WAG Wrist and/or Ankle weights?

[proud-gym-mom]

I'm not a coach but am interested in how many coaches have their girls practice with wrist or ankle weights and why/why not. I'm not talking about anything very heavy, maybe 1 lb weights on each wrist or ankle. Especially on bars and floor. I love DD's coach and she uses these sometimes and it makes sense to me but I've heard HC doesn't like to use them.

thanks!

 

[proud-gym-mom]

OK, so after I posted this, it showed me a lot of previous posts. Seems like in general coaches don't like ankle or wrist weights… so let me reask a different question… coaches what do you think they are good for if anything?

 

[iluvgym]

We will use light ankle weights for some conditioning - leg lifts, pullup pullovers, cast handstands, presses, rope. Also for leg swings/kicks. We don't use them for any kind of punching or pounding.

 

[iwannacoach]

Only for slow and controlled movements designed for strength and muscle group focus.

 

[wsg13]

Many people hate them but I love them! We use them for leaps and bars sets with them and without. You see the changes immediately! I highly recommend them

 

[Faith]

The best use I ever came across was for teaching kips

Very light weights- shoes or trainers were often enough. Just made kids pull their legs to the bar a bit quicker, then they could let timing and gravity take over....

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

It's interesting, the gym always trained certain conditioning with ankle weights. Since a new coach arrived in summer, they now tie/Velcro the weights around their waists.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

It's interesting, the gym always trained certain conditioning with ankle weights. Since a new coach arrived in summer, they now tie/Velcro the weights around their waists.

this^^^any other application is a BAD idea.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Plenty of coaches use them, including me, and plenty don't. Some very high ranking programs use them and some don't, but you do have to monitor what you are doing with them. Like anything in life opinions vary...... the end....

 

[gwenmom]

DD gym uses them for conditioning. Ie developes with weights slow and controlled while laying in the floor

 

[onelittledream]

We use weights for conditioning only..........after the conditioning portion they come off

 

[Sasha]

In our gym, I have seen light ones (1-2 lbs I think, depending on gymnast size) on ankles used for..

Rope climb (legs in pike and V)
Split jumps on tramp (not floor)
Spotted casts (never unspotted)
Leg lifts (reclined on floor, stall bars, ballet-style, and hanging on bar)
Press handstand progressions on floor (slow, controlled)
V-ups, hollow-holds/rocks, supergirls, scissors (laying on floor)
Sideways crunches/rocks (not sure the name of these)
Bar Pullups (slow, and not pullovers)

They seem safe to me used in these ways, though I have no particular credentials other than being an athletic person who has participated in many forms of conditioning throughout life . I'm always reading opinions on this topic here, though, so my viewpoint may evolve (as many of my viewpoints do)...

 

[Hayleigh]

My coach used to use them for just about everything in one way or another, but now we use them (1-3lb depending on size and strength of gymnast) for...

- ballet conditioning (leg kicks, heel raises, squats, splits extended etc.) all of these are done with wrist and ankle weights to make us hold our arms up correctly etc.
- press handstands (on floor or using parrelettes)
- floor routines ( just dance and leaps, with wrist and ankle weights for positioning)
- swings to shoulder stand on strap bar (weights tied to waist)
- laps of the floor for stamina ( ankle weights and tied to waist) skipping, rebound jumps, running, high knees etc.
- swim throughs, split changes sat on floor
- leaps on floor beam

 

[Hayleigh]

Oh, and general core, arms and legs conditioning