Coaches Warm up

[gracefulone]

I know there was a similar topic, but I swear this is different enough! If you feel it beneficial to know, I'm at a YMCA, otherwise, ignore this piece of information.

Our director of 4 months has created a new warmup for us. It replaces what we called 'lines' or basic tumbling. Here's what we do, starting right from when you walk in the gym. Everyone in the gym runs around the floor 10X, 10 tuck jumps, 10 split jumps, 10 straddle jumps, and 15 pushups. Good. Then it divides up by levels. I'm a level 7, so here's my next part: 10 BHS onto a block, 10 standing back tucks, 10 punch fronts, 10 turns, 10 leap series, 10 jump series. ok... Then we go to bars and do 5 connected kips on low bar, 5 on highbar. 10 tuck ups, 10 leg lefts, 10 pull-up pullovers. Then we do 5 flyaways(start from dead hang, do two swings, then dismount) Then we go to our first event. What's wrong with this warmup?


It took me a bit to figure it out, but there is absolutely no stretching!!!! No splits, no rolling out ankles, and level 6's and above don't even have walkovers/bridges! I've learned a lot in my past 12 years of the sport, as well as from reading online, and from track, and I really believe that this warmup will create injuries. I have had it up to my eyeballs with this director in the first place, as she is also my boss(the same one moving girls up to team 3 who don't even know what a roundoff is!!). I spoke with her on the issue, and she said we're going to work on more flexibilty at the end (but we don't!), and that still does nothing for injury prevention.

Am I crazy or should there be some stretching in a competitive gymnastics team warmup? Or is there this new study I haven't seen that says after you run and do a few jumps, you should just delve right into backhandsprings and standing back tucks?

side note: My frustration makes my mom very happy. My parents have seen the evil of the Y for years. They are so happy that it is my last year here, and as my mom says they can't wait to, "take them down"

 

[awposey1]

My daughter is level 10 and we are also at a Y but we have really good coaches, russian and a level 10 judge. Our girls run laps then do similar to what you are describing. All the stretching is after conditioning (oversplits) and then at the end of the night. This seems to be a fairly typical warmup. We have been in other gyms as well. 45 minutes of conditioning then 3 events is how our practice goes each night.

 

[gymdog]

I have done both but I often work out without really stretching. One of my coaches liked to do oversplits first because she felt like then people left early or we ran out of time, etc. With the current coaches at my old gym, we do basics and some other exercises and then go to the first event. There's event specific stretching and warm up exercises and usually oversplits are at the end.

 

[gymkat]

There are studies that show that passive stretching can cause a slight temporary loss of muscle power. As long as your muscles are warmed up and you have enough dynamic stretching (split jumps, straddle jumps, etc.), it should be fine. However, if you want to increase flexibility, then you should definitely stretch more at the end of practice.

 

[Rec Coach]

I'm no expert but the no ankles, wrists or back stretching would particularily concern me....

 

[gymnasticcoach]

To Gracefulone

I am going to post some warmups for different levels in the ARTICLE SECTION that i have developed and used over the years. They are according to the Canadian competitive system and not the USA. The competitive levels were when i left Canada last year Provincial Level 1-2-3-4.

I hope you can use some of them.

Don

 

[gracefulone]

^^Thanks.

Also, after a few weeks with the warmup, the no-stretches idea was discussed, and now we stretch on our own before the floor and bars skills.