Parents Bar for At Home Use?

[Quadqueen]

Hi all,

I'm new to Chalk Bucket and the forums. I am a parent of a 7-year-old new Level 5 gymnast, coach of preschool/recreational gymnastics and a former gymnast. I'm wondering if anyone has ever purchased one of the junior bars/single bars for at home use? There are many of these bars on the market, but they can get pretty expensive if they are to be used for L5 skills (kips) and up. I'm wondering if it is worth it to purchase one. DD is very close to getting her kip but she's been that way for a while and I just want to do what might help..thanks in advance.

 

[Bella's Mom]

Oh god.....okay, I'll weight in first.

I have one for my 7YO. She works mill circles, back hips, front hips, shoot thrus. Also uses it for some conditioning.

It's been worth it for my daughter but it was purchased for her to just have fun, not to get new skills.

Welcome to the Chalk Bucket!

 

[cadybearsmommy]

At your daughter's age, I wouldn't think it would be worth it. They cost a few hundred dollars and it really won't be safe for her to do any more advanced skills than the kip on it. Once she moves on to higher levels, it will be collecting dust b/c it won't be safe for her to do more advanced routines on it.

What you could do is get a chin up bar for the doorway (around $30) and let her do some chin ups at home for arm strength. Extra conditioning always helps when you are trying to get a new skill.

 

[Quadqueen]

Oh god.....okay, I'll weight in first.

I have one for my 7YO. She works mill circles, back hips, front hips, shoot thrus. Also uses it for some conditioning.

It's been worth it for my daughter but it was purchased for her to just have fun, not to get new skills.

Welcome to the Chalk Bucket!

thank you for the input...Bella's mom, what did you mean by "Oh God"...??

 

[agymmom]

Welcome to CB! I have one for my daughter, but when I bought it she was just about to get her pullover and BHC. She has since used to also get her mill circle and practice her shoot through and FHC. (Not to mention the countless hours that both of my kids have spent just hanging upside down on it.)

My understanding is that the kip is really the last skill the mini bars can be used for, as everything else is too dangerous. While I'm glad I got mine and have been very happy with it, I don't think it would be a good investment for you unless you have a younger child that can also use it.

 

[Bella's Mom]

thank you for the input...Bella's mom, what did you mean by "Oh God"...??

LOL....there are just some very strong opinions on this topic. Just be ready!

I think it really depends on your personal situation. My daughter got one for christmas and yes it cost about $300. But I personally believe that I have already gotten my money's worth. My daughter is literally on her bar every single day. I would almost go so far as to say it is rare that an hour go bu that she isn't doing something on it. And I don't mean formal gymnastics training. Yes, she does that some but like right now..... she is hanging upside from her knees, then dropping into a dive roll. She just likes playing around on it.

I think if your motivation is in the right place and if it is your daughter's bar for fun rather than a tool YOU will use to train her at home, well, I think I'm in the minority I think it's a positive thing.

And once your daughter outgrows it, they sell quite easily.

 

[Bella's Mom]

My understanding is that the kip is really the last skill the mini bars can be used for, as everything else is too dangerous. While I'm glad I got mine and have been very happy with it, I don't think it would be a good investment for you unless you have a younger child that can also use it.

This is my understanding too. I don't have the extension legs but have considered getting them for when "my Bella starts kipping." If she works at it, she can make the current legs come off the floor a bit.

 

[Quadqueen]

okay, thanks for the heads up on any feedback...I didn't mean to start anything! I had no intentions of using it as a tool to teach her at home (not sure if you're saying that because I said I coach??). She just really wants to get her kip and wants more time practicing it...and I know she would fool around on it as well. I do know that it would have been more useful to get at an earlier age and she would have gotten more out of it then, but it was just something I was considering looking into. thanks!

Just wanted to add too, that I do not coach my daughter (I actually teach at a different gym).

 

[Bella's Mom]

okay, thanks for the heads up on any feedback...I didn't mean to start anything! I had no intentions of using it as a tool to teach her at home (not sure if you're saying that because I said I coach??). She just really wants to get her kip and wants more time practicing it...and I know she would fool around on it as well. I do know that it would have been more useful to get at an earlier age and she would have gotten more out of it then, but it was just something I was considering looking into. thanks!

