WAG HC doesn't talk to me - is our conditioning good? what do you coaches do with your athletes?

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As there have been a few threads about conditioning recently, I wondered if we do the right amount at our gym and what you do. I asked HC about why we do those exercises and numbers, I just wanted to talk about it but he reacted pretty angrily and said he knows what he does. I do think he does, I just wanted to talk about it.

However ... our girls L6-L8 train together, 6 days a week 3 1/2 hours at a time.

We have a warm-up of about 25 minutes with some running, jumping, basics, light conditioning and stretching. Then 35 minutes on each event.
We have very limited time in the gym as our gym is not very big, so we incorporate the strength in our routines.

While on bars they do:
5 Ropes in L - equals around 60ft in total
10 L to L Leg Lifts
10 Full Leg Lifts
10 Stalder Leg Lifts


While on Vault they do:
15 weighted squats
15 squat jumps with ankle weights
15 jumps op a block with ankle weights


While on beam they do:
Leg Kicks with weights

While on floor they do:
standing back tucks, back handsprings, back extension rolls

The last 25 minutes of practice are press handstands of all kinds. From a stand, from a sit, in pike. Usually 10 of each.
Then the last few minutes they stretch.

This is a plan given by the head coach and I actually have never thought about it too much. But now as I I was wondering if we miss something, because we never do push-ups or pull-ups or planche work or handstand holds?

I think our girls are in good shape, they look good and no one has problems with cast handstands or anything else.

Do you think we do enough? What do you do?
 
I wonder why folks think they need to question their gymnastic coach on what they are doing. Would you know if what they are doing is correct or not unless you are a trained gymnastic coach.
I coached teen girls softball for a few years (undefeated for two years) and also boy's soccer. I never once was asked by a parent if I was doing conditioning correctly and if I had been, would most likely have reacted in the same way as the head coach.
 
I think she is a coach not a parent.
Yes, her name is "CoachRita". I think it is a perfectly acceptable question and the HC's response is odd. Clearly he doesn't see his role at a "teacher" and mentor to the younger, less experienced coaches. A little explanation goes a long way, but he seems to have taken the "my way or the highway" approach.

As a senior leader in my place of work, I always take the opportunity to teach and mentor when it presents itself. I am thrilled when someones asks the "why" questions -- it shows they want to understand, learn and grow. This is how we shape the next generation and build a team of people that we can work WITH to do better in the long term. Not allowing a young, eager employee that opportunity is a real shame, regardless of the industry.
 
Thank you all.

Yes, I am a coach and we had states last week. I got to talk with other coaches and some said their kids do handstand holds against a wall, some even work planches with the girls, some don't even do press handstands. So a lot of differences!

That is why I was wondering why our HC chose the exercises above.

We do have limited time and I think it is a good solution to condition during rotations. Also, the bar work at L6+ is pretty intense already with all the cast handstand things.

I just wanted to know if it is bad that we completely miss pushing strength like dips and push ups or handstand push-ups, also no planches.

We sometimes do a few for warm-ups, but not on a regular basis...
 
If the girls are doing well, I don't see a reason to worry. However, I do worry about the ankle weights thing. It causes shin splints, stress fxs, knee and hip problems. They should not be doing these skills with ankle weights.
 
I know of many gyms in my area that not only condition similarly but also condition WAY more than what is listed in the OP's message. I do not think it's overboard but obviously the actual workout itself would have to be observed to give a "real" opinion on it.

What I am not sure of is something another poster pointed out - normally head coaches that I have worked under (two so far) in competitive programs are more than happy to explain the why's of what they choose to do and why not's of what they choose to omit.

When it comes to conditioning in gymnastics, Quality over Quantity.

Or you get really strong in the wrong shapes/way.

Ever see those kids who straddle cast to handstand perfectly with bent knees/flexed feet that never go away? Or those kids who bend their arms with their head out arching up in a straddle press handstand and you can't seem to fix it? That's high numbers with no supervision/correction.

Conditioning is good as long as its done correctly!

Ok I'm done rambling. sorry.
 
That is all good but you need to Add a conditioning rotation as well. at least one Day of just legs with core, at least one Day with Arms and core.
 

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