MAG Stage of Male Gymnast Development???

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Men's Artistic Gymnastics

munchkin3

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So on our boys team, all approaching magic 13, injuries are starting left and right. Overuse problems, tendinitis, pains that move etc. Rotator cuffs, elbows, knees, ankles, wrists etc....Pain is there one day, gone the next....nobody is EVER strong enough according to coach.

I assume this is a normal part of boys, who do gymnastics, and their bodies are beginning to grow rapidly. At what stage in their gymnastics career MUST they begin to incorporate OTHER conditioning. Do most male gymnast begin to incorporate cross training and weight training? Can TOO many hours in the gym become detrimental??
I have noticed that my son is doing a lot better with LESS hours on the equipment, and more time with a personal trainer. Is this common? Is this a puberty thing?? Is this just how it is going to be if he decides to stay with it? Is this how MOST boys go through Gymnastics? I always thought more hours=better gymnast.
I miss those days when my 9 yo son could do EVERYTHING easily with his 50lb body.....
 
I think it gets harder for a bit - then infinitely easier as they come to 2nd half of puberty IF they keep it up. Aches and pains galore over here for both pubertal kids - but form looks amazing all of a sudden, even as they learn new skills (as opposed to the past and the youngest one where its "chuck the skill when coach isn't looking, then get it right")...

With any sport during puberty its key to have excellent nutrition and good rest of all muscle groups between workouts - so make sure that coaches and trainers are working together to balance the conditioning (not all lower body for days in a row - no 4 hours on P bars in one day to get that one skill...) or you will get overuse stuff...DS had forearm splints this fall after he went from doing 5-10 mushroom circles at a time to 50+ (he didn't start competing until 11, so just training L6/7 now at 13+). Had to lay off pommel for a while. Now he's been doing too many L7 tumbling passes and vaults in practice (and on his own every chance he has) and is getting shin splints. His sister (L8, 11 YO and quite pubertal herself) told him to suck it up!

Hyperflexible kids also are more prone to aches and pains due to pull on ligaments...from early childhood on...usually that's not dangerous but leads to complaints.

They also need a huge amount of sleep....really, they do!!!
 
Thank you for your input. We dont have any more L9s or 10 because they left for college last year. Things seem to be improving for DS but I really do miss the days of my little son easily doing his L6/L7 stuff.....I wonder what will be easy for him AFTER the big transformation.......
 
He is a real fighter. And I bet that a lot of things WILL be easy for him once he gets through puberty. Think how great it will be for him after all that he's been through once he is over the hump and hits that glide path.
 
Most MAG gymnasts rarely cross train. None of the Berkeley guys including Sr National team members did.

The OTC guys do a bit from what JD Reive talked about. Not much.

It's hard enough to get the college girls in the weight room but it's becoming more prevalent in high level optional and elite WAG.
 

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