Everything you need to know about women's artistic gymnastics.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
February Questions and Comments
You know what to do! :) I'll also be taking topic requests in the comments section, as usual, so let me know if there is anything specific you'd like to see coming up on the blog.
So my coach said I'm defiantly moving up to level 5 in may...and the next one's are in august..and i already have a pretty good percentage of my level 6 six skills so my coach said there;s a possibility I will compete six..if I am able too...should I? and then also I'm going to summer camp at my gym..and since I'm over the age limit my coach is letting me go to train and stuff but I also haave to help coach a little bit..so what should I work on? I really need help on what to work on..got any advice?
Yay! I'm excited for you! I don't see why you shouldn't compete level 6, unless you don't feel ready or don't want to commit to more hours, if your hours will be increased. But it seems to me like you'd like to compete 6! Just follow your gut. :) As for the summer camp, are you asking for advice on what to skills to work on or the coaching aspect?
I'd love to compete level 6!! I"m so in love with this sport that if i am offered to move to 6 I would love to do this sport everyday!! I love it so much!! and I'd like advice on both!! thanks!
I'm a level five gymnast this is my 2nd year doing gymnastics I had a kip a few months ago but lost it sadly :( sometimes I can do it like every blue moon it just not consistent I got grips a few weeks ago...I like them because they sometimes make bars go smoother but at the same time they suck because they fold when doing things like back hip circles nd stuff. do you have any advice on kips? if so I love to hear!
@gymnsticsluver - I know you love it!! I'm SO glad. :):) I think you'll know what skills to work on when the time comes for camp. If you're unsure of which level 6 skills you still need by then I'd be happy to help you out! As for the coaching, I'm sure your coaches will fill you in on everything you need to do. The main thing is to be encouraging! When I'm coaching I'll give one specific positive and one specific thing that could be improved. :)
@callie - Sorry, were you talking to me or gymnasticsluver? Haha. Not quite sure. If you meant me, I'll be 20 this year. If you meant gymluver, she answered!
@Lilprincess - Hey, nice to have you on the blog!! Grips take quite a long time to get used to, that's probably why you're having some issues with them folding and things like that. Once you get used to them, they'll be your best friend. :) Kips are just finicky when you're first learning them. Most girls don't have it consistently right away. It's all about figuring out the timing and also, of course, building the core strength. The most important aspect, I think, is the glide - really getting a good stretch and remaining hollow. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
These are the level 6's moves I have...what should I work on at camp?
Floor: Front handspring step out front handspring front tuck back extension to handstand (I had my back walkover until I gotta back disease so my back doesen't allow me to do back walkovers) leap pass full turn round off back handspring (i know i need the tuck) splits prances weight transfer straddle jump
Bars: Kip(piked...working on a straddle glide) cast squat on sometimes I can make my clear hip cast back hip on the high bar I've done drills for a tucked fly away
Beam: the mount the turns I can kind of do the dismount I'm starting to work on back extension cause of my back i can't do back walkovers
vault: Handspring I'm going to work on it with better form.
I think the biggest skill you still need is probably the baby giant. Keep working flyaways, clear hips to 60 degrees ideally, and on beam work the dismount and jump series. :)
@gymnasticsluver - The Chalk Bucket just got a makeover, so it's cool but a little confusing still! You want to click on forums, then choose the forum you want to ask the question in (either Question & Answer, Good Luck forum, etc.) and then once you've clicked into that page, you'll have an option in the top left corner to start a new thread. :) Let me know if you have issues with it. It's a little hard to figure out at first. As for the leg workouts, definitely lunges and that type of thing. See my conditioning post (you can find it by typing it into the search bar) if you would like specifics!!
