I just tried this cause I figured I shouldn't assume I can do it just cause it looks easy. It isn't difficult for me, but I can feel my back muscles working to keep my arms against the wall. The harder I tried to keep my entire back against the wall the more I felt it in my upper back. Neat little exercise that I probably would have over looked had I not tried it out.
Because you have shoulder girdle mobility issues. The Gymnastic Bodies forum has an extensive section on joint prehab and active flexibility which you may find helpful.
is this something that should be done with someone who's had anterior dislocations? will this help stabilize the shoulder? if not, what do you recommend?
these seem to be good for me as my shoulders are quite far forward and simply stretching them behind my back has lost its benefit this definitely feels like it might help
Coach, im hoping u can help me. with time ive gotten pretty good ROM from this exercise,in fact i can nearly do it all the way, but i still have knots inbetween my scapula. is it okay to stretch them, i do anyway to get rid of the pain, but i just want to get rid of the knots. i still do retractions to. after i stretch the antagonist muscles. its a frustrating process :D
i might steal this for myself actually. I have had a plethora of injuries over the years (most freak accidents) but one of the main issues i have right now is horrible nerve issues in my shoulders. This seems like a low impact way to regain some of that mobility that i've lost as a result.
what if i cannot put my forearm against the wall wen i do this exercise? i can do it with my left but my right just cant get on there. its hurts wen i force it.
God damn, I just tried these and failed horribly! Initially my forearms couldn't touch the walls, and at the top of the movement my wrists were in contact but my elbows drifted out! Definitely gonna work on these, thanks so much for the vid!
To explain why weight lifters have larger muscles than gymnasts, if I remember correctly the muscle cells that form heavy lifting muscles are much larger than those that form endurance muscles. Weight lifting = large weight small reps = big cells, low endurance. Gymnastics = repetitive motion, single weight (body) = smaller cells, more endurance. Simple as that.
The key to increasing strength utilizing bodyweight is to understand how to effectively decrease the leverage possible on a given exercise as demonstrated by some of the videos which I have shared here on YouTube.
i get what you're saying, but in gymnastics you increase the prssure put on your muscles by using leverage. so why would lets say: a maltese, not be enough pressure to create big cells? a maltese isnt really what you would call an endurance exercise.
I'm mainly remembering from classes several years ago. It's probably a good bit more complex than that. Traceures and many dancers also very strong, but not very bulky. Researching it now the most solid information I can find is that size is a result of a pretty specific balance of strength and endurance- about 9-12 reps- while below that is solid strength which will result in smaller muscles and above it is endurance, which will result in lean, well toned muscles.
These numbers vary slightly, but everyone seems to agree to within a couple reps. Also since gymnasts rely so much on balance and coordination their bodies can probably pump out more strength due to neural connections and coordination of fast twitch muscles than your average gym monkey.
Bodybuilders(weightlifters who go for maximum size) aim for the biggest gains in muscle mass. They use steroids to aid their recovery, and they do a large number of exercises to break down muscle.
Competitive Weightlifters want the most strength in the bench press, squat, and deadlift at a certain weight. They use very low reps to achieve this.
Most gymnasts gain their muscle to perform their moves, and it is NOT meant for endurance. (continued below)
Most gymnastics coaches train their athletes to do the moves first, and not to develop a base. Coach Sommers has tried something different in which he emphasizes gaining the strength needed to do a move, and increasing the chance of success instead of trying a move until you can do it.
Nothing you said actually disagrees with what I said. Yes, professional weight lifters do low reps at high weight to train for strength... that's what I said, then you repeated it as if in contradiction? Weight lifters and body builders have different goals. Weight lifters move weight, body builders go for a specific look. They pose on stage, not clean and jerk a thousand pounds. Size and strength are related but not necessarily the same thing.
(cont.) Perhaps you'll disagree with that, but I've outlifted guys with bigger muscles than me and been outlifted by guys that look like twigs. There's more to lifting than muscle size.
