WAG Gymnast build question - just curious

[luvmygymdtr]

My *only-will-wear-jeggings, but the waist-fits-to-big-anyway* girl is short and all muscle.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Short and powerfully built, although not necessarily super strong (yet). Definitely more of a Shawn! I would say her team (4/5) is about 75% Nastia, 25% Shawn lookalikes...

 

[dani4]

I have one of each, though my kids are 5 and 3 and nowhere near team yet.. I do think their body types are genetically determined and probably won't change much as they grow.

My 5 year old is the Nastia and to be honest she's more of a... who is that ridiculously tall & lean beach volleyball player? 45.5 inches tall, not quite 40 lbs, just turned 5. Right now she's like a gawky young gazelle- speedy, somewhat flexible, not at all powerful. I could see her as a dancer eventually. Maybe a lightweight rower, if she doesn't get to be too tall.

My 3 year old is the Shawn but she is not short.. people are always saying she's tall for her age but she's a whole inch shorter than big sis was at her age so it's hard for me to see. And she is stockier- about the same girth as her big sister currently, mostly muscle except for that toddler belly. She's strong for her age but her really impressive physical trait is her coordination & agility, mixed with huge self confidence. She is more likely to have a good run as a gymnast, but I think she'll eventually end up in another sport, who knows what. Probably boxing or MMA, based on her propensity for beating up her big sister...

 

[Empowered]

My daughter is a Shaun wrapped in a Nastia body. She's tall and very thin with long legs, but she's all power. About the least flexible gymnast on the planet. It can be very frustrating because people see her build and expect one style of gymnastics and what she delivers is very different.

 

[iwannacoach]

Just curious...does their body shape tend to change some by the time they get to optionals? Or do you find once they have a certain body type they stay that way? Thanks for your input!

They are pretty much what they are for life. Sure, you'll see some kids loose a little bulk as they replace fat with muscle, but then they sometimes build so much muscle mass they end up Shaunier than when they started.. The Nastia types seem almost locked into that body, with slight but noticeable gains in muscle shapes..... and slight gains in bulk.

They each have strengths and weaknesses. and either can be successful.

 

[my4buffaloes]

I have 1 of each. Pants are a nightmare to find for my older dd.

 

[cbifoja]

Before her last growth spurt, I would have said I have a Shawn but now, she's not really built like either one. I'd consider her just a normal build kid, albeit shorter, thinner and stronger than most of her non-gymnastics peers but not at a big extreme compared to gymnasts.

 

[profmom]

You can play this game with the boys, too. On that side, the conversation is Danell Leyva versus John Orozco (or in an extreme case, Brandon Wynn!) I have two string bean gymnasts and one fire plug soccer player. I look around at the older L9s and L10s with their massive shoulders and biceps and wonder how the heck my son is ever going to get enough muscle to do crosses, etc. on rings, but hey, at least he can swing! In their gym, there's a big range of body types on both sides.

 

[LJL07]

I can't tell yet what "type" my girls fall into. One is very short but the other is tallish. Neither are bulky.

I know this is for fun, but I am starting to realize a variety of body types can be very successful at gymnastics. I always thought the stereotype very petite body type was ideal, but I guess not so. My daughter works out at the gym where the university team practices, and the college team ranges in size from 4 foot 11 to 5 foot 9!! The 5 foot 9 gymnast is amazing on bars and vault!

 

[Tally Ho]

I have a definite nastia in DD1! DD2 on the other hand is tall but built like Shawn and has the most powerful legs!

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

I have a Shawn. She is not going to be the petite tiny gymnast typical of Chinese athletes. She's a powerhouse.

 

[cbifoja]

I always thought the stereotype very petite body type was ideal, but I guess not so.

This is anecdotal 100% of the way and I have no technical merit to use to make this "official", but it seems that those long and skinnies frequently excel on beam and bars where they can really show some nice lines.

 

[BarCoach]

To answer your question I would say both. I've seen many gymnasts thin out as they get older and taller, becoming more of a nastia type. I also think that by optionals the group has been weeded out, leaving you with more of one type or another and less in between.

 

[wgymmom]

DD is more of a Nastia. She's not tall, but she's very slender and pure muscle.

 

[gymnastmom38]

Thank you everyone for your comments! It's so interesting to read the differences between body types. I've been so used to seeing my dd as pretty much the only girl on her team built like a "Shawn" and it's nice to know there are others out there built like her as well.

 

[LJL07]

Thank you everyone for your comments! It's so interesting to read the differences between body types. I've been so used to seeing my dd as pretty much the only girl on her team built like a "Shawn" and it's nice to know there are others out there built like her as well.

I'll tell you what though. The 4 foot 11 college gymnast is built a lot like Shawn Johnson, and she is AMAZING on floor. We just saw her get a perfect 10.0 in a meet several weeks ago. Her tumbling is phenomenal.

 

[LJL07]

This is anecdotal 100% of the way and I have no technical merit to use to make this "official", but it seems that those long and skinnies frequently excel on beam and bars where they can really show some nice lines.

I can see that. I wonder if the short, powerful ones tend to excel at floor.

 

[Deleted member 15064]

Long torso, shorter legs. Muscular, slender, but not skinny or light weight. Not short. I have no idea. Hybrid?

 

[cbifoja]

I can see that. I wonder if the short, powerful ones tend to excel at floor.

uhhhhhhh.......no.

 

[juststartingout]

I have both. My 8yo is more Shawn, she's short and has the upside down triangle look going. I'm thinking prom dress shopping is not going to be easy for her. My 5yo is more Nastia in build although I don't think she will be that tall. We just sized my 5yo for a dance leo and her chest and waist were smaller than a size 2 on the measurement chart and her inseam was a size 6. The interesting thing is that they don't fit the stereotypes for their build. My 8yo is graceful and super flexible in her legs, I think her biggest weakness is her power. She is weak on vault because she doesn't get enough spring off of board no matter how fast she runs. Her best scoring event is bars. My 5yo is not flexible in her legs although it is really improving, her back however is super flexible. She could possibly be graceful if she would stop bouncing around long enough. She's just started so I'm not sure what her best and worse events will be yet. She likes the vault best right now. I think as she gets older and slows down some she will become the more graceful type since she is already good with form and has a beautiful toe point. She takes ballet also so that will help.