@callie - A lot of people do have their RO BHS before their standing back tuck, but it completely varies. It mostly depends on whether or not you use standing tucks for conditioning and whether your coaches like to up-train. Either order is just fine. :)
today i had practice...it was okay at first, i did a baby giant? i think..lol. not sure what the difference is between a baby giant and long hang pullover? is there any? but anyway..we worked on my floor routine. which went...okay, then frustrating then okay and then we worked on bars, which also went alright for the most part. then we did back handsprings, and i almost cried about ten times before i started to cry..i get it! after five months, then i loose form again and its just so frustrating because i'm so sick of it and i just want to start up training on other floor skills but i cant because of my THIS. and its just getting so frustrating and my coach doesnt think im trying or listening to her about the corrections. but i AM trying and she gets soo mad at me and it makes me soo mad at myself and after we worked on bhs's, we worked on straddle jumps ( mine SUCKS.) and she got mad AGAIN because she thought i was being lazy and not trying, so i got really upset again, and then shes like to another coach " -.- " and the otehr coach was like " what? " shes driving me crazy today!" and then i just broke down and started crying at that point ): i dont know what to do..
Aww Callie, sorry you had a frustrating day at practice. :( It definitely doesn't help when the coaches get impatient. I would just sit down with your coach and let her know that you really are trying to make the corrections she asks you to make, you just are having a tough time figuring it out. Maybe there's another drill she can try to work with you on or something like that. Definitely communication is KEY.
The difference between a long hang pullover and a babygiant is basically that a babygiant is bigger. I mean they're sort of the same thing, really. Haha. Some people use the two terms to mean the same thing. But in a baby giant you'll always start from a cast, swing down, and shift your wrists. With the pull over you can just swing into it or whatever. Hope that helps. :)
Callie, I'm so sorry!!! I hate when I get discouraged!! The coaches sometimes forget the struggles that we go through!! But remember NEVER GIVE UP! and no matter how many times you fall the key is to get right back up again!!
Hey also on the chalkbucket there's a really mean girl. I appreciate critism, but this girl's "critism" is just down right MEAN! It makes me feel bad about myself...I don't know what to do..btw it's gymnastjess...It kinda seems like she's jealous..and she thinks that I'm lying that i have a fhs ft on floor and only a ro bhs.
Everybody on the Chalk Bucket is pretty open and honest with their opinions, which can be both good and bad. Sometimes the advice is really helpful despite its harshness, and sometimes you just gotta brush it off. I think the moderators step in if things get really out of hand, but for the most part you just gotta expect that kind of harsh feedback on the site.
Hiii(: Ok, well I'm pretty sure beam is going to be my worst event. :/ I'm good with walks, jumps, turns, and stuff like that, but when it comes to handstands, cartwheels, and round off dismounts, I'm horrible. haha. Do you have any advice on like how I should kick over when doing round off dismount? Because I always end up kicking over to the side, and my coach tells me to kick more to the ceiling but idk. :/ They've gotten better, but not by much. And also, we did carthweels on the low beam. Do you have any tips on that on keeping my legs straight when I kick over? Because I bend them a little, and then I end up landing by the beam, not on it. Ok, one more thing. (: We were just kicking up to little handstands, like not all the way up. But same thing with this; I bend my legs a LOT. Like, if I were to actually go up into a hanstand, my knees would be so bent my feet would probably be facing the floor. Any tips on any of those things? Thanks so much!! (: -gymnastics4ever
Beam is hard for a lot of people. I think with you, it sounds more like a fear issue than anything else. Kicking up into handstand, whether you're doing just a handstand or a cartwheel or a roundoff dismount, is something that takes a lot of time for some people to get used to. It definitely took me a while to feel comfortable with it. Do you think that you're bending your knees because you're scared? To fix that, I would just work on kicking up lower - only go as high as you can possibly go with good form, really focusing on your legs, and try to get closer and closer to vertical the more you try it.
My biggest tip for the cartwheel is to make sure you're really stretching out your body and reaching far with your hands after the lunge rather than putting them down right next to your feet, which usually will cause you to pike over and have trouble landing.
i think i hurt my wrist.. it really started to hurt after we went on bars yesterday and hasnt felt better since. i've always had problems with my wrist, but they usually dont feel this severe or hurt this long.. it hurts to even type sometimes, and i can bear weight.. but it hurts too. i dont want to tell my mom though..):
Why don't you want to tell your mom? You might want to at least let your coach know how it's feeling. You won't wanna be on it if you're injuring it further by doing that. Maybe there's a specific type of brace that your coaches or a doctor could recommend. Hope it feels better!
for back handspring step outs on beam, i always have a difficult time placing my hands. i like to do the hand placement where my right hand is nested between my left hand's thumb and pointer finger, the most common one. but every time i do it on the table beam, my hands always slip to the slide. i just don't know how to get them to stay there and if i try on a low beam i'll probably hit my head :(
Are you just learning the bhs on beam? The hand placement is pretty tricky at first and takes quite a bit of repetition to get used to. I hated it at first and now can't imagine doing it any other way.
