Seal Stretch

 Flexibility, Level 1  Add comments
Jan 302012
 

Seal Stretch


The seal stretch is a good exercise to start with before doing harder stretching exercises like bridges and limbers. The gymnast lies flat on the floor and pushes their upper body upwards and take the position as a “Seal”.

Objective

  • Stretch hip flexors.
  • Stretch lower back.

Prerequisite

  • None

Execution

The Seal Stretch looks like a seal. Lie flat on your stomach with your palms on the ground next to your waist. Then push your upper body off the ground and your chest forward. Make sure that your shoulders are pushed downwards and not shrugged into your neck. When you are comfortable then exhale and you should feel the stretch working.

Stage 1 – Setup

 

  • Lie flat on the your stomach.
  • Palms on the ground next to your waist. 

Stage 2 – Stretch

 

  • Push your upper body upwards.
  • Chest forward.
  • Shoulders down. 

Common Mistakes

Coaches teach gymnasts how to do skills correctly, but most gymnasts learns how to perform the skill correctly when coaches corrects their mistakes. This is not wrong, this is actually how gymnasts learn. This being said, it is very important that coaches corrects mistakes all the time. If a gymnast continues doing the same mistake over and over then they will be good at doing that drill with that mistake and have a difficult time later correcting it.
  • Always correct mistakes
  • Correct the first mistake you see the gymnast do (even if it is before the actually drill, i.e. the gymnast forgets to stand tall with arms over their head)
  • Correct only one thing (sometimes two if they are related)

Mistake 1 – Hand Positions

 

The hand position really doesn’t effect this exercise, but we want the gymnast to get into a good habit using correct hand positions for other skills as well.

The gymnast should have their hands pointing forward or inwards towards each other. Using these hand positions will be a benefit for the gymnast when doing back handsprings, backward rolls and so on.

Mistake 2 – Arms Wide

 

The gymnast should keep their arms parallel at all times. Having the arms parallel will also help the gymnast to push more upwards and arch more.

Parallel arms is also what we aim for in most other skills. 

Mistake 3 – Arms Bent

 

If a gymnast is not flexible enough then they might start to bend their arms. Tell the gymnast to keep their arms parallel and place their hands further forward. When the gymnast gets more flexible they should move their hands closer to their body and push more upwards to arch more. 

Mistake 4 – Chest not Extended Forward

 

The gymnast should be extending their chest upwards and forwards. Sometimes you will see this mistake in combination with a shoulder shrug. 

Mistake 5 – Shoulders Shrugged

 

Make sure the gymnasts pushes their shoulders downwards. If they do not push downwards they are not getting the full arch for this exercise. 

Warning

Any activity involving motion or height creates the possibility of accidental injury, paralysis or death. The equipment and instructional materials are intended for use ONLY by properly trained and qualified participants under supervised conditions. Use without proper supervision could be DANGEROUS and should NOT be undertaken or permitted. Before using, KNOW YOUR OWN LIMITATIONS and the limitations of the equipment. If in doubt always consult your instructor. Always inspect equipment for loose fittings or damage and test for stability before each use. We will not be liable for injuries or consequences sustained from the use of the instructional materials supplied by us. Use common sense!
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