Motionwear || Gymnastics Blog

Super Strength

Posted on 24. Feb, 2009 by Bob Wilson in News and Notes

Most competitive gymnasts hover around the 100-pound mark and yet they’re some of the strongest athletes I’ve ever seen. On a pound-for-pound basis, they’re lean and mean thanks to years of proper weight training and body weight conditioning.

I challenge you to show me another group of teens and young adults disciplined enough to withstand drills of push-ups, planks, chin-ups and sit-ups. I know I wouldn’t stand a chance in a physical fitness test against a serious gymnast (and neither did these University of Georgia football players.)

What always amazes me though is how so many competitive gymnasts are able to combine this physical strength with inner strength.

They’re Strong on the Inside Too

The ability to overcome challenges like finding the correct coach, intense pressure and burn-out alongside the stress of staying focused despite all the distractions that come with being a young adult is both admirable and enviable.

Due, in part, to the lack of standardized coach training, there are some bad (or misinformed) coaches out there. And because most coaches learned from their own coaches or other coaches at their gym, bad habits have a tendency of being passed on like a virus.

The worst offender? The tendency to push a talented gymnast to the point of burn out.

Because so many young gymnasts are pressured to win by both parents and coaches, burn-out is a real problem, especially for the extremely talented. Often, the harder they’re pushed, the more likely they are to drop out. It’s a vicious cycle that can hopefully be repaired by better coach training.

And yet, our gymnasts push on and continue to train, succeed and win. I’ve seen grown men and women crack under a lot less. Like I said, that kind of strength, both physical and inner, is enviable.

Image:Faeryan

Read Related Posts

• What I Think Makes a Great Gymnastics Coach (2)
• To Gymnastics Parents & Coaches: “Sometimes, I get concerned…” (4)
• Gymnastics, Self Doubt and Success (0)

Tags: coaching, gymnasts, strength, training