Kip bar? Worth it or not?

[MaryA]

A girl who recently quit gym is advertising her "junior kip bar" on the buliten board. She's asking $230 for it (including the mat and board for underneath). Of course, my daughter is DYING to get it. I'm thinking that my other daughter could also use it as a ballet bar and that we could probably turn around and sell it when they're no longer using it and get most of our money back... BUT it will take up a LOT of room. She's level 5, just getting her kip (she pretty much has it, and it looks lovely when she does it, but it's not consistant yet). She's on a Y team, so she doesn't get as much practice time as many do (6 hours a week) and bars are probably her toughest event (though vault is kicking her butt right now too, and we certainly can't get one of those!).

So what do you think? For those of you that have these at home, at what level did your kids outgrow them? Are there any skills more advanced than the kip that she could practice on it, or is that about the upper level of its usefulness?

Thanks!

 

[NotAMom]

I think a kip bar is fine so long as it's only used for pullovers, kips, chin-ups or anything low impact or conditioning. If she's starting her giants on it, it's time to tear it down.

Also, the usage varies from gymnast to gymnast and home to home. But, I would not expect you gymmie to use it regularly beyond L5.

 

[B Gymnast]

one girl that goes to my gym who is a 9 year old level 4 just got one of these. she said the bar just doesn't feel very sturdy and safe. If your daughter is very tiny she could probably put it to good use with kips, but it probably wouldn't be very safe to do anything more advanced than that. LOL I tried a kip on one, and I almost tipped it over but I AM 100 pounds lol.. but if both of your daughters could use it, and if you could resell it after they grow out of it, i think it would be worth getting.

 

[gymnastgets10]

A friend of mine had one of these and it felt a lot different from a real bar... I think because it didn't have any chalk on it. I would only get it if you know that she will use it a lot.

 

[gymnastjess]

A juniour kip bar is worth about $500 dollars so its a good buy even if it is second hand. if both of your daugters could use it it is a good idea. even if she can't use it after level 5 or 6 for skills she could still use it for strength and conditioning ex chin ups, leg lifts and l-sits things like this don't come around very often goodluck

 

[gymnastjess]

my dad made my home bar out of old trampoline legs he welded a few of the parts together. it was rounded at the top like tramp legs are on the bit that goes on the ground-i never hurt myself and its veryyyy stable. he put it in the ground and i put my mat under it i do lots of strength on it

 

[cher062]

It's a good price but honestly the girls will get their kip at the gym without having to have one at home. I don't know any girl that didn't get their kip (maybe not in the time frame they were hoping for but they do get it fairly quickly) Most I've seen get it within 3 or 4 months at the most if they are practicing it at the gym. I vote for save your money and save the space in your home for something else.

 

[bogwoppit]

Save your money, I can guarantee that she will be happier in the long run without it. When you get home gym equipment it is too easy to get overly involved with the sport. It is also very easy for them to learn some very bad habits that can take forever to fix.

If they have energy to spare take them swimming or walk the dog.

 

[NOG]

Yes, that's a good price for a jr kip bar BUT....I think it's a waste of money for anyone who is above a level 4. Jr Kip bars are not meant to do anything beyond "training" a kip - AND it fails at that, IMO. They are not the same size/flexibility/feel as a regulation bar, so a kip is much different on a jr kip bar than it is on a regulation bar.

If she were a small (in size, those things a weight limit to them) gymnast who was in level 3 and you have the extra $ laying about, then I'd say sure - it'd be fun for a few years. BUT seeing as she's already a level 5, there isn't much that she will be able to do with this bar. It's not meant for training clear-hips or baby giants or cast to handstands. I realize that due to youtube vids, many think that they can just get one and let there girls go for giants on them, but this is really NOT safe!!!

So, if you're taking a poll - I vote pass on it unless you're buying it Knowing that in a very short time it will become just the ballet bar for your older dd

 

[mariposa]

I would skip it at her level. My DD got one when she was 6 and just barely a level 4. It was great for her. Once she was working on her kips, etc, it just wasn't worth it. And hers is one that is actually used in gyms, has a regulation size/material bar, etc. She is small, but can't do her kip on it unless it is fixed to the ground, it is just too wobbly. I don't regret getting it for her (even though I was against it at first, but hubby was threatening to make her one and I was more scared about that!), she has had lots of fun on it and so has her little sister, BUT at your DDs level, it won't be worth it. Now that my DD is a level 5, it is sitting in the garage. I keep meaning to sell it on Craigslist, but little DD loves it and wants me to keep it for her.

 

[gymnut1]

A juniour kip bar is worth about $500 dollars so its a good buy even if it is second hand. if both of your daugters could use it it is a good idea. even if she can't use it after level 5 or 6 for skills she could still use it for strength and conditioning ex chin ups, leg lifts and l-sits things like this don't come around very often goodluck

I dont agree actually - my dd has one. They don't go high enough to hang underneath for leg lifts and chin ups - If you want to do conditioning like that you are better off with a chin up bar that fixes to a doorway.

If you have a concrete base floor that you can bolt it to it would be good for kips. Otherwise they are too wobbly.

They are great for little kids playing on with pullovers etc. I don't think a level 5 will use it enough.

Im not sure how good for ballet it would be either because the metal feet stick out a long way both sides and they take up a lot of room.

I would think for your daughters-

A chin up bar for kip conditioning. Ask your coach what exercises to do.
A ballet bar fixed to the wall with mirror behind.

I'm sure these two will cost less than the cost of this bar and take up much less room.

