Coaches Boy with no muscle?

[HunterBennett]

I coach a boys recreational class and there is this one kid in it that loves gymnastics and works really hard and tries everything i ask him to but it just seems like he has no muscle at all.. Its like he has no control over his body at all and cant even make his body tight. Ive tried everything with him but he just cant squeeze his body and barely makes it around when he tries a roundoff.
Ive coached this kid for about 4 months now and have seen little progress even with going back and doing beginning progressions and having the kids work on strengthening their bodies outside of class and while everyone else is advancing he is still at the beginning stages...

He can hold a handstand but its all bent and he can only hold it for about 10-15 seconds against a wall.
He has really good flexibility but just no strength at all.
His cartwheels are good but running into one is just impossible.
PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[Tumbellina82]

How old? Some kids do take longer to develop muscular control than other.

Pushing from a seated position with hands behind bum to back support can be a good exercise to get kids to activate that core muscle. (Expect to have to demonstrate.) Sometimes it seems to be partly about getting the feel of it. They obviously have some muscle there, if not much, but they need to learn to use it. I don't think they can really build more until they have figured that out.

 

[gymjunkie]

That's common in extremely flexible kids. The strength will come, but it will take longer.

 

[HunterBennett]

He is 8 years old and i will try the exercise and i have really been looking up a ton of different ways that i can help him and the other kids in his class not only help with their looseness but also get their strength up.

Does anyone think having him train with weights after a few weeks of strength and body awareness drills will help?

I would really like to know what everyone does when they encounter a kid like this.

 

[gymjunkie]

No, just body weight core, legs/hams/glutes & upper body. Start simple and make it harder as soon as he gets stronger. How often does he come to class?

 

[HunterBennett]

he comes to me once a week but is in the gym at least 3 days a week.

 

[Robert]

hey all,

First i want to make sure, Every person is different!
as said before, some kids need some more time to get control over their body.
in my group i've got one boy who's skinny and tall. sometimes its even funny to see him walk around.
When we started, he barely could make a roundoff or even a handstand. after a few weeks i talked with him and his parents. I made a list with a few workouts for him to do at home. I'm still surprised what he's capable of right now. swinging giants etc..
so, give him some time and support him, when he's catching up, maybe you've got a new talent in the group


btw sorry for my english, not my native language.

 

[ginnymac]

Please do NOT train an 8 year old with weights.