Parents Still no pullover at 7? Will it ever come?

[pullover]

My DD just turned 7 and appears no closer to a pullover than she was when she first started gymnastics at age 5.5. When she started gymnastics she very quickly advanced through all of the beginning non-bar skills and I was told that she was a good candidate for pre team. She has been on pre team for about 6 months now (first 3 hours per week and recently moved to 4 hours per week). I know it's not a ton of hours compared to some but still assumed that with the increase she would quickly get her pullover. She is advancing on other areas -she's doing walkovers and can do a BHS on the trampoline. But the bars are just not coming -has anyone else's kid had this problem?

 

[COz]

Mine was on 4 hrs a week for 10 weeks, then 6 hrs a week for 10 weeks and still didn't have a pullover. When her hours went up from this she got a pullover. After a couple of months of 12 hours a week she can now do 2 sets of 5 pull ups. This is with zero at home conditioning. If she'd used a pull up bar at home she presumably would have had the strength earlier. Her leg lifts were good.

It also took her a while to figure out how to go from balanced on her hips over the bar to get up to front support.
I eventually draped her over a low bar at a playground and convinced her she could actually balance there without holding with her hands. Once she figured out how to rotate her wrists she had to figure out how to lift her legs to lift the front of her body. Once she'd figured out all this stuff it took a bit of practice at the gym and now it's consistent.

 

[kandkfunk]

Mine was 8, competing (old) level 4 and had been in gym for 5 years before she got her pullover. She was in a system that let her advance levels without being proficient in bars and that's how she ended up in that situation. If you have plans for her to compete, I would strongly encourage you to make sure she gets solid bars skills before advancing. We always assumed bars would eventually come along and her skills would catch up with the other events. In reality, that never happened and she was always behind and playing catch up. That scenario can be very discouraging and in reality, it held back her advancement in the upper levels.

Good luck!

 

[COz]

Perhaps this is a time where a private might help? Ask the coach if THEY are concerned by her not having a pullover YET. Ask if there are things she can do at home that might help. Take it from there

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Very interesting! At our gym, the pullover is the first required skill to move up from the beginner rec class. You don't get to go anywhere else until you have it... No preteam, no intermediate rec class, nothing.

This is one of the (rare) instances I would actually recommend someone practicing at home. DD had a hard time getting the pullover too when she started gymnastics, and about 6mo into gymnastics she really wanted a bar for home. It coincided with Xmas and, not really knowing any better at that point in time, we got her one. She worked on that bar until she got it, and subsequently her BHC. Once she was able to practice it at home she got it really quickly. She was taking a 1hr rec class/wk and they didn't do bars every time, so of course with her working it more at home she got it..!

Now, I guess the recommendation would depend on what it is she's doing wrong to not be able to pullover.... Is she throwing her head back? Straightening her arms right away? If there are technique issues perhaps she shouldn't work on it at home... But if it's a strength thing (which would be hard to believe if she's at the gym 3hrs/wk...) working it at home could be good.

Best of luck!!!

 

[pullover]

Yes we were at a gym like that at first too -no chance of even moving to intermediate rec without a pullover. At that time my DD was VERY motivated to get her pullover and practiced at home and did some push-ups, etc. Then, (just a few months after she started gymnastics) we ended up moving to another gym which we like much better and she was very quickly asked to pre team -even without a pullover. I am happy that she has had the opportunity to increase her hours and work on higher level skills than she would be in a beginner rec class despite not having a pullover. Yet I am really surprised that the pullover hasn't come yet. Her coach does not seem to find it a problem that she doesn't have the pullover and seems to think it will all come together in time. I know it's not about me but I am loosing patience!

 

[Sasha]

Do you see the coaches actually working on the pullover with her in class? It definitely seems unusual, but surely not unheard of. 4 hours a week of preteam seems like plenty. I am guessing it is a technique thing and she's just stuck in a bad habit of some kind. That's why I'm curious if the coach is working with her specifically, or if they are just not working these in class (perhaps if she is the only 1 missing it?), and so she hasn't been working on finding the right technique yet. Mine learned in rec on a playground bar (as have many of her friends when they started). Is there a playground bar somewhere near you where she can practice, or an open gym perhaps?

 

[AV24]

Mine is also 7 and on preteam without a pullover. She is actually very strong, and they work on it every class. She just got her back hip circle this week. The pullover is extremely close, but I think the difference here is that our gym wants the pullover to be perfect. I've seen a LOT of sloppy pullovers from kids in rec, and that doesn't count. It has to be a chin-up pullover with straight legs. That can take some time. I guess all gyms are different, but I'm glad ours didn't make that the prerequisite for any move ups. Hope that helps!

 

[2gymkids]

Mine was moved to pre-team without it but she had been very close for awhile.
Funny, the thing that finally got it for her was a break from gym. She was the only kid in her group who was still struggling with it and she was so frustrated. We went on a week vacation and then the gym was closed for a week, so 2 weeks off. First day back she hopped up on on the bar and did it first try. I think she just needed a mental break from the frustration and also a physical break from doing it the wrong way, if that makes sense. The look on her face when she got it was priceless.

