A new this week I accomplished.....

[GikiGirl]

Progress...well most of my training the last few months has been for meets, had 3 usaigc meets thru out the spring at the gold level and then regionals for new england the other day. I became very consistent with my floor and beam routines, and managed to actually stick my vault (even though it's just a handspring) at most of the meets which was a great feeling. I finally seem to have mastered my flight on beam and double salto pass on floor (front stepout ro back tuck). Bars has been tough but competing my straddle back again so that's been good. Looking forward to uptraining in the summer months!

The AAU ladies nationals in feb. were great, but don't think I'll be there this summer.

 

[katy]

Wow, you are so lucky to find that many meets. We haven't done one since the aau winter nationals. I don't think that we will be able to make the summer nationals, or the jr. olymcips. It's too far, but who knows, we might change our minds.
We were just talking about competing usag next year. There are soo many more meet opportunities.

 

[nicci1999]

I got my mill circle the other day, and I also got my training handspring vault (run along the floor, up a slight ramp-it helps cause you gotta have a little extra energy- hurdle OVER a folded up panel mat so you have no choice but to pound your landing lol, use an unbouncy tumble track to spring off of-a spring board will be HEAVEN after this!-, and over a block that is very similar to size and consistency of a vault, since the gym I was at doesn't have an actual trainer) and got my front bounder back on tramp as well! Plus I got to go to gymnastics 4 days this week, and graduated school. It was a great week! Now I just have to find classes where I am going on vacation!

 

[GikiGirl]

Wow, you are so lucky to find that many meets. We haven't done one since the aau winter nationals. I don't think that we will be able to make the summer nationals, or the jr. olymcips. It's too far, but who knows, we might change our minds.
We were just talking about competing usag next year. There are soo many more meet opportunities.

Hey Katy,

Although USAIGC has a 19+ age group, so far none of the meets I have been to have a 19+ gymnast other than me. sometimes they put me with 15+ so at least I can really 'compete.' Perhaps at nationals there are 19+, but I haven't gone since they are in CA and we can't afford to fly that many times in a year. But the USAIGC meets are within 2-5 hours away from me which is nice. Of course if I did USAG I could have meets within 1 hour..thinking about it for next year. But yeah I'm lucky

 

[GikiGirl]

Katy, Would you adult gymmies compete with the kids from your gym, at the same meets? But you would keep your adult coaches you have now?

 

[peace.love.gymnast]

I'm so excited! I actually got to take an adult gym class tonight. I had never been to this particular gym, but I really liked the coach. He did over-spott me on a skill & I totally landed on the back of my head on the floor...OUCH!! (I'll live though) It was a small class...and mostly tumbling...very fun! I think I'll go back after the holiday for class again.

 

[Kiwi]

I had the most awesome night tonight! Climbed on the low bar and jumped to high bar then did some swings, then circled over the high bar for the very first time ever - heavily spotted! Then did my hip circle and underswing dismount from the high bar! Now just got to practice until I can get over that high bar all by myself!

Then some more flic-flacs on tumble track. Still being heavily spotted, but they are definitely improving. Then for the first time tried round-off connected to flic-flac off the end of the tumble-track onto a mat. The first time I couldn't connect them right, coach had to flip me over and I landed in a heap! But the next few times I got it better.

So excited to be learning all these new skills!

 

[ivyagogo]

Darn it! I ripped again. Okay, follow me.... I have the bars in quite close because that's how I always competed back 25 years (yes, I'm that old). Facing both bars - glide kip, front hip circle, sole circle, catch high bar in mixed grip, 1/2 turn, drop to kip on low bar. That's as far as I got. I did it twice flawlessly before ripping. My problem is that I simply can't wear grips. I've tried, but I don't feel comfortable with them. On top of that, I like to hold on real tight. I use chalk, water, honey...anything that will give me a real good grip. Of course, that is also what is causing me to rip but I am afraid to do bars without holding on real tight. I'll have to give it a little rest and try again in a week or two.

 

[mindy]

Hi people, I just joined this group. I've never taken gymnastics as a kid, but have loved the sport ever since I saw the '96 Olympics. Pity I couldn't have been younger when I saw that, who knows what level I could have ended up on? Bummer. I've found this awesome gym that has an adult class (been to others, but it was more of an "open gym" setting), and there are a lot of us adults with the same skill level (basically none, lol) and I've been having a blast. There's actually a class setting, which is loads of help so I know what to do.

As far as accomplishments, I finally got my front hip circle Tuesday! I couldn't believe it, I had been working on those forever! To date I can do both the front and back hip circles, and pullovers on bars, and I can do a front handspring and a front tuck (not consistent yet) on the tramp.

My goals are on floor: back extension rolls, front and back walkovers, and kickovers

Bars: I'm trying to get my kip. I'd also like to improve my casts and tap swings, because they're horrible looking, lol. I always feel like I'm about to peel off the bar when I work my swings, even when I try to regrip. Any tips on how to improve my swings? I'd also like to get my mill circle and be able to jump from low to high bar.

 

[Kiwi]

Great to have another adult gymnast here! It has made a huge difference to me since I have had a proper class with coaching, compared to the situation before which was more like open gym. There's no substitute for good coaching. I've improved more in the last few months than I did in a whole year of practicing mostly by myself, because a good coach picks up your mistakes and helps you to improve. From the skills you are doing it doesn't sound like your skill level is 'basically none'!