Just wanted to add too, that I do not coach my daughter (I actually teach at a different gym).

You aren't starting anything.... it's a valid questions. My remark wasn't because you said you coach. I had actually already forgotten that part when I started replying.

 

[ejgymmom]

LOL....there are just some very strong opinions on this topic. Just be ready!

I knew EXACTLY what you meant by "Oh God"...lol. There sure are a lot of strong opinions out there about bars at home.

We have one and Anna goes through phases with it. Sometimes it'll sit and collect dust for weeks at a time and then other times she'll be on it multiple times a day, usually just hanging upside down or making up her own "tricks". Right now she is so wanting her mill circle and the level 3 dismount, she's been working on those a lot. She actually uses it a lot for chin-ups and leg lifts too, which I think is great. She "works out" with my husband...his weights and stuff are in the same room as the bar.

I think it has really helped her with her bar skills, but like others have said, it won't be much use after she gets her kip. I'm actually looking forward to getting rid of it, but I guess as long as she still monkeys around on it I'll keep it.

 

[sportyspice]

okay, thanks for the heads up on any feedback...I didn't mean to start anything! I had no intentions of using it as a tool to teach her at home (not sure if you're saying that because I said I coach??). She just really wants to get her kip and wants more time practicing it...and I know she would fool around on it as well. I do know that it would have been more useful to get at an earlier age and she would have gotten more out of it then, but it was just something I was considering looking into. thanks!

Just wanted to add too, that I do not coach my daughter (I actually teach at a different gym).

Well.....I'm one of those parents with strong views on bar practice at home.....I have seen coaches spend a lot of time retraining glides, head position and general technique errors formed by children from practicing at home without corrections. But you say you are a coach so that should be in your DD's favour as you can ensure she doesn't learn bad technique habits such as muscling up kips etc.

Personally the one person I think you should be asking this question to is your DD's coach.

 

[mayestra12]

We have one too and we spent more than $300.

My dd does use it but was developing some bad habits trying to get her mill circle.

She doesn't use it all that much and it creates a lot of drama when friends come over. I won't let friends on it.

I never tell dd to practice at home so it's up to her as to how much it gets used. I'm thinking she'll use it more when she wants to get her front hip circle for L4 and her kip.

My ds (age 3) is an aspiring gymnast so maybe he can get some use out of it as he gets bigger.

If I had to do it again I would not have purchased it and I would not not recommend getting one as I don't really think it is worth it.

 

[Empowered]

Let me just add our Jr. Kip Bar story here... We bought one for my daughter when she was L4 because though her first gym was adamant she would never be a good gymnast because of all her weaknesses, they did say she was a "natural swinger" on bars so we figured, hey might as well work on what you're good at.

We bought bar, the panel mat, crash mat, additional extensions and weighted it down to the floor with a giant and extremely heavy piece of plywood exactly as the company told us to do and my 7 year old daughter quite literally out swung the weighted down bar. She would have so much speed and swing doing a front hip circle cast that the bar would jar even being weighted down by well over a hundred pounds of plywood. When we had it she weighed about 45 pounds and the company said it was safe for use to up to 80 pounds I believe, so she was not close on the weight scale at all.

Needless to say the bar was taken down, packed away swiftly and we learned a rather expensive lesson on home gymnastics. That being said though, the crash mat and panel mat have proved to come in very handy when working walkovers and standing handsprings at home.

 

[Quadqueen]

Let me just add our Jr. Kip Bar story here... We bought one for my daughter when she was L4 because though her first gym was adamant she would never be a good gymnast because of all her weaknesses, they did say she was a "natural swinger" on bars so we figured, hey might as well work on what you're good at.

We bought bar, the panel mat, crash mat, additional extensions and weighted it down to the floor with a giant and extremely heavy piece of plywood exactly as the company told us to do and my 7 year old daughter quite literally out swung the weighted down bar. She would have so much speed and swing doing a front hip circle cast that the bar would jar even being weighted down by well over a hundred pounds of plywood. When we had it she weighed about 45 pounds and the company said it was safe for use to up to 80 pounds I believe, so she was not close on the weight scale at all.

