Dr.Hab., Professor E.N. Medvedeva¹
A.Y. Davydova¹
PhD, Associate Professor G.V. Zarodnyuk^2
1Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health, St. Petersburg
²Saint Petersburg Mining University, Saint Petersburg

Keywords: rhythmic gymnastics, group routine, movement biomechanics, synchronization difficulty factors.

Background. Harmonious artistic imaging (body expression) goals in modern competitive group rhythmic gymnastics routines are attainable only when a special priority is given to movement synchronizing in amplitudes, timing and pacing aspects to demonstrate perfect teamwork in every collaboration, dance step sequence, rolling, tossing, exchange and other elements [1, 3, 5]. In view of the highest competitiveness of the modern group rhythmic gymnastics sport, every single fault, no matter how all it may be, may snowball in group asynchrony and, hence, low technical scores and final places. This is the reason why so high priority is given to group performance synchronizing in the modern group rhythmic gymnastics training systems [2, 5].

Objective of the study was to complement and improve the group rhythmic gymnastics training system by a group routine synchronizing model with special technical and physical training elements.

Methods and structure of the study. We used for the purposes of the study a contactless routine video replay analyses; postural control rating stabilometric Stabilan-01 digital test platform; skin electromyography testing 16-channel MegaWin ME 6000 electromyograph; training system design methods, expert valuations, new training model testing experiment; and the standard test data processing mathematical statistics toolkit. We sampled for the prior movement biomechanics study 21 year-old Masters of Sport (n = 2) from Lesgaft National State University, St. Petersburg champions and many-times winners of the national and international group rhythmic gymnastics events. And we complemented the sample for the model testing experiment by the Lesgaft National State University team members (n = 5).

Results and discussion. Having analyzed the movement kinematics with the electromyography test data, we found the group routine synchronizing in every element heavily depending on the elementary skill difficulty level, with a special training required to secure due movement synchronizing in the group. We have analyzed the expert synchronization difficulty scores for every element of the routine versus the kinematic consistency and the muscle electrical activity (electromyography) test rates. We found the synchronizing quality being dependent, among other things, on the visual control of the movement spacing, timing and pacing, with a special attention to the movement asynchrony not only in the joint angles but in the limb/ trunk and other bodily parts movement speeds.  

As found by a correlation analysis, due synchronizing of the joint angles and movement amplitudes will be secured by the key muscle group activation mechanisms, with the movement synchronizing quality secured by the muscle electrical activity being correlated with the joint angle controls. Furthermore, we have found that the Masters of Sport in every collaboration, dance stepping etc. phase implies every individual execution being accurately paced and timed for the group synchronizing, with the synchronizing difficulty level determined by the positioning specifics (in congested or free settings, back/ side/ frontal to each other etc.), and the relevant execution difficulties. Thus, elliptical postural control spots produced by the stabilographic tests and indicative of the body balance variability range in the Masters of Sport process were found to significantly degrade (p <0.05) after 20s high-intensity dynamic training, with the movement synchronization sagging by 30%.

The postural control and body spacing, timing and pacing difficulties were also found to depend on the apparatus handling skills and natural lead (right or left) hand control specifics in the teamwork. It should be emphasized that the apparatus control skills in the context of the body balancing and routine synchronizing aspects should be ranked high among the other Masters of Sport complicating factors and be addressed by the relevant focused movement synchronizing training elements in the rhythmic gymnastics training system [3, 4].

Knowing that the movement synchronizing in rhythmic gymnastics is secured by perfect timing and pacing of the routine phases, periods and elements harmonized with the musical illustrations, we analyzed the range of kinematic disorders in the varied-pace movement synchronizing – to find that they generally arise from inability to maintain the optimal paces and accelerations of the key bodily parts within the tempo-rhythmic structure of the group routine. Therefore, a special priority in the group routine synchronizing model was given to the individual mastery in pacing and timing the synchronized movements and their combinations for success of the technical training. It may be stated with confidence that an optimal technical and physical fitness achieved by the group routine synchronizing training and progress in the team movement pacing and harmonizing skills help scale down the fault rates in the group routine synchronization aspects [1, 2]. Therefore, the Masters of Sport difficulty factors classified based on the movement biomechanics analyses were used as a basis for the movement synchronizing training with the technical and physical fitness elements in the new group routine synchronizing model: see Figure 1.

Figure 1. Summarized synchronized movement excellence algorithm for the group routine synchronizing model

Bodily parts spacing accuracy Apparatus handling skills Movement rhythm Spatial and postural control

• Synchronized elementary moves and their combinations
• Synchronized groups of elements and their combinations
• Synchronized elements and groups of elements with the apparatus handling skills

The training system in the group routine synchronizing model testing experiment was designed and managed using the following specific training modules to achieve the technical and physical fitness standards for the group routine synchronizing purposes. Module 1 was designed to improve the spatial group movement control with perfectly harmonized muscular efforts in every movement element and sequence. The module set forth a sequence of training goals starting from the elementary limb movements mastering components and up to the specific sequences/ combinations from the rhythmic gymnastics routine.