 

[teena82]

I had a decent night last night. I made about 70% of my straddle-ons last night but couldn't manage any high bar kips. I did kick the high bar during my kip for the first time. I made every low bar kip this week. Normally I at least botch the first one. I've been trying to connect all the elements of the level 5 bar routine together. Man, that thing is tiring. I'm usually exhausted after the second skill.

My Tues/Thurs coach doesn't like to spot my back handsprings so I only got 3 spots from him last night. The rest where one my own on the tumble trak. I probably landed on my knees 2 out of every 3 tries but the first one out of every set where fine. It's really just lack of confidence so I'll keep trying. I get my hands down and expect to fall so I don't finish the skill and just plop down. If they just touch my back and don't do anything to help me, I do it fine and even get a nice block in the middle. Practice makes perfect I've been told.

I'm also working round back handsprings and doing 2 punch fronts in a row. Most importanly, I'm having fun again. I was getting really frustrated at one point and felt like I was going backwards with all my skills but I'm back where I was and improving again. I need to remember to chill out and have fun.

 

[mindy]

Teena, how come he doesn't like to spot you? How do coaches expect people to learn things safely if there's no spot? Yikes! I can do BHS on tramp only if I'm spotted. Last week my left wrist suddenly decided it was going to start turning in, which freaks me out. I don't want to collapse and land on my head, so I'm hoping I don't form a bad habit. I wish I could do a kip. I can only get my feet to touch the bar half the time so maybe I need more ab conditioning. I can't do my leg lifts with straight legs yet.

 

[katy]

Gina: Yes, when we compete, we are with the kids from the gym, if we're on different events, he obviously stays with the kids. We are totally comfortable doing our own things, but it is comforting to know that your coach is watching.
Spotting: If I have any doubt, I have my coach spot. Even when I know I don't need it, I have him stand there until I am totally comfortable doing a skill. I have three coaches I let spot me. I will only let one of them spot me on new skills or ones I haven't done in a long time. He can catch the landing. That is the scariest part of a skill for me.
Elbow is still recovering. I'm going crazy with out bars and tumbling. I actually hurt it worse than the first time, while I was trying to be nice to it. I wouldn't even think of doing a handstand right now! So it's been a lot of stretching/conditioning, trampoline and dance through beam routines.

 

[teena82]

Mindy,

He doesn't like to spot me because he knows I can do I on my own. I throw a sting mat on the tumble trak so if I land wrong it doesn't really hurt. Not once have I landed on my head. I throw my bhs perfectly without a spot but then throw it completely differently on my own. He'll stand next to me if I want him to but I'm trying to do them more and more on my own. It's been a back and forth process with the spotting. So yeah, basically he knows I can do it on my own so he wants me to do it on my own.

 

[peace.love.gymnast]

I'm feeling a little frustrated these past couple of weeks. I feel like my tumbling isn't as good lately as it has been. It's hard to understand why I can do a decent back tuck on low beam w/a light spot, but I can't throw it on floor w/o busting lately. Also, I haven't been able to practice as much as I wanted to over my break from work, so progress is slow. My goal was to compete in August...not going to happen.

 

[nicci1999]

So this week I have been working on my elements for my meet on Saturday. Messed up my floor routine when I did the run through with music but there is still tomorrow so I'm not too concerned. I got my mill circle to stop at the top of the bars instead of going around.d again like I had been doing so hopefully I will be able to keep that and do it in my bar routine. Now all I need is my fhc and I will have level four bars finally! I also did some front layouts today too from the tt into the.pit. WICKED fun!!

 

[mindy]

Oh, okay, I see. I never thought of throwing a mat on the trak (there's one on the end though), but I suppose I shouldn't jump the gun yet until I can even do it correctly with a spot. :B

 

[mindy]

I wish I could do a mill circle. That's the only thing I need to do a level 4 routine. I mean, my form is still horrible on the stuff I can do, but the mill circle kind of stumps me. Every time I go for it, my leg drops down on the bar when I go over, and I end up taking the skin off the back of my leg- owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! I've also seem to have gone back a step on my front handspring. I'm almost always falling on it, which is something I didn't use to do as often. Maybe I'll throw myself over that octagon thingy again to remind myself of my body position. The only thing new I accomplished this week was getting over my fear of jumping (not really a jump since the bars were so close) from the low to high bar. I can't do it correctly like the level 5's and such, but I can pull up one leg at a time and then stand up. I guess that's a start. I can't seem to swing very well though. I'd like to swing higher! Those kids make it seem so easy, lol.

 

[mustlovejumping]

I started learning back tucks tonight! So much fun!!

 

[nicci1999]

Mindy
keep a WIDE stride When going around with your back leg nice and straight. I did the same thing for a LONG time, hooking my leg, I still Have marks from it and still do it occasionally too. Try you tubing mill circle. I actually found a video that literally broke down the circle step by step, tried it a couple days. Later and was able to do it because I could conceptualize step by step.

Added a small new part to my floor routine today, and I LOVE it. Can't wait for tomorrow!