Gymnastics

Technique
 Training Principles
BE PATIENT LEARN TO SPOT
These movements don’t develop overnight. This compliments the principle of partnering up.
Take your time and accept that it is a process. Once you build a relationship with a partner and
TAKE PRIDE IN THE PROCESS. you understand how people do certain skills,
you can spot effectively, so your partner can
LIMIT FRUSTRATION work on movement without worry. Spotting is an
untapped resource and an incredibly important
All it does is takes you away from moving in a skill.
positive direction. No room for this attitude if
you want to truly make progress.
SLOW DOWN TO SPEED UP
LOCK OUT ELBOWS Trust me when we tell you, if you are willing
to take the time to slow down and focus
This is difficult for most people, but critical to on perfecting technique with gymnastics
proper movements. It gets us away from relying movements, you will progress more quickly
so much on strength, and gets us to a joint and reduce injury. Gymnastics skills are very
extension position that is resting on the skeletal technical. Foundational technique needs to
structure, which is much stronger and more be set firmly in place to allow for longevity and
efficient. Translates to many of the Olympic true competency. Have faith, and slow down...
lifts as well (i.e.: overhead positions, pressing it works.
action, etc.).
POSITIONS OF MAXIMUM POTENTIAL
PARTNER UP The positions taught will prepare you for any
We use partners for a number of things in standard thrown at you. Never train solely for
gymnastics. It is a great tool to help learn a particular standard. Train for technique and
skills. Not only does it open up a variety of any standard will be within your grasp.
exercises you wouldn’t be able to do otherwise,
but it also helps you understand the positions CONSISTENCY IS KEY
and movements much better by allowing you
Temper the need for instant gratification. There
to be visual. You can see the correct and
is a reason why these movements are the holy
incorrect positions with a partner that you would
grail of crossfit. They are incredibly difficult! We
otherwise overlook. Makes you think about the
can give you all the tips and cues in the world,
skills from a different perspective.
but unless you apply them back home on a
regular basis, you will not see the improvement
you desire. To truly master these movements,
they take time and consistency to develop.
 Hierarchy of
Gymnastics Training
There is a hierarchy to how gymnastics movements need to be learned if the goal is to truly gain
mastery of movement. Without sticking to this structure, it becomes virtually impossible to understand
how to control and manipulate your body within positions. What is important to note about this
hierarchy is that once an athlete graduates to the next level, it does not indicate that the previous
level is never performed again. The previous levels are always worked on and improved upon. The
next level becomes an added dimension to training.

PHASE 1: Creation of Shapes & Body Awareness

This step is fundamental to all movement and is the building block for all future steps. This step
revolves around 2 key components. The first is core-centric exercises which help to develop the
understanding of what an athlete’s body is doing within space and time.

The second piece is flexibility work. Consistent, daily, full body flexibility training is critical to allow for
creation of correct body shapes. Within this step, an athlete develops an understanding of how to
connect the dots between what they think is happening with their body when attempting a particular
position and what reality looks like. Almost all the time, those two pieces are very different from each
other, especially for beginners.

PHASE 2: Controlled Action & Static Holds

Prior to appreciating movement that involves speed and/or momentum, an athlete must learn how to
hold positions. This is the strength and stability building stage. Being able to control body movement
through slow tempo and static holds, an athlete creates not only a higher level of understanding, but
also increases activation of key muscle groups that do not always fire properly during dynamic action.
Slowing down will allow any athlete to speed up more efficiently.
PHASE 3: Dynamic Action
This is the phase most athletes jump to right away. Swinging/kipping action can be exciting and fun,
but can also lead giving an athlete a false sense of understanding movement. Completing a specific
skill one time should never be the end goal. Without phases 1 and 2, an athlete can never fully grasp
the full potential of dynamic action. If phases 1 and 2 are in place, the range of skills and drills an
athlete can achieve increases exponentially.

The process takes a time, but anything worth achieving takes consistency. That process is the
great separator between the good athletes and the great. Take pride in the process. Appreciate the
incremental gains and the skills will not only come, but they will stay for the long term. One of the
most frustrating things that can happen to an athlete is learn a movement, have it perfect one day,
then forget how to do it the next. Many times the reason why this happens is that steps one and two
were skipped and an athlete made a skill more out of luck rather than true understanding. Our goal is
to achieve a skill and to make it stick for the long term.

