Coaches Flexibility and strength in off season

[tweez94]

So other than the optional levels states are finished with and it's time to get cracking. As we all know strength and flexibility are the two most important ingredients in making an impressive gymnast

 

[tweez94]

My question for all of you is simple, how do you all structure conditioning and flexibility, I try my best to keep my group together during conditioning because it allows me to make sure no one is cheating and I can tell just how difficult or not difficult the sets are, I also tend to do it at the end to really hit them hard. Anyway just

 

[tweez94]

Looking for some insight and others opinions, thanks everyone, and I hope your seasons went as well as ours did!

 

[Aussie_coach]

Don't structure it! This is the part of training that gymnasts usually enjoy the least, its also the part they are most likely to cheat on. So forget having a set way of doing it, mix it up and make it different all the time.

try individually, with a partner, in small groups, in one big group, have a sheet they tick off, have a circuit of stations, do it to music, make it a competition, make it a team event and have one team verse another, have a day where you try to break gym records, let them have their own book with personal best records which they try to beat, test them and push them to beat their scores, make it fun, make it into a game, do it at different times in your training session.

the number 1 rule is dont let it get monotonous!

 

[tweez94]

See I love this method but with some groups it's so hard! A boys team it's easy cuz they just want to beat each other, girls isnt always that simple at least for me! But yes I absolutely agree I try to mix it up whenever I can, every now and then I feel it is necessary to do it structured all together though just to make sure they know how important it is

 

[JBS]

the number 1 rule is dont let it get monotonous!

Excellent!...love that rule.

We go outside a lot in the summer with our optionals. They bring different clothes (clothes that are not skin tight like a leo). They play any music they want with a radio that we bring outside. We setup a sprinkler many times and they are allowed to run through it after certain exercises.

I am looking online all the time for fun new things to do.

We have fun things for them to do such as...

The Rogue Butcher

Schwinn Airdyne Bike

Slosh Pipe...

[video=youtube;C0sGMGby7Nw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0sGMGby7Nw[/video]

Ball Slams...

[video=youtube;Rx_UHMnQljU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx_UHMnQljU[/video]

 

[GymCoachR2]

I really enjoy giving my kids circuits. They seem to like it. They move from one station to another, sometimes individually, with a partner or in small groups. There are a couple stations I keep every time, and the rest I switch up depending on what we are working. They like that they move to a new thing every few minutes.

Here are a couple ideas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXj-n_eeNz0

 

[BlairBob]

Ehh, I guess it depends on your program's needs and desires. A desire to be fun and do some varied, somewhat extraneous movements. Once in awhile, maybe, to change things up.

Ball slams are pretty useless though especially in high volume. With adults or children, they will squat less and less on the throwing down phase though these are often programmed in high volume in fitness programs.

While I understand the need for "cookie-cutter" conditioning programs, many athletes will need weaknesses that need to be targeted moreso than other gymnasts. Some gymnasts may need more or less volume with certain exercises and some need to be doing different progressions while those weaker may need spotting or easier progression.

So it all depends.

Generally, early in the workout is specific strength. Stuff like presses and positions. During rotations, specific strength drills are used focusing on positions or movements. Generally after events, general strength or conditioning depending on how the programming fits. After this, flexibility training. Ideally this will change based on certain days.

 

[tweez94]

Yes I normally do basic conditioning and shaping during the warmup period then return to standard conditioning at the end (usually only exercises based on the skills there level requires)

 

[JBS]

Ball slams are pretty useless though especially in high volume. With adults or children, they will squat less and less on the throwing down phase though these are often programmed in high volume in fitness programs.

And why would that be? Different variations of ball slams are great for core strength.

 

[tweez94]

I've never used them so I couldn't agree or disagree with that at all. But I myself always try to focus completely on skill specific movements ie: dips/chin ups for muscle ups, leg lifts and total gym pulls for kips, just to point out two of the really obvious ones

 

[JBS]

How about ball slams for kips...watch the arms.

 

[tweez94]

That was the first thing I thought of when I was watching them in all honesty, but our gym doesn't have any balls the right size we have smaller heavier balls that won't bounce even the least bit...more or less break if we threw them, it'd be nice to compile folder that has some of the most helpful conditioning exercises that directly benefit important skills such as these, more often then not they aren't too hard to come up with but it's always helpful to have stuff written down somewhere, I need to start organizing things!

 

[JBS]

That was the first thing I thought of when I was watching them in all honesty, but our gym doesn't have any balls the right size we have smaller heavier balls that won't bounce even the least bit...more or less break if we threw them, it'd be nice to compile folder that has some of the most helpful conditioning exercises that directly benefit important skills such as these, more often then not they aren't too hard to come up with but it's always helpful to have stuff written down somewhere, I need to start organizing things!

We do lots of different things...much of it for the teenagers...gotta keep them having fun. We bought a few different balls so everyone could do thing one...they all like is so much. We do all sorts of kip stuff...leg lifts...pull ups...rubber band pulls...total gym pulls...ball slams...bubkas...

...but the best kip strength that is very movement specific...is kips...we do lots of kip routines...gotta have a good kip for that to work though.