I would keep practicing that hand placement on a tape line on floor until it feels more natural. If you're still having trouble you could try placing one hand on top of the other for a while. I definitely don't recommend that you do this in competition but it might help you at first to get the feel for having your hands so close together on the handspring without having to worry about getting them to fit together just right. In general it's just a different feel to do a handspring with your hands close together than at shoulder width as you would on the floor. It takes a lot more arm strength to do the handspring with your hands together. If you're noticing that your arms are collapsing when you keep your hands together, that's just a matter of strength that will get built up over time.
I got the best beam routine I've ever gotten today(: 8.8(: with no falls(: bars...i fell...twice...my worst routine ever...floor..i gotta 9.1!! I made my RO BHS and vault i gotta 9.3! And for AA i lost to my friend..her AA score was 35.15 mine was 35.1 :/ I could've gotten a teddy bear! ): haha oh well!!
35.1 for a meet where you took two falls is EXCELLENT! You're doing great! Congrats on the RO BHS and on the vault as well :) What are you working towards now?
Thank you!! I was happy(: I'm workin on perfecting my RO BHS and my routines...and also my kips (long hang and reg.) cartwheel on beam, front handspring, back extension and dive roll..I've got my handspring vault rockin(:
My wrist is better after three weeks of being off from it, i finally returned to gymnastics. The break was nice, but i'm so glad to be able to do it again. Nearly a month ago, i was at the point where i was done, i wanted to quit. The same routine took place after every practice. Frustrated, got into the car, got to my room, turned the lights off, shut the door & cried.. I was at the point..where i just wasn't having fun anymore. It become more of a race, a competition then anything else. I was out of breath, and i just couldn't keep up anymore...you know what i mean? maybe not..but yeah. The break from gymnastics gave me a minute to put things into perspective. I've realized that i can't compare myself to the other girls. I can't worry about them. I won't always be first, and the best. .. Sorry for the rant..i just, needed to vent! :P My coach said i could score out of level five next season ( after the summer )& compete level six. ( x: ) My first level five meet is in 19 days...i still need three skills...this break really hit me hard. I was glad to have it..but at the same time...i'm mad at myself for letting myself get injured, i could of had these skills had i told the coach when my wrist orignally started hurting in the september...:/ I'm trying not to stress over it, but its hard not too.. One question, Tiger paw wrist supports. What are the requiremetns to wear them? my wrist have ALWAYS bothered me from when i firsted start gymnastics, but got worst when i joined level four. My mom said she'd buy them for me...but do i really need them?
Of course I understand, Callie! I went through pretty much the exact same thing. I'm glad your break helped you to re-realize why you were in the sport in the first place and to put things into perspective. :) You are so dead-on about not comparing yourself to other girls. If you can do that and focus just on your own performance, hopefully you'll stop feeling so much pressure to win. Cause, like I always say, it really is not about winning.
About the Tiger Paws - I think that if you have weak wrists and have frequent problems with them, the Tiger Paws are worth it, or at least some other type of wrist guard. Especially as you move up, you're going to be doing more pounding on your wrists. Just having some pressure around them seems to help.
So my coach said I'm defiantly moving up to level 5 in may...and the next one's are in august..and i already have a pretty good percentage of my level 6 six skills so my coach said there;s a possibility I will compete six..if I am able too...should I? and then also I'm going to summer camp at my gym..and since I'm over the age limit my coach is letting me go to train and stuff but I also haave to help coach a little bit..so what should I work on? I really need help on what to work on..got any advice?
