How to start training Pancake Flexibility
Are you a gymnastics skill seeker who wants to accomplish a chest-to-floor pancake?
When you sit on the floor to perform your pancake stretches, do you maintain a flat back, or do you round your back?
Do you need to maintain a flat back when training the pancake?
It's a fair assumption. We're often told to "maintain a flat back" in other hip-hinging movements such as deadlifts and good mornings.
"If you round you're back, you'll get injured".
Is that so?
I believe the fitness industry has taken the whole neutral spine idea too far.
Let's face it, real life and sport are not ridged and straight. We don't move through life with a neutral spine.
It's not very "functional" to only train with a neutral spine.
One of the best exercises for hip mobility and strength.
A lot of gymnastics skill seekers want to have strong and flexible hips. We want to perform a chest-to-floor pancake, chest-to-thigh pike, L-Sits, V-Sits, strict toes to bar, gymnastic bridge, and all the sick gymnastics skills.
Gymnastics Strength Training (GST) is full of movements that require strong and flexible hips.
So, where do you start?
There are literally thousands of strength and flexibility drills you can choose from.
What's the best bang for your buck?
If you've been doing a lot of Yoga, you might already have flexible hips but not very strong hips.
If you've been doing a lot of weight lifting, you might have strong hips but not very flexible hips.
Is there an exercise that can help build both strength and flexibility?
Pancake Mobility Training Program
Are you working on your pancake mobility?
Are you struggling (like me) to make progress?
I’ve been “training" pancake mobility on and off for years, and I’ve not made very much progress. to be honest, I’ve not dedicated enough time to it. I’ve done the odd training block and thrown in a few stretches here and there, but its not enough.