Page 204 - AERIAL ACROBATICS & CALISTHENICS VOL. 1 (ENG).pdf

17.4 → CONDITIONING
As a general rule, the back flag/side planche would be a maximal (1RM) or sub- maximal strength skill of short duration (in a typical routine we would not per- form more than three consecutive back flags/side planches).
The focus of our training should be maximal or submaximal strength more than endurance. For all of these training exercises, we will perform sets with a small number of repetitions and at a high level of intensity. However, we need to keep in mind that at the beginning, our goal is to improve muscular development and tone, and to allow our body to memorize movement patterns. Initially, for the more complex exercises, we can do more repetitions at a lower intensity (using two-arms, with a spot from someone else or using a resistance band, straddling or bending the legs, etc.), but as we get closer to the desired movement pattern and our body is ready for the skill, we will do sets with fewer repetitions at a higher intensity. Since we are aiming for maximal or submaximal strength to perform the skills, we will perform a maximum of up to 5 repetitions.
As a general guideline, we can program our training focusing on the type of workout needed, including concentric, eccentric, or isometric exercises (see Ch. 1 for reference).
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BASIC AND SKILL SPECIFIC EXER- CISES
— From standing on the floor to Nutcracker:
• Russian technique (legs together): pike and lift both legs at the same time, keeping them togeth- er (the wider the legs the easier the drill).
• Canadian technique (legs apart): the external leg, same leg as holding arm, will remain piked and open (as a “développé à la seconde” in ballet), and will externally rotate as the internal leg pikes to reach the Nutcracker position. Then, the exter- nal leg should internally rotate as we go back to the initial position remaining piked throughout the movement at an approximate height of the chest.
— From standing on the floor to meathook (legs together or apart, depending on the desired level of difficulty).
— From meathook to nutcracker (keeping the pike and lowering the hip to reach the hand-foot position during the transition from meathook to nutcracker / nutcracker to meathook). One of the most common mistakes is to lose the pike without lowering the hip, only moving the oposite leg of the hanging arm from a meathook to a nutcrack- er/nutcracker to meathook position.
CH. 17. BACK FLAG/SIDE PLANCHE
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