Women Generally speaking...what hours are appropriate for what age?

[mobeans]

My daughter is 7, nearly 8, and is a Level 3. Her regular gym schedule is 10 hours a week. She also does TOPS which is an extra 2 hours and has the opportunity to "uptrain" for the next level skills at an additional 2 hours per week. If she were to do all the training hours available to her she would be at the gym for 14 hours per week. She eats, sleeps, and breathes gymnastics and begs to go all the time. I am the one who tends to hold her back a bit as I don't want her to get burnt out. What do you think, based on experience...coaches? parents? Any insight is much appreciated!

 

[rbearclaw]

My daughter is also 7, TOPS, level 3-4, and trains 17 hours during the school year. She also begs to do open gym each week, which adds another 1.5 hours of fun. Even with all that (and more during the summer), she is constantly flipping at home...can't ever get enough. We try and keep an open line of communication about it ever getting to be too much. So far she hasn't said so.

 

[Committed]

DD is the same age: 7yo, TOPS, competing L4. She works out 10.5 hrs/week. TOPS is built into the regular gym hours. There are not additional hours to be had here or there, not even Open Gym.
She manages the hours pretty well during school, especially since she will still have weekly homework packets instead of nightly assigned homework.
I think the big jump will be in December when she (assuming she levels up) will go 16hrs/week.

I just try to keep her well-rested and well-fed. I can't imagine those workouts while exhausted! She's already had one fall from the top of the rope!

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

When DD was seven she trained 16 hours a week.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

We have elite hopefuls who train 20hrs/wk at age 7. My DD wouldn't have done well with that, at that age. The "normal" gymnasts practice 6hrs/wk for L3 or 14hrs/wk for L4/5.

 

[2gymnastand1soccerplayer]

My youngest dd is seven and is currently off from a broken elbow but she was doing 12 hours per week, that training level 3-4, and tops training. Regular hours for training is 10 and tops is an extra 2

 

[Gymbee06]

My dd does 15 hrs a week in the uk she is about a us level 4 still begs to go more and never stops with gymnastics I can't wait for the summer daytime hours when she can do about 6 hours a day and neither can she!!

 

[Gymbee06]

Forgot to add she is 7

 

[GYM0M]

My daughter is 7, nearly 8, and is a Level 3. Her regular gym schedule is 10 hours a week. She also does TOPS which is an extra 2 hours and has the opportunity to "uptrain" for the next level skills at an additional 2 hours per week. If she were to do all the training hours available to her she would be at the gym for 14 hours per week. She eats, sleeps, and breathes gymnastics and begs to go all the time. I am the one who tends to hold her back a bit as I don't want her to get burnt out. What do you think, based on experience...coaches? parents? Any insight is much appreciated!

When my dd was 7, she went more than that, a lot more. Somewhere around 22 hours per week during school & more during summer. As a 7 year old, she competed old 4, new 4, & new 5. She's 8 now, goes to gym more often and will compete as a L7.

 

[2littlegymmiesmom]

My 7 Yr old level 4 goes 16 hours right now(training both 4 and 5 with some added up training) plus she manages a few extra hours here and there when youngest DD has class. All totaled she is probably doing 18-20 hours. During the school year that will drop to around 15 I think. I too often worry about burn out with doing so much so young but right now she loves it and like most others, eats, sleeps and breathes gymnastics. Youngest DD5 goes 8 hours and I just couldn't see her wanting to go more at this point. She doesn't have the same love for the sport that her older sister does.

 

[RAMS]

My 8 year old level 4/5 goes 16 hours a week plus an hour and a half TOPS class. She adds another 4 hour practice in August but I think TOPS will stop since we just finished our last testing and they will do TOPS as part of the regular practice. She is training to test out of level 4 in August and Level 5 in September and uptrain to compete 6 or 7 in the spring. I have to admit though she does get tired and sometimes does not want to go. This summer has been fine because she was able to sleep in. I am worried how she will handle 20 hours as a 3rd grader. Oh and several times week they can go in for extra time to work on bars which she does at least once a week.

 

[lovemygymnast]

My 6 year old DD is L4 doing 12 hours a week plus tops training. She still does more when she gets home! So, I think your DD should be okay. I think we all worry about our gymmies and burning out. I'm praying she doesn't and continues to love it and be as determined as she is right now. I really questioned keeping her at L3 for the hours but she was having none of it. I know starting school, the first couple of weeks are always rough but hopefully she'll get used to it. Good luck!!

 

[mobeans]

Ok good to hear! My DD also loves "practicing at home" when time permits. She was a Level 2 last year, practicing 7 hours a week. This year it would be double if we do all the available hours so I want to approach carefully. I see that many of your kids are training even more than my DD so I'm sure she'll be fine. Thanks for the insight everyone

 

[Ex member]

My dd does 15 hrs a week in the uk she is about a us level 4 still begs to go more and never stops with gymnastics I can't wait for the summer daytime hours when she can do about 6 hours a day and neither can she!!

My dd is also 7 and we are from the uk, I would put her about a USA level 3 from the things she is working on, dd does 5 hours a week (started in her group 7 months ago).

Dd will be starting her daytime hours from today, she will be doing 5 hours a day twice a week, so she is nearly doubling her hours throughout the summer if you take out the lunch breaks,

 

[jen0423]

My DD is 8, is level 4 and does 12 hours/ week in summer and during school year.

 

[flipflopsalto]

dd 7 does 6 hrs a week, thinking about adding tops which will be 9 hrs/wk.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

My dd is 6 and goes 6 hours a week. In December once competition season is over, it'll increase to 9 (3x3). Next May or so, if she moves up to level 3, they will add another day and it will be 12. That's more than enough for my liking at that age. We are still at the beginning on this journey though and I am still getting used to the whole idea of training for 12+ hours a week at such a young age (I do know that it is expected, just saying we aren't there yet and I am not looking forward to it at this point!)

 

[UpsideDown]

My DD is 9, training level 4 (waiting impatiently to hear if she moves up). She practices 13 hours a week, which includes one hour of dance. And chooses to go to about 3 hours of open gym as well.