Category: physical preparation

monitoring height in Gymnastics

Dr. Dave Tilley reports on monitoring for peak height velocity in his Gym.

peak height

Dave’s been tracking 3 numbers for each of the growing kids:

• height
• seated height (torso length)
• wing span

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

At MINIMUM your gymnasts age 10-17 should have a place in the Gym where they pencil in their standing height on some regular basis. They should know when they are growing. There are implications for training load.

If you want to research this topic, get Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science, Gymnastics. (2013).

Here’s the Google Books preview.

related – Tracking Growth and Development To Reduce Injury Risk In Gymnasts

1-arm wall bar press handstands

Jesse Kitzen-Abelson.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

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teaching walkovers

Best practice is starting from forward walkover to a soft elevated surface.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Progressively lower the surface.

The same process should be used for the forward limber to kick backward walkover.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Start young. Do not rush. The gymnast must be strong enough at the end range of the shoulder flexion / upper back extension – with straight legs – before lowering the target surface. Psychological confidence is as important as physical preparation before moving to low Beam.

Happily, almost every girl on every team can achieve this drill. If they work it enough. This range of motion is trainable 🙂