Gymnastic Training

If you want to do well in gymnastics then you must train, and train hard. It is no different than any other sport. The more hard work and effort you put in, the more you will get back in return. That is not to say that if you work as hard as possible that you will become the best gymnast in the world. Athletic ability and genetics do come into play. What you can ensure if putting all that time and effort in is that you can maximize your own potential, which should always be your goal in anything you do.

In order to be successful in gymnastics you need strength, power and flexibility. When combined with practice and a lot of repetition, having strength, power and flexibility is the only way you will have an opportunity to master technique. It will also make whatever technique you’re working on seem easier.

In gymnastics, strength is more important than endurance. While both are important, strength is more important because there is a lot of explosive power necessary. It’s not a sport like cross country, where you need to work on endurance because you will be doing a lot of the same thing.

All this said, don’t take strength and power the wrong way. While the weight room can definitely be of assistance, it can’t be solely relied upon. Bodybuilders are looking to build muscle groups; gymnasts are looking to train movements. This makes things tricky for gymnasts because the movements they’re training for require synchronized muscle movements. The best approach is to go for strength gains and muscle endurance in the gym while also training your muscles in a manner that resemble the techniques you will be attempting to master.

Before you do any type of training, and something that always must be a primary focus prior to doing any form of gymnastic training, is stretching. Stretching is necessary because it improves flexibility. You cannot be successful in gymnastics without well above average flexibility.

Some general stretches that focus on various body parts and will help you get there are the lower back safety stretch, the seal stretch, wrist circles, the cat stretch, the bridge, the butterfly, the extended butterfly, the leg cross over, the inverted pike, the seated pike, the standing pike, skin the cat, arch back, knee lunge, kneeling pike, over splits, side split, front split, split stretch forward, the pancake, the pull through, the seated straddle, and anything focused on the ankle and calf. If you’re not familiar with any of these stretches, just ask another gymnast or do a quick search online. Either option should be able to provide more detail.

As far as routines and using other sports to help you out go (in some cases), some exercises to consider are the rope climb, handstands, back loops on pummel horse, running the length of the football field, sit-ups, leg lifts, leg lifts from chin bar, inverted press with dumbbells, cross cable pulls, shoulder press, and shoulder rotations with dumbbells.

Another thing you need to consider, and something that is of extreme importance in the sport of gymnastics, is diet and nutrition. One thing that is absolutely necessary is to make sure you consume a minimum of 2,400 calories per day. Anything less than that and you will not be able to gain strength and build muscle. In most cases, you won’t even be able to maintain muscle. And 2,400 calories is still a relatively low number. If you’re active, then you’re going to want to consume more than that. Otherwise, you will burn those calories right off and burn muscle at the same time.

It is also essential that you drink a lot of water. This will keep your muscles hydrated, which will in turn allow them to work harder and longer. The most obvious piece of advice is to avoid junk food. A less obvious piece of advice is to eat a lot protein. This will assist you in the building of muscle and gaining of strength.

The above recommendations should act as a general guide to get you started with your gymnastic training.