If you do get it though I'm sure they will have lots of fun playing on it and
you will get a mat included which they could use for other things.
It wou

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

I wouldn't spend the money on it either. You would probably find that she'd be thrilled at first... maybe for 2 weeks! And then there it would sit. Also, as others have mentioned, it won't feel like the real bars that she needs to work on to learn this skill and it won't be long before she's needing to do more advanced skills that preclude the use of a home bar. It's so easy to get sucked into thinking that if she's doing well at gym, she would be doing even that much better if she had some thing to practice on at home! I admit, I bought a "home beam" when DD was Level 5. Guess what? It sits in the basement gathering dust... and has been there since about a month after we bought it 4 years ago! Live and learn...

 

[Bella's Mom]

Bella is getting one for christmas. I figure she'll get two or three years of use out of it. She can work on perfecting her pullover, getting her mill circle, and eventually her kip.

If she quits gym, then it will be easy enough to sell in at our gym or on craig's list.

I'm going to bolt it to the floor for stability. Right now she's weighs less than 45 pounds so I think that it will be fine up to kip practice. After that, we'll sell it to the next little gymmie.

 

[MaryA]

Thanks everyone. I was really excited when I saw it advertised, but after thinking about it some more (and after reading your advice) I pretty much decided against it. If it had been available last spring I might have gotten it... put it outside or something. But now that winter is coming, it would need to be inside, and I just don't think I'm willing to give up that kind of space.

Bella's Mom... where do you live again? I know where you can get one for cheap! Apparently this gymnast had some injuries shortly after getting it (she didn't injure herself on the kip bar) and barely used it! She says the mat that goes underneath it was $175 all by itself, so this is definitely a good deal!

 

[gymdog]

Bella is getting one for christmas. I figure she'll get two or three years of use out of it. She can work on perfecting her pullover, getting her mill circle, and eventually her kip.

If she quits gym, then it will be easy enough to sell in at our gym or on craig's list.

I'm going to bolt it to the floor for stability. Right now she's weighs less than 45 pounds so I think that it will be fine up to kip practice. After that, we'll sell it to the next little gymmie.

Just a word of warning, mill circles can be pretty dangerous if they slip. This I wouldn't let them try to "get" on their own outside the gym. Front and back hip circles, okay, the falls on these usually aren't too bad. But these bars really aren't stable, even a 45lb kid is probably going to "dump over" on a mill circle rather than do the full amplitude required for success. Maybe it's better bolted to the floor though, I have no idea or no idea how to do that.

 

[emorymom]

We have a bar. Not a nice one ... a boy's metal high bar. No chalk so I put athletic tape on it. Clearly not suitable for gymnastics. They played on it all . the . time when it was out. Not really gymnastics really but messing around, but it makes them stronger. Best $125 I ever spent. It's been in storage and I'm sure they're quite eager to get it out of storage when we close on our new house. So YMMV on how much it is used.

I would like to go ahead and get DD a nice wood bar and some chalk once we move but we will see.

 

[momofthreegirls]

We have a junior kip bar, and it is the most played-with "toy" in our house. All 3 of my daughters use it daily. However, my DD is only a level 3 so we have different circumstances.

We don't have the extensions or plywood, and it doesn't seem too wobbly. DD mostly does pullovers, chin-ups, back hip circles and front hip circles on it. She is just beginning kips, and hasn't tried any at home yet.

My little ones love to swing and hang upside down on it.

 

[emorymom]

I do understand everyone who is saying that they can pick up bad form doing bars at home without a coach, which can be hard to break. But at the very lower levels, where the do not always have enough time in the gym on the bars to build up good arm strength, I think it can be a benefit or no worse than a wash.

And definitely safer than playground bars over bare ground (when properly padded).

 

[gymdog]

I do understand everyone who is saying that they can pick up bad form doing bars at home without a coach, which can be hard to break. But at the very lower levels, where the do not always have enough time in the gym on the bars to build up good arm strength, I think it can be a benefit or no worse than a wash.

And definitely safer than playground bars over bare ground (when properly padded).

It is dangerous though. What if a child "learning" a mill circle fails to change their grip? They are going to take a header to the floor. To be honest I grew up doing gymnastics and it seems almost like sheer insanity to me to have a bar set in your house. I got a kip in the gym when I went 4 hours per week at a rec gym. I'm pretty good at gymnastics. But I'm definitely no superstar. If it's meant to be, it generally happens as far as I can see. Kids should be able to get the low level skills without many hours. The strength requirement to do a BHC is really not that much, and could probably be just as well achieved through active play, cross training, and sit ups. I don't have any problem with pull up bars or leg lifts at home but the idea of "getting" a mill circle or something on a bar at home? It strikes me as asking for trouble. If you really feel a need maybe some skills are safe but I won't even let the kids try that particular skill on their own on our stable set which is over a resi pit (it's not my spotting station). I'm not an overcautious person and don't care about kids climbing on stuff in general but there's a difference between than and flipping forwards around the bar where they can lose their grip very easily.

I have kids who can do a BHC but can't run in a line in a natural way. I'm not even talking about sprinting or having to do something after the run, kids who I am literally trying to get to run. I suspect a lot of kids are not getting to just run around now, with PE classes being eliminated and in my area at least schools have implemented increasing rules about no running at recess (now that strikes me as overcautious!) Perhaps the most easily practiced skill outside of the gym! If I had a kid in compulsories I'd probably get them a ballet DVD, now that's something we could improve on in gymnastics.

 

[gymkat]

It's more than mill circles, too-- I know a gymnast who broke her neck on a BHC. She was at the gym on the low bar with mats and peeled off after the cast. Not sure how that really happens, but it's not like she was even learning BHCs-- she had done 2 years of L5 and had a 9.4-9.5 bar routine. (And, of course, I've seen plenty of headers on mill circles!)