Parents Does anyone have experience with crossfit kids?

[nameless]

looking for some insight on crossfit (kinesis) kids training.. it is not dd's gym, it's at a facility.. looking for pros, cons, any advice.. anyone have their kids in this program? we haven't sat in on a trial class yet, but it seems like a nice fitness based activity that would def benefit a lil gymnast..

 

[wallinbl]

Presumably, her coaches have a conditioning plan, and they are doing something to periodize the conditioning such that it works with her skill training and competition season. A crossfit regimen would be outside of this, not necessarily correlated with the periodization for gymnastics, and potentially counterproductive. You should definitely coordinate with her coach.

 

[Twosmiles]

I personally am involved in crossfit for adults and the terms that they use could be counterproductive to a gymnast (i.e. a kip in crossfit is not a kip in gymnastics). However, I do see how it could improve strength and aerobic conditioning of a gymnast and many of the things I see my daughters do in gym are the same things I do at crossfit (pullups, box jumps, pushups, walking handstands, etc).

If this is something you want to pursue, I would encourage you to look into the coaches qualifications and what it takes to be a crossfit kids coach (i.e. minimum certification). Because of the way the certification works, its important to choose a place that has long history offering the course with a coach that truly understands the unique physiology of a child. I have not pursued this with my own children as they get enough conditioning at the gym.

 

[nameless]

Thanks guys.. Silly me, she's a gymnast, of course I better run it by the coach.. Sigh, it's hard for me to make all decisions for my dd's every move without asking a coach or two.. I'm learning though!

I did think that crossfit workouts were similar to at least some gymnastics conditioning. Yes, dd conditions at her gym, but being that she's L3 they really don't condition THAT much.. Lil one is naturally muscular and has never come home from the gym sore. Maybe that's normal, idk.. Figured an hour or 2 a week of crossfit with athletic friends her age may challenge her a bit more. But, ahh, yes.. if she truly needs more of a challenge her coaches would surely know!

Now, if I can only catch a coach long enough to ask..

 

[wallinbl]

At level 3, and presumably a rather young age, 2 hours of crossfit isn't likely to bother or hurt anything. Be careful with outside conditioning as she moves up in level, as the coaches will likely become more deliberate about what times of year they are pushing conditioning, when they start tapering it, etc, because the whole thing becomes a lot more complex as they start needing a lot more strength. Periodization/tapering/etc factor in as well as balancing the strength of opposing muscle groups (often, one muscle group pulls against another and vice versa, so their strength should be relatively balanced to avoid injury).

 

[AZSanchez]

when my daughter didn't make the TOPS team at our gym, we signed her up for crossfit kids here in Mesa, Arizona. It was approx 45 minutes of workout and compared to her usual gymnastics workout, seemed easier than what she was used to. But we did notice the cardio and box jumping was helpful to her and by the time of the next TOPS tryout, her coaches noticed she had more strength and endurance and she did make the TOPS team. I think the extra 45 minutes helped her even though it was only one day a week (on top of her normal gymnastics workouts). I just started crossfit myself this month. Truthfully there is nothing 'hard', but all of it together makes for a hard workout.

 

[txgymfan]

I think it sounds like a fun activity for already fit /lower level gymnasts. To the OP, it might be a great way for your DD to have fun in another activity and make friends with other active kids.

For those of you with kids who have "retired" from the sport, this may be a great way to stay in shape while taking advantage of the skills they have learned.

 

[momto2js]

I was under the impression that kinesis training wasn't a great idea for young kids, and when done should be done in limited reps?? I guess I was mistaken. That said, I'd be pretty careful about how much more pounding my gymnasts body takes. He is growing fast and honestly too much too soon, doesn't sound like a good idea to me. For additional conditioning, we take him to the park and let him do the monkey bars, climb the slide, jump up the stairs.

 

[wgagym]

I am going to have my kiddo do it this summer. She loves to condition and she is not competing yet. I do crossfit myself and love it. It is very similar to the conditioning that I did in gymnastics and kicks my old butt so I love it!

OP at her level I do not see a problem with it.

 

[DisMom]

Our whole team does crossfit kids. Twice a week. It is DIFFERENT than what adults do for crossfit. And the coaches are in there with them. The girls enjoy it because it is different, it is led by different people, in a different gym, etc. does it actually do anything? I don't think so.