Gymnastics possible at an high age?

Hello everyone!

I wonder about the longevity of gymnastics. Is it possible to perform high level skills (like a planche, a front lever, 90 degree push ups, etc) at an high age (like 80 years old)? Furthermore is this possible even with no backround in gymnastics (as a beginner)?

Best wishes,

Nicolas Lukas

Hi Nicolas, the matter it is how you prepare your body in order to support certain type of stress, the more your joints remain healthy the more you have a long gymnastics life. not more, not less.

Thanks for bringing this up Nicolas, I've actually been wondering about this too.

I do believe that doing this work now (I'm early 40's) will prep my body nicely for older age.  The slow metabolic rate of bone and connective tissue means that it will take years for the slower gains to happen.  But I'm curious about when/if I'd need to stop, or whether having a solid 10 year foundation (or longer) would let me continue to be a physical badass.  Keen to hear peoples thoughts on this....

I entered the program 8 months ago and I’m 64. I was a gymnast in high school, but the coaching and equipment were vastly inferior to what is available today. I’ve also been athletically active all my life.

My main focus is mobility. Although I’d like to be able to tumble and do some impressive tricks again, for people my age, quality of life is all about mobility. And, truth be told, looking good.

We face challenges younger people do not. There is the cumulative wear and tear of a lifetime of injuries, thinning cartilage, arthritis, poorer circulation, and lower levels of anabolic hormones with decreased sensitivity. We recover more slowly.

My range of motion has improved measurably in 8 months though not dramatically. Upper body development has, surprisingly, been better than with weight lifting. In June, I’ll be undergoing a comprehensive annual evaluation which will include measurements of bone density, muscle mass, and body fat along with strength, flexibility, and aerobic capacity. I should have some concrete before and after measurements to report then.

On the downside, I’ve developed a nagging shoulder pain which may or may not be related to the GB upper body work. (There is a tendinitis of the long head of the biceps which was there before beginning GB, some rotator cuff microtears which are hard to explain, and arthritis of the acromion, which may be due to too much work on handstands.)

What I like about GB is that a person can do most of the work at home with very little modification and the regimen is adjustable for individuality. Another advantage is that it doesn’t take a lot of time. GB even addresses nutrition. The only important factor left out is aerobic fitness.

There was a person who used Coaches original book to achieve an Iron cross at 60+ I believe. I don't know about 80 but any physical activity will be harder to start at older age if you have no foundation to start on. Things will be vastly different for an 80 year old former athlete with no serious injury problems vs 80 year old office worker who has been out of shape 90% of their lives.

This isn't GST but here is a 67 year old with cancer doing Calisthenics work.