Can you build the #strength for outstanding #athleticism?

When you think of badass gymnastic movement you probably think of gravity-defying positions held with a stillness that is breathtaking.  Human flags where someone is holding themselves ramrod-straight horizontally from a flagpole, Iron Crosses that seem to defy physics (and hopefully you imagine a cigarette hanging out of the gymnast’s mouth if you’re awesome), and handstands with posture better than when someone is just standing on the ground are a few of the gymnastic movements that can really blow your mind when performed well.

 

But, believe it or not, the quickest way to master holding these positions may actually not be holding them at all.

 

You see the human body, and the brain that has evolved to move it (there’s a really amazing TED talk by neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert on this topic) is purpose-built for moving. We learn best by moving – this has been proven time and time again notably in studies that show children’s performance in school decreases exponentially when they aren’t allowed to move. It shouldn’t be at all surprising then that we learn movement best by moving.

 

Perfected gymnastic movements that look like static holds or staying still are in a sense an illusion. There is no such thing as no movement. Rather, there are only movements that are so small and have had so much variability smoothed out of them that they are perceived to be motionless.

 

How to achieve this?

 

Move through the position of difficulty, entering and exiting it from as many different directions and angles as possible. Pause for as long as is possible, it may be a moment or a minute, then continue moving through the position.

 

Sound too simple to be effective?

 

Let me give you an example. The ice cream maker is a progression to the front lever. In case you’re not familiar, a front lever is an extremely challenging body weight gymnastic exercise in which when hanging from a bar or gymnastic rings you rotate your body upward so that it’s parallel to the floor with your arms at a slight angle. Think of it as a hanging leg raise on a mega-dose of steroids. The ice cream maker is simply doing a front lever by moving in and out of the difficult front lever position and a much easier leverage where you’re hanging vertically with bent arms.

 

Ice Cream Maker by Max Shank

 

Of course, Max Shank knows this which is why it’s included in the fantastic Front Lever progression in his book I told you about last week,  4 Moves for Ultimate Athleticism, along with 15 other pregressions, progressions, and assistance variations.

 

This is a simple concept that can be applied all over your training and I’m glad that reading through Max’s book reminded me to share it with you.

 

Pick up Ultimate Athleticism at the half-off book launch sale price. I’ve really been floored by the response to the book this week so I didn’t want to let it pass by without giving you a heads up.
 

One of my favorite things about being in the health and fitness space is writing an email like this one and then getting emails back weeks and months down the road from people telling me what they’ve done with the information and how it has helped them succeed.

 

Latoya Bond