Needless to say the bar was taken down, packed away swiftly and we learned a rather expensive lesson on home gymnastics. That being said though, the crash mat and panel mat have proved to come in very handy when working walkovers and standing handsprings at home.

Wow, that is good to know!!! I worried about exactly that happening. My daughter is 4'5" and about 66 lbs and I was looking at bars that said the weight limit was 100 lbs...sounds like that could very likely happen!! I think you've all convinced me not to get one LOL

 

[MaryA]

About this time last year, a girl quit my DD's team and had one available for sale for about $150, I think. I posted here and asked what people thought and most of the opinions seemed to be against it... especially since she was training level 5. Opinion seemed to be that she would outgrow it soon. I eventually decided against it, partially because of the opinions here, but mainly because I wasn't sure where we'd put it. Well, I'm STILL not sure where we'd put it, but I kind of wish we had bought it. One of Kathy's friends has one and now has an attachment for it that lets her practice her cast-to-handsand and stuff like that. And of course, my daughter still reminds me of it and tells me how much she wishes we had bought it. So I would say, if the coach isn't against it, and you can afford it, and you have room for it, go for it!

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

If I had the room I'd get one for DD- but I'd bolt it to the floor- wish we had a useable basement or garage......

 

[k2bdeutmeyer]

I'm currently saving to get one for my DD. That being said, my DD is only 4yr, 30lbs and still working on pullovers, casts, back hip circles, glides, etc, so we have several years of use left out of it. I also coached for many, many years, so I'm not concerned about bad habits. I mostly want it for leg lifts and chin ups though, as DD is training TOPs as well.

 

[cher062]

Welcome to CB. Ok pulling out my soap box for this public service announcement.

the only thing they need at home might be a chinup bar, Honestly they spend hours in the gym with their coaches and at home they need a break. at home we have a chin up bar and a floor mat so she can do some conditioning and stretching (her choice to do it) at home and an 8' beam that sits on the floor so she can practice the "dance moves" on the beam. other than than really they shouldn't be doing flips, bars etc at home without a trained professional there to make the proper correction and spotting. it is very easy to get into doing skills with bad habits.

Leave the gymnastics at the gym.

Ok passing soap box to next person

 

[bogwoppit]

Lets just say that a home bar is another toy, like a trampoline or a pool. It is kind of on the same level as those things safety wise. So you have to supervise evey time the child uses it, you have to make sure friends do not go on it, you have to have rules governing what your child can do (and what you coach thinks it is okay to do safely at home, this should be number one). You should have lots of space around the bar and lots of padding under the bar, as things can and will go very wrong once in a while.

Do not EVER let a child so squat ons at home, they look simple, but can be very dangerous and your kid can get very badly hurt with only a minor mistake.

You must resist the urge to home train your kids, bad habits can take years to undo and coaches are never happy trying to convince a six year old that mom, or dad, is wrong about a glide swing. Having conflicting coaching ideas never works well, especially on bars!

Honestly I think the money would be better spent on other things, like a colloge fund or braces, but each to his own. Often these things get bought and the parent has no intention of home coaching and then slowly but surely mom is in the basement saying "yay, now just one more BHC you'll get it!!!" and all of a sudden they are spotting poor form and pushing their kid to do more than they would've wanted to.

I see from the beginning of the thread one poster seems to imply that there are folk here who think this is a bad plan, well it is and the reason why is that we have seem the problems in the gym that arise from home equipment. So now you have both sides of the argument.

 

[Quadqueen]

Thank you for all of your opinions. I'm not sure who the last couple of posts were directed towards, but since I was the original poster, just wanted to clarify that I am a coach...I do not coach my daughter, but IF I were to help her at home, I would make sure she was not forming any bad habits

All that being said, I understand both sides of this discussion. I believe my DD is too big and advanced for us to get much out of a home bar, but if parents of preschoolers or beginners want to get one, that's up to them!