Technique Notes + Videos (Mar 17-Feb 18) Flashcards
What is the max number of reps allows in RPU? (May/June 17)
40 reps
In what cases should you adjust students’ feet in RPUs if their feet are too close to their knees? (May/June 17)
First adjust their torso back, but if that’s not the issue then adjust feet. Flexed feet and feet closer than hip width don’t matter.
What’s the order of adjustments in RPUs? (May/June 17)
Verbally move hands from the front, then move to profile to see torsos that are too far forward of upper arms
What’s the ideal range of motion for RPUs? (May/June 17)
1 inch; do not cue students to make it larger
Why might a student not be able to lift seat off of the floor in RPUs and what should you do about it? (May/June 17)
She may have a long torso; give her a riser to place her hands on.
Who might need a riser in RPUs? (May/June 17)
Shoulder injuries, wrist discomfort, long torso, short arms, lack of strength, etc.
Why is the bend at the waist important in RPUs? (May/June 17)
Rounding the ribcage between upper arms helps keep torso in good alignment and protect shoulders
What are the two most effective HOA for RPUs? (May/June 17)
When ribcage is too far forward: place fingers on front of ribcage and thumbs on back and pull them back until ribcage starts to round between arms
When hips too high (and ribcage forward as a result): place one hand on hip and other on back of their shoulders and pull seat down then shift it back. Use back hand to bend forward at waist as needed.
Where should you stand to scan during pushups and plank and what should you be looking for first? (May/June 17)
Go to the profile view and lift hips
Where should you stand to scan during OWLs and what should you be looking for first? (May/June 17)
Profile view to look for tucked seats and rounded upper backs. Tucked seats often indicate stance is too long.
What four things should you look for first in adjusting foldover and in what order? (May/June 17)
Distance from the bar, shift weight over ankle, find torso/leg height for their body, and widen arms
What should you look for first in adjusting standing seat? (May/June 17)
Make sure standing knee is soft and working knee is forward before giving basic tuck; if basic isn’t working, do bear hug
What stretches are required for water ski seat? (May/June 17)
Pull away stretch after EACH SIDE of waterski seat (which means if you want to do double seat you should pair with a seat first that doesn’t have a required stretch)
TRUE OR FALSE: You can tap arms below the knees in low curl with both feet down (May/June 17)
False; too stressful on the neck. All arm motions should be above knee height
What’s the best mat support to provide to students with back issues (S curve, scoliosis, extra weight, etc.) in HC? (July/August 17)
2-3 risers stair stacked instead of small mats.
What’s the best mat support for a student with an S-curve during LC/FD/FU and KSC? (July/August 17)
For students with a gap in their low back from the curve of their spine, place the short end of one small mat directly under it so they have some cushion to press their low back down into. Stack a second one a little further back by the lowest part of the ribcage. If a riser is needed, place it under the ribcage like you normally would.
What’s the best mat support for a student with scoliosis during LC/FD and KSC? (July/August 17)
***ASK SLOAN FOR VISUAL ON THIS
Rearrange the small mats to fill the gap on the side that is not pressing down into the mat. If the spine curves to the right, try placing more support on the left to help her feel more even.
What’s the best mat support for a student with an S-curve during clam? (July/August 17)
Place small mat horizontally underneath them; position it so that it fills the empty space created by the curve of their spine and the long mat beneath them.
What are the most common causes of hip discomfort in curl? (July/August 17)
Sitting too high, being over propper, or being overtucked
What should you do for a student with hip discomfort during clam? (July/August 17)
Help her into a figure four position to eliminate it; if it doesn’t help, have her cross one ankle over the other and angle her shins upwards on a diagonal. She can still take either arm position.
What should you do for a student with hip discomfort during SLC? (July/August 17)
Cue them to bend their knees more, and draw them closer towards their torso. If that doesn’t work, readjust the mini mat so students can press their low back down and relax their hip flexors. Those with hip flexor issues may need to place it near to their low back at the top of their glutes, others may be fine with it slightly lower.
What’s the proper direction for mini mats in HC? (July/August 17)
Either direction is fine
What’s the proper direction for students’ elbows to point in clam? (July/August 17)
Diagonally outward instead of straight out to keep shoulders safe (similar to flatback)
What’s the “why-to” for overtucking? (July/August 17)
Protect your hip flexors and low back
What’s a cue that students have lifted their leg too high in plank? (July/August 17)
Their back arches
TRUE OR FALSE: You can give alternating tucks, grips, and circles in second position thigh. (July/August 17)
False; too much on hips
TRUE OR FALSE: You can give bend-stretches in OWLs with palm facing down. (July/August 17)
False; too much for shoulders
When can you teach floor zinger after standing seat? (July/August 17)
Following standing seat facing the center of the room with a gluteus medius focus. Have students come down to the floor and remain facing the center of the room for floor zinger.
