Technique is basics of the basics!

It goes without saying that in order to win the sport top you need to have 3 things: talent (20%), hard work (40%) and good professional coach (40%). And it’s not a secret that the latest thing is very and very problematic to get. Good professional coach is a really rare thing. Very often those gymnasts, who were great in the past, become just middling coaches, and that’s the reason of problems! A child seems to do her best, but the results are very low. At the same time many parents see how other gymnastics whizkids work miracles on the carpet during the competitions, in spite of the fact that they are so young. And they say in grief that these kids are gifted, but their own child is not. Is that really so categorical?

Well, no! And we can declare it with full responsibility. A lot depends on the coach, on how she explains to a young gymnast the technique of doing this or that element. Very often couach show an element (or asks an older gymnast to show it) and says: “Do it!”. And girls start working hard, they repeat 100 times the same element, but fail it again and again. Coach says: “Very bad!”, but your kid is workaholic and she tries and tries again running around like headless chicken. Only one thing is necessary – to show how to do the element correctly and in detail; what arms, legs, wrists, back do during the exercise, for example, in other words, to provide full explanation of every movement. Coach should understand theory first, if she does she will see the reason of failures. Often, many new elements consist of the elements the gymnast can already do, or they have something in common with the learnt elements. And, of course, this should be explained, as a young gymnast may not notice that. So coach should know the theory and be able to explain the exercise in details, as there’s no use to repeat incorrect movements.

Here’s some elements, shown by famous Russian gymnasts. Videos are in Russian, but still very understandable.

Here’s also some information about rhythmic gymnastics technique, which is useful as for a gymnast as for a coach. Gymnasts’ parents also should read it in order to understand rhythmic gymnastics principles better.

Flexibility

Flexibility is an ability to move with high amplitude. There are active and passive flexibility. Active flexibility can be achieved by muscle tension, a passive one - by external actions.

Flexibility depends on:

• Muscles structure
• Elasticity length of ligaments, sinews and muscles
• Environment Temperature (the higher, the better)
• Time of a day (flexibility is low in the morning)
• Fatigue (passive flexibility gets better, active – worse)

How to develop flexibility:

• Exercise for relaxation (give the result of 12-15%)
• Smooth movements with high amplitude
• Repeated bouncing movements
• Battements with gradually rising amplitude

Exercises on flexibility give great results if you do them in the first part of a training after warm-up and in the last part, when you’re tired. First, do these exercises in a day, so that muscles could rest enough. Gradually start doing them every day.

Quickness

Quickness in rhythmic gymnastics is an ability to do movements in a short period of time. There are 4 types of quickness in rhythmic gymnastics:

• Time of reaction
• Time of one movement
• Quick start
• Tempo

Most of the sport movements should be quick.

Quickness development methods

• Exercises on quick reaction on the moving object (stop, catch, beat or rollback)
• Exercises on quick choice (what to do now)

Rotation

We will tell you about rotating moves by the wrist. They can be classified depending on:

• axis of rotation
• plane of rotation
• body part which rotates the object

If the axis of rotation goes through the apparatus’ diameter, such rotations are called “whirls”. They can be with holding and also free, supporting and flying. Floor, wrist, leg or other body parts can be a support for “whirls”.

Rotations can be of several types, depending on the plane:

• Front
• Side
• Horizontal
• Inclined

Rotation is usually made by the wrist, but it can be made by other body parts (leg, neck, torso)

Spring ability is the quality of speed and strength in rhythmic gymnastics. It depends on force, elasticity and muscular activity. Pushing, flying and landing techniques are very important.

Spring ability can be developed by:

• Exercise on stretching (develops the elasticity of legs’ muscles
• Exercise on the development of leg’s muscles (feet, knees, hips)
• Exercise on muscular activity development
• Exercise on technique perfection

Landing perfection – jumps from high objects

Pushing – bouncing movements, jumps on one or two feet with coordination work of other body parts.

Flying – deep jumps

Development methods

• Repeated exercises with enough rest
• Speed orientation
• More complicated conditions (with the weight)
• Games and competitions