PHASE 4: Creation of Sequences/Complexes

This is the pinnacle of the gymnastics world. Combining the skills learned in phases 1, 2, and 3
performing them with ease. For a gymnast, this essentially equates to some form of a routine (parts,
1/2 routines, full routines) that would be performed in competition. For the fitness world, this would
equate to a complex where a variety of movements are combined.

In the gymnastics world, the goal is to make the near impossible seem effortless. Gymnasts have to
take aesthetics into account, but aside from making things look pretty, there is function in working to
make things look effortless. It allows for an athlete to create efficiency. This efficiency can be applied
to complexes in the same way they are applied to gymnastics routines, which in turn allows for
conservation of energy during long intensity based workouts.

As the fitness world strives toward more intricate complexes, there is greater need for appreciation
and application of phases 1, 2, and 3. Skipping steps only leads to dead ends, so take the time to
learn the body weight movement and gymnastics exercises in the proper order.
Monkey Method Warm Up
Every workout should start with a proper warm up that raises core temperature. Ideally, we would
want to incorporate a full body warm up each day, but with limited time constraints for a class setting,
we must be diligent with the structure of our warm up.

Structure the daily warm up around the skills that will be performed in your daily workout taking extra
time to warm up body parts that will be heavily used.

Theraband Shoulder Sequence

A theraband can be a fantastic tool for any athlete. If you go to any gymnastics gym or competition,
you will see most gymnasts using an elastic band of some kind to warm up. It is an inexpensive
and portable training tool that every athlete should have in their arsenal. The sequence taught in the
Power Monkey Clinic is the “Durante Shoulder Warm Up”. Many of the straight arm exercises in the
sequence will also assist with elbow conditioning prep.

Theraband Sequence 1
Theraband Sequence 2

4 Basic Body Positions

1) Tuck: Create a ball shape with body, attempting to become as compact as possible. Drop chin to
chest, and both knees and hips are flexed. Toes pointed. There are 2 versions of the tuck position.
Positive Tuck (knees into chest for maximum efficiency) and Negative Tuck (knee bent, but hip angle
open at 180 degrees).

2) Pike: Legs stay straight and back stay flat bringing chest down to legs. Toes pointed. Objective is
deep compression.

3) Straddle: Legs are separated at varying degrees. Can be with open or closed hip angle. Knees
straight and toes pointed. Hips also externally rotated so knees/feet are pointed up towards sky.

4) Layout: Body is completely extended in one line. Legs are together and knees are straight. Toes
pointed.

Hollow, Pike, Straddle, Layout Positions

National Team Warm Up Breakdown
1) Jogging Sequence: 4) Standing Stretching Sequence:
Light jog Neck circles: 3x each direction - very
Side shuffle (both sides) slow movement. Work on the range.
High knees Hip circles: 3x each direction - start in
Butt kicks (heels to butt) straddle stand. Range is important here
Run backwards as well. As big of circles as possible.
Walking lunges: 5x each leg.
2) Walking Sequence:
Knee circles: 15-20 sec hold - hands
Wrist rolls: into horizontal/Vertical arm
on knees, feet together. Move knees in
extensions
all directions. Bending, straightening,
Arm circles: Single arm (5x each and circular actions.
direction): arm stays close to body and
Crouch down: 10 sec hold - with feet
elbow stays straight; Both arms (10x
together, crouch all the way down
each direction): arms stay close to body
trying to keep heels flat on the ground.
and elbows stay straight.
Hit bottom position, just as you would
Walking lunges: 5x each leg. on squatting, and stay in bottom for
duration of exercise. This stretch is a
Walking pike stretch: keep knees good indication of your ankle flexibility.
straight and bend at hips. Try and reach
fingertips down to ground as you walk. Straddle single leg knee bends: 10
Ideally, you would want to work towards sec hold - starting in straddle stand,
putting palms flat down on ground with bend one knee and crouch all the way
each step. down. Keep knee in line with toes
and attempt to have heels flat on the
ground. Use arm on same side to keep
3) 4 exercises in Sequence:
knee from drifting inward. Repeat on
Jumping Jacks: 10x reps opposite leg.