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm excited for you! I don't see why you shouldn't compete level 6, unless you don't feel ready or don't want to commit to more hours, if your hours will be increased. But it seems to me like you'd like to compete 6! Just follow your gut. :) As for the summer camp, are you asking for advice on what to skills to work on or the coaching aspect?
ReplyDeleteI'd love to compete level 6!! I"m so in love with this sport that if i am offered to move to 6 I would love to do this sport everyday!! I love it so much!! and I'd like advice on both!! thanks!
ReplyDeletenot to be nosey..again..how old are you?
ReplyDeleteHey :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a level five gymnast this is my 2nd year doing gymnastics I had a kip a few months ago but lost it sadly :( sometimes I can do it like every blue moon it just not consistent I got grips a few weeks ago...I like them because they sometimes make bars go smoother but at the same time they suck because they fold when doing things like back hip circles nd stuff. do you have any advice on kips? if so I love to hear!
calliee.I just turned 13.
ReplyDelete@gymnsticsluver - I know you love it!! I'm SO glad. :):) I think you'll know what skills to work on when the time comes for camp. If you're unsure of which level 6 skills you still need by then I'd be happy to help you out! As for the coaching, I'm sure your coaches will fill you in on everything you need to do. The main thing is to be encouraging! When I'm coaching I'll give one specific positive and one specific thing that could be improved. :)
ReplyDelete@callie - Sorry, were you talking to me or gymnasticsluver? Haha. Not quite sure. If you meant me, I'll be 20 this year. If you meant gymluver, she answered!
@Lilprincess - Hey, nice to have you on the blog!! Grips take quite a long time to get used to, that's probably why you're having some issues with them folding and things like that. Once you get used to them, they'll be your best friend. :) Kips are just finicky when you're first learning them. Most girls don't have it consistently right away. It's all about figuring out the timing and also, of course, building the core strength. The most important aspect, I think, is the glide - really getting a good stretch and remaining hollow. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
These are the level 6's moves I have...what should I work on at camp?
ReplyDeleteFloor:
Front handspring step out front handspring
front tuck
back extension to handstand
(I had my back walkover until I gotta back disease so my back doesen't allow me to do back walkovers)
leap pass
full turn
round off back handspring (i know i need the tuck)
splits
prances
weight transfer
straddle jump
Bars:
Kip(piked...working on a straddle glide)
cast squat on
sometimes I can make my clear hip
cast back hip on the high bar
I've done drills for a tucked fly away
Beam:
the mount
the turns
I can kind of do the dismount
I'm starting to work on back extension cause of my back i can't do back walkovers
vault:
Handspring
I'm going to work on it with better form.
I think the biggest skill you still need is probably the baby giant. Keep working flyaways, clear hips to 60 degrees ideally, and on beam work the dismount and jump series. :)
ReplyDeleteOkay!!! Will do!! Thanks so much!!!
ReplyDeletehey how do you ask a question on the chalk bucket?! thankss!!
ReplyDeleteis it possible to have youre ro bhs bt before youre standing back tuck? like alot of people have theyre ro bhs before theyre standing bhs?
ReplyDeleteWhat are good leg workouts?
ReplyDelete@gymnasticsluver - The Chalk Bucket just got a makeover, so it's cool but a little confusing still! You want to click on forums, then choose the forum you want to ask the question in (either Question & Answer, Good Luck forum, etc.) and then once you've clicked into that page, you'll have an option in the top left corner to start a new thread. :) Let me know if you have issues with it. It's a little hard to figure out at first. As for the leg workouts, definitely lunges and that type of thing. See my conditioning post (you can find it by typing it into the search bar) if you would like specifics!!
