Started by vannybute, January 14, 2015 · 18 Replies · 5,230 Views
My son does gymnastics, going into level 4, just started, 11 years old. How can he improve his gymnastics strength? He wants to develop a handstand, planche, etc. If we can't afford the programs, what should we do? Is http://gymnasticswod.com/okay? It has a lot of good progressions, similar to those seen in an article by coach sommer at http://www.dragondoor.com/articles/building-an-olympic-body-through-bodyweight-conditioning/
Thanks!
Hard question. What is the gym like? What is the coach like? What are the skill levels of the other boys?
Is it a competitive program? How many days a week training?
If memory serves me right and things haven't changed (its been a LOONG time since I was a wee competing gymnast), then there is a press to handstand in level 5. He should be working on Handstand regardless. The Handstand to gymnastics is what the music staff is to Music.
I would stay away from GymnasticWOD. Gymnastic WOD is like gymnastics for adults (From what I have seen). Children need hands on coaching to reinforce muscle memory and technique. And besides, I remember gymnastics being fun! I was only training 2xweek after school for 10years, and made it to level 7, teetering on 8 before I went to Circus School. But I remember the day we had to 'learn' a press to handstand for floor. I just bent over a did it! Because of the circuits, we used to do so much prep work in fun drills, I had already build the prerequisites!
Anyway, I got sidetracked for a second. If money wasn't a factor (which it seems its is), then I would find a really good club so you can sit back and let the professionals handle it. But if you are doing a 2xweek thing etc, the foundation and HS program would be a very good supplement. You could always save up and buy either the starter pack (HSone and FoundationOne) or get Foundation One. While he is working on that (it should take a while!) You can save up for HSone etc.
If you could give us some more info about the stuff at the start of my post, I think people here can give you a better, more informed answer. I hope others will chime in, especially people still involved with gymnastics either as a coach or parent etc.
be very sure that the coach is technically capable of performing his job like a professional. there are many out there, but if you havent found what you're looking for gym wise, save the money you would use to pay a coach and save it for the courses (F1 & H1) and have that as material to use for conditioning, while coaches are helping the technical development.
Well, right now he's out of surgery and recovering, but he's level 3. His gym isn't very conditioning heavy. The level 3 coach is a teenager and it's only two days a week. Level 4 and onwards gets more serious. The lead coach (level 7 and onwards) is a world champion. Is it okay if he uses some of the progressions on gwod alongside the Starter Pack (if we buy it)?
coach Sommer would recommend not undertaking any training until you make a successful recovery.
once he is ready to start moving around and exercising, the Foundation/Handstand series + some stretching will be more than enough to keep him busy for a while
I don't know if you got notified, but I just wanted to know how much weight he should use and where to get. Some of the exercises require a weight bar, apparently. He's out of recovery and starting basic stuff. When I said recovering, I meant that he had it recently, but the 3 weeks are up .
Hey,
I am not sure if I understood that right, but it seems your son does gymnastics in a club already? What's the problem then, you don't trust the coaches at your son's club to support him enough?
Speaking from my general experiences, it's not very helpful when kids who play sports in a club get an extra training at home by their ambitious parents.
When your son wants to practise more at home - why not ask the coach at the club for adequate exercises?
Hi yoflow,
He's started REALLY late (11 years old). He wants to advance quickly, but he won't be able to if he's not very well conditioned, so he wants to do the outside conditioning. His gym barely conditions enough, and so the end GST capabilities aren't the greatest. He hasn't seen a planche, manna, or the like at his gym. He also is really interested in the skills and wants to develop them regardless. He was doing basic l-sit and pushup work before gymnastics. He started midway through 2014.
GenericGymnast said:The lead coach (level 7 and onwards) is a world champion.
yoflow said:When your son wants to practise more at home - why not ask the coach at the club for adequate exercises?
I think that sums it all up.
The problem with talking with the lead coach is that he is always busy and that the only way to train with him is to reach level 7, which my son feels will be very hard without extra conditioning on his own. He will ask the other coaches, but I think we might try getting the Starter Pack. Do you think that is superior to progressions available online?
Regardless of gymnastics or not, he wants to develop these strength skills.
But obviously, he wants to continue with gymnastics.
You will NOT find a more detailed, superior gymnastic strength program on the internet. The other ones available are
either done by people who are self taught, or by gymnasts who were taught the basics so long ago they aren't detailed
enough in their progressions.
So Foundation/Handstand then? We might try the starter pack then after all. But how does it work? You get emailed a file you can view on any device, or what? Do you need Internet to use it? He'll be in a park, and there won't be internet...
No, you access it through the site.
If you look at the top it says "courses" and thats were you access it. You need internet access but maybe just write the exercise down or take a picture using your phone... there's exercise and then integrated mobility for each so it eventually it won't be too hard to remember.
Hmm.. Okay. What tumbling mat might you recommend? He will be working out on concrete/hard ground.
He wont need a tumbling mat. Foundation is not a tumbling program.
He'll be doing handstand 1 and tumbling stuff for fun too.
And we're definitely going to have problems finding a place with stall bars and stuff. The nearby park has no ladder or proper pullup bars(other than monkey bars). So no pullovers or whatever (he won't just do GB training).