Category: physical preparation

are your gymnasts actually getting STRONGER?

I see many Gyms with conditioning lists filled with general physical preparation.

Kids quickly adapt to the load and advancement soon flatlines. Many of our programs result in maintenance, not improvement.

Nick Ruddock consults with many Gyms around the world. One of the first things he looks at is their conditioning programs.

  1. Be Proactive
  2. Don’t Wait
  3. Collaborate
  4. Avoid ‘fluffy’ programming
  5. Have a structure
  6. Supervise
  7. Prioritise the Time
  8. Listen to your athlete
  9. Ensure Volume and Frequency is adequate
  10. Don’t neglect the significance of the time

Nick recommends 25-33% of your total training volume to be spent on physical preparation related activities. Bill Sands would say you could spend as little as 30 minutes / day if the program is individualized, correctly targeted and efficiently done.

Click over for the details:

PHYSICAL PREPERATION MUST HAVES FOR GYMNASTS – “10 QUICK TIPS”

reducing Gymnastics leg injury

Dave Tilley:

Issues like stress fractures, ankle sprains, growth plate inflammation, ACL or meniscus tears, Achilles injuries, and overuse cartilage break down are seen throughout all levels of gymnastics. These injuries all have a common overlap in being “impact” based….

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

On the upside, all that impact results in gymnasts having very dense bones.

On the downside, every coach needs to constantly assess the training plan to minimize the risk of traumatic and chronic injuries.

Dave has some advice.

1. Temporarily Reduce Workloads and Impact Volume

2. Diagnose and Get Medical Care Quickly

3. Be Patient

4. Manage Soft Tissue Daily (Manual Therapy and Stretching)

5. Use Ice Baths and Compression Nightly

6. Land Properly

7. Slowly Rebuild Knee and Ankle Joint Strength Following Injury

8. Slowly Rebuild Impact Volume Following Rehab

9. Correct Technical Issues (Steep Take off and Landing Short)

The other more obvious piece, although it’s shockingly not addressed, is that gymnasts simply need to stop landing short and destroying their ankles all the time. Mistakes obviously happen here and there, but the reality is that far too many gymnasts are being allowed to land very short on a daily basis. …

10. Build Leg Strength with Physical Preparation Programs

11. Track Growth

Click through for details and videos:

11 CRUCIAL WAYS TO COMBAT IMPACT KNEE AND ANKLE INJURIES IN GYMNASTICS

Alice Kinsella 2017

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