Front Support Hold Drills

Coach evaluates five checkpoints: (1) bar sits at hip crease, not stomach or thighs; (2) arms fully locked, elbows straight; (3) hollow body — no hip pike or arch; (4) head neutral, eyes forward; (5) legs squeezed together, toes pointed. All five must be present simultaneously. This position is the arrival and departure point for every circling skill — if it is sloppy, every skill built on it will be sloppy.

Look for: Bar at hips · arms locked · hollow body · this is the position everything else lands in

Hold front support on low bar for 15 seconds. 3x. If a gymnast cannot hold 15 seconds, she is working at the edge of her capacity every time she lands in front support — which means the kip, cast, and every transition skill will deteriorate under the strain of just holding the position. Build the endurance first.

Look for: Bar at hips · arms locked · hollow body · this is the position everything else lands in

In front support on bar, gymnast taps alternating legs forward and backward — 10 reps each side — while maintaining the front support position. This builds dynamic stability in the front support: the ability to hold the position while other things are happening. Competition bars requires front support endurance during active transitions, not just at rest.

Look for: Bar at hips · arms locked · hollow body · this is the position everything else lands in

Seated between yoga blocks, gymnast presses hands into blocks and lifts hips and legs off floor. Build to 10-second holds. 3x. The L-sit is the ground-level version of front support — it builds the hip flexor and tricep depression strength that holds the body in front support position on the bar.

From front support on low bar, gymnast performs slow dips (lower and press back up) with full elbow lock at the top. 3x10. Builds the tricep and shoulder depression endurance for sustained front support and for the press-out phase of cast and underswing skills.

In front support, gymnast actively presses the bar into her hip crease and holds maximum hollow — posterior tilt, ribs down. 3x20 seconds. This is the specific muscle recruitment pattern of front support: the hip flexors must simultaneously hold the bar at hip level AND maintain hollow. Condition them together.

Athlete performs the full Front Support Hold on their own — spot only as needed. Goal: consistent, confident, competition-ready execution with the cue: "Bar at hips · arms locked · hollow body · this is the position everything else lands in."

Look for: Bar at hips · arms locked · hollow body · this is the position everything else lands in