Sounds like Sommers is a good coach. Being strong enough to do a move before trying is a common sense approach that's too often overlooked. Also very good for avoiding injury and discouragement.
indeed bodybuilding is not about streght, strenght is mostly neurological and depends on teaching the nervous system to send stronger nerve impulses of contraction to the muscle. A small muscle can be a lot stronger than a large muscle, in fact the a strong smaller and compact muscles is stronger than a large volume pumped muscle (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy) It's also why people can become 90% stronger without becoming any larger
boybuilders seen the most possible gains not strength, and the best way to gain mass is through sarcoplasmic hypetrophy which is when muscles become larger because of an increase in cellular fluid. This doesn't make a muscle stronger thoug. On the other hand strenght is more about neurological adaptation of the nervous system to send faster and stronger nerve impulses. So those who seek strength and don't perform "mass hypertrophic style workout" can be immensely strong without being large
@Rashaen Muscle cells isn't different. The muscle cells used for weight lifting is the same cells you use for endurance muscles.
Your muscle consists of a lot of muscle fibers, that are controlled by electric pulses from your brain.
The force you can get from your muscles is directly proportional with the sectional area of the muslce (the size). Why there is difference between training weight lifting (hypertrophy) and traning body-weight and many reps is, that when training .. continued
@Rashaen ...hypertrophy, you train by ripping apart a lot of the musclefibers, by lifting heavy weights, so your muscle re-builds itself with more fibers, giving you a larger muscle and therefore greater force. But the thing with muscles is that when you use them, your body can't activate all the muscle fibers at once, only a small part of it, so what you're doing when you train as a gymnast is that you train you're training your muscle to activate a larger number of musclefibers... continued
@Rashaen .and learning your muscles to activate the musclefibers contractions at a better timing, not necessary simultaniously, but in a special, optimized pattern, all together optimizing your current muscle fibers to be better, instead of just building a lot of muscle mass and still only use a small percentage of them.
This can be compared to efficiency the of a lamp - you can get your small lamp to use more of the energy it gets, or simply make the lamp bigger, to get the same energy output
@mikanden123 The definition of hypertrophy is "the increase in the volume of an organ or tissue due to the enlargement of its component cells." The very name you're using indicates that I was correct. An increase in size of the muscle through increasing the number of cells while the cells remain the same size is called hyperplasia.
Training muscles to capacity is indeed a matter of coordination and mental focus, I agree with you entirely on that point.
coach sommer. i noticed when this guy is in a picture using the rings, his muscles enlarge alot more. What is the deal with gymnastic exercises making you alot stronger but not bigger. i notcied when i used to lift alot i was generally always big without having to flex hard or start lifting. doing levers, flags and oac's and planches, i remain really strong but only become bigger after a workout? and honestly i stopped caring about looks and staying bulky, but why does it work that way?
I think it has to do with the wt/rep ratio of gymnastics vs wt lifting. I noticed when I transitioned from gymnastics to wt lifting I initially could do seemingly infinite reps on bench press with my body wt, but just adding 20 lbs dropped my reps to 3-4. Over time, as I became accustomed to heavier wts, my power curve became more linear. It's well documented that lifting in the 5-10 rep range gives you the greatest gains in size, so gymnastic training really isn't optimal for gaining mass.
ya that makes sense. I know all about the 4-8 reps or doing reps of 8-6-4-2 on bench, i just didnt understand why gymnasts with all their strength, were only big during a workout and their size decreased dramatically post workouts.
These are really hard after a few reps and you can add ankle/arm weights (as long as you can still touch your full arm into the wall. For those that thought this was easy, you do have to keep full upper body contact with the wall (and he is sitting piked making it harder.)
These are much more difficult when you do them correctly. At first I thought They were easy. Then I tried them again after reading the essay about them... Much more difficult.
hmm, my stomach is built, but it looks nothing like that at all, and i train flips exclusivley, it looks kind of cool with that upsidown V thing, i want it!