Module 2 was designed to improve the apparatus handling skills with a special attention to the body balancing (postural control), spacing, timing and pacing aspects for every bodily part. The module offers sets of special apparatus handling exercises – from the elementary individual skills mastering ones to the exchanges, tosses and difficult group combinations.

Module 3 made a special emphasis on the group rhythm excellence aspect with the perfect key muscle group activation, control and timing. The Module 1 and 2 exercises were practiced in Module 3 with a metronome to control the execution pace – from the slow to moderate and then combinations of controlled moderate-to-slow, moderate-to-fast, slow-to-fast etc. sequences to improve the teamwork.

And Module 4 was intended to excel the spatial/ postural control with body balancing skills under varied-intensity workloads, with the above three module exercises used in (1) different combinations and aspects; (2) in every movement sequence; and (3) under stepped-intensity workloads.

The above described group routine synchronizing model was tested in the Lesgaft National State University group rhythmic gymnastics team training system, with the team progress tested by the synchronizing faults rating pre- versus post-experimental tests in the annual training cycle: see Table 1 hereunder.

Table 1. The Lesgaft National State University group rhythmic gymnastics team: pre- versus post-experimental faults in a 5-hoop routine

Note: BD body difficulties in the gymnastics routine

Statistical analysis of the movement synchronizing elements showed the group movement synchronizing fault rate to significantly fall by 54.91% (p <0.05) for the experimental period, with special improvements in the group collaborations due to a significant progress in the individual motor skills and synchronized performance quality (p <0.05) on the whole.

Conclusion. The study with the new group routine synchronizing model testing experiment found that the objective movement biomechanics test data and movement synchronizing difficulty classification analyses provide a sound basis for progress in the group rhythmic gymnastics routine synchronizing aspects. The new group routine synchronizing model was designed based on the movement synchronizing difficulty rating algorithm with the relevant stepped movement synchronizing training modules and training process goals to facilitate progress in the movement synchronizing teamwork and the relevant technical and physical training aspects for success in the synchronized group routines with the difficulty levels stepped up with progress in the movement synchronizing skills and experience.

References

1. Korbakova A.A., Stepanova I.A. Spatial and temporal parameters of movement as factors to determine accuracy of formations and synchronization of performance in formation discipline in dance sports. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2017. no. 4 (146). pp. 91–94.
2. Medvedeva E.N., Davydova A.Yu., Suprun A.A. et al. Tempo-rhythmic characteristics of movements as factor of synchronization of elements in group rhythmic gymnastics exercises. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2018. No. 10 (164). pp. 214-219.
3. Medvedeva E.N., Terekhina R.N., Kryuchek E.S. et al. Difficulty factors of maintaining balance when throwing apparatus in rhythmic gymnastics. Vestnik sportivnoy nauki. 2019. No. 5. pp. 16-21.
4. Stepanova I.A., Ogurtsova U.M., Saykina E.G. et al. Stabilographic characteristics of balance in aesthetic gymnastics as criteria for their mastering complexity. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2017. No. 1 (143). pp. 194-199.
5. Shevchuk N.A., Tuchina U.V. Methodology for assessing motor actions unison by athletes in group gymnastic exercises. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2015. no. 12 (130). pp. 290-293.

Corresponding author: gena391@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to complement and improve the group rhythmic gymnastics training system by a group routine synchronizing model with special technical and physical training elements.

Methods and structure of the study. We used for the purposes of the study a contactless routine video replay analyses; postural control rating stabilometric Stabilan-01 digital test platform; skin electromyography testing 16-channel MegaWin ME 6000 electromyograph; training system design methods, expert valuations, new training model testing experiment; and the standard test data processing mathematical statistics toolkit. We sampled for the prior movement biomechanics study 21 year-old Masters of Sport (n = 2) from Lesgaft National State University, St. Petersburg champions and many-times winners of the national and international group rhythmic gymnastics events. The sample for the model testing experiment was complemented with the Lesgaft National State University team members (n = 5).

Results and conclusions. Statistical analysis of the movement synchronizing elements showed the group movement synchronizing fault rate to significantly fall for the experimental period, with special improvements in the group collaborations due to a significant progress in the individual motor skills and synchronized performance quality on the whole.

The study with the new group routine synchronizing model testing experiment found that the objective movement biomechanics test data and movement synchronizing difficulty classification analyses provide a sound basis for progress in the group rhythmic gymnastics routine synchronizing aspects. The new group routine synchronizing model was designed based on the movement synchronizing difficulty rating algorithm with the relevant stepped movement synchronizing training modules and training process goals to facilitate progress in the movement synchronizing teamwork and the relevant technical and physical training aspects for success in the synchronized group routines with the difficulty levels stepped up with progress in the movement synchronizing skills and experience.