International Terminology of Acrobatic Gymnastics
Exercise Repertoire
Exercises are seen here as movements performed to condition the body, drill specific skills or to build strength, individually or with the partner(s), thus being conditioning, skill or strength exercises, as well as exercises for flexibility development.
- (Body) Shaping
- Arch, …
- Hollow, …
- Side Arch, …
- Arch Body Hold
- Hollow Body Hold or Dish. In German it is called “Schiffchen”, which is a diminutive form of “Schiff” (boat), meaning “little boat”; it is described as such due to the curved shape which reminds of the shape of a boat with the lower back, which rests flat on the floor as the deepest position (like the lowest point of the boat below the water). The hollow body is a crucial position to master especially for handstands. A specific utilisation of the “Hollow Body” Shape are “Hollow Body Rocks”, which consists of holding a hollow body shape while rocking back and forth. Another common utilisation of the hollow body are transitions from Hollow to Arch (and Side Arch) Body Holds by rolling over the side.
- Plank is a static position on all fours with straight legs. We refer to a Plank as the position performed on straight arms. When performed on the elbows we refer to it as an Elbow Plank. It is a crucial position to master and condition to prepare the wrists and develop static tension in the core. It is also the upper position of a Push-up. The lower position of a Push-up we refer to as a Bent-Arm Plank.
- Reverse Plank is like a Plank but in reverse, by facing upwards. When the same is done with bent legs instead of straight, it is called a Table.
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Table is a static position on all fours, but facing upwards, with the legs bent 90° and the hips and arms in extension. Some refer to it as a “Bench”. It is also used as a base position in trios. Little children without training background often make a table when asked to do a bridge, before having learned how to position the hands or lacking the strength to push up from this position. Independent from that it is an effective beginners exercise for preparation of the required hip extension and to strengthen the arms in extension; in this way it is an easier variation of the Reverse Plank.
- Push-up, …
- Cobra-Child, moving back and forth between the Cobra and Child pose.
- Cat-Cow, moving back and forth between the Cat and Cow pose.
- Child-Push-up, moving from a child pose into a push-up and back, either remaining on the knees or straightening the legs when entering the plank, before lowering down.
- Handstand Push-up, …
- Pike Push-up, also called Drinking Deer Push-up, …
- Sit-up, …
- Crunch-up, …
- Hollow-up
- Arch-up
- Back Extension
- Leg Extension
- Reverse Leg Extension
-
Over-Sit-up
- Shoulder Press, short Press, …
- Pull-up
- Row
Flexibility Drills
- Tricep Stretches
- Shoulder Capsule Stretches
- Standing Leg Lifts
- Seated Leg Lifts
- Wrist Stretches
- Bridge Push-ups
- Bridge Rocks
- Bridge Walks
- Split Glides
- Split Holds
- Frog Stretch
- Standing Piriformis Stretch
- Lying Piriformis Stretch
- Couch Stretch is a quadrizeps and/or hip-flexor/psoas stretch in a kneeling position with the back to the wall.
- Lying Quad Stretch is a quadrizeps stretch while lying on the back, with one or both feet under or close to the hips; depending on flexibility it can be done supported on straight arms behind the back, supported on elbows or lying on the back. When done with both legs simultaneously and wihout any kind of hand support and not lying down, but actively holding the position and hovering over the ground, it is called “Heroes Pose” (the closer to the ground the harder).
- Heroes Pose
- Tailors Pose
- Butterfly
- Split-Pull
- Cheststand-Pull
- Latissimus Stretches
- Calf Stretches
- Hamstring Stretches
Partner Conditioning
- Bird Push-ups means lying on the back and pushing the partner up and down while the partner holds a Front Bird (ideally touching chest on chest).
- Partner Push-ups are weighted push-ups where the Partner serves as the weight by either lying, sitting, kneeling or standing on the back or the shoulders of the one performing the push-up.
- F2H Push-ups means pushing the partner back and forth from bent to straight arms by the feet, in a F2H (foot to hand) position, while lying on the back; it is essentially the acrobatic version of a “floor press” (with which it shares the same limitations in range compared to the bench press), but requires more stability, comparable to push-ups in rings. It belongs to the realm of “Horizontal Pushing”. Obviously, a full range version of the exercise can be done by lying on a bench instead of on the floor.
- F2H Press is a shoulder press with the partner serving as the weight held by the feet in a F2H position, usually done seated or standing. It requires much more stabilisation than the shoulder press with barbells and dumbbells and is thus an important exercise to develop full range stability from the bent arm position to the overhead position. When performed in a straddle or pike sit on the floor it both requires and helps building mobility, enforcing proper alignment and especially extension in the thoracic spine, just as the regular floor-seated shoulder press. It may not be used to replace work with static weights if those are available, as it is much harder to load it past a specific point, but it is highly recommended to be done additionally on a regular basis, as it not only helps to develop stability in the base, but in the top too, as well as confidence in F2H.
- F2H Flies are like Dumbbell flies lying on the floor, just performed with a partner in F2H and ideally with straight arms. Can be used as preparation for wide arm elements in H2H.
- F2H Pullovers are an exercise where the base is lying on the back, holding the partner in F2H on straight arms, the arms then move into shoulder flexion, resisting the flexion while lowering down, then pushing back up; ideally performed with fully straight arms.
- F2H Tempos
- RF2H Tempos