WAG Another Question about Ankle Weights

[JBS]

Casts, leg drives, eh really most of it. Not worth the added risk for low reward.

What are leg drives?

The things that we use weights for are for a very high reward...less low back and ACL injuries.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Casts, leg drives, eh really most of it. Not worth the added risk for low reward.

==
Hypothetically, what if "said" gym had over 25 STATE beam and bar champions just in one season, would that be enough of a reward? Or... what if the team that won the olympics uses ankle weights, would that be reward enough? I'm now trying to be snarky, just curious what your definition of reward would be. Because I really don't see any pattern in our injuries and honestly I can't attribute any of them to weights. But I could be wrong of course. Please don't take offense to any of this, I am asking sincerely.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well then, i can say for certain that 5 of the 7 girls on the USA team DID NOT use ankle weights. the other 2 i'm not fully familiar with whether or not they used ankle weights, but i DO KNOW their conditioning regimen and i don't know of any weights but won't stake my reputation on it. now i have to ask what the heck your talking about?

and what is that other bluster? 25 this and 25 that...come on now. enough. stop it already.

 

[gymdog]

==
Hypothetically, what if "said" gym had over 25 STATE beam and bar champions just in one season, would that be enough of a reward? Or... what if the team that won the olympics uses ankle weights, would that be reward enough? I'm now trying to be snarky, just curious what your definition of reward would be. Because I really don't see any pattern in our injuries and honestly I can't attribute any of them to weights. But I could be wrong of course. Please don't take offense to any of this, I am asking sincerely.

Cool? You don't need to prove anything to me. I'm just saying that I personally don't see the value in doing the list of exercises posted with ankle weights on and I add resistance in other ways or do more comprehensive exercises. Also, there is virtually nothing that could be said on the topics of "ankle weights" that could offend me. I don't feel I have much to defend here.

I think its possible to be a high level gymnast without training almost anything in ankle weights ( when pressed to think of an appropriate use, I thought of exactly one - ankle isolation). So that's one thing I'd note. It seems a contingent of coaches believe that is NOT true (personally I'm not sure why but don't feel all that invested in proving anything). That ankle weights are necessary and central to their conditioning program. So okay, got it, just don't feel the same way. Have other exercises I would prefer to use.

 

[Jenny]

==
Hypothetically, what if "said" gym had over 25 STATE beam and bar champions just in one season, would that be enough of a reward? Or... what if the team that won the olympics uses ankle weights, would that be reward enough? I'm now trying to be snarky, just curious what your definition of reward would be. Because I really don't see any pattern in our injuries and honestly I can't attribute any of them to weights. But I could be wrong of course. Please don't take offense to any of this, I am asking sincerely.

Maybe not now but you might do in 5 years time. That is my personal opinion and also not to offend you. I personally wouldn't take the risk when there are alternative exercises to use.

My definition of reward would not be 25 beam and bar champions in one year it would be healthy and happy young adults in 15 years time who still love the sport of gymnastics.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

well then, i can say for certain that 5 of the 7 girls on the USA team DID NOT use ankle weights. the other 2 i'm not fully familiar with whether or not they used ankle weights, but i DO KNOW their conditioning regimen and i don't know of any weights but won't stake my reputation on it. now i have to ask what the heck your talking about?

and what is that other bluster? 25 this and 25 that...come on now. enough. stop it already.

==
I guess you missed the word hypothetically at the beginning? And it's a straight forward question about reward.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Maybe not now but you might do in 5 years time. That is my personal opinion and also not to offend you. I personally wouldn't take the risk when there are alternative exercises to use.

My definition of reward would not be 25 beam and bar champions in one year it would be healthy and happy young adults in 15 years time who still love the sport of gymnastics.

==
I have been at the same gym coaching the same girls for 9 and a half years now. as far as the rest of your statement, fair enough.

 

[ABCTechnique]

I agree sorry your child was injured but maybe it was your Child ... parents tend to think because something happens to their
child it's a problem with everyone's child. Not.

 

[kandkfunk]

I agree sorry your child was injured but maybe it was your Child ... parents tend to think because something happens to their
child it's a problem with everyone's child. Not.

Not sure if this was directed at me, but my kid isn't the only one battling back and ankle injuries at our gym. Out of 10 optionals, 4 developed chronic back pain requiring physical therapy or medical intervention. One developed multiple small fractures in her back (not my child). Not great odds. Maybe it is a problem with just these kids, but the high rate of injury in the same area should give any coach pause.

If you read my original post, I clearly stated that I am not against ankle weights being used for static exercises. The problem seems to lie with the coaching mentality that if they are good for building strength in isolation, then adding weights to more exercises and activities must be good too. After years of running in weights, doing full on vaults and completing full tumbling passes multiple times per week, we ended up with several chronically injured girls.

