Doing rhythmic gymnastics and artistic gymnastics

[wispusa1]

My dd is 8 and is currently training level 6. Because her muscles have grown quickly she has lost some of her her flexibility. Last week she went with a friend to a rhythmic gymnastic class. She loved it, but also loves her regular gymnastics. The coach at rhythmic gym said she would love for my dd to work out with her team once a week for 3 hours. She would do 1.5 hours of stretching and conditioning and 1.5 hours of rhythmic gym. I think it would be a big help for her flexibility. Has anyone else done this? Will it hurt her artistic gymnastics in any way?

 

[Gymdad2]

I suggest that you talk to her artistic coach and get his/her input. Some coaches would not want her doing both; others might think it is fine. Good Luck!

 

[NGL780309]

I read somewhere, and was quite surprised actually, that Macko Caquatto did rhythmic gymnastics with artistic. I don't know how long she did it or what levels.

 

[CoachTodd]

uhm.. she's only 8. How many hours is she in the gym already?
Flexibility may come and go during growth spurts at times but if they keep at it, it usually comes back.
I'd be more apt to find out what type of flex work is being done at her artistic gym.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I read somewhere, and was quite surprised actually, that Macko Caquatto did rhythmic gymnastics with artistic. I don't know how long she did it or what levels.

not exactly. she did rhythmic first and left to do artistic.

 

[wispusa1]

[STRIKE]She is doing 12.5 hours a week this summer. She is one of those kids that like to stay busy and try new sports during the summers. She also is taking tennis lessons and has taken dance since she was 3. She understands that she must make a choice in what she does as there are only so many hours in a day so she chose gymnastics a couple of years ago but still does dance on Saturdays. We compromise and let her try other things in the summer in addition. It beats sitting at home and watching tv and whining I'm bored. At her current gym they do about a half hour a day of stretching and conditioning. Her coaches have told me that she needs to work on her stretching outside of gym. She was adopted from Russia and diagnosed with mild cerebal palsy (high tone) which is not as severe as low tone and can be overcome sometimes with physical therapy. She had physical therapy as a baby and she is fine today However, because she is high tone, flexibility is an effort for her.

 

[NGL780309]

not exactly. she did rhythmic first and left to do artistic.

I don't know where I read it orginally, but it says on her official website that she started gymnastics at age 2 and that she did both, but due to time constraints had to pick and obviously she chose artistic. She must have been pretty good at rhythmic since it says she made the Future Stars National Team. Just looking at her she wouldn't strike me as a rhythmic gymnast.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well, yes. she was in a mommy and me gymnastics class. but her bulgarian coach won out and most of her training was rhythmic. although she was a level 5 equivalent when she left and went to another gym where she eventually became an elite gymnast.

 

[IGM Gymnastics]

Rhythmic Private Lessons

I believe it would benefit your daughter to practice Rhythmic Gymnastics to support her Artistic Gymnastics career. But I would suggest Rhythmic private lessons rather than working with the Rhythmic Team. The reason I would suggest private lessons would be to: focus more on stretching (flexibility), conditioning, and ballet rather than working with the Rhythmic apparatus (that won't help her in Artistic Gymnastics obviously). Also, I would suggest that a private lession shouldn't be more than one to two hours long. Three hours could be too much for her, especially if she has practice during other days of the week for Artistic.