? for those who train 5 days in a row (or coach those who train)

[gymgal]

DD just began this - Monday through Friday, 20 hours total, as a L7. The gym prefers this schedule to allow family time on the weekends. Also, during meet weekends, the coaches are usually gone all weekend long.

How does your body feel with this schedule? Physically/mentally. Are you worn out by the end of the week? Do you wish you had a day off mid-week to recoup? For coaches, why do you feel 5 in a row is better than splitting it up?

I'm not asking in hopes of changing our gym. I personally like it because our weekends are free for our other kids' sports. But I would like to get some perspectives to share with dh. He feels that it is important at dd's age (11), to have a recoup day mentally and physically. I can understand this reasoning but I still feel having 2 days in a row of rest is better than 2 one-days. For now, we have agreed to disagree and have also agreed to keep an eye on her. If we are feeling she needs a rest day periodically, we will make it happen. We have never had to do this in the past. She has only ever missed practice due to family obligations.

Thanks!

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

Am I worn-out by the end of the week? Am I ever! I just got back from my fifth practice this week (total of 30 hrs). But even though my back is killing me, my shoulders and legs are exhausted, I had a really productive practice today! This was also the first five-day week and my coach says that our bodies will get used to it pretty quickly.

I don't know about a recoup day...we have all afternoon to recoup! I do agree that a weekend of rest will make her feel a lot better...and remember, she isn't going to feel this tired every week. She and I are both going to get in shape this summer!

 

[MaryA]

This week was my DD's first 5-day week and she is GRUMPY! But she was like this when her hours went from 7 to 15 at the beginning of last year too. I tell myself she will adjust! When I ask her about practices she says they are "tiring but fun" so at least she is having fun. That's what it's all about. Right? Right? Not sure how I would feel about a Saturday practice time. HC says that the team is getting big enough that she may need to implement one, just so that there aren't too many bodies in the gym at one time. On one hand, a mid-week break might be nice. On the other, Saturday is usually family time. Plus it seems like, once meet season starts, the girls with Saturday practices would be at a disadvantage because they would have to be cancelled so often.

 

[gymgal]

I should clarify - dd has no problem with this schedule. She just did her first week of it and was fine, excited really. Last year she did 4 days in a row (16hrs) for summer and was fine. in the fall, they had wed. off and it definitely helped her reset, especially with the added stress of school. And I think this is where dh is headed with the argument. Not so much during the summer, where we will be taking days her/there off anyway but during the school year.

 

[gasrgoose]

DD just began this - Monday through Friday, 20 hours total, as a L7. The gym prefers this schedule to allow family time on the weekends. Also, during meet weekends, the coaches are usually gone all weekend long.

How does your body feel with this schedule? Physically/mentally. Are you worn out by the end of the week? Do you wish you had a day off mid-week to recoup? For coaches, why do you feel 5 in a row is better than splitting it up?

I'm not asking in hopes of changing our gym. I personally like it because our weekends are free for our other kids' sports. But I would like to get some perspectives to share with dh. He feels that it is important at dd's age (11), to have a recoup day mentally and physically. I can understand this reasoning but I still feel having 2 days in a row of rest is better than 2 one-days. For now, we have agreed to disagree and have also agreed to keep an eye on her. If we are feeling she needs a rest day periodically, we will make it happen. We have never had to do this in the past. She has only ever missed practice due to family obligations.

Thanks!

I agree and like your perspective. We've had the same concerns. Like you've mentioned just keep and eye on her as she adjusts. Our coaches are great and they care for my daughter and love her, but they don't know her like us.

We ice her wrists, rub her back and let her soak in a tub with bath salts if she's had a rough practice or week. We don't let her miss a practice unless she is sick or has a major family conflict. She has had a few injuries but she still goes to practice and works around the injury.

Our gym does Wednesday & Sunday off during the school year and Saturday and Sunday off during the summer. My daughter seems to prefer the summer schedule but she also doesn't have school work to worry about so it's not a fair comparison.

