Skill Practice
General Principles
Programming
- The primary goal of this module is skill development.
- The secondary goals of this module are broad improvements in balance, accuracy, agility, and coordination.
- This is skill practice or drills that focus on specific movements not emphasized in the rest of your training. It should take 5–25 minutes total.
- These drills are largely broken into two vague categories: fatiguing and non-fatiguing. Non-fatiguing skills are purely neurological practice that require no significant work; fatiguing drills are those that also have a strength or metabolic component. Non-fatiguing work should always come before fatiguing work to leave you as fresh as possible.
- Gymnastics skills are the king of the pack here.
- Any movements specific to your sport that you wish to practice can be done here.
- Other generally good sources: miscellaneous sports, martial arts, track and field, Parkour and tricking, Highland or strongman exercises.
- Grip training should not be done here; it should come after the rest of your training, rather than before.
- Pursue what interests you and push improvements, but maintain variety; keep trying new skills and forging new neurological pathways. Everything you learn improves you.
Details
- Try one or two activities, or a small collection of basic ones (such as simple gymnastics moves). Don’t spend all day here.
- The potential catalogue of things to learn is vast. Don’t get stagnant.
- If you have some serious gymnastics facilities or coaching, you have a lot more options on that front. This is true for other activities as well.
- Don’t hurt yourself trying something new full-bore; dip a toe in first.
- Depending on what you’re doing, you may be fully warmed-up by the end of this, and you can jump right in to your next module.
- When practicing gymnastics progressions, such as levers or planches, try to use dynamic progressions rather than static holds. For instance, tuck front lever negatives (top to bottom across 180 degrees) rather than tuck front lever static holds in the horizontal position.
Tips
Recommendations
Non-fatiguing
- Olympic lifting form drills, with stick
- Remedial slow lift form drills, with stick
- Throwing for accuracy. Pick a target and distance, hit it from various spots with a ball or object.
- Kicking (try a soccer ball) for accuracy.
- Slacklining.
- Walking on handrails.
- Quadrupedal movement on the ground or on handrails.
- Rail sensitivity drills.
- Precision jumping. Some trainers will help.
- Other Parkour, freerunning, or tricking skills. If you don’t know one, learn it.
- Freestanding handstand practice.
- Dancing, focusing on footwork and correct movement rather than fatigue.
- Running, rowing, swimming, or biking technique practice.
- Juggling.
- Shoot baskets. Use all parts of the court.
Fatiguing
- Olympic lifting form drills with the bar, or bar loaded with light weight.
- Front lever progressions.
- Back lever progressions.
- Planche progressions.
- Muscle-ups.
- Other ring work.
- L-sits.
- Tumbling (if you have been coached).
- Other high-skill gymnastics if you have been coached and have equipment.
- Explosive/plyometric training (box jumps, depth jumps, shock jumps, etc.)
- Jumping for height or distance.
- Throwing for distance or height (shot, kettlebell, a ball, etc.).
- Sprint 3×100m working on form; focus on accelerating and hitting near top speed at the 50m mark. Then do sprint technique drills, about 25 meters each for a few sets. [Source: Brian Degennaro]
- Compression sits and other gymnastics conditioning.
- Medicine ball throwing and drilling.
- Hooverball.
- Yoga.
- Boxing (heavy bag, speed bag, shadow, sparring, focus mitts).
- Martial art practice.
- Kettlebell juggling and assorted play.
- Dancing (active). Try breakdancing.
- Agility drills.
- Dodging thrown objects.
- Climbing/bouldering.
- Shoulder rolls.
- Parkour.
- Jumping rope, incorporating advanced jumping as you can.
- Soccer ball or basketball dribbling.
- Kicking a soccer ball for distance.
