Shoulder Strength

[mrsmiddle]

Aloha....I am wondering if anyone has any "fun" conditioning exersizes to build shoulder strength. Our Level 4 girls are really weak in this area...AND they cry and whine whenever we do conditioning...
Any Creative Coaches out there?
Thanks
CoachKaty

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I have my girls do pommel horse, as well as supports on rings. I'm in a rush right now, but I'll give you the full list of shoulder conditioning I do with my girls later.

EDIT: Ok, here's what my girls do for shoulder strength:

-Leg cuts on pommel horse. Alternating sides, and they should (try to) swing, like proper leg cuts. In reality, this will take them awhile to get, and until they get the idea, there are numerous pommel-horse drills that will help them with it. One is to rock from side to side in a push-up position, lifting one hand at a time. This both strengthens their shoulders and gets them used to shifting their weight to one hand. If your gym has a boys' team, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to get the boys' coaches to help teach the girls to swing pommels.

-Supports in straight body or pike on rings. This works great for us, because we have a set of low rings right near our bars. It's pretty self-explanatory really -- they hold themselves in a support on the rings.

-Tucked planches/tucked Vs. They can do these on a pommel horse, p-bars, parallets, or if they're strong enough (which it sounds like they aren't), on flat floor. They hold a tuck support, then rock it forward as far as they can (planche) and hold for 15-30 seconds. Then they rock back as far as they can and hold for 15-30 seconds.

-Prone planches. From a push up position, they pull their shoulders forward as far as they can past their hands while keeping a straight body and not falling and hold for 20 seconds, then go back. I usually have them do two or three sets of these at a time

-Back supports on floor. Like a pushup position, but reversed, so their feet are in front. Just holding this position is quite a workout; I typically have my girls do two or three sets of a minute of this.

They also do some press work during warm up. Endo rolls and back extension rolls (and press handstands, if they can do them) are great for working shoulders, and we incorporate them into our daily warm-ups.

[JBS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoffrey Taucer I have my girls do pommel horse, as well as supports on rings.

I love your style GT...my girls do basics on pommels and rings also. And bucket is one of my favorite conditioning games.

We do a game in the bucket called "Spin Out". Have the girls get in a push-up position with their feet in the bucket. Have them walk backwards until they are in a handstand. If they don't make it....SPIN OUT! Watch out, the bucket goes flying.

I also create little obstacle courses they have to do with their feet in the bucket. Around a cone, over a mat, half of it belly down, half belly up, etc. Like wheel barrel races but much safer and cooler. The only limitation is your imagination and the fact that the bucket is tied to the ceiling. You could put it on a traveling pulley (just gave myself a new idea).

[~JEM~]

You could try wheelbarrow races where a partner holds their feet, however you would need to monitor their shape closely, as the wrong shape is bad for their backs and wrists.
Also we do front support walking with their feet on a plastic card, you could alter htis into a game.
We also do handstand obsticle courses, where you set up things they have to walk over in a handstand (eg different height mats, floor bars, skipping ropes etc)
There is this great drill the elite girls do, its a bit like the 'butterfly' stroke in swimming. The gymnast lays on their tummy with their arms infront of them and a parter holds their feet, the gymnast then has to pull herself into a front support without bending her arms, once in front support they lean shoulders over their hands to the floor, and place arms back infront and repeat. Kind of hard to explain in words, but it is basically the butterfly swimming stroke but done on the floor.

[hammy]

Those are some awesome ideas! GT and JBS I like the idea of doing pommels and rings--I think I'm going to start doing that.

I also do Frisbe walk--feet go on a frisbe and walk in pushup shape forwards and backwards. Broken leg walk and handstand holding is always good.

I like to do handstand contests with my girls--give them a goal (say one minute handstand) and see if they can do it. Penguin walk on the Parallel Bars is always fun.

[mrsmiddle]

Thanks everyone!! This will give us some variations and they are always excited to try new things!!!!!!!!