Training for 7 year old

[Melanie Georgilopoulos]

My son is currently competing level 3 in Australia with a goal of achieving top 3 at State competition next year in level 4. After reading BtGB I feel he can achieve great results by incorporating a short home strength program which utilizes your embedded training principles. I have been through the book and forum to find a good blend of exercises however the list of exercises and combinations seems endless. I am unsure which specific exercises could be viewed at the top ones for young gymnasts general strength development. Could you suggest a workout which he could do most days to gain results over the next six months?

Thank you.

[Blairbob]

What are his routines right now and when does he work out and for how long?

First, you'll need to figure out what he can do.

this means how long he can;

L-sit&L-hang.

can he do a straddle sit?

how long of a wall HS, free HS?

can he do any progression of a press HS including press to Headstands

how many pullups? can he do dips yet? can he do a muscle-up or skin the cat? Can he do a hanging leg lift and if so how high? belly button, chin, toes to bar?

can he do a single leg squat? can he hold at least the bottom?

how is hollow and arch hold?

test his prone support (pushup) hold and inverse/reverse plank too.

[Blairbob]

However, given his age I wouldn't necessarily do the same things every day in and out. It sort of depends on the child. You don't want to burn the kid out, however instilling a proper work ethic is important. Eventually kids can get used to and enjoy a routine.

And if they can't, well it's hard to say if they'll ever make it to high level gymnastics since it's a sport that requires a lot of repetition.

[Melanie Georgilopoulos]

Thank you for your reply. I agree that at his age I need to watch for burn out. His coach has him training 11 hours total each week..Mon 4hrs, Wed 3hrs and Sat 4 hrs. I feel that a small strength routine each morning would help develop a good work ethic which would not only aid his gymnastics but set him up with good habits for life. It needs to be fairly short and give the best return for his efforts which is why I am seeking your advice

Currently his strength is:

L sit. 12sec

L hang. 34 sec

Straddle sit 7 sec

HS free. 5 sec

HS wall. 1min 30

Press to handstand: can do but only just and slightly bent legs

Chin ups: 10

Can do good dips

Can't do muscle up yet but needs to master soon for level 4

Can do skin the cat well

Hanging leg lifts on bar: 15 toes to bar legs straight

Single leg squat: only 1

Hollow hold 30 sec

Arch 1 min 5 sec

Push up hold 3 min 10 sec

Reverse plank hold 1 min

Lots of info but thank you so much for helping!!

[Blairbob]

Do you have a rope. You might be able to find manilla rope at your local hardware store. Generally most don't carry above 3/4" but OSH in the US carries up to 1.5". Using a strap and d-ring, and some duct tape or a gymnastic grip we can hang one from the High Bar. We only practice legless climbs or pullups with them seeing as they are only 6-10 feet long.

You should be able to make some parallettes but there isn't a need for them if he can hold the L-sit on the floor besides PB HS.

Do you have a set of rings. If you did I would say add in ring supports and negative MU (support lower through MU transition to L-hang). You can also add in false grip pullups or false grip horizontal or angled rows and even MU rows. However, the MU row isn't very difficult as far as pushing strength goes.

I would warm up with planks, front, inverse and side planks. At this point, treat the side planks more as a skill.

Front plank 1m

Hollow hold 15-20s

Side Plank L/R This will be more balance limited

Arch hold 30s

Inverse plank 30s

3 rounds

Wall HS, body lever, ring support, locust hold

5 rounds. SSC for these.

5-10 HS and 5-10 presses. Either on wall or with spot.

Rocking SLS. Warmup with holding the bottom of the SLS for a total of 30-60s to WU knee and ankle. 3 rounds of 3-5 reps. With most kids, this is a skill and not a matter of strength unless they are very inflexible or weak legs.

1m of L-sit and 1m of straddle-L hang. Steady State Cycle so work 50% Max Rep.

SSC dips and pullups 2x/week. 1 day of rope climbs if possible with skin the cats. I'd leave the leg lifts for gym as coach may desire HLL to be done at gym for form reasons.

There is a lot to do. I would split into straight arm work on Tuesday, Bent arm work on Friday. Rope climbs or skin the cats at the end of the workout. Ag walks might be fun too. But not each everyday. Split it up. This will keep sessions shorter as well. I'd work the MU rows or negatives both days.

[Melanie Georgilopoulos]

Thankyou for such a detailed reply. Will get started on this straight away and keep you posted with the results.