Gymnastics club
A gymnastics club or gymnastics club is a piece of sports equipment for functional shoulder and back training. It is usually conical and made of wood, e.g. B. beech, weighing 1 kg or more. Gym clubs are swung and not lifted. The resulting centrifugal force stretches the arm and trunk muscles and strengthens them at the same time. Gymnastics clubs are used to improve strength, mobility and coordination, for injury prevention and in rehabilitation.
history
In ancient Persia, gymnastic clubs were used by Pehlwani wrestlers as a training device. They used it to prepare for their competitions and used the clubs to improve their strength, dexterity and flexibility. The art of club swinging gradually spread to India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Early 19th century brought British soldiers stationed in India, this form of training (to England English Indian clubs ). From there, gymnastic clubs became common training equipment for men, women and children in large parts of Europe.
application
The training begins with simple forward and backward swings with extended elbows and straight stance. Later the movement can be varied with circular or radially symmetrical swings. For this purpose z. B. the cross swing, in which circular and alternating swing in front of the chest and behind the back.
Two-armed swings with alternately bent and extended elbows pose a challenge to coordination. Here, the movement patterns are carried out mirror-inverted with a slight time lag. To strengthen the shoulder muscles ( rotator cuff ), turns are particularly suitable in which the club swings behind the back with a high elbow like a pendulum. By turning the trunk, the entire body muscles up to the feet are used.
Areas of application
With club training, preventive, curative and rehabilitative approaches can be pursued: B. Injury prophylaxis, improvement of strength, flexibility and coordination, increase of resistance to stimuli, treatment of muscular imbalances or mobilization of the shoulder girdle and shoulder joint after an operation.
Strengthening the back is an essential part of the training. When swinging the club, the training impulse continues from the arm over the shoulder to the back - and depending on the exercise - to the feet. The rotation of the trunk strengthens the lower back and stimulates the intervertebral discs . They release fluid when the spine rotates and suck when the pressure is released, e.g. B. at night, full again.
In the curative area, hardening and tension in the shoulder muscles can be relieved or eliminated. The club training stretches and loosens the muscles. With active swinging, the muscles are supplied with more blood and oxygen. In addition, the supporting and connective tissue that surrounds the muscles is activated and stabilized.
In rehabilitation , the clubs are primarily an extension and weighting of the arms. The right choice of weight and range of motion is crucial for a positive effect.
effectiveness
When swinging the club in front of and behind the back, degrees of freedom are passed through which are otherwise often only achieved in static stretching, and combined with strength and coordination. With an optimal mass distribution, the club rotates around its center of gravity. For the centrifugal force it is important how far the mass is from the handle. The more mass there is in the belly-shaped part of the club and the further it is from the handle, the more efficient the training stimulus. Depending on which joint is flexed or stretched, the effect of this torque shifts across the body and includes the entire body muscles. In contrast to many guided linear movements, the entire musculoskeletal system is used.
safety
Sufficient distance from people and objects should be maintained during training. The turns should only be performed so quickly that the club is always firmly in the grip. Considerable centrifugal force can arise, especially with heavier clubs.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from September 9, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