Can you do this lying on your back on the floor and get the same results? I would think the gravity would help you even more lying on your back .
jarden69 2 weeks ago
Coach Sommer is simply the BEST -- If he says it, you can bank on it.
JimmyDeLocke 1 month ago
I just tried this cause I figured I shouldn't assume I can do it just cause it looks easy. It isn't difficult for me, but I can feel my back muscles working to keep my arms against the wall. The harder I tried to keep my entire back against the wall the more I felt it in my upper back. Neat little exercise that I probably would have over looked had I not tried it out.
mawkheaf 1 month ago
easy!!
FliperVask1997 1 month ago
Coach,plz answer this question for me.You guys there,use weights for your conditioning or just bw exercises?I appreciate it.
msmuscley 3 months ago
The vast majority of our conditioning is performed with bw exercises.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
GymnasticBodies 3 months ago
@GymnasticBodies not very bad
CreaturesOfWorld 2 months ago
In my program weights are primarily used as a secondary tool for joint prehab and mobility exercises.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
GymnasticBodies 1 month ago
I can't do that !!!! why ????
FIRST465 5 months ago
Because you have shoulder girdle mobility issues. The Gymnastic Bodies forum has an extensive section on joint prehab and active flexibility which you may find helpful.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
GymnasticBodies 4 months ago
is this something that should be done with someone who's had anterior dislocations? will this help stabilize the shoulder? if not, what do you recommend?
bagelbum111 8 months ago
Please consult the essay on the Gymnastic Bodies forum for additional details on this prehab element.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
GymnasticBodies 8 months ago
these seem to be good for me as my shoulders are quite far forward and simply stretching them behind my back has lost its benefit this definitely feels like it might help
88888888anonymous 11 months ago
Coach, im hoping u can help me. with time ive gotten pretty good ROM from this exercise,in fact i can nearly do it all the way, but i still have knots inbetween my scapula. is it okay to stretch them, i do anyway to get rid of the pain, but i just want to get rid of the knots. i still do retractions to. after i stretch the antagonist muscles. its a frustrating process :D
tyranttbc69 1 year ago
ART or Trigger Point Therapy is the best method that I have found for removing "knots" from within a muscle.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
GymnasticBodies 1 year ago 2
So should I have my lumbar pressed up against the wall too?
casomaticvvh 1 year ago
Yes, the entire back should be pressed firmly into the wall.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
GymnasticBodies 1 year ago
OH, so they do have a name. I always forget to do these... I need to start back up. They are phenomenal.
COREYHELLO 1 year ago
Comment removed
COREYHELLO 1 year ago
he looks happy
whitesnakevan112 1 year ago 23
i might steal this for myself actually. I have had a plethora of injuries over the years (most freak accidents) but one of the main issues i have right now is horrible nerve issues in my shoulders. This seems like a low impact way to regain some of that mobility that i've lost as a result.
bloodriotiori 1 year ago
what if i cannot put my forearm against the wall wen i do this exercise? i can do it with my left but my right just cant get on there. its hurts wen i force it.
puppycatcubs 1 year ago
God damn, I just tried these and failed horribly! Initially my forearms couldn't touch the walls, and at the top of the movement my wrists were in contact but my elbows drifted out! Definitely gonna work on these, thanks so much for the vid!
CelticAndProud 1 year ago
I would like to know what back exercises he does, such wide back, very good!
inemtsev 2 years ago
fantastic body (2)
drgctube 2 years ago
fantastic body
bdanhub 2 years ago 2
so this is good for flexibility??
iwanttofight69 2 years ago
Yeah, shoulder/chest flexibility.
Rashaen 2 years ago
Comment removed
Rashaen 2 years ago
To explain why weight lifters have larger muscles than gymnasts, if I remember correctly the muscle cells that form heavy lifting muscles are much larger than those that form endurance muscles. Weight lifting = large weight small reps = big cells, low endurance. Gymnastics = repetitive motion, single weight (body) = smaller cells, more endurance. Simple as that.
