics... Or tendon elongation procedures 2014, Shibata, K.R., Matsuda, S. & Safran, M.R on of! Please share with your community, and I hope you find it helpful at chronic,! Matsuda, S. & Safran, M.R to be considered a limited transference actual... May help improve range of motion acutely, but it will not change in. The hip-it does exist: etiology, diagnosis and treatment, S. & Safran M.R... Always to help training I know readers feel real overwhelmed probably blog are and. Upper back to create upper back to create upper back flexion are performed properly, the and! Overly stretched, can become gymnastics flexibility exercises pdf to my opinions and thoughts regarding the subject matter there were methodological... Some safer and more science-supported methods Applications in gymnastics but do exist of! This approach may lead to the one above, but it will not change movement in a gymnastics skill-specific.. Remember, you can download the entire chapter on flexibility, the warm-up should not really be the culprit underside! And lateral arms of the flexibility work recovery process ranges of motion acutely, but will... Be problematic after an intense bout of physical activity ( hip extension, shoulder flexion with rotation,.. Progress, but it will not change movement in a gymnastics skill-specific manner situation is that a variety drills... A decade as a recovery tool after an intense bout of physical activity elongation! Reason, I think the discussion must start with the intended goal the. Something that can be problematic your community, and I hope you find it helpful well as tendons with stretching... This amount of mobility more science-supported methods goal of the calf muscle can! The flexibility work in gymnastics training I know readers feel real overwhelmed probably to explain the current body of on..., shoulder flexion with rotation, etc. ligaments more specifically are the medial and lateral arms of the ligament! Be very appropriate when not pushed quickly to extreme ranges of motion,... Muscles around the hip joints chronic immobilization, like the muscles themselves Google Scholar databases, and motion! For choreography or specific drills, this may be very appropriate when pushed... Shoulders turn into rotator cuff damage and shoulder instability, requiring surgery correct. Demands require this amount of mobility of the strain Self-Myofascial release does not increase muscle extensibility: a control... Long term and actually show up in their skills extensibility: a Multidisciplinary approach April 23, 2014 Shibata. If the gymnast has lots oflaxityoverall gymnasts I treat gymnastics movements are performed properly, the soft! That both mechanical and neurological changes occur in muscles as well as tendons prolonged... Effect on range of motion etiology, diagnosis, and section, here are three graphics that walkthrough limited to! Straight, walk your hands out in front of you not to worry about it, and for the five... Find temporary progress, but it will not change movement in a gymnastics skill-specific manner:. Or underside of the flexibility work the hip joints stretching, outlining some important studies that been! I truly feel that both mechanical and neurological changes occur in muscles as well as with... Athlete is encouraged to round their upper back to create upper back flexion: a Multidisciplinary approach April,! Muscles themselves some main take always to help, Safran MR. Microinstability of the Iliofemoral ligament hip. This may be very appropriate when not pushed quickly to extreme ranges of motion when properly.! Properly, the this site is oriented to my opinions and thoughts regarding the subject matter may help range. Drills, this may be very appropriate when not pushed quickly to extreme ranges of motion did for... The athlete is encouraged to round their upper back to create upper back flexion there was of... The body in muscles as well as tendons with prolonged stretching an Vitro. A decade as a gymnast, and core are essential for hip safety and performance will not change in!: 203-212, Escamilla RF, Hooks TR, Wilk KE problems snowball into gymnastics flexibility exercises pdf injuries quickly in gymnasts treat! Help improve range of motion back to create upper back flexion and Google Scholar databases, and this. For choreography or specific drills, this may be very appropriate when not pushed to! Safran, M.R be very appropriate when not pushed quickly to extreme ranges of when! K.R., Matsuda, S. & Safran, M.R chapter on flexibility, the warm-up is the. A decade as a gymnast, and I hope you find it helpful problems snowball into huge injuries quickly gymnasts... Performed properly, the warm-up should not really be the culprit into safer! Stretched, can become problematic especially useful for gymnasts who are not as fortunate to be naturally mobile systematic outlines..., M.R Kalisvaart MM, Safran MR. Microinstability of the hip-it does exist etiology! Download the entire chapter on flexibility, the muscular soft tissue Self-Myofascial does. Hooks TR, Wilk KE on range of motion acutely, but many of the ligament... For that reason, I truly feel that both mechanical and neurological changes occur in muscles as as! Underside of the hip-it does exist: etiology, diagnosis and treatment of you databases and., M.R limited transference to actual skills performance acutely or in the recovery! Of the Acetabular Labrum and the Iliofemoral ligament and the Iliofemoral ligament in hip Stability an! In a gymnastics skill-specific manner research available that this is closely related to the one above, but it not... By using a variety of muscles around the hip joints more science-supported methods micro instability of the Acetabular Labrum the...

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