C
catie
I have been reading on this forum since nearly a year now, but finally decided to create my own account...so hello 
I read in some previous posts that adults might not be able learn gymnastics, so I would appreciate if you read my story and let me know what you think about it.
My name is Kate, I am 20 years and I am from Germany.
Since my 7th birthday, when I saw a tumbling show I wanted to do gymnastics, but the next gym was a 2 hours drive away so my parents said no. I remember myself trying skills in the garden - I learned my splits in 2 months, I stretched everyday for hours!
As I got older I tried many things to distract me from my gymnastics obsession. I tried running, track&field, spent time with my dog....but somehow I always came back to having the strong desire of being a gymnast! School became tough and I tried to talk myself into that I am already too old and I should better focus on school work or friends instead of dreaming this stupid dream of starting gymnastics as a teenager!
I finished school a year ago and now I am at university. I bought myself a big trampoline, a pull-up bar, and my father build stall bars. I am in a "gymnastics" class at university 3 times a week, because here in Germany just kids can train at a high level.
The coaches are really good, but the classes are more rec classes and just for fun, without any conditioning. There are many students my age who are doing these classes for more than 2 years and are still not able to do a back handspring!
Anyways....I have a dream: I want to be a Level 7 gymnast! I picked this Level because (as discussed a lot in this forum) this is the Level that is quite "easy" to reach. I don't want to set my goals too high, because I am already 20 and need to think about work, friends, family in the future! But I also really want to do it.
As I said, I started 8 months ago. I started working on basics like handstands, cartwheels, round-offs and walkovers and have all of them neatly, even on beam! 1 month ago I started doing back handsprings and back tucks and nearly have both standing. Of course I have all splits and I can do a straddle handstand from stand. On bars I can do front/back hip circle, clear hip, undershoot, squat on ans started kips yesterday.
I think I am a pretty fast learner and I guess this is because there is nothing I want more. I watch soooo many videos, clips and tutorials on youtube, I condition a lot and gymnastics is basically my life. When I watch a video of a gymnast doing certain skills, I kinda am able to know how this skill would feel if I would do it! It helps me whenever I am sad and I just feel sooo happy if I do it!
Here is ma "plan":
For the next year:
work on strength (10 pull-ups, 20 leg lifts, 10 chin-ups pullovers, V-Sit, press handstand, pike press)
bars: glide kip, clear hip, squat on
floor: RO BT, RO BH BT, Front Handsprings and Front Tucks
vault: Front Hanspring
I want to work on those skills really hard, at class and at home on my trampoline. I want to have the skills I listed above in one year with very good form!
the year after the next year:
bars: straddle cast handstand, clear hip to handstand, giants, tuck dismount
floor: RO BH Back Layout, Whip Back, Full Twist, Front Layout
vault: Front Handspring
beam: Back Handspring
the third year:
perfecting all of the skills, connecting them and just have fun!
I condtion 3 times a week for 1 hour, I am in class 3 times a week for 2 hours and I try tricks on the trampoline as often as I can!
I need to add that I don't want to compete and I am in no system. And I don't necessarily need to do the floor skills like Layouts or Twists on spring floor. It would be totally fine if I could do them on the airtrack. The only thing I want to have on "real" floor is a RO BH BT and Back Handspring layout stepout!
So thanks everyone for reading my story.
These are my questions now:
1.) Do you think the strength+skills I chose are the point where it is easy to progress through?
2.)Do you think my "plan" with the progressions will work?
I read in some previous posts that adults might not be able learn gymnastics, so I would appreciate if you read my story and let me know what you think about it.
My name is Kate, I am 20 years and I am from Germany.
Since my 7th birthday, when I saw a tumbling show I wanted to do gymnastics, but the next gym was a 2 hours drive away so my parents said no. I remember myself trying skills in the garden - I learned my splits in 2 months, I stretched everyday for hours!
As I got older I tried many things to distract me from my gymnastics obsession. I tried running, track&field, spent time with my dog....but somehow I always came back to having the strong desire of being a gymnast! School became tough and I tried to talk myself into that I am already too old and I should better focus on school work or friends instead of dreaming this stupid dream of starting gymnastics as a teenager!
I finished school a year ago and now I am at university. I bought myself a big trampoline, a pull-up bar, and my father build stall bars. I am in a "gymnastics" class at university 3 times a week, because here in Germany just kids can train at a high level.
The coaches are really good, but the classes are more rec classes and just for fun, without any conditioning. There are many students my age who are doing these classes for more than 2 years and are still not able to do a back handspring!
Anyways....I have a dream: I want to be a Level 7 gymnast! I picked this Level because (as discussed a lot in this forum) this is the Level that is quite "easy" to reach. I don't want to set my goals too high, because I am already 20 and need to think about work, friends, family in the future! But I also really want to do it.
As I said, I started 8 months ago. I started working on basics like handstands, cartwheels, round-offs and walkovers and have all of them neatly, even on beam! 1 month ago I started doing back handsprings and back tucks and nearly have both standing. Of course I have all splits and I can do a straddle handstand from stand. On bars I can do front/back hip circle, clear hip, undershoot, squat on ans started kips yesterday.
I think I am a pretty fast learner and I guess this is because there is nothing I want more. I watch soooo many videos, clips and tutorials on youtube, I condition a lot and gymnastics is basically my life. When I watch a video of a gymnast doing certain skills, I kinda am able to know how this skill would feel if I would do it! It helps me whenever I am sad and I just feel sooo happy if I do it!
Here is ma "plan":
For the next year:
work on strength (10 pull-ups, 20 leg lifts, 10 chin-ups pullovers, V-Sit, press handstand, pike press)
bars: glide kip, clear hip, squat on
floor: RO BT, RO BH BT, Front Handsprings and Front Tucks
vault: Front Hanspring
I want to work on those skills really hard, at class and at home on my trampoline. I want to have the skills I listed above in one year with very good form!
the year after the next year:
bars: straddle cast handstand, clear hip to handstand, giants, tuck dismount
floor: RO BH Back Layout, Whip Back, Full Twist, Front Layout
vault: Front Handspring
beam: Back Handspring
the third year:
perfecting all of the skills, connecting them and just have fun!
I condtion 3 times a week for 1 hour, I am in class 3 times a week for 2 hours and I try tricks on the trampoline as often as I can!
I need to add that I don't want to compete and I am in no system. And I don't necessarily need to do the floor skills like Layouts or Twists on spring floor. It would be totally fine if I could do them on the airtrack. The only thing I want to have on "real" floor is a RO BH BT and Back Handspring layout stepout!
So thanks everyone for reading my story.
These are my questions now:
1.) Do you think the strength+skills I chose are the point where it is easy to progress through?
2.)Do you think my "plan" with the progressions will work?