 

[pullover]

Yes that's it exactly. At the old gym we were at the rec kids just sort of sloppily threw themselves around the bar and getting over was a requirement to move to any other class. At our current gym they help the kids do a proper pullover -so this will obviously take more time -and there isn't any pressure to just get over the bar. They do work on it each class but spend more time conditioning on the bar (pull-ups) than practicing the pullover. I'm not sure if my daughter can even do the sloppy kind of pullover even at this point.

 

[gymdog]

Personally I think it really doesn't matter how they start it. Being able to pull over the bar at all is always better than not being able to do it at all.

By the end of a year in preteam I would expect them to do five pullovers in a row rolling back down to a chin hang between each one. I spot them on this every class, spotting as little as possible for them to get it. They usually get it after this plus a ton of other bars and conditioning exercises.

 

[pullover]

Personally I think it really doesn't matter how they start it. Being able to pull over the bar at all is always better than not being able to do it at all.

By the end of a year in preteam I would expect them to do five pullovers in a row rolling back down to a chin hang between each one. I spot them on this every class, spotting as little as possible for them to get it. They usually get it after this plus a ton of other bars and conditioning exercises.

I can see why this philosophy works too -but it's not how it's done in her current gym. Do you have any advice to me as a parent who knows little about gymnastics in helping my DD get there? Thanks.

 

[gymdog]

If they don't go to bars every class and do core exercises (not just pull-ups) it will be hard to get. If she is really motivated then she could do core exercises at home, but if they are not motivating/expecting the kids to get it, then it might become a chore she will resent. I guess if the coach isn't concerned then the coach considers it average for their progression rate. I guess it doesn't really matter when they get it as long as they do eventually but being able to do chin hang pullovers in a row is extremely important developmentally for other bar skills, so I make it a main priority.

I have never seen a child without motor delays not do a pullover due to technique, so I can guarantee you it's a strength deficit. They do those
things (head back, straightening arms too early) because they aren't strong enough to cling closely to the bar and support their head. Sometimes it seems like their strong enough because their arms can hold, but it is a core issue to support up their head and lift their legs to an inverted position where they can roll over from.

In order to know what progressions would help strength wise we'd need her current level of strength. Can she climb to the top of a rope? How many leg lifts? Can she hold her toes and thighs to the bar without support or hooking her feet?

 

[kandkfunk]

I have never seen a child without motor delays not do a pullover due to technique, so I can guarantee you it's a strength deficit. They do those
things (head back, straightening arms too early) because they aren't strong enough to cling closely to the bar and support their head. Sometimes it seems like their strong enough because their arms can hold, but it is a core issue to support up their head and lift their legs to an inverted position where they can roll over from.

^^^This! My DD did the head back thing for YEARS! Her coaches would get so frustrated, but nobody ever made the connection, at that time, that it was a lack of strength. They just thought she was not capable of making the corrections given to her. My DD is very strong. She is the short, muscular, powerful type of gymnast, but looks can be deceiving. Arms and legs are strong, but core strength was harder for her to develop. Maybe the coaches can give her some core strengthening exercises? Or, you can search here on CB for some ideas. There are a lot of threads about conditioning. Good luck!

 

[LemonLime]

My dd is in college. She's a multi-year national medalist on bars at JO and elite, starting from a rather young age. If it makes you feel any better, SHE COULD NOT GET HER PULLOVER. Maybe it took year and she made it right before she turned 7? Unless there's a genetic/strength issue, I have no advice because I am not a coach. But I remember feeling your pain. DD would stand next to bars and not make it over and over and over again. Other girls would learn new things and my daughter could not even get ON the bar. I don't particularly remember it being frustrating because it was what it was, but I can assure you that the pullover is not an indicator of your DD's future on bars. Good luck.

 

[AV24]

^^^LOVE this!!! SO encouraging.

 

[pullover]

My dd is in college. She's a multi-year national medalist on bars at JO and elite, starting from a rather young age. If it makes you feel any better, SHE COULD NOT GET HER PULLOVER. Maybe it took year and she made it right before she turned 7? Unless there's a genetic/strength issue, I have no advice because I am not a coach. But I remember feeling your pain. DD would stand next to bars and not make it over and over and over again. Other girls would learn new things and my daughter could not even get ON the bar. I don't particularly remember it being frustrating because it was what it was, but I can assure you that the pullover is not an indicator of your DD's future on bars. Good luck.

Thank you!!! So encouraging!!!

 

[tooootsie]

I wonder if they aren't doing enough conditioning? Because if she is strong everywhere else, it seems like the abs might be a little weak? But what do I know?

 

[berrisweetness]

Infuses my 4 year old is advancing fast she got her pullover 6 months ago. But she is still working on coming up to front support. She is very strong.