Fitness

The best reason to do gymnastics is for FITNESS. Long after retirement, gymnasts will benefit from the high level of fitness they achieved when younger.

Gymnastics coaches know that no other activity can improve fitness more quickly or easily.

Many scientific studies have concluded that gymnasts are the most fit athletes, regardless of the testing criteria. Strength, power, flexibility, agility, balance, coordination, spatial awareness — gymnasts excel.

The guiding principles:

1. Overload (task must be demanding)
2. Progressive Resistance (increase load over time)
3. Specificity

If we obey those principles in setting our fitness improvement programs, gymnasts will see amazing gains. Four months is enough to significantly improve.

Working with your own body weight as resistance is much better, more specific conditioning than anything you can do in a weight room!

Tips for gymnastics conditioning:

• strength training using ropes & rings (especially for girls)
• for strength, the goal is to get the muscles shaking; point of near failure
• devise conditioning contests & games
• use boxes for depth jumping (plyometric training)
• condition near the beginning of the practice when kids are fresh
• do flexibility improvement drills near the end of the practice (when the muscles are fatigued)

Monitor improvement. Reward success. Gymnasts will soon become highly motivated to improve fitness.

They will see value in fitness at a young enough age to affect their entire lives!

Christchurch School of Gymnastics <website>