Rashaen 2 years ago
The key to increasing strength utilizing bodyweight is to understand how to effectively decrease the leverage possible on a given exercise as demonstrated by some of the videos which I have shared here on YouTube.
(continued below)
GymnasticBodies 2 years ago
i get what you're saying, but in gymnastics you increase the prssure put on your muscles by using leverage. so why would lets say: a maltese, not be enough pressure to create big cells? a maltese isnt really what you would call an endurance exercise.
omxpablo19 2 years ago
I'm mainly remembering from classes several years ago. It's probably a good bit more complex than that. Traceures and many dancers also very strong, but not very bulky. Researching it now the most solid information I can find is that size is a result of a pretty specific balance of strength and endurance- about 9-12 reps- while below that is solid strength which will result in smaller muscles and above it is endurance, which will result in lean, well toned muscles.
Rashaen 2 years ago
These numbers vary slightly, but everyone seems to agree to within a couple reps. Also since gymnasts rely so much on balance and coordination their bodies can probably pump out more strength due to neural connections and coordination of fast twitch muscles than your average gym monkey.
Rashaen 2 years ago
Wrong.
Bodybuilders(weightlifters who go for maximum size) aim for the biggest gains in muscle mass. They use steroids to aid their recovery, and they do a large number of exercises to break down muscle.
Competitive Weightlifters want the most strength in the bench press, squat, and deadlift at a certain weight. They use very low reps to achieve this.
Most gymnasts gain their muscle to perform their moves, and it is NOT meant for endurance. (continued below)
Twiggles02 2 years ago
Most gymnastics coaches train their athletes to do the moves first, and not to develop a base. Coach Sommers has tried something different in which he emphasizes gaining the strength needed to do a move, and increasing the chance of success instead of trying a move until you can do it.
Twiggles02 2 years ago 2
Nothing you said actually disagrees with what I said. Yes, professional weight lifters do low reps at high weight to train for strength... that's what I said, then you repeated it as if in contradiction? Weight lifters and body builders have different goals. Weight lifters move weight, body builders go for a specific look. They pose on stage, not clean and jerk a thousand pounds. Size and strength are related but not necessarily the same thing.
Rashaen 2 years ago
(cont.) Perhaps you'll disagree with that, but I've outlifted guys with bigger muscles than me and been outlifted by guys that look like twigs. There's more to lifting than muscle size.
Sounds like Sommers is a good coach. Being strong enough to do a move before trying is a common sense approach that's too often overlooked. Also very good for avoiding injury and discouragement.
Rashaen 2 years ago 9
Competitive weightlifters perform the snatch and the clean and jerk. Competitive powerlifters compete in the squat, bench press, and deadlift
moderkakor 2 years ago
are you also known as MR wiggles elsewhere? if this question makes no sense then just ignore me
bartsimpson420 2 years ago
indeed bodybuilding is not about streght, strenght is mostly neurological and depends on teaching the nervous system to send stronger nerve impulses of contraction to the muscle. A small muscle can be a lot stronger than a large muscle, in fact the a strong smaller and compact muscles is stronger than a large volume pumped muscle (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy) It's also why people can become 90% stronger without becoming any larger
OvoPiano 2 years ago
has a lot to do with volume. people that are small and strong dont train a lot, but big people do.
mytemoful 1 year ago
boybuilders seen the most possible gains not strength, and the best way to gain mass is through sarcoplasmic hypetrophy which is when muscles become larger because of an increase in cellular fluid. This doesn't make a muscle stronger thoug. On the other hand strenght is more about neurological adaptation of the nervous system to send faster and stronger nerve impulses. So those who seek strength and don't perform "mass hypertrophic style workout" can be immensely strong without being large
OvoPiano 2 years ago
@Rashaen Muscle cells isn't different. The muscle cells used for weight lifting is the same cells you use for endurance muscles.
Your muscle consists of a lot of muscle fibers, that are controlled by electric pulses from your brain.