Straight Jumps: 10x reps - arms over Sumo stretch: 10 sec hold - starting in
head, keep core tight and feel like you straddle stand, bend knees. Put elbows
are bouncing just off of balls of feet. on inner leg area and use them to push
Try keeping knees straight throughout knees out. Sink deep down into squat
movement. position and shift back and forth a bit
from side to side.
Push-ups: I0x reps- elbows tucked in
by sides moving through full range of
motion.
V-ups: 10x reps - lay down on back
in complete extension. Lift arms/torso
and legs off ground. Balance on butt
bringing hands in contact with toes
before lowering body back dawn to
extended position.
National Team Warm Up Breakdown Continued
5) Seated Stretching Sequence: 7) Stretches from knees:

Pike Stretch: (5 sec leg lock out… Sit back on heels, and lean back getting
relax and sink deeper into stretch x 3 a good quad stretch. From here, stretch
reps): knees straight, feet together, and out wrists by putting palms down on
flat back. Go down as far as you can in the ground in all directions and shifting
good position. Can shift back and forth weight on each side. If you are on a soft
from side to side. surface, you can put back of hands on
ground as well and stretch wrist in the
Straddle/Pancake Stretch: (5 sec opposing direction.
leg lock out…relax and sink deeper
into stretch x 3 reps): sit with legs at 90 Cat stretch: from knees, reach hands
degrees, no wider. Same instruction as out in front, placing finger tips down
pike stretch. Try to have knees and feet on ground. Keep elbows straight and
externally rotated. try pushing arm pits down towards the
ground. Try getting a nice back arch
going to facilitate the stretch. To get a
6) Split Stretches:
deeper stretch on each side, you can
Stretch 1: On knees, put one leg bend elbow on one side, shift weight to
forward. Keep front knee straight and that shoulder, and try pushing arm pit to
attempt to bring chest down towards the ground with that bent arm. Repeat
knee with a flat back. Put one hand action on other side.
down on each side of leg for balance
and to make sure hips are squared up. Seal Stretch (Cobra Stretch): shift
forward from cat stretch and have your
Stretch 2: Staying with the same arms locked out holding your torso off
leg forward, bend the front knee and the ground. Your hands should be in
attempt to push the back leg hip flexor line with your shoulders and your body
down to the ground. Again, put hands should be in a big arch shape. Only
down on either side of you front leg for your lower half should be in contact
balance. Move around within the stretch with the ground. You can shift weight
and find where you are getting the most from side to side to get more pressure
out of the stretch. on each arm.
Hip Sequence (includes Stretch 1 +
Stretch 2)
Stretch 3: Full split.
Repeat on both legs.
National Team Warm Up Breakdown Continued
8) Lay Down Sequence - Internal/External 9) Achilles Stretch:
Rotation of Shoulders:
Get in push-up position and work on an
Lay down flat on stomach and have achilles stretch by pushing heels down
right arm underneath body, across towards the ground. Vary it up with both
your chest. Bend right elbow to 90 straight and bend knees while doing
degrees and with left hand, push right the stretch and shifting weight from one
hand down towards floor (externally side to the other. Hold the stretch in a
rotating). Making sure to keep arm at static position for a few seconds, but
same angle the entire time, bring hand also bounce back and forth a bit to get
down towards ground in other direction that tendon moving.
(internally rotating). Repeat action on
both arms.
10) Weight on Hands:
From this pushup position, attempt to
Crossover Shoulder Stretch: lay
get some weight onto hands by jumping
down flat on stomach and have arms
off ground towards a handstand. Doing
out to side (perpendicular to body). Roll
a handstand is NOT important here.
towards the right side so weight is now
What is important is being in a correct
on right shoulder and left leg/arm are
position. Hands should be shoulder
off the ground. Use left leg as a guide
width apart, fingers facing forward
to put more pressure on that shoulder.
and spread apart, and elbows should
The more you move the left leg to the
be locked out the entire time. Jump
right side, the more stretch you will get
off the ground, trying to get hips over
in that right shoulder. Repeat action on
shoulders as best as possible. If you
opposite side.
feel yourself bending your arms, don’t
Crossover Hamstring/Glut Stretch: jump as high. Again, with this drill it is
lay down flat on stomach, arm straight more important to feel some weight
overhead. From here, roll to the right, on your hands than it is to do a full
and as you roll leave left leg crossing handstand. Focus on being in a good
body. Grab left knee (leg should be position rather than going to complete
bent) with right hand and pull knee up inversion. If you feel strong and can
towards chest/down towards ground. do it technically correct, go for the
Do your best to keep left shoulder down handstand. Repeat 10-15 times.
flat on ground during this stretch. Move
around within stretch to get the best 11) Back Bridge:
result for your level of mobility. Repeat Using a variety of scaling options (box,
on other side. stall bars, etc.), the bridge helps build
flexibility as well as strength in the arch
position. Strength and flexibility in the
shoulders as well as the posterior chain
are critical in achieving this skill.
Handstand
Station
 Handstand station
Triumvirate of Handstand Exercises
*** All three are critical to learning a proper handstand

