Gymnastics

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• QWhat exercises can I do at home for upper-body gymnastic strength?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  Pull-ups, chin-ups, and push-ups are good upper-body exercises to increase strength for gymnastics and can be done at home.A high quality pull-up bar can be mounted in a door frame.Rope climbing can also be done if there is room outdoors, a steady attachment site and space around it.A mat should be used underneath the rope, and supervision is suggested.Executing any movement without correct stability and flexibility will lead to muscular imbalances and probable injury.Therefore, it is advisable to obtain skills of foundational training before beginning strength movements. 

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• QDo gymnasts need flexibility training?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  Yes! Although most gymnasts are naturally flexible, some are only flexible in certain areas. There is also a tendency for a gymnast to be more flexible on one side of the body than the other. This asymmetry can increase as the gymnast usually favors the more flexible side. Asymmetries can then lead to greater risk of injury and decreased performance. Flexibility training can help reduce this asymmetry and lead to better performance and mechanics. 

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• QHow do I know if I am getting enough conditioning in my gymnastics?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  Possibly. Conditioning for gymnastics is obtained by following the lead of a good coach and by practicing moves repetitively. However, proper conditioning that can enhance performance, reduce risk of injury, and reveal muscular imbalances that should be corrected, may not be taking place inside a facility. Strength and conditioning are important aspects of any performance program, and should be individualized for optimal skill attainment.

  It is essential to note that more training is not necessarily better, and can lead to overtraining and injury. With proper exercise technique and progression, the body can obtain more efficiency which is energy saving rather than energy depleting. Guidance on all conditioning programs should be obtained with a safe format that enhances an athlete's performance.

• QHow can I work circuit training into gymnastics conditioning?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  Circuit training is a great way to work both a cardiovascular and strength training session into a short timeframe.  For most gymnasts, putting on a lot of muscle during a weight training session is not the goal. Strength will be gained through exercise progressions and routines.  Gymnasts need to improve conditioning, but do not need to spend a lot of time running or on cardiovascular equipment. Circuit training is a good way to get the desired strength while continuing to build cardiovascular fitness.  Circuits should have a good balance of both the legs and upper body. The upper-body exercises should focus on the larger muscle groups with exercises that will keep you in good form. The leg exercises are more for power to help with short sprints needed to create speed quickly. The circuit should be short with limited rest and high repetitions. Using medicine balls, exercise bands, and dumbbells allows you to be creative in the exercises while enabling you to quickly move from one exercise to the next.
• QIs cardio or strength training more important for gymnastics?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  The demands on a gymnast are usually short during competition, and because of this, the cardiovascular demands are not high. Where the cardiovascular demands do come into play is during the long practices.  Practices may not be high intensity for the whole period, but there are a lot of short bursts that will push the anaerobic system for brief periods.  The combination of total time and high-intensity work will cause fatigue very quickly in an unfit athlete.  This fatigue can lead to poor form and injury if not addressed. This makes the cardiovascular system very important for a gymnast.  Strength is also very important and most of the strength training can come from the repeated drills on a certain event.
  
• QAre gymnastic events considered aerobic or anaerobic?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  Gymnastics events are anaerobic, but the practices involve a lot of the aerobic system with quick anaerobic bursts.  During the season, perform aerobic conditioning on recovery days to continue building an aerobic base while letting the rest of the body recover from the long practice sessions.  The events and gymnastic routines in competition are short but performed at a high intensity, which means they are more anaerobic.  The anaerobic system for a gymnast does not need additional work using cardiovascular equipment or outside sprinting.
  
• QHow many times per week should I be doing cardio training for gymnastics?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  Cardiovascular training for gymnasts be should added for varying amounts of time depending on the training season.  Most cardio training should be done during the off-season.  It should consist mainly of low-intensity exercise with some intervals to build a good aerobic base and improve your cardiovascular system. It will depend on how much time you are in the gym at this point, but three times a week could be very helpful.  During the season, cardiovascular training is used to maintain the aerobic base and for recovery.  This is a day that should be used to unload the body and to not perform too many intense routines.  In a six day per week cycle, a few days per week at this intensity is beneficial, keeping one day for recovery.
• QWhat are some signs of overtraining in gymnastics?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  Overtraining is a major concern for many athletes and must be guarded against.  With gymnasts, the overtraining can be difficult to see until an injury occurs.  Many injuries come from overuse without the proper recovery or a good aerobic base.  Heart rate monitoring is not effective in this sport because you are not sustaining a high heart rate for long periods of time and wearing a heart rate strap in most events could be dangerous.  Using resting heart rate at the beginning of the day could be a good way to determine how hard you should train that day.  If your resting heart rate is more that eight beats per minute higher than your average resting heart rate, your body is telling you that you are under some type of stress. This stress could be that you are getting sick, a lack of rest, poor nutrition, or you are just training too much. Let your body help determine the intensity and length of your workout that day.

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• QCan anybody do gymnastics?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  Yes and no.It is advisable to begin with a medical assessment before starting gymnastics to ensure the body is ready for the rigors of training.Even for beginners, training is physically and mentally tough.The challenges are also fun and exciting, and great joy can be found in the process of learning and accomplishing gymnastic feats.Another way to see if there is true interest in the sport and to get a feel for what it takes to participate in gymnastics is to view practices at a well-established facility.Seeing a variety of moves, how coaches work, and the intensity of the sport can help with the decision of participation.

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• QWhat can I work on at home for gymnastics?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  Gymnastics takes many hours of practice, so it is a good idea to work on components of the sport at home. However, working on elements such as somersaults or cartwheels requires available space, a good padded mat, and a spotter. If these requirements are not met, practice should be avoided at home. It is always possible to work on flexibility in the home environment. Gymnasts need a tremendous amount of elasticity throughout the entire body, and usually they display tightness in certain areas. Coaches can recommend what individual muscles need more attention. Tight or restricted areas can also be revealed through an assessment by a certified trainer. It is very important to know not only what to stretch, but how to stretch for the best results and to avoid injury.