When you use your body weight for strength training, you not only build strength, you also improve your balance.  Gymnastics requires a great deal of upper body strength. While weightlifting is a valid option for building strength in your upper body, a better idea for gymnasts is to use bodyweight exercises. When you use your […]

Jumps and leaps are also introduced to the intermediate gymnast, and may include tuck or split jumps and split leaps. With a width of only 4 inches and standing at just about 4 feet above the ground, the balance beam requires precise movements, poise, strength and a developed sense of stability. The beam’s steep learning […]

For young children, interacting with their surroundings is mostly physical in their early years. Gymnastics provides them with the skills to interact with their environment in ways that other children cannot.  Parents often ask “Why should I put my child in gymnastics? Is being able to do a backflip or forward roll going to help […]

Always make sure that you have them cast and return to the bar several times so that they get used to working the bar. Competitive gymnastics has a mystique to it that I’ve never understood. Probably because I’ve been in the thick of gymnastics since I was a toddler it’s impossible for me to understand […]

When practice is starting, gymnasts should do a little cardiovascular warmup, such as jumping jacks or running around the floor for five minutes, to warm up the muscles prior to stretching. Gymnasts require more flexibility than the general athlete to perform the necessary skills of their sport. Summertime is a great time to focus on […]

You have to master each progression before moving on to the next one. Progressions also lead to muscle memory. Muscle memory is good. Fear is a tricky subject all trackers, free runners, gymnasts or any athlete has to face. My name is Raven McCarthy from The Colony, Texas. I do Freerunning, coaching, music and run a parkour […]

Competitions go so quickly so I try to enjoy it as much as I can. The main thing that goes through my mind is that I know how to do it just need to prove it. Last year Lucie Colebeck became British tumbling champion before winning a sensational bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships […]

As long as a couple students hear you, the talkers will wonder why people are putting their hands on the top of their head. Then they of course figure it out and follow along. Kids. We all love them, but controlling them at gymnastics is a tough job. How do you get them to calm […]

Tuck your head in close to your chest, push your feet off the ground and roll forward. Make sure the area around you is clear so you don’t bump into anything. Learning new gymnastics skills is exciting, even when you’re just a beginner. Of course, gymnastics can also be dangerous, so if you’re tempted to […]

Like the recipe for a main dish, floor routines also have a list of “ingredients and spices” that need to be added in order for it to look (taste) good! At the JO Optional levels, each level has a unique set of requirements for Floor that lists skills, types of skills, or value parts needed […]