STRENGTH

POSITION STABILITY

Points of Performance: Proper Handstand

1) Hands shoulder width apart (defined as middle finger to outside of shoulder).
2) Elbows locked out.
3) Fingers spread wide w/ middle finger directing to 12 o’clock.
4) Head in neutral position (ears in line with shoulders) but gaze set to fixed point between thumbs.
5) Body fully stacked (feet over hips, hips over shoulders, shoulder over hands).
6) Lower back in posterior pelvic tilt or hollow position. No lower back arch.

Full Handstand Video Playlist

Warm up + Accessory Drills
[1) PVC Pass-Through
Neutral and full grip around PVC. Start with hands as wide as possible where elbows stay locked
out and both shoulders pass through together. Head to toe stays in one straight line (no piking or
arching). When passing through vertical, drive hands/PVC through ceiling elongating the body as
much as possible. Keep full grip intact throughout action.

PVC Pass-through

(2) PVC Compression/0verhead Extension

PVC starts behind back with palms facing forward. Hands start closer together than width used with
pass-through. Chest compresses down towards knees as arms extend overhead. Knees and elbows
remain locked out. Hold end position for 5 seconds before returning to stand. Add weight to PVC if/
when position becomes manageable.

PVC Compression Drill

(3) Partner Shoulder Stretches

Stretch l:

Seated position with legs extended. Arms fully extended overhead. Spotter stands behind athlete
interlocking arms. Athlete’s arms shoulder width apart. Spotter drives knees into scapula of athlete
and leans shoulders back. Slow and controlled stretch, with spotter communicating with athlete
throughout.

Stretch 2:

Same seated start as stretch 1. Athlete brings arms around the back keeping torso vertical. Spotter
brings in hands towards each other.

If hands can clasp, bring hand up towards vertical. Slow and controlled stretch, with spotter
communicating with athlete throughout

Partner Shoulder Stretches 1 & 2

(4) Wrist Pushups
Progression I: start on knees with fists on the ground, shoulder width apart. Very light fist pressure on
ground. Push up from fist to back of hand. Elbows locked throughout. This is a wrist range of motion
exercise. Start with one hand at a time and build up to both hands at the same time.

Progression 2: wrist pushups on knees. Keep weight/butt back as far as possible to allow for proper
building of strength/flexibility. Be patient with this exercise...takes time to build to next progression.
Only bend elbows as much as athlete can handle when first starting out. Not necessary to get chest
fully to ground.

Progression 3: full wrist push-ups. From back of hand push up to fists, then back down to back of
hand. Repeat action. Will take significant time to build to this version.

Wrist Health Full Playlist including Wrist Pushup Progressions

(5) Body Tighteners

Lay down flat on stomach with hands overhead pressing hands into wall. Mimic handstand position,
but instead of being vertical body is horizontal. Try to push arm pits down towards ground and roll
hips under (posterior pelvic tilt). Keep feet together, knees locked out and feet firmly on ground. Hold
10 seconds tight position before releasing.

Body Tighteners

(6) Partner Kick Ups

Spotting is key to this drill. Spotters stand on side with midlines aligned where athlete’s hands are on
ground. Spotters should be prepared for an aggressive or timid kick up. Primary spotter will grab kick
leg off the ground, holding around hamstring and quad. Secondary spotter will grab lunge leg around
hamstring and quad. DO NOT wait for leg to come to hand of spotter. Spotter must go to the leg to
ensure a safe and comfortable kick up.

