level 7

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

F

flippin fool 08

ok, so I have been in level 6 for two years now and the only thing that is holding me back from level 7 is bars. I mean I am getting better at bars but the whole giant thing is what scares me. does anything have any advice for giants and fear of doing them!!!????!!!!


please reply
caitlin:eek:
 
Do you have to do giants at your gym? Is there a strap bar for you to use?
 
I didn't compete giants until like this year as a level 8. I'm at a Y but I don't think we have any different requirements. My routine was kip free hip kip squat on kip free hip flyaway. I had all my requirements and scored well with it.
But yeah what gracefulone said about the strap bar
 
What about giants scares you? Have you been working them? Can you do a decent 3/4 giant? Have you tried them in strap bar? Have you tried them on low bar? What type of spotting have you had? Just trying to get to the root of the problem so we can give you the best advice we can.
 
I'm a 7 and I had the same problem =)
I totally agree with the whole strap bar idea. It definitely helped me get more confident with giants. Do you have a problem with the swing down or the tap up?
 
Well I Guess I Kinda Have A Problem With Both Because First I Can't Get To A Cast Handstand And Second I Can't Get Over The Scaryness Of Just Swinging Up With Out Bending My Arms And Falling Or Something Like That. My Coaches Have Always Said That What You Imagine Is Always Way Worse Than What Will Ever Happen And Have Belived Them Eveytime That They Have Said That To Me Up To Now. Half Of The Time I Even Know That Nothing Will Happen But As Soon As I Get On The Bar And Ready To Go I Just Loose It And I Wont Even To A Cast To A 3/4!!!!!!!!!
 
Well I Guess I Kinda Have A Problem With Both Because First I Can't Get To A Cast Handstand And Second I Can't Get Over The Scaryness Of Just Swinging Up With Out Bending My Arms And Falling Or Something Like That. My Coaches Have Always Said That What You Imagine Is Always Way Worse Than What Will Ever Happen And Have Belived Them Eveytime That They Have Said That To Me Up To Now. Half Of The Time I Even Know That Nothing Will Happen But As Soon As I Get On The Bar And Ready To Go I Just Loose It And I Wont Even To A Cast To A 3/4!!!!!!!!!
Your coaches are right! What you imagine is way worse than what can really happen. Ask your coach if they can spot you on a baby giant or long hang pull over until you start to feel comfortable. For the tap up I would recommend working a lot of back extension rolls while trying to stay as tight as possible. When you get up to the real bar, all you have to do is stay tight because there is almost no way anything can happen as long as you're squeezing and keeping your arms straight. As for casting I would just start out small and tight and work your way up to handstand.
 
3/4 giants? What is that? I've never done one in my life but I got giants.

Also called baby giants or longhang pullovers. It's an element in the Level 6 (I think?) routine.


Don't worry about the cast to handstand right now. Keep working on it, but you don't have to be able to cast to handstand to do a giant, especially if you're on strap bar. I'd just do lots of swings on strap bar and gradually they'll get higher and higher. You need the feel of swinging above horizontal to the floor with a straight body. Have your coach spot some giants when you only concentrate on staying tight in handstand with your arms straight. Your coach will do all the work of lifting you over the top. I think you just need more repetitions to be comfortable with the feel of going over in a handstand.
 
One of the drills that I did to learn giants was just simply high tap swings that eventually pulled over the bar--yes, it's possible to do a giant from a tap swing--it just doesn't necessarily pass through handstand.

When learning a giant there are going to be times where you don't make it over the bar and fall back down--when this happens, just treat it as though you casted over the bar and let go of the bar and fall to your feet. It's really not as scary as it seems, but something you can do to help have a coach spot kip cast handstands that fall over the bar.

Most importantly, you've got to believe in yourself. Your coaches wouldn't have you learning how to do giants if they didn't think you were quite capable of doing them safely. Gymnastics is partially about taking risks and overcoming challenges--there are going to be tons of skills that you're going to be afraid of doing (at first of course) but as you do them you'll gain the confidence. Sometimes you've just got to make yourself go for it. Decide before you get on the bar whether or not you're going to go, and once you get on the bar count to 3 and just do it.

Giants are really fun skills--they're kind of like rollercoasters--as you swing down you're going down the hill of the rollercoaster, then at the top it's like being at the top of the hill.
 
Well I had a great day on bars today I finally got my giants on the strap bar! today is the first day that I did giants and I did 5 in a row!!!!!!
 
Well my advice is to ask your coach to do a clear hip (or a free hip whatever you call it) I am a level seven training level eight (i did 7 for two years)And i competed giants. I was the only one the first year the second year i was one of two that did.I dont think giants are that common so ask your coach. Keep us posted.:)
 
ok thanks for your advice i still don't have my giant but my coaches are letting me compeate with out them so i am pretty happy!
 
Did you ask your coaches if you have to do giants? Some gyms allow gymnasts to do clearhips on highbar instead of giants.
 
I learned my giants when i was 8 so i don't remember much and at that age i was completely fearless but i think i did do baby giants and then just went harder and harder until i ended up doing a giant. They are scary the first few times, but they are fine after that. They just take a lot of practice. Good luck!! You can do it and believe in yourself!!!
 
i haven't got my giants yet but i am going to compeate two free hips on lowbar and a kip cast flyaway on high bar
 

New Posts

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

Gymnaverse :: Recent Activity

College Gym News

New Posts

Back