When can you give large range zipped up thigh? (July/August 17)
Strong mixed and advanced classes only; less balance with feet together so students need more control
What is the first thing you should check before adjusting a students’ mats in LC/FD? (March/April 17)
Test your students’ backs before adding support. Place one hand under their shoulder blades and the other behind one thigh. See if you can bend them more forward at their waists.
If they can bend more forward, they are flexible enough to do low curl without mats, however, they may lack the strength to do so. Have them stay holding on. If they still can’t maintain it, provide them with support.
If you are unable to bend them forward at their waists, they have a tight back or they have more weight in their upper bodies than they do in their legs. Both will need support to maintain this position and protect their upper bodies.
Where should supportive mats go in LC/FD, and what will it look like for different body proportions? (March/April 17)
Keep in mind that shorter waisted students will look like the props are very close to their low back, but this is where their natural waist is. Longer waisted students may look like the mats are too far back. Look for the bend at the waist to determine if the support is in a good place to further their efforts.
What is the impact of having too much support in LC and how do you fix it? (March/April 17)
When students have too much support, or have it placed too close to their low backs, this will shift the emphasis of the exercise to their hip flexors instead of their abdominals. This is particularly true in low curl with one or both legs up, where students need to be lower than they are in low curl both legs down to protect their hip flexors. In the case of heavier students, it may be more obvious that they are propped very high while having their legs up (looks like it’s pinching). To resolve, have students move into LC/FD.
During which sections of class can you teach a spider plank? (Mar/Apr 17)
-In addition to teaching spider plank during the pushup section of warm-up and after curl, you may now teach it between curl sets.
After which curl sets can you NOT teach spider plank? (Mar/Apr 17)
-Do not teach spider plank immediately before or after clam, straight leg clam, L-shape leg walks or leg dancing to avoid overusing the hip flexors in two exercises consecutively. Because of these restrictions, spider plank does not suffice as a rest for the neck.
CLARIFY WITH SLOAN:
TRUE OR FALSE: You can teach spider plank and spider push ups in the same class. (Mar/Apr 17)
-Remember that spider plank counts as one of your two allowed planks during mixed classes. Do not combine it with spider pushups.
TRUE OR FALSE: Floor zinger can be taught in parallel. (Mar/Apr 17)
False; Floor zinger can only be taught in a turned-out position. The reason is that it takes longer to feel the gluteus maximus when done in a parallel position, and this exercise needs to be kept short. The zing to the gluteus medius is almost immediate, especially after working it in a turned-out position prior to floor zinger.
TRUE OR FALSE: You should offer the option for students to extend their bottom leg for the glutes stretch after pretzel. (Mar/Apr 17)
False; When teaching the glutes stretch following pretzel, remember that the modification of extending the bottom leg forward is an individually given modification for those with knee restraints. Do not announce this as an option to the whole class as we want to encourage everyone to do the glutes stretch as designed.
TRUE OR FALSE: Students can flex their feet in RPUs. (Mar/Apr 17)
True; As a reminder, students may flex their feet in reverse pushups. It does not impact the exercise. Spend your time on more important issues like hands and torso positions.
Why does hand positioning matter in flatback? (Sept/Oct 17)
Students must have their hands at least slightly wider than their shoulders to protect their joints. With a wider grip, they will also be better able to drop their shoulders. Student may press their forearms against the bar if they find that’s more comfortable, but adjust them to keep their arms slightly wider than their shoulders. If students maintain good posture, they’ll get an extra workout for their back muscles!
What is the most important element of flatback? (Sept/Oct 17)
Bending forward at the waist; if they anchor their shoulders they miss the opportunity to press their midback against the mat and target their TA (they’ll likely feel it in their hips). If they can’t bend forward, it’s probably because their head is too close to the bar and they need to move.
When are risers useful in flatback? (Sept/Oct 17)
Risers help students feel successful by allowing them to lift their feet with less effort or discomfort in their hips. Risers are useful for students with tight hamstrings )because they have tight hamstrings so bending their legs at that angle is pulling on their back), limited flexibility, tight hip flexors, shoulder discomfort, etc.
TRUE OR FALSE: You should take a riser away from a student whose head is too close to the bar (Sept/Oct 17)
False; There’s no need to take a riser away from a student just because her head is too close to the bar. Take the extra time to set her up at the tall bar or stall bar so that her head can clear the bar. This will allow her to bend forward at the waist and make the most of the exercise. Out of tall bar and stall bar spots? The secret is out! In a pinch, use two straps looped over the bar so that students can hold onto the straps and shift their head forward of the bar.