Kick Up Drill Version 1

(7) Box Rocks

Used to help athletes open shoulder angle for handstand position. Can be done with or without a
spotter. Place feet/knees on box. Set up so that hips are stacked over hands. Let shoulders drift
forward over hands, then push head/shoulders towards box working towards getting armpits to box.
Drill should be done without any pain in shoulders. Slow and controlled throughout range.

Box Rocks
(8) Handstand Rocks
Similar objective to Exercise 7. Start with hands close to the wall and slowly move further away as
position becomes more comfortable/stable. Move slowly throughout action.

Handstand Rocks

(9) Floaters
Stability exercise. Start with hands about 1-2 feet away from the wall. Keeping a tight body position,
feet are the only body part in contact with the wall. From here we are working on understanding the
role fingertips play in handstand stability. Athlete should feel like fingers are digging into the ground,
trying to pull feet off the wall to find a balance point. Feet can be kicked off the wall slightly to get
action going if needed, but only slightly...rest of work is done by fingertips.

Handstand Floaters

INEFFICIENT STACKED
 Handstand Push Ups
Points of Performance
1) Tripod Position: equidistant triangle. Find equal weight distribution among all 3 points (hand,
hand, head). Top of head on ground, not forehead.
2) Train for the highest level version of any skill. NOT JUST THE STANDARD.
3) Understand the angle needed (finding equal weight distribution) for freestanding as well as
“swooping” (transferring of weight from 3 points back to 2) on return to HS.

Full HSPU Video Playlist

Handstand Progressions
1) Headstand Push to Plank: Great tool to help understand the angle with a freestanding HSPU as
well as the sequence of events that happens when performing a freestanding HSPU.
Start in headstand. Let body fall towards hands, then push to plank position. Remain hollow the entire
time. **headstands in general should be a bigger part of an athlete’s handstand training.

Headstand Push to Plank

2) Downward Dog HSPU (from feet and knees): Being stacked is the key to making this work.
Bring feet as close to hands as possible to allow hips to stack over shoulders. Create solid tripod
position at the bottom position. On the return back to full elbow lock out, drive shoulders open to a full
180 degrees. If hamstring flexibility is an issue, bend knees.
This scaling option can be challenging. Drop to knees prior to coming to tripod to shorten the lever
and simply the exercise. This can be an excellent scaling option for most beginner athletes.

Downward Dog HSPU

3) Handstand Pushups with Box/PhysiobaII: As a scaling option, a box can be used to assist with
grasping the understanding of a HSPU position/action. Stay stacked with shoulders directly over
hands to simulate the proper position. Knees on box if simplified version needed.
If athlete feels comfortable with box, the difficulty can be increased by using a physioball. Place feet
on ball get into stacked position and do same HSPU pattern. The instability of the ball will add an
element of core strength/awareness to the movement.

Handstand Pushups with Box/PhysiobaII

4) Handstand Pushups with Partner: Positional drill (not strength drill). Spotters assist with descent
into headstand, creation of body angle, as well as weight shift from 3 points back to 2 prior to being
pulled back to starting handstand position.
5) Headstand Set Up w/ Wall: Another positional drill. Main goal is to find optimal distance away
from wall that allows for tripod to be put into place. Start in headstand with back of head close to wall.
Elbows at 90 degrees and only heels touching wall. Push to handstand keeping elbows in and heels
against wall throughout.

6) Handstand Pushups [against wall]: Position doesn’t change when doing these against the wall.
Keep working on keeping elbows in and hands facing forward. Hands will start a little further away
from the wall to allow for the body angle. The one missing piece here will be the body angle we see
during the freestanding versions.

Handstand Pushups [against wall]

 Handstand Walking
Points of Performance
1) Eye line 8-10 inches in front of hands. No longer neutral head position as seen with static HS.
2) Body in uniform arch position (no broken shoulder angle). This arch (directed by feet) dictates
the speed of the walk. The further the feet drift over your head, the faster you can potentially go.
3) Each hand placement is a bend and lock out technique. Elbow bent when hand off ground.
Locked out when hand in contact with ground.
4) A shift happens from shoulder to shoulder with each step. This shift helps to find a balance
point before hand comes down. The shift is initiated by the shoulders, not the hips.

