'Don't Try That at Home', or how far is too far?

[JediGymnast]

Hello! As you may know from the Introductions page, I'm a self-taught gymnast. At the moment I don't have access to classes or a gym (as much as I would like to) and so have been learning via a combination of online tutorials and a video camera to check form and correct mistakes. My question is, what is safe and what isn't? I know everything is safer with a coach and the correct equipment, but how much can I safely try at home without risking a trip to the emergency room? (don't worry, I'm not dumb enough to try a back handspring or any flips)

 

[amblan01]

If there's a possibility of you landing on your head or neck. Even a slight chance of concussion or breaking bones do not try it.

gymnastics=10% talent 90% hard work

 

[BlairBob]

Back handsprings and Back tucks are not safe. Front tumbling not so much.

Flyaways are not safe.

Beam is always a danger.

Side Aerials have a bit of danger, more if you chicken out and put your fingers on the ground. Excellent way to sprain them.

Bars can be dangerous because you can peel off in some circling skills, even ordinary swings, squats ons.

 

[JediGymnast]

OK. That's basically what I figured; no flips (definitely nothing backwards), no beam (or maybe just walking across a low one), and no bars. Thank you very much!

 

[Brandon]

Basically stick to cartwheels and round offs until you can get to a gym

 

[txgymfan]

Try Pilates and/or Yoga in addition to your self coaching, both will work your core, balance, overall strength and muscle control. You can always work splits and head or handstands against a wall both are gymnastics without being dangerous.

 

[GymSurvivor]

Work lots of handstands, strength and flexibility and it will make the harder skills easier if you get the chance to learn then in the future.

Walking on and doing leaps and turns on a low beam shouldn't really be an issue, at least in my mind.....

 

[BlairBob]

Beam and bars is fine but there is some danger. There is also some danger of randomly getting hit by a car while you're walking, crashing while you're driving, forest fires, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, random nut jobs going postal.

Thing is, I'm guessing the only bars you would have access to our playground bars and something that is like a beam but you would basically have no landing mats. Grass or sand to land or concrete.

If you have access to a pool, you can work all the tumbling you want in the water without hurting yourself. Off the diving board or edge isn't safe and I wouldn't recommend it unless you already knew what you were doing.

 

[JediGymnast]

Correct, the only 'bars' and 'beam' I have access to are playground chin-up bars and random curbs or brick walls. No crash mats or even sand, just those splintery old wood chips. *shudders* I may make my own low beam for indoor use later, but until then....yeah. I like the pool idea.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

The first advice I would give you, of course, is to get to a gym where you can work out with proper coaching and equipment.

Barring that, I would focus on handstands, strength, handstands, flexibility, and handstands. Virtually everything we do in gymnastics is in some way based on a handstand, and they are a relatively safe skill to practice at home. Static handstands, pirouettes, presses, anything to do with handstands.

Also, did I mention handstands?

 

[Kiwi]

You should be okay with handstands and cartwheels if you have enough room (and a surface you are not likely to break bones on such as carpet, not concrete). You could use a floor beam or one of those beam strips you put on the floor, and you can practice balances and turns. Even handstands and cartwheels if your 'beam' is a floor strip. A regular beam 'complex' is great training, such as releve walks forward, sideways and backward, high kicks forward, side, and backward, tiny jumps along, and so on. On bar you can practice circle ups (pullovers), and roll forward into tuck hang for example. Tuck hang, L hang, dish hang, skin-the-cat, etc. Glide swings should be okay, I wouldn't do any big swinging though. And of course you can work on conditioning for strength and flexibility work.

 

[fuzi]

Some one summed it up wonderfully for me once. Of course freak injuries can happen anytime, but the big risk is upside down + speed.

Handstands and cartwheels are slow. Hanging on a bar doing pull ups or leg lifts is right-side up, and you are unlikely to get more than rips on your hand. Even if you fall of a beam walking, you will probably land on your feet (worse case scenario: tweak an ankle).

Flips and handsprings are upside down and fast. Therefore, danger danger!