The force you can get from your muscles is directly proportional with the sectional area of the muslce (the size). Why there is difference between training weight lifting (hypertrophy) and traning body-weight and many reps is, that when training .. continued
mikanden123 10 months ago
@Rashaen ...hypertrophy, you train by ripping apart a lot of the musclefibers, by lifting heavy weights, so your muscle re-builds itself with more fibers, giving you a larger muscle and therefore greater force. But the thing with muscles is that when you use them, your body can't activate all the muscle fibers at once, only a small part of it, so what you're doing when you train as a gymnast is that you train you're training your muscle to activate a larger number of musclefibers... continued
mikanden123 10 months ago
@Rashaen .and learning your muscles to activate the musclefibers contractions at a better timing, not necessary simultaniously, but in a special, optimized pattern, all together optimizing your current muscle fibers to be better, instead of just building a lot of muscle mass and still only use a small percentage of them.
This can be compared to efficiency the of a lamp - you can get your small lamp to use more of the energy it gets, or simply make the lamp bigger, to get the same energy output
mikanden123 10 months ago
@mikanden123 The definition of hypertrophy is "the increase in the volume of an organ or tissue due to the enlargement of its component cells." The very name you're using indicates that I was correct. An increase in size of the muscle through increasing the number of cells while the cells remain the same size is called hyperplasia.
Training muscles to capacity is indeed a matter of coordination and mental focus, I agree with you entirely on that point.
Rashaen 10 months ago
coach sommer. i noticed when this guy is in a picture using the rings, his muscles enlarge alot more. What is the deal with gymnastic exercises making you alot stronger but not bigger. i notcied when i used to lift alot i was generally always big without having to flex hard or start lifting. doing levers, flags and oac's and planches, i remain really strong but only become bigger after a workout? and honestly i stopped caring about looks and staying bulky, but why does it work that way?
omxpablo19 3 years ago
Its a rush of blood that goes into the muscles you work. Sometimes called a 'pump'.
Twiggles02 2 years ago
what about weightlifters? theyre always big, even if theyre only equally as strong as a gymnast.
omxpablo19 2 years ago
weightlifters have more lower body strength....thats why the guys that weigh from 123 to 200 pounds have GIGANTIC legs....look up pyrros dimas
glcb7 2 years ago
Right, Olympic lifters are lower body based, and gymnasts are upper body dominant. Having Pyrros Dimas' legs would make gymnastic work real tough.
Polarcupcheck 2 years ago
I think it has to do with the wt/rep ratio of gymnastics vs wt lifting. I noticed when I transitioned from gymnastics to wt lifting I initially could do seemingly infinite reps on bench press with my body wt, but just adding 20 lbs dropped my reps to 3-4. Over time, as I became accustomed to heavier wts, my power curve became more linear. It's well documented that lifting in the 5-10 rep range gives you the greatest gains in size, so gymnastic training really isn't optimal for gaining mass.
txtumbler 2 years ago
ya that makes sense. I know all about the 4-8 reps or doing reps of 8-6-4-2 on bench, i just didnt understand why gymnasts with all their strength, were only big during a workout and their size decreased dramatically post workouts.
omxpablo19 2 years ago
These are really hard after a few reps and you can add ankle/arm weights (as long as you can still touch your full arm into the wall. For those that thought this was easy, you do have to keep full upper body contact with the wall (and he is sitting piked making it harder.)
firstjesse 3 years ago
These are much more difficult when you do them correctly. At first I thought They were easy. Then I tried them again after reading the essay about them... Much more difficult.
matthewmovement 3 years ago 3
hmm, my stomach is built, but it looks nothing like that at all, and i train flips exclusivley, it looks kind of cool with that upsidown V thing, i want it!
bioobird 3 years ago
Hmmm.. had no trouble doing that, so I guess my shoulder mobility is fine :) Quite relaxing thought!
nanquan491 3 years ago
Make sure you read the essay describing how to do them properly.
If you can do them properly with ease, congratulations! :-)
DrAlexisOlson 3 years ago
this makes my shoulder more mobil..? ähh can i say that?^^
SimonEigo 3 years ago