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[Disclaimer: I don't know if this is the right section. If not, I apologise in advance.] Hello, my name's is Alec and I am 28. I have a very late start to artistic gymnastics, dating to about 4 months ago (12th October, 2021), and I fell in love with the discipline. PH in my name stands for my favourite apparatus, which is pommel horse. I am writing this topic because I want to improve my flexibility but I don't know if what I am doing is efficient and I have a feeling that committing to the the ST series would help. I don't know where to start with it, so I will make an introduction about where I am at, what issues I am having, and what do I need to do (skill-wise). I am committed to 7 hours in the gym every week, 2x 2hours sessions and 2x 1.5 hours sessions, which is not enough for the sport, as one needs 40-minutes on each skill most days of the week, if they want to progress at a decent rhithm, according to my coach. Still, I am very lucky as a non-elite adult to have these many group sessions, as most centres in this country only offer 0-2 hours a week. Issues I can know do a more or less proper cartwheel with a decent entry, finish and movement, but I still can't keep my legs straight when I am doing. Overall, I obviously would not get a minimum 9.1 out of 10 (execution score), which is my personal goal in every skill I learn. In a standing pike position, I could already touch the floor when I started but cannot fully bend to touch my head to my legs and hug my legs. I cannot do forward roll to straddle stand position, as I cannot get up. Furthermore, my leg opening seems to be much narrower than during a static stretch. I cannot hold a free handstand position for more than 1 second and it's not straight yet. I have control issues whenever I perform a skill. I don't seem to have awareness of everything and, if I focus on 1 or 2 tips from the instructor, I forget about the rest). I simply lack coordination, I guess. For example, sometimes I can do a handstand forward roll and a dive forward roll gracefully enough without producing a sound; other times, it feel like an elephant hit the floor, especially during Novice competitions, which make me anxious. I can more or less do a bridge and, while the arms are straight, the form is not correct yet. My back support position is not good enough when circling on a mushroom, which leaves me unable to complete 1 circle without touching the ground with my feet. My middle splits are not full yet, and my pancake isn't full either but it's getting better. I can do shears on the pommel horse as of today but still cannot even do 1/4 circle on it, and I think it's a hip mobility issue. I can skin the cat on p bars but can only do half of that on rings before dropping into the foam pit. Current goals Flexibility: Full pike fold Full splits (left/right, and middle) Full pancake (aka japana) Better front support, back support and side support position Better bridge Better shoulder opening/extension for handstands, handstand forward rolls, handstand flatbacks, handspring, etc. Skills: Press to handstand (from a pike fold position, from a middle split position, and from a straddle hold position) Front tuck somersault (current goal to develop over time into a twisting somersault) on the floor Handspring on vault (current goal, while the long-term goal is a tsukahara) 3 circles on mushroom or even 1 on the pommel horse. What I am doing (At home) I'm following most of the following two playlists but I feel they aren't good for adults and non-gymnasts. I did them 3 times a week in January, and my hips were really sore after the first week. Hips Shoulders So, yeah, I was hoping to replace this with Stretch Therapy. I also don't think the screenings on those routines are comprehensive enough to identify issues and know which drills to keep and which one to replace. Conclusion Please, help me identify issues, understand what programmes in your series should I choose to improve my mobility and flexibility, and how many mobility goals should I focus on. I suppose 2-3. I understand the differences between limbering, stretching, flexibility and mobility, as I read your article about it. If I missed any articles that explain part of these, I apologise and, please, feel free to let me know.

Hello all, Kit here. Posted full description on my blog HERE, and full text from blog below for convenience. YT clip (promo): Full blog text: Stretch Therapy for Gymnastics Strength Training (“GST”, but the one we like) This two-day intensive workshop is purpose-designed for all men and women pursuing strength training following men’s gymnastics' strength training protocols. We will present solo and partner versions of most exercises. We will cover all necessary partial poses, progressions, and associated techniques (like fascial releases) to be able to do: pike pancake full squat full back bend (the bridge) shoulder extension, and flexion full hip mobility Achieving a full pike and a full pancake requires stretching the calf muscles (including the often-neglected posterior fascial line), all three hamstrings, all adductors, and a small muscle in the hip called piriformis which is a surprisingly common (but often unsuspected) limiter of these fundamental movements. Practising the pike and pancake by themselves is relatively inefficient, in terms of results gained for time spent—there are better ways. The techniques we will use to achieve the pike and the pancake are all partial poses and/or fascial techniques. The core method used is the Contract–Relax technique, as developed by our team over the last 25 years. We will also use innovative agonist–antagonist moving stretching techniques which will actively assist flatter pikes and pancakes, by activating the hip flexors and TFL in their maximally shortened positions—this provides needed strength in the fully contracted position as well as provides the brain with a novel stretch sensation. Fascial releases on gracilis and the inner hamstrings will be done on all attendees, where needed. The full squat requires considerable ankle flexibility and hip mobility and we will show you a range of exercises that will allow you to do this movement with good foot alignment, preserved arches in the feet, and no support. On most workshops when we begin, only about half the room has a decent full squat, but by the end almost everybody does. We will cover assistance techniques for hip internal rotation (this will complement the external rotation exercises that work piriformis, above, too). We will practise all partial poses leading up to a full back bend. To this end we will show you effective partner stick stretches that will open the chest and shoulders, in preparation for full dislocate movements, and then add the hip flexor/quadriceps, passive back bends over supports, and rib-cage mobilisation exercises so that the body is prepared for the full back bend. Solo alternatives will be taught as well. In addition, fascial releases for the diaphragm and rectus abdominis will be done for all attendees. In the process of going through these partial poses, you will learn exactly which structures are limiting your present movement patterns, so future practise becomes very time efficient. Often, only a small muscle or narrow line of fascia is the restriction—finding and changing these are the keys to unlocking your body. Experience has shown us that adults following gymnastic strength training regimens frequently injure themselves. We will practise a range of extremely effective rehabilitation–treatment exercises to address these kinds of problems. As well, there are a number of stretching exercise that actively assist in recovery and we will do these, too. I will add that if you want to attend the first one, planned for Italy (a lovely town named Piacenza, in northern Italy, 15-16 November, then you'd better book it ASAP; we expect this will be a rapid sellout. If there's enough interest, we can add two more this year. All details will be on kitlaughlin.com/.