WE HAVE A WIDE ARRAY OF CLASSES
Our program is for all body types and fitness levels. The core fundamentals we teach are of gymnastics based so that any sports, activity or movement style the student participates in will be enhanced. Our secret ingredients are to tackle the fundamentals of movement and add the knowledge and awareness of “technique” balanced with the student’s current body awareness. Over time, the student’s awareness is refined while simultaneously developing strength and flexibility all in the “correct ways” and just like magic, all kinds of skills that were believed to difficult or impossible are now possible!
Strength & Conditioning
Physical fitness dictates the efficiency of movement in both sport and everyday activities. Taking the time to focus on a strength and conditioning program greatly increases performance in all disciplines and improves overall health. This class focuses on building strength, speed, power and endurance required for performance based athletics, sports and overall fitness. Using only body weight for resistance training, endurance training and plyometrics, this program strengthens all major muscle groups and increases the coordination between them. With the use of a wide variety of exercises, this class is beneficial to anyone from beginner to advanced level. We all need more strength. The question now is what type of conditioning is the most beneficial based on our current fitness level and our goal. ABS's program has 8 levels for strength and conditioning for the absolute beginner to high level gymnast or calisthenic enthusiast.
Tumbling
Our tumbling classes have a strong focus on technique throughout every movement and are based on a progressive gymnastics method that leads to advanced skills. In addition to skill development, the training emphasizes flexibility, strength and spatial awareness specific to tumbling. “Basic skills” such as handstands, forward and backward rolls, cartwheels, walkovers, etc. are a major focus in these classes. These skills are the building blocks of the most advanced tumbling performed by gymnasts and power tumblers. After being given the name “basic,” these skills very quickly become neglected and forgotten, taking a toll on tumbling improvement. ABS will refer to these skills as “fundamental” rather than “basic.” For more advanced tumblers, these fundamental movement patterns are applied to forward and backward tumbling, connecting positions, twisting techniques and take-off and landing drills.
Acrobatics (Partner Balancing)
Acrobatics is a discipline that requires strength, balance and cooperative technique in order to be performed. Acrobatics is known to cheerleaders as “stunting,” which consists of lifts, tosses and balances between two or more individuals.
By learning both balance and dynamic elements, athletes develop partner and group acrobatic fundamentals, preparing them for more advanced skills. Balance skills consist of static elements, intricate pyramids and transitions between balances and air positions. Dynamic skills involve inverting, twisting and tossing with landings on the floor or catches by the base partner(s).
Handstand Training
We have dedicated an entire class to the most important body position in tumbling and acrobatics: the handstand. Although the handstand is the foundation of almost all skills, its development in athletes is often overlooked because of its simple visual appearance. We see handstands as more than just going upside down and hoping to stay inverted for as long as possible in any position. Through training, athletes will gain an understanding of how to control inverted positions and learn the relationship between the handstand and other skills. Surprisingly, the handstand takes years to master and is more difficult to learn than what most people consider to be advanced tumbling skills. Because of this, the focus in handstand classes will be on proper alignment and control in order to achieve balance. With an emphasis on upper body strength, athletes will also learn counterbalancing techniques, movement in handstand, head positioning and safe entrances and exits.
Aerial Circus
In this class, athletes will explore creative expression through acrobatic movement on various aerial apparatus. While suspended, athletes will work on different types of climbs, locks and poses to build strength, flexibility and endurance. As they progress to more difficult transitions and sequences, they will work towards choreographing an aerial routine that can be performed to music. Apparatus include silks, hoop, rope, hammock and static trapeze.
Parkour and Tricking
Parkour is an athletic discipline where people attempt to go from point A to point B in the fastest, fluid and most efficient way possible. This is done without any external help from any kind of assisting equipment by combining the motions of running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, rolling, etc. to get around. This is depicted by the situation that is most studied for whatever is needed and requires a level of thinking on the spot to perform such tasks. It’s a sport and an art form that can be practiced alone or with others as a collective. Most commonly done in urban areas like cities, it involves seeing the environment in a new way by problem solving and envisioning the potential for navigating it by moving around, across, through, over and under certain features.
The discipline, developed in France beginning in the late 1980s, was popularized through Internet videos, television commercials, and documentary and feature films. Parkour has become a popular element in action sequences, with film directors hiring parkour practitioners as stunt performers. Parkour is not defined by a set of rules or guidelines, a feature which has proven particularly attractive to young people, allowing them to explore and engage in the activity on their own terms. It can be easily accepted by all cultures as a means of personal expression and recreation.Flexibility
Our flexibility classes emphasize three major areas of the body: the shoulders, back and hips/legs. The aim is to help achieve the range of motion desirable for skill execution, whether that be in cheerleading, circus arts, gymnastics, dance or another performance based athletics. During both active and passive stretching, an emphasis is placed on proper form and alignment of joints to prevent incorrect technique in other skills. Athletes are also guided on how to safely increase their range of motion and body control in various positions. To enable the athletes to stretch to their full potential, we will use walls, props, partners, and incorporate various types of stretching: static, dynamic, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF stretching). Training flexibility regularly will speed up workout recovery and help prevent injuries.
Trampoline
This class gives athletes the opportunity to develop basic trampoline skills in a fun and controlled environment while improving spatial awareness and body control. This is a progressive skill based program designed to build confidence, increase athletic ability and challenge athletes to execute proper technique.
Specific manoeuvers taught will include seat drops, stomach drops, back drops, tuck jumps, pike jumps and straddle jumps. Progressions up to more complex skills with rotations, including combinations of forward and backward saltos and twists are introduced to more advanced athletes.
Coaches will work with athletes to ensure that every class participant progresses at their own pace. Correct technique and body control must be demonstrated before moving on to the next degree of difficulty.