Handstand Walking Progressions

1) Handstand Shifts [against the wall]: Hands flat on ground (shift side to side feeling more weight
on each shoulder). Move on to next progressions when ready...on finger tips, shoulder touches,
side touches, one arm holds. DO NOT start with Shoulder Touches. Drill is about weight distribution,
balance and control. NOT about ripping hand off ground and getting it back to ground before
collapsing. Use scale option that allows for correct technique. If needed, start in plank position and
build towards more vertical position.

Handstand Shifts [against the wall]

2) Box Inverted Walks: Starting in the same stacked position used in the box HSPU, athletes are
now walking around box with their hands while their feet stay firmly planted on the box. Drill is used to
help understand the correct rhythm for hands when walking in inverted position. Each step should be
done with a slow and controlled action.

Box Inverted Walks

3) Partner Wheelbarrow: Part 1: start in push-up position. Partner stands behind pulling feet off
ground so body is parallel to ground. Walk across floor making sure to lock out elbows when hand
comes in contact with ground. Keep core engaged, trying to stay in hollow position throughout
movement. No twisting from the hips or shoulders while walking. Part 2: same exercise as previously
described, but this time with feet on shoulder

Partner Wheelbarrow Drill

4) Handstand Walks with Partner: Partner spots in similar method to “partner kick ups” except
everyone acts as a primary spotter (done only with 1 spotter). After getting the athlete vertical, spotter
walks around so their stomach faces athlete’s back. Partner pulls legs forward and dictates the
speed of the handstand walk. While doing handstand, stay as tight as possible (keep legs together).
Head should be slightly up and feet should be tilting forward as you walk. The gait should be just like
walking on your feet, making sure to lock out elbows with each step.
 Press to Handstand
Points of Performance
Yes, strength is a key component of a solid press to handstand. The area of focus that sometimes is
neglected is the compression aspect (legs into torso). The exercises below help with compression as
much as strength to help develop the most efficient pressing action possible.

Press Progressions
1) Compression Sit Up: starting in layout position on back, roll up to seated position, finishing in
deep pike or straddle. Head comes up first, then back comes off the ground rolling through one
vertebrae at a time. Attempt to stay as compressed as possible through entire drill.

Compression Sit Up

2) Press Walks: Starting in straddle stance, place hands down on floor creating downward dog
position. Drag feet up to point in line with hands, making sure to stay in straddle position the entire
time. Keep shoulders stacked over hands and feel the compression. If dragging feet is too difficult at
first, athletes should start with slight jump.

Press Drags/Walks

3) Elevated Press Drill: The most difficult part of a press handstand is the first 6 inches of getting
your feet off the ground. Start with feet in straddle position on raised plane (45lbs plates work well).
Place hands on ground and again, the goal is to stay as compressed as possible while pressing feet
off ground. Find balance point with feet just off the plates, and bring them back down to starting point.
Similar to drill #2, if athlete isn’t able to press, start with jump instead.

Elevated Press Drill

4) Spotted Press Drill: The athlete sets up in straddled downward dog position. Spotter stands on
side of athletes hands and grabs around waist. Spotter uses knees up against athletes shoulders
to keep shoulders from drifting forward. As legs come off ground, spotter pulls athletes hips over
shoulder to complete pressing action. Spotter will need to pull aggressively to allow for proper
stacking. Once press is completed, spotter will lower athlete back down to ground with control
through same technical points.
5) Wall Presses: With hands down on ground approx. 1ft away from wall, get into straddle stand and
place back up against wall for support. From here, jump to point where legs are past horizontal. This
is a body control exercise, so attempt to complete press to handstand slowly and lower legs back
down to horizontal.

Wall Presses

6) Wall Presses w/ Rower and Physio Ball: Place back of rower/ball a few feet away from wall.
Feet go on seat, with fingertips up against wall (plank position). Rock feet towards torso trying to get
as compressed as possible. With shins on the rower/ball and hands up against wall create plank
position with body. Compress into deep pike resting shoulders up against wall stacking hips over
shoulders. If piked position is not possible, drill can be worked in tuck as well.

Wall Press with Rower

7) Wide Arm (Japanese Handstand): This is a very advanced position. Translates to the snatch
position extremely well.