ReplyDelete@callie - A lot of people do have their RO BHS before their standing back tuck, but it completely varies. It mostly depends on whether or not you use standing tucks for conditioning and whether your coaches like to up-train. Either order is just fine. :)
today i had practice...it was okay at first, i did a baby giant? i think..lol. not sure what the difference is between a baby giant and long hang pullover? is there any? but anyway..we worked on my floor routine. which went...okay, then frustrating then okay and then we worked on bars, which also went alright for the most part. then we did back handsprings, and i almost cried about ten times before i started to cry..i get it! after five months, then i loose form again and its just so frustrating because i'm so sick of it and i just want to start up training on other floor skills but i cant because of my THIS. and its just getting so frustrating and my coach doesnt think im trying or listening to her about the corrections. but i AM trying and she gets soo mad at me and it makes me soo mad at myself and after we worked on bhs's, we worked on straddle jumps ( mine SUCKS.) and she got mad AGAIN because she thought i was being lazy and not trying, so i got really upset again, and then shes like to another coach " -.- " and the otehr coach was like " what? " shes driving me crazy today!" and then i just broke down and started crying at that point ): i dont know what to do..
ReplyDeleteAww Callie, sorry you had a frustrating day at practice. :( It definitely doesn't help when the coaches get impatient. I would just sit down with your coach and let her know that you really are trying to make the corrections she asks you to make, you just are having a tough time figuring it out. Maybe there's another drill she can try to work with you on or something like that. Definitely communication is KEY.
ReplyDeleteThe difference between a long hang pullover and a babygiant is basically that a babygiant is bigger. I mean they're sort of the same thing, really. Haha. Some people use the two terms to mean the same thing. But in a baby giant you'll always start from a cast, swing down, and shift your wrists. With the pull over you can just swing into it or whatever. Hope that helps. :)
Callie, I'm so sorry!!! I hate when I get discouraged!! The coaches sometimes forget the struggles that we go through!! But remember NEVER GIVE UP! and no matter how many times you fall the key is to get right back up again!!
ReplyDeleteHey also on the chalkbucket there's a really mean girl. I appreciate critism, but this girl's "critism" is just down right MEAN! It makes me feel bad about myself...I don't know what to do..btw it's gymnastjess...It kinda seems like she's jealous..and she thinks that I'm lying that i have a fhs ft on floor and only a ro bhs.
Everybody on the Chalk Bucket is pretty open and honest with their opinions, which can be both good and bad. Sometimes the advice is really helpful despite its harshness, and sometimes you just gotta brush it off. I think the moderators step in if things get really out of hand, but for the most part you just gotta expect that kind of harsh feedback on the site.
ReplyDeleteHiii(: Ok, well I'm pretty sure beam is going to be my worst event. :/ I'm good with walks, jumps, turns, and stuff like that, but when it comes to handstands, cartwheels, and round off dismounts, I'm horrible. haha. Do you have any advice on like how I should kick over when doing round off dismount? Because I always end up kicking over to the side, and my coach tells me to kick more to the ceiling but idk. :/ They've gotten better, but not by much.
ReplyDeleteAnd also, we did carthweels on the low beam. Do you have any tips on that on keeping my legs straight when I kick over? Because I bend them a little, and then I end up landing by the beam, not on it.
Ok, one more thing. (: We were just kicking up to little handstands, like not all the way up. But same thing with this; I bend my legs a LOT. Like, if I were to actually go up into a hanstand, my knees would be so bent my feet would probably be facing the floor.
Any tips on any of those things? Thanks so much!! (:
-gymnastics4ever
Beam is hard for a lot of people. I think with you, it sounds more like a fear issue than anything else. Kicking up into handstand, whether you're doing just a handstand or a cartwheel or a roundoff dismount, is something that takes a lot of time for some people to get used to. It definitely took me a while to feel comfortable with it. Do you think that you're bending your knees because you're scared? To fix that, I would just work on kicking up lower - only go as high as you can possibly go with good form, really focusing on your legs, and try to get closer and closer to vertical the more you try it.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest tip for the cartwheel is to make sure you're really stretching out your body and reaching far with your hands after the lunge rather than putting them down right next to your feet, which usually will cause you to pike over and have trouble landing.
i think i hurt my wrist.. it really started to hurt after we went on bars yesterday and hasnt felt better since. i've always had problems with my wrist, but they usually dont feel this severe or hurt this long.. it hurts to even type sometimes, and i can bear weight.. but it hurts too. i dont want to tell my mom though..):
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you want to tell your mom? You might want to at least let your coach know how it's feeling. You won't wanna be on it if you're injuring it further by doing that. Maybe there's a specific type of brace that your coaches or a doctor could recommend. Hope it feels better!
