The candlestick roll is a basic gymnastics roll into the candlestick position, where the body is in a straight line (or hollow) and the athlete is “resting” on the back of the shoulders with feet pointed toward the ceiling. In the candlestick roll, the athlete begins standing, squats down, then rolls backward into the candlestick position. Once in the candlestick position, the athlete’s arms can either be above the head or along the sides, pushing on the floor to assist with support and balance. Practicing the candlestick position will develop core strength, body awareness, and control that will translate well to kipping movements such as the muscle-up, pull-up, and toes-to-bar.
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Candlestick Conditioning Drills