There is no better way to improve your total body coordination and
strength than doing some gymnastics. The dictionary defines gymnastics
as: "Physical exercises designed to develop and display
strength, balance, and agility." I think Webster is right
on! And all athletes need strength, balance and agility. My instructor
Dillon Reeve thinks of gymnastics as the foundation of all movement.
It is true, a gymnast can control and move his body through space
in every conceivable way. Thus, learning a few basic elements of
gymnastics is a great way to improve your overall athleticism. With
this in mind, I have designed this bodyweight exercise complex,
called the Ambush, to develop the aforementioned physical
qualities, plus it can turn into a brutal cardio workout.
I call this complex the Ambush, because you roll in, fire, roll
out. It feels just like a shoot-out in the movies. Luckily, there
is nobody to fire back at you during this exercise. But if you want
someone, I'm sure that can be arranged. I have this crazy friend
Joe that's up for just about anything.
Basic Ambush Pattern
Forward Roll
Squat
Backward Roll
Pushup
Repeat
Forward Roll, Pistol, Backward Roll, Pushup
Video
Check out this video to check
out one variation. I apologize for the video quality. Ironically,
my regular film studio was captured by rebel forces in an ambush.
Damn HIT Jedis…
With this basic pattern in mind, we will start off with the most
basic variation.
You start off on your hands and feet. Push off your feet and roll
onto your upper back. Do not fall onto your neck during
any of these rolls. Keep your legs tucked in tight to your body
with abdominal tension. Once your heels hit the ground, squat
up to a standing position.
The second half of the Ambush is the tricky part. Some people
will have a tough time with backwards rolls. In gymnastics, you
roll straight over and simultaneously kick with your legs and
drive with your arms to propel yourself over. If you don't, you
will roll over your head like a speed bump. Beginners should start
out by simply turning their head to one side and slowly rolling
over. This is sometimes called a neck roll. Use a mat or very
soft carpeting. A neck roll is ugly, but it will get the job done.
It is also a good mobility exercise for your neck. From here,
get into a pushup position and do a pushup. Quickly replace your
hands with your feet and get up to a standing position. At this
point you repeat for your desired number of reps. This is the
easiest variation and should be mastered before attempting more
difficult variations.
Once you have mastered this basic exercise, we will move onto
the real ambush and bust out our pistols. In this variation, you
kick into a handstand (video demo)
and then forward roll out of the handstand. The handstand does
not need to be held long, 2-4 seconds is more than sufficient.
Again, land on your upper back and not your neck. Now, at first,
you should start off with two-legged squats, just to get used
to this new variation. However, it is not an ambush till you
stand up with one leg, pistol style. This will be familiar
territory for anyone who has tried a rock-up pistol. From a standing
position, you then perform a backwards roll and try to kick up
into a handstand. I recommend getting some instruction at a gymnastics
school to learn this technique. It is called a back extension
roll. Lower yourself slowly and then perform a one-arm pushup.
Stand back up and repeat with your opposite leg and arm.
I would probably only do 3 reps per side or six total before
taking a break or switching to something else. If you do too many,
you will feel like you just got out of a washing machine. Complexes
like these also make an excellent warm-up. Nothing wakes you up
like some good tumbling. Give the Ambush a shot.
Tyler Hass is the publisher of Power Athletes Magazine
and a multi-sport athlete. After playing college tennis, he is
now focused on being in shape for anything. He recently founded
Power Athletes, LLC and manufactures the Power
Rings. He can be reached at
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