We had a coaching change three months ago and the use of weights has been cut way back. The little ones are no longer complaining of ankle pain and the back pain for a couple of optionals is slowing improving. Maybe it's all coincidence. Maybe it was something else causing the issues. However, our pediatrician (with a specialty in sports meds - just a coincidence, didn't seek that out) was concerned. Based on her concern, I did a lot of reading of the available science (I'm in the medical research field) and the negatives I found far outweighed the positives.

So, we can all agree to disagree, but just because something hasn't happened to your kid or gymnast doesn't mean it won't.

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[Hayleigh]

I don't know what the level 3 bar routine is as we work differently in the uk but the routines we do are upstart (kip) clear-hip (free-hip) upstart sole circle upstart clear-hip upstart cast to handstand swing back away.

And we only do handspring vaults with weights but also do half-halfs half-fulls and we are currently working on yurchenkos onto a block that is a metre high.

 

[Nico]

I wanted to start with the use of ankle weights, but I'm going to be extra carefull now I've read all of this. I think that a correct execution to be safe and not causing injuries applies to a lot of excercises, with or without weights.
I've read the whole thread but didn't find anything on the right use of ankle wheigths.
What to do, what to avoid?
Where to pay attention to?
It would be good to be thought what it the right way to use the ankle weight after such a long thread where a lot of people are involved.
I've read that it's not a good idea to swing etc. with the wheigths. I always thought it was strenge to do that because of the change in timing and COF, indeed.
But when it comes to conditioning (lifting legs etc.), I'd like to ask the experts here:
where do I have to pay attention too, to avoid knee and hip flexor injuries?

Thanks!

 

[iwannacoach]

So, we can all agree to disagree, but just because something hasn't happened to your kid or gymnast doesn't mean it won't.
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Well as far as I'm concerned, you and I can agree to agree on this issue.

 

[Uglybetty]

Ok so now I'm worried. I bought DD (9) light ankle weights a few weeks ago having seen them used in our gym and because DD said her coach said to get some. They were bought with one specific exercise in mind....to help with her box splits. She lies on her back on a mat with her legs propped at 90 degrees against a wall and then splits her legs slowly. The idea being that the weights help push the split further (without needing me to stretch it). We've not used them for anything else than this.

I was also thinking about using them to help build strength when she practices her front, side, rear leg lifts ( needed to pass the strength and conditioning section for levels).

Should I worry?

 

[iwannacoach]

Ok so now I'm worried. I bought DD (9) light ankle weights a few weeks ago having seen them used in our gym and because DD said her coach said to get some. They were bought with one specific exercise in mind....to help with her box splits. She lies on her back on a mat with her legs propped at 90 degrees against a wall and then splits her legs slowly. The idea being that the weights help push the split further (without needing me to stretch it). We've not used them for anything else than this.

I was also thinking about using them to help build strength when she practices her front, side, rear leg lifts ( needed to pass the strength and conditioning section for levels).

Should I worry?

She'll be ok using them as you described, but she needs to remember to move slowly going intoand out of the position.

 

[CoachTodd]

Ok so now I'm worried. I bought DD (9) light ankle weights a few weeks ago having seen them used in our gym and because DD said her coach said to get some. They were bought with one specific exercise in mind....to help with her box splits. She lies on her back on a mat with her legs propped at 90 degrees against a wall and then splits her legs slowly. The idea being that the weights help push the split further (without needing me to stretch it). We've not used them for anything else than this.

I was also thinking about using them to help build strength when she practices her front, side, rear leg lifts ( needed to pass the strength and conditioning section for levels).

Should I worry?

That's one of the few ways I've had kids use the weights. Either that or hanging from the bar working leap splits and such. I don't like them to actually jump or run with them on. I've had my ankles hurt from this when I was in High School. It isn't fun.

 

[gymdog]

Ok so now I'm worried. I bought DD (9) light ankle weights a few weeks ago having seen them used in our gym and because DD said her coach said to get some. They were bought with one specific exercise in mind....to help with her box splits. She lies on her back on a mat with her legs propped at 90 degrees against a wall and then splits her legs slowly. The idea being that the weights help push the split further (without needing me to stretch it). We've not used them for anything else than this.

I was also thinking about using them to help build strength when she practices her front, side, rear leg lifts ( needed to pass the strength and conditioning section for levels).

Should I worry?

No. That is okay but needs to be done carefully and making sure she can lower her legs slowly enough. Spot the first few times. The leg lifts I would make sure she keeps them small and isolated, it would be good to sit down and do it.