How should you support a student with an S-curve in flatback? (Sept/Oct 17)
Place a small mat horizontally across the part of their spine that is arching away from the mat.
The required turned out position for flatback only consists of two options. What are they? (Sept/Oct 17)
A comfortably wide diamond shape or one ankle crossed on top of the other.
What’s the ideal number of subsets for flatback? (Sept/Oct 17)?
1-4
Why is flatback placed where it is in class? (Sept/Oct 17)
Flat-back builds the intensity in the curl exercises that follow. With the abdominals warmed up, curl-work becomes more effective and students are more likely to feel the burn sooner rather than later.
TRUE OR FALSE: You may press on a students’ back during stretches. (Sept/Oct 17)
False; Pressing on a student’s back in any of the stretches is not part of our method. Instead, press shoulders down away from the ears in the back and shoulder stretch, or cue students to prioritize straightening their legs in the hamstring stretch after reverse pushups and the straddle stretch rather than pressing their torso lower.
How should you adjust a student in calf stretch? (Sept/Oct 17)
If a student is bent too far forward, use one hand on the hip and the other on the mid back to shift her back towards you. From there, give her a gentle basic tuck and bend her forward at the waist if needed. Remember, two handed tucks are too powerful in a situation where the torso is not fixed away from the bar. Use a basic tuck in this stretch.
How should you adjust a student in SATB? (Sept/Oct 17)
- Exercise caution when squaring students’ hips. Assess what the real cause is for their hips being uneven. Chances are they have limited flexibility. Work with them on holding up higher on their thigh and whisper as you ask them if they can straighten their leg. If not, move them to the stall bar.
- In the side stretch, help students straighten their top arm, but hold back from extending this into a deeper stretch. There are many opportunities to help students improve their posture during this interval by gently pressing their shoulders down away from their ears.
How should you adjust a student in standing quad stretch? (Sept/Oct 17)
If you have time for a hands-on adjustment, get in a basic tuck to someone with an arched back.
How should you adjust a student in the kneeling thigh stretch? (Sept/Oct 17)
- In lunge (?), press shoulders down as they extend their arms up, but avoid testing their back flexibility by guiding their arms back more.
- Instead of squaring their hips in the hamstring stretch, focus instead on placing one hand on their ankle and the other on their low back for support. Use your front hand to shift their ankle more forward or back to better align their thighs (for students who are sitting back on their heel)
- Help those that can’t reach the floor comfortably to hold back onto the bar. Supportively remind those students with limited flexibility that this will be a more stable stretch for them.
How should you adjust a student in the Curl-Side to Side Stretch? (Sept/Oct 17)
Do guide students that have their knees below their hips to draw them higher. If you are physically doing this to a student, first draw their knees back to center and up into their chest before lifting them higher in order to protect their hips. Guide their knees to the floor without using force. Allow their shoulders to come up if needed. Many students lack the flexibility to keep their shoulder down as they do this stretch.
How should you adjust a student in the Butterfly Stretch and Strap Stretch? (Sept/Oct 17)
- When teaching the butterfly stretch, help students with the wrong leg position understand how to align their shins and thighs, however, avoid pressing down on a student’s legs. If a student simply can’t cross at the knees, allow her to do the figure four stretch.
- During the strap stretch, help students understand that to straighten their legs, they may need to hold on lower to their straps.
In what positions can you teach teaching heel lifts with one foot behind the other calf? (Sept/Oct 17)
Facing into the bar from a wide turned out position. To preserve the safety of the joints, this may not be taught in a parallel position or leaning into the bar at an angle.
TRUE OR FALSE: You can do pushups on one leg (Sept/Oct 17)
False; spider push ups is the closest compromise and you need to have one foot down.
When can you teach extended thigh positions in a mixed level class and what are they? (Sept/Oct 17)
Extended thigh positions can only be taught as the last of thigh-work in Mixed (waterski, knee dancing)
Where should students with limited flexibility hold on during roundback? (Sept/Oct 17)
Let students know that they can hold on lower than their calves in the resets. They can hold onto their thighs if needed for limited flexibility. Holding on lower will allow those with limited flexibility to bend their elbows and drop their shoulders, important form points that protect the joints.
When in OWLs choreography can you teach reverse fly lifts? (Sept/Oct 17)
Reverse fly lifts must always be the first choreographic move when teaching one-weight lifts. Teaching reverse fly lifts following other choreography is too much for the shoulder to perform effectively and safely.
