Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Terrible Tuesdays - Tough Split?


What's wrong with this picture? 

(Property of USAG) 



Give up? Alicia Sacramone, who's closest to the camera, isn't all the way down in her splits. She's probably at 165-170 degrees. In the air, that wouldn't be a split; on the floor, it isn't one either. I love A-Sac even more than the next person, but there are several other pictures of Alicia not hitting her splits around the internet. And she isn't the only elite either.

I'm not even talking about having active flexibility in jumps, I'm just talking being able to go all the way down in the splits! If you're training 40 hours a week, there is no reason you should be unable to go all the way down in the splits. Flexibility and strength are the foundation of gymnastics. In my eyes, if you can't hit the splits, all the way to 180 degrees on the ground, that's almost as bad as being unable to hold a handstand. 

I disagree with the TOPs coach in this video who says, "Girls, I'm telling you now, you need to get your splits all the way down. Unless you've got a double-double on floor, there's no excuse." 

There's never an excuse. 

(Property of Heather Maynez) 



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