 

[LizzieLac]

I find my DD does not do as well (at least so far) with that many consecutive days. 2 days on, one day off, is better for her. However, the coaches try not to work the same events or do the same conditioning with the back-to-back days. So, theoretically you are giving certain muscles a rest even though you are still working out.

That being said, when I was running track/XC in school, we went 5 days in a row all the time - again the key was varying the workout and making one day a little "easier."

 

[Deleted member D3987]

if the structure of the practice is done correctly, there is no need for a "recoup" day. it's gymnastics...not football.

 

[GymBee97]

Honestly the girls are use to it they may wish they had a day off in the middle more for social reasons than recouping. But I agree with dunno on this one its gymnastics that's what they do.

 

[Aussie_coach]

What dunno says is so true. If the coaches know what they are doing they will structure the training to work and vary the types of strength and conditioning that gymnasts do each day which should mean that is is not a problem.

The main thing to watch for is burn out. Not just hers but also yours.

 

[gymmomof1]

This is dd schedule in the summer too. Last year she was L7 and optionals practice m-f 8:30-1 in the summer. The girls were tired (her friend we car pool with and dd) especially the first few weeks but they adjusted and did fine. We even took off for Disney for 12 days and she missed a week or so of practice and was fine coming back. Plus it was during the summer that the choreographer came so they were all excited about getting their own routine for floor and beam .

 

[gym law mom]

My gymmie usually has done the 5 day/week practice in the summer and yes she has been tired, but overall did fine. During the school year they always have 1 day off during the week with a Saturday morning practice. I would prefer not getting up at 6:30 or so on a Saturday morning, but once the kids hit 7-8th grade they really need 1 free day during the week. Thats usually the day, gymmie has time to work on projects/study for tests that are coming up at the end of the week. Since her practice on Saturday normally ends by noon, we don't feel like too much of the weekend is gone.

 

[lhmom]

DD is not there yet, but the schedule for her gym's optionals is Tues-Sat during the school year and Mon-Fri during the summer. I've had quite a few optional moms tell me that it helps to have that one day during the week for school projects and other things. Everyone seems to like getting their Saturdays back during the summer.

 

[gymnastgets10]

I've always taken a long time to recover from any kind of workout and my body can't really handle more than two days in a row... part of the reason I started doing prep-op (although I still workout with 9s and 10s, I just sometimes miss out on the particular skill focus of different days). But almost everyone else at my gym don't seem anymore tired at the beginning of the week than the end, so it seems that most girls are fine with 5 days in a row. Just keep an eye on her if she seems exhausted!

 

[gymgal]

Thanks everyone. I am just going to see how it all plays out. Her first week was just fine. I think she will have no problem. It's more dh and his notion of what's too much. He has never been completely sold on the year round sports without breaks. Now we have one in swimming to so he is not happy. Growing up on seasonal sports, he has a very different belief...

 

[SuperGirlmlm]

I've been training this schedule, all the gymnasts on my team are tired at the end of the week, but it shows how hard we are working. I'm almost always sore, but thats because my summer just began. I know I'll get way more in shape in a week or two. I like it, because I have gymnastics in my blood, and once you get it in your blood, you can't get it out. I'll go nuts if I'm not in gymnastics for over a day!

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

DD trained 20+ hours Mon thru Fri last summer and was fine with it. During the school year, they have off Wed & Sun.

 

[Flippers Mom]

Flipper trains 5 consecutive days (24 hours per week). Practice is in the morning. In the afternoon, she goes to the pool and jumps on the tramp or goofs off with friends. They adjust and get used to the schedule. After years of this schedule, she has energy to burn at the end of the day. I pull a muscle watching her work out and am exhausted from the drive.

 

[Natasha]

DD trains 5 consecutive days in the summer (3 1/2 to 4 hours per day). She has no problem with the summer schedule. During school year, she has Wed and Sun off. It would be very difficult to do the schedule without Wednesdays as "catch up" days on schoolwork and sleep! By Friday nights she is usually very tired and generally goes straight to bed after practice and dinner (about 8pm). I am loving the summer but I hate the continually rushed schedule of the school year.