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Workouts

Developing Elite Gymnastic Strength: Upper Body and Core

This cycle of the gymnastics workout program concentrates on upper body and core strength with some unilateral leg exercises worked in.

Chris Lofland

Written by Chris Lofland Last updated on Dec 6, 2022

Week 1

Day 1

Handstand balance work – 15 minutes

3 Sets of:

  • 10 Chin ups
  • 10 Ring dips
  • 15 V-up

Day 2

4 sets of 1:00 holds:

  • Left split
  • Right split
  • Middle split/pancake

Day 3

3 x 10-20 tap swing on rings

Week 1

Day 1

Handstand balance work – 15 minutes

3 Sets of:

  • 10 Chin ups
  • 10 Ring dips
  • 15 V-up

Day 2

4 sets of 1:00 holds:

  • Left split
  • Right split
  • Middle split/pancake

Day 3

3 x 10-20 tap swing on rings

5 x 5 ice cream maker

Ice cream maker

Tabata jumping switch lunge

Day 4

4 sets of:

  • 5 bridge ups
  • 10 pass-throughs
  • 1:00 couch stretch

Day 5

3 x 5-10 candlestick pulls

As Quickly As Possible (AQAP):

  • 50 hollow rocks
  • 50 supermans

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 2

Day 1

Headstand and handstand balance work – 15 minutes

3 sets of:

  • 10 wide grip behind neck pull up
  • 10 ring push up with :30 hold in support
  • :30 L-sit

Day 2

4 sets of:

  • 3-5 skin the cat
  • 10-20 scarecrow stretch
  • :30 weighted standing pike stretch

Day 3

5 x 5 forward roll to vertical jump

5 x 5 candlestick roll to vertical jump

5 x 5 pistol

Day 4

4 sets of:

  • :30-1:00 ankle stretch
  • :10-:30 wrist support
  • :30 bridge

Day 5

3 x ME strict muscle up

5 x 1 legless rope climb

3 x 3-5 L-sit stoop-through to front support

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 3

Day 1

Balance work – shoulderstand on parallettes – 15 minutes

3 sets of:

  • 10-20 supine ring row
  • 10-20 handstand push up
  • 10 piked leg raise

Day 2

4 sets of:

  • 5 bridge up
  • 10 pass-through
  • 1:00 couch stretch

Day 3

5 x 3 tap swing + 1 front uprise (muscle up)

5 x 5 ice cream scoops

Tabata squat + jump

Day 4

4 sets of 1:00 holds:

  • Left split
  • Right split
  • Middle split/pancake

Day 5

5 x ME (no longer than :30) back lever

AQAP: 100 V-Ups

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 4

Day 1

Balance work – handstand on paralletes

3 sets of:

  • 5 chin up to pull over
  • 10 plyo push up
  • 20 russian twists

Day 2

4 sets of:

  • :30-1:00 ankle stretch
  • :10-:30 wrist support
  • :30 bridge

Day 3

5 x 6 (3 per leg) forward roll to lunge

5 x 6 (3 per leg) candlestick roll to lunge

5 x 5 pistol

Day 4

4 sets of:

  • 3-5 skin the cat
  • 10-20 scarecrow stretch
  • :30 weighted standing pike stretch

Day 5

3 x ME strict muscle up + 2 dips

5 x 1 tucked legless rope climb

3 x 1:00 under grip plank hold on hands

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 5

Day 1

10 x 1 controlled forward roll to hang (rings)

3 sets of:

  • 5 weighted pull up
  • 5 weighted dip
  • 5 high box jump

Day 2

4 sets of 1:00 holds:

  • L-split
  • right split
  • middle split/pancake

Day 3

10 x 1 swing to skin the cat dismount

5 x 2-4 ice cream scoop to support

Tabata jumping switch lunge + squat

Day 4

4 sets of:

  • 5 bridge Up
  • 10 pass through
  • 1:00 couch stretch

Day 5

3 x 5-10 candlestick pulls

As unbroken as possible:

  • 10 V-ups
  • log roll
  • 10 superman

*Goal = feet and shoulders don’t touch down

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 6

Day 1

7 x 1-3 forward roll to support (rings)

3 sets of:

  • 10 wide grip behind the neck pull up
  • 10-20 handstand push up
  • 5-10 L-hang to leg raise

Day 2

4 sets of:

  • 3-5 skin the cat
  • 10-20 scarecrow stretch
  • :30 weighted standing pike stretch

Day 3

5 x 6 alternating forward roll to pistol

5 x 6 alternating candlestick roll to pistol

3 x 10 step up (no push off bottom leg)

Day 4

4 sets of:

  • :30-1:00 ankle stretch
  • :10-:30 wrist support
  • :30 bridge

Day 5

3 x ME ring pull up + MU + dip

50 *shoot through
*Front support stoop to rear support

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 7

Day 1

Tucked shoulder stand on rings – 15 minutes practice

3 sets of:

  • 5-10 strict chest to bar pull up
  • 10 lateral raise
  • :30 L-sit

Day 2

4 sets of:

  • 5 bridge up
  • 10 pass throughs
  • 1:00 couch stretch

Day 3

10 x 1 swing to back roll dismount

5 x max effort strict muscle up

Tabata squat jump + tuck

Day 4

4 sets of 1:00 holds:

  • L-split
  • Right split
  • Middle split/pancake

Day 5

5 x max effort (no longer than :30) back lever

3 sets of 1:00 max distance plank walks

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 8

Day 1

Shoulder stand on rings – 15 minutes practice

3 sets of:

  • 3-7 quick kip bar muscle up
  • 7 high box jumps
  • 15 weighted sit ups

Day 2

4 sets of:

  • :30-1:00 ankle stretch
  • :10-:30 wrist support
  • :30 bridge

Day 3

5 x 4 alternating forward roll to pistol + jump

5 x 4 candlestick roll to pistol + jump

3 x 6 weighted step up (no push off with bottom leg)

Day 4

4 sets of:
3-5 skin the cat
10-20 scarecrow stretch
:30 weighted standing pike stretch

Day 5

3 x max effort strict muscle up + max effirt kipping muscle up

100 hollow rock
100 superman rock
*Partition the work any way you want.

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 9

Day 1

7 x shoulder stand on rings – bail to forward roll to hang

3 sets of:

  • 5 weighted chest to bar pull up
  • 5 weighted ring dip
  • 10-15 piked leg raise

Day 2

4 sets of 1:00 holds:

  • Left split
  • Right split
  • Middle split/pancake

Day 3

10 x 1 back flip tucked dismount from rings

5 x 2 legless rope climb

100 hip height box jumps AQAP (as quickly as possible)

Day 4

4 sets of:

  • 5 bridge up
  • 10 pass through
  • 1:00 couch stretch

Day 5

3 x 5-10 candlestick pulls

4 sets of:

  • 60ft plank walk
  • 60ft hip shoots

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 10

Day 1

7 x 1 shoulder stand on rings – forward roll to support

3 sets of:

  • 10 chin up pull over
  • Rest as needed

Day 2

4 sets of:

  • 3-5 skin the cat
  • 10-20 scarecrow stretch
  • :30 weighted standing pike stretch

Day 3

Handstand forward roll work – 15 minutes

5 x 2 tucked rope climb

3 x 10 weighted step up without pushing off with the bottom leg

Day 4

4 sets of:

  • :30-1:00 ankle stretch
  • :10-:30 wrist support
  • :30 bridge

Day 5

3 x max effort strict muscle up + max effort kipping muscle up

As unbroken as possible:*

  • 20 hollow rock
  • Log roll
  • 20 superman
  • Log roll

*Goal = feet & shoulders don’t touch down

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 11

Day 1

On rings – 7 x tuck shoulder stand – roll to tuck shoulder stand

3 sets of:

  • 3-6 weighted muscle up
  • Rest as needed

Day 2

4 sets of:

  • 5 bridge up
  • 10 pass through
  • 1:00 couch stretch

Day 3

On rings – back roll to support work – 15 minutes

7 x 1 straddle L rope climb

100 air squat AQAP

Day 4

4 sets of 1:00 holds:

  • Left split
  • Right split
  • Middle split/pancake

Day 5

5 x max effort back lever (no longer than :30)

5 x max effort front lever

3 x 1:00 undergrip plank hold on hands

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 12

Day 1

On rings – 7 x shoulder stand – roll to shoulder stand

3 x

  • Max effort muscle up
  • Rest as needed

Day 2

4 sets of:

  • :30-1:00 ankle stretch
  • :10-:30 wrist support
  • :30 bridge

Day 3

10-20 handstand forward roll to pistol

3 x max effort L rope climb with :03 pause on the ground

2:00 max effort alternating leg pistols

Day 4

4 sets of:

  • 3-5 skin the cat
  • 10-20 scarecrow stretch
  • :30 weighted standing pike stretch

Day 5

3 x max effort front uprise (kipping muscle up)

3 x max effort handstand push up (use wall if necessary)

3 x max effort piked leg raise

Chris Lofland

About Chris Lofland

Chris Lofland coached and competed in the sport of gymnastics for over a decade. In 2007 he became a CrossFit coach and began coaching the CrossFit Gymnastics certifications. Since then, Chris has started his own seminar series covering gymnastics, weightlifting, and general movement. In 2016, he opened up BlueWave Fitness in Fort Worth, TX, where he coaches general fitness, performance fitness, weightlifting, and competitive Crossfit athletes.

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