WAG How much to train a week for an adult beginner?

[hopefulbeginner]

Hi, everyone!
I’m an adult female in my early 20s that recently started taking an adult gymnastics and tumbling class in mid May. I LOVE IT! It’s actually kind of funny because I did gymnastics when I was 5 and 6 and I was so scared and disinterested, I never learned beyond a cartwheel in two years. But as an adult, I’m really proud of how I’ve been catching on. I am training on bars and beam but I’m focusing on floor specifically for tumbling as my end goal is actually to try out for a certain cheer team in a few years that has a tumbling requirement of round off back handspring back tuck, standing back tuck, and standing bhs. I am generally rather physically fit and super into weightlifting and contortion work, but did not have a lot of tumbling skills prior to starting this class. Before I could do front limbers, round offs, cartwheels, and backbends. I’ve been going twice a week and since may have learned Front and back walkovers, connecting walkovers and cartwheels or roundoffs for various passes , handstand forward rolls, front handsprings, front tucks off the air track to the floor, shaky back extension rolls, inconsistent side aerials, and a standing backhand spring.
I was going twice a week because that was all that was offered at the gym offered for adults, but now they opened up a third class. I’m considering signing up for all three days for the next session because I just love it and I want to improve. I don’t feel sore or tired the day after, but I’m not sure if three days a week as an adult would be pushing it? From talking to other people that do it it sounds like I would be the only person doing all three days. What do you guys think? Would three sessions a week be ideal for me to continue to make progress or would I just be putting myself at risk? Thanks!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

As long as you're not physically or mentally burning out, I'd say give it a try. You can always drop the class if it's too much.

Just listen to your body; if you push it too hard, it'll let you know the next morning.

 

[iwishiwasatumbler]

I'm female 35 and do gymnastics 3-4 times a week, got back into it age 31 after a 17 year break. I'm not particularly fit, it's not a problem for me but got to listen to your body. I have been on intensive courses (5 hours a day, 5 days a week) and had minor muscle pulls that set me back a few weeks. I think you will be fine with 3x per week. But Bea rin mind many adults I know get injuries from trying to do stuff they could do as a kid before conditioning their body into the right state. Build up flexibility slowly, and there are many strengthening exercises that can help protect you.

 

[Aussie_coach]

As a fit healthy adult 3 days a week should be fine.

I started gymnastics as an adult, and I started with no prior experience on 10 hours per week (they wanted more too). Within a few months I stepped up to 14 hours and shortly after that up to 20 hours.

Never had an issue with fatigue or muscle soreness and never had an injury.

As a healthy adult you are less likely to be injured, than a younger gymnast. Young kids have softer bones and muscles that are still developing. Pre teens and young teens are very prone to injury as their bodies are dramatically growing and changing. As an adult you muscles and bones are strong and set.

As an adult I also found I developed skills far quicker than the kids, just due to being able to understand the technique better.

I also found it much easier to develop strength than the kids. Probably due to not growing. Every time a kid grows they need more strength.

Flexibility was never my strong point but again developed it faster than the kids because as an adult I knew what I needed and was prepared to put the effort in to get it.