Joints and muscles pain

[workinprogress]

Hello everybody, I know gymnasts are not very much into supplements but I was just wondering whether there's something recommendable for joints and muscles pain recovery. I always have the problem of not being able to push harder on my trainings because of pain, e.g. if one day I work hard on the floor, the next day I will rather avoid it and maybe work only on the gymnova tumbling (which is softer) we have in our gym. Same thing with rings, especially with giants and dismounts work, the next day I'll more likely feel pain on my shoulders and dorsals from the shocks down at the swing. This way I can hardly go to the next level, plus it's very frustrating, especially when you make some very good training and the next day you look forward to repeating. Something similar happens with conditioning and stretching, when I do hard (according to my level) sessions the next day I will have to go very soft. I know all this is pretty normal but I feel this effect on me is just too much, and I always wish I had some more boost to perform better every day.

I have to admit that when I compete, or when there happens to be some "important" people whom to show in the gym, everything pretty much goes away and I feel all my strength hehe But you know it's a matter of training.

Do you guys have tips for a 25 year old gymnast still with some ambitions?

Thank you everybody

PS: I know it may sound a bit stupid, or just "femalish" :-) but I also have hands pain on my callouses after I work hard, and I haven't been doing 6 apparatuses for a long time, thus my hands are absolutely not overused. I don't suffer from dry hands at all either, thus I don't really know that I could do more with them other than sanding them once or twice a week. That causes a big loss of power on the apparatuses also... Any hints? Maybe wrong section I know...

[Neal Winkler]

(1) Regular deloads

(2) Adequate nutrition and pre/post workout nutrition

(3) Adequate sleep

(4) Fish oil, vit D, maybe glucosamine sulfate/chondtroitin & BCAA

[workinprogress]

1) Deloads... let me specify that we are talking about 5 max 6 trainings per week around 2,5 hours each, and that the matter would be actually reducing deload time, as I would actually like to train a bit more, and mainly hardly and more constantly. You know how high loads of training of pro gymnasts can (and samehow should) be

2) My nutrition is ok, I have a pretty fine and balanced diet. Is there anything specific I should consider as pre and post WO?

3) I usually sleep at least 8 hours

4) I've often read about fish oil, especially on this amazing forum. I will definitely try it out, together with BCAA which may help me increasing just a bit my muscle mass (I am 5'10'' x 150 lbs, and still have my 2 pounds of belly to lose).

Thanks again!

[Neal Winkler]

(1) So, you already do deloads, or no? Even if you want to increase your training, you still need to do regular deloads. There are many ways to do it.

(2) If at all possible, it's best to get the majority of your nutrition after training. For example, if your schedule allows it, get at least 50% (or more) of your days calories and protein after training.

(3) Good. Also make sure that your room is pitch black (no light creeping in from windows, or light coming off digital clock, ect.).

(4) Also, look into magnesium supplementation.

[workinprogress]

Thank you very much trianglechoke. Do you just mind being more specific about deloads? I'm just not considering any specific schedule because I don't think I'm either loading much, and after three trainings in a row I just need to rest one day. And there's people doing three trainings in a day! :oops:

[Blairbob]

Building up to lots of volume/training/multiple workouts a day is something that takes time. Time as in not just the course of a day, week, or month but months and years.

thus my hands are absolutely not overused

you can try to scrape off all the white skin in the shower on your hands with your nail or use a pumice stone or file.

[workinprogress]

Of course Blair, but I'm not the newbiest of the newbies either, and many gymnasts happen to quit, then come back to activity and I never heard of years of training prior to reaching a high level of loads... Plus, let me repeat myself, I'm not training MUCH actually.

Regarding hands, I do scrub the white skin in the shower around once a week, the thing is that I actually feel the pain the day after I work a bit harder on the apparatus, and that's stressful. You lose a lot of strength from your hands when you get them sore. And I'm not doing high bar or massive hanging work on the p-bars either that can cause extreme usage. Some of my team mates dare much more, especially on the high bar, and don't suffer as much as I do at all.

Cheers!