Parents How many presses in a row?

[Committed]

DDs achilles heel is press handstands. However, she only practices them on-and-off throughout the year, so it's not something she works consistently. But her inability to do 10 in a row (or even 5) frustrates the heck out of her!

How many press handstands can your child do (in a row)?
Is s/he generally very strong?
Was it easy or did it take lots of work?
What age were they when they could consistently do 10 in a row?

 

[munchkin3]

My two gymnasts were never able to do these from sitting......legs are long and.....they just never were able to. Son made it to L8, and DD is training 7..... I believe it's that their bodies are not designed for these...easily.

 

[HoldThePhone]

DD, now 8, can make 10, but I don't know how often the goal is 10. She's been able to consistently get 5 in a row since 6 1/2.

I asked her about 10, she said I can but I don't...so not sure how consistent that is.

 

[thefellowsmom]

I think her record is 14 in a row.
She is strong, but not beastly or anything. She has an amazing core. She can also do multiple pike presses from sitting to handstand and back without paralettes.
When she was six she set her mind to it so worked on it regularly at home. She was the first in her workout group to get it. I don't remember it being too terribly difficult for her to learn.
Her gym doesn't make them work them in a row so to speak. They have to do 15 straddle presses and 15 pike presses at whatever stage they are at every day as part of conditioning. She works them in a row because she likes to challenge herself. I think she was nine when she got her first 10 in a row straddle presses.
Her coach thinks its fun to work on this stuff with her. She is the only one on her team who can do more than about three in a row (even with working them every day) and the only one with a pike press from sitting on the floor (others can do it with paralettes). He sets up obstacle courses and stuff for her to do. Press up, walk around, over an obstacle, press down, then up and around and through a course etc.

 

[ladybird]

When she was 9 she did 5 in a row once, now maybe just three if she's lucky. She's one of the few in our gym that can do them. It's easier for her on the beam than the floor.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Zero, and she will probably will never be able. She's been trying for about three months now.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

Dd is 10 and still can't do one lol. She is close to having it on the beam but her long legs make it hard on the floor. She's very strong, she is powerful on floor and vault and can max out at about 80 push ups. But press handstands are a no go. However she didn't train them when she was younger either and I think it helps if they start working on them at a young age.

 

[Committed]

I'm glad to hear that DDs not the only one! She has incredibly long legs and has to make extra effort not to hit her heels on the beam on the press up. They're very difficult on the floor. I can't imagine she'll ever do a pike press! That's impressive!

 

[munchkin3]

It's ok, she can still do gymnastics. Just think of the other things she may be naturally good at.

 

[MILgymFAM]

I'm glad to hear that DDs not the only one! She has incredibly long legs and has to make extra effort not to hit her heels on the beam on the press up. They're very difficult on the floor. I can't imagine she'll ever do a pike press! That's impressive!

I get it. ODDs legs are super long too. Arms too, actually. She's all limbs!! Lol. She is determined to get a press someday, so I hope that I'm wrong.

 

[thefellowsmom]

I think long legs do come into play, dds aren't especially long compared to the rest of her. She would agree that on thebeam is easier for sure.

And yeah, they all have their strengths and weaknesses. My dd has just in the last year found her power for tumbling and vault and finds the rope with no legs and pull ups really hard. Some of her teammates can fly up and down like it is nothing. Super impressive!

 

[duyetanh]

Well my Itty bitty's record is 3, which she does fairly consistently....she says she falls on her face on the 4th attempt, always...lol.

 

[tooootsie]

My oldest cannot do them from sitting. My 7 year old can do 5 from sitting.

 

[Flyaway]

Zero.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

I don't know. I know DD (just turned 12, did L7 last season and will likely do 7 again) CAN do one but I don't think she can do multiple presses in a row anymore. She was never very good at them. Coincidentally(??) bars is not her best event. She's not super strong for her body type and not one of those tiny, all sinews and muscle types... She is compact and short but more Shawn than Nastia..!
ETA: I am only talking about presses from sitting in a straddle. Straddle handstands she can do hundreds, lol!

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Now, as a TOPs coach.... The ability to do press handstands vastly diminish as female gymnasts enter into puberty no matter how strong they are. Presses are much easier for the light, adolescent body types. Once their center of gravity is redistributed it becomes infinitely more difficult.

 

[Mom2-4]

DD is 13 training L8. Could do a few in a row when she was little 7 or 8. But not at all recently. I think it's a strength to weight ratio thing and they just don't do them much anymore. I think she gets a little frustrated with the littles that do stuff she doesn't do easily now. Gym changed a lot for her with puberty some for the better some for the worse. Still plodding along.

 

[Mom2-4]

Now, as a TOPs coach.... The ability to do press handstands vastly diminish as female gymnasts enter into puberty no matter how strong they are. Presses are much easier for the light, adolescent body types. Once their center of gravity is redistributed it becomes infinitely more difficult.

Holy Cow, you are not kidding! Puberty is one of the main reasons female gymnasts give up. It gets so hard. DD has to work so much harder than when she was little and gets frustrated with herself. No plans of leaving the sport any time soon though.

 

[LJL07]

I think the kids that can do multiple press handstands practice them routinely for TOPS. Otherwise, I don't see many kids if any who can even do one. DD was up to 3. They aren't working them consistently anymore, other than using for beam mounts in optionals. I agree that longer legs make them more challenging. And yep, our 12-13 year olds can't do them. The 6-9 year olds have a much easier time.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

My DD is a 13 year old level 8, she started gym when she was a toddler. She has NEVER been able to do a press handstand. My 5 year old on the other hand is so so close to being able to do one.