Bar in doorway at home

[littlekateskate]

Okay, I read somewhere about people putting a pull up bar in a closet doorway for kids to practice on at home.

Has anyone here done this. It was thinking in my daughters room. She has a walkin closet so there is plenty of room. As well I would put matts under it.

If you do this what height would you put it.

She is new to the sport and just basically doing cat flips and pullovers (cant do it unasisted yet). I just thought this may help her get caught up with the class if she could practice at home.

Looking for thoughts (dd is almost 5-july)

[gymmom14]

We have a bar, well actually two in the same doorway. They are easy to remove. So we bought two and set one at pull over height and the other at chin up height. We put the lower one in to work on pull overs and the higher one in to work on stregnth (pull ups, v hangs etc)

Hope that helps.

[MdGymMom01]

I have a chin up bar installed in our basement. I use it for myself to do pullups. My dd uses it for pull ups and leg lifts. She hangs on the bar and then she lifts her legs extended up to the top of the bar (if she can get that high). I usually help her with this exercise because she doesn't have a wall to lean back on. I usually just hold her back so she doesn't swing too much. I also have her do some crunch ups while hanging--great abs exercises!!! The bar is too high and too close to the top of the door to do pullovers or anything else. I just use it for conditioning.

[Shawn]

We did that for our DD, too. We had to set it high enough to keep our younger son off of it, which meant lifting DD up to it every time she wanted to do something. But it worked great and she loved it.

[Monkeygirlsmom]

WE have a pull up bar for the girls but dh wll not let them flip on it.
they have to only swing or do pulups
(I will let them if i am right there ~ what he doesnt know wont hurt right LOL)

[gym law mom]

A bar to work on pull ups is ok----do not go there with one to practice any type of bar skill(pullover, kip etc.) These bars are really not designed for this, can come loose and then you have an injury. Also, kids very quickly develop bad habits trying a skill at home and then they really fall behind at the gym since the coach has to spend time fixing the skill.

If you want her to develop some upper body strength---try swimming. Great cardio and strength without any pounding.

[mtbmom]

We got a pull-up bar because my daughter's coach was yelling at her for not being able to do 10 pull-ups (she had just turned 6). Obviously DD was very upset by this so we bought the bar. Now that we're at a new gym with effective coaches that respect my daughter and actually coach her into learning new skills and better conditioning, she rarely uses the bar.
I'm a firm believer in allowing the coaches to do the coaching. Of course, that was only after we found the right coaches. Honestly, most coaches recommend no formal practice at home. Most believe that it adds no benefit and can also impede their growth as a gymnast.

Honestly, gymnastics is a S L O W sport. As a parent and a gymnast, you must be patient. As many wiser in the gymnastics community have said before me, "gymnastics is a marathon, not a sprint." Honestly, at 4.5 yo I would just let DD enjoy gymnastics with not much talk of it (unless she initiates it) or pressure on her "off" time at home. It's amazing as parents how we can add pressure our children without even realizing. We show an interest and really like something and they try to please.

Take care,

Sue Z