ReplyDeletefor back handspring step outs on beam, i always have a difficult time placing my hands. i like to do the hand placement where my right hand is nested between my left hand's thumb and pointer finger, the most common one. but every time i do it on the table beam, my hands always slip to the slide. i just don't know how to get them to stay there and if i try on a low beam i'll probably hit my head :(
ReplyDeleteAre you just learning the bhs on beam? The hand placement is pretty tricky at first and takes quite a bit of repetition to get used to. I hated it at first and now can't imagine doing it any other way.
ReplyDeleteI would keep practicing that hand placement on a tape line on floor until it feels more natural. If you're still having trouble you could try placing one hand on top of the other for a while. I definitely don't recommend that you do this in competition but it might help you at first to get the feel for having your hands so close together on the handspring without having to worry about getting them to fit together just right. In general it's just a different feel to do a handspring with your hands close together than at shoulder width as you would on the floor. It takes a lot more arm strength to do the handspring with your hands together. If you're noticing that your arms are collapsing when you keep your hands together, that's just a matter of strength that will get built up over time.
Good luck!
what are some good/funny/cute quotes?? thanks!
ReplyDeleteOMG! I am working front halfs into the pit!!! I'm so happyy!!!!!!!!! AHAAHAHAAH!!!! and I got my FHS vault and cartwheel on beam!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWOOO!! Great job! Those are some big skills. :)
ReplyDeleteI got the best beam routine I've ever gotten today(: 8.8(: with no falls(: bars...i fell...twice...my worst routine ever...floor..i gotta 9.1!! I made my RO BHS and vault i gotta 9.3! And for AA i lost to my friend..her AA score was 35.15 mine was 35.1 :/ I could've gotten a teddy bear! ): haha oh well!!
ReplyDelete35.1 for a meet where you took two falls is EXCELLENT! You're doing great! Congrats on the RO BHS and on the vault as well :) What are you working towards now?
ReplyDeleteThank you!! I was happy(: I'm workin on perfecting my RO BHS and my routines...and also my kips (long hang and reg.) cartwheel on beam, front handspring, back extension and dive roll..I've got my handspring vault rockin(:
ReplyDeleteMy wrist is better after three weeks of being off from it, i finally returned to gymnastics. The break was nice, but i'm so glad to be able to do it again. Nearly a month ago, i was at the point where i was done, i wanted to quit. The same routine took place after every practice. Frustrated, got into the car, got to my room, turned the lights off, shut the door & cried.. I was at the point..where i just wasn't having fun anymore. It become more of a race, a competition then anything else. I was out of breath, and i just couldn't keep up anymore...you know what i mean? maybe not..but yeah. The break from gymnastics gave me a minute to put things into perspective. I've realized that i can't compare myself to the other girls. I can't worry about them. I won't always be first, and the best. ..
ReplyDeleteSorry for the rant..i just, needed to vent! :P
My coach said i could score out of level five next season ( after the summer )& compete level six. ( x: ) My first level five meet is in 19 days...i still need three skills...this break really hit me hard. I was glad to have it..but at the same time...i'm mad at myself for letting myself get injured, i could of had these skills had i told the coach when my wrist orignally started hurting in the september...:/ I'm trying not to stress over it, but its hard not too.. One question, Tiger paw wrist supports. What are the requiremetns to wear them? my wrist have ALWAYS bothered me from when i firsted start gymnastics, but got worst when i joined level four. My mom said she'd buy them for me...but do i really need them?
Of course I understand, Callie! I went through pretty much the exact same thing. I'm glad your break helped you to re-realize why you were in the sport in the first place and to put things into perspective. :) You are so dead-on about not comparing yourself to other girls. If you can do that and focus just on your own performance, hopefully you'll stop feeling so much pressure to win. Cause, like I always say, it really is not about winning.
ReplyDeleteAbout the Tiger Paws - I think that if you have weak wrists and have frequent problems with them, the Tiger Paws are worth it, or at least some other type of wrist guard. Especially as you move up, you're going to be doing more pounding on your wrists. Just having some pressure around them seems to help.