WAG Beginner progression

[lisiflex]

hello guys, I really hope you can help me here, as I am a bit impatient and desperate.

I am a 21 year old girl, I am 162cm and weigh 110lbs. I always had a passion for tumbling, when I was young I thought you would need ages to learn a backhandspring and just very few adult people can do it.
During puberty I discovered gymnastics and tumbling as a sport, I never heard of it before as we used to live in a farm and all I did was playing outdoors. But I was too shy to ask someone if he knew a gym or tumbling class and as me and some of my friends were homeschooled, there was no oppurtunity to learn it, so I stretched for myself and watched tutorials on youtube.

Last year I started studying and moved to a city. I joined a recreative tumbling class as well as an acrobatic class and the teacher didn't believe me I have never done anything like this before! I lean fast and I am quiet strog for a beginner, maybe because I love it so much! I am working out since 7 months!

Here are my current skills:

Oversplits of 10cm
very good back and shoulder flexibility (I can put my head through my legs)
4 pull-ups
35 good form push-ups
5 hanging leg raises
20 sec straddle L support on floor
7 sec L-sit on floor
press handstand against wall or with a little tiny jump
walkovers
cartwheel
one-handed cartwheel
roundoff

I know that sound like nothing, but it is so much fun to me, I could tumble and do stretching and conditioning all day round!

Now my question:

As I am a student and don't work, I could spend 4 hours of training a day, 2 in the gym (that's all the offer) and stretching and conditioning at home. The thought of could have been starting at an earlier age and could have been a lot better then, makes me so sad and angry! But this is my passion and I don't want to give up, I won't make it to the olympics but that's not what I want. I just want to get good for myself, to have fun in the gym and be able to do some impressive skills.
I have set myself some goals and now want to ask you, if it is possible to achieve that at my age and if so, how long it would take to achieve it (I know you can't tell - just approx!)

Strength:
10 pull-ups
20 hanging leg raises
(will these two exercises enable me to climb a 15 ft. rope in L-position?)
straddle to press handstand on floor
V-sit on floor

Skills:
Tic-Toc
Hold a normal handstand as well as in a split position
front/back handsprings
front/back tuck
round off - back handspring - back tuck
front/back handspring stepout
back handspring layout
side aerial
front aerial

I don't want to do bars, beam or vault btw, I am just in tumbling, although I have some of the skills.

Do you think my dream is possible?
And if so, in what amount of time will I get it? I know you can't tell, but i will work really hard!
I would do anything to get to this.

 

[gymnastbeth]

Really, only time will tell. Some people seem to get new skills overnight, while it takes months for others (me!). That being said, you sound very strong for a beginner, that will definitely help you! Good luck to you, your goals are most likely achievable, they will just take hard work and time. I recommend focusing on only a few goals at a time; trying to get that whole list at once could be overwhelming.

 

[iwannacoach]

I don't think anything you've described will prevent you from realizing your goals, but........

You have to put in the work to make it happen.

Spending time getting instruction from a coach, and believe what the coach says, will help a lot.

Use the appropriate equipment.

Don't work so much back flexibility, because it's one of the few things you can do too much and end up with overuse injuries.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Seriously being 21 and starting is not a disadvantage. In many ways it is an advantage.

It's only a problem if you are weak, inflexible or overweight and you don't have any of these issues.

I know lots of people who started older than you with many less skills that you currently have and still reached a high competitive level in gymnastics.

Being older you will find you learn a lot faster, have a better understanding of the physics and dynamics of the skill, are there for the right reasons and have access to more adult strength.

Your goals are very realistic.

 

[HannahFlips]

Ok first off, I admire your dedication. However, some of the skills on your list are very hard to get. I started gymnastics when I was 9 years old and only got all those skills when I was 13. That's with me training 22.5 hrs a week for 4 yrs. On the bright side, I think you have the potential to get most of your skills eventually. Good luck!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

what is the "dream"?

 

[Kiwi]

what is the "dream"?

I think the dream is to get the skills listed.

If you have good coaching, I think it is achievable. Some of the skills you may not be far away from, e.g. if you can do walkovers, a tic-toc shouldn't be too hard to get.

I don't know if you are planning on competing, but I've heard adult gymnastics is quite big in Australia. You can probably at least compete at the Masters Games.

It looks like you are doing really well already (not 'nothing'!), so if you love it, keep going!

 

[berrisweetness]

She may even want to look at trampoline and tumbling!

 

[ivyagogo]

I see no reason why you can't learn all of those skills. For me, I think the front aerial is the toughest. I've had adults come into our gym with no experience and learn roundoff backhandspring fulls - and I'm talking about 40 year olds.

 

[Amusibus]

You can do it. I had all those skills except front aerial, and I did gymnastics from age 10 to 20, never more than 4 hours a week.