- Jan 3, 2019
- 2
- 0
First I like to say hello and wish you all a happy new year.
I discovered this forum a few days ago and thought it might be the right place for a question that's been bothering me for a while. Before I start I'd like to mention that I am no gymnast myself and I hope that this is no problem, since I read in the 'gymnast forum' that only gymnasts are allowed. So since I couldn't find any rule on that in the terms and it says 'fans' in the header of this site I just added this question in the off-topic region of the forum.
A few words about me:
I was never all too sporty. When I was younger I did some ballet...well let's call it that way, I was forced to do some ballet but I didn't really develop any skills there. As soon as it went to more complicated things I did not participate anymore. Similarly, I also started to do some martial arts a while ago but I would never do any 'stunts' like flips or so, that was the point where I usually skipped the lesson and focused more on the calm parts of martial arts. Also in school, I tried things like handstand and cartwheels when asked to but I would never do a somersault for example. I'm quite tall and I once tried one, which feels almost impossible to me and accidentally hurt my neck. Therefore I have always and will always have the greatest respects for gymnastics and all gymnasts but it's probably nothing I should do. Today I try to stay fit by basic workout, not too often and not too much, certainly no gym but only things you can do at home.
And this is the part where this question popped up in my mind. During the past two years, I didn't do any continuous workout. I start one day, do some stuff and then I completely forget about it and have to start all over again a few months later. Still, and probably also due to my size and the fact that I can eat what I want and still stay skinny, I reached a point where, under the right light, you can start to see some abs. For you, this is probably nothing special but to me, who never intended to get some and without any real workout plan or diet or anything it is still quite exciting. And then I wondered. See, I can do situps for example. At first, they are hard after some repetitions but then with some time I quickly reach a point where I can do more and it doesn't hurt anymore. I flex my pseudo-abs and it feels a little harder. But once I change the workout style and lift for example my feet, it becomes all extremely hard to do again. And my stomach feels like I have no muscles at all. So I continue until I get stronger and then I do the next thing, let's say I hang from a ladder and then try to lift my feet it's almost impossible.
Or another example, when we were younger we always tried to bend bottle caps with our fingers. It was pretty hard as a kid but at some point, it became easier. The next things were cracking open a walnut. I remember, when I was a teenager I finally managed to do it. Today, I do push-ups and pull-ups and it even seems like my arms are getting bigger, but when I try to crack a nut again, it is still extremely hard although I should be a lot stronger.
From this I got the question, what about gymnasts. Many gymnasts start at an early age and I have seen young kids with incredible muscles. It makes sense that with a lot of training you will get a body like that. But similarly to my experience, is that really related to strength? For example, if a gymnast has a sixpack, that is because he or she needs it. For balance or to do the moves. You probably don't start to workout like people in a gym do to look good or become strong but you adapt your workout plans to the tasks you have to master. And the muscles will grow to an extent where you can do these tasks. Like for me, they grew to the point where I could do a certain amount of repetitions of one particular task. If I wanted to do a harder one I have to train more and the muscles will adapt to that. I see many young girls do that routine where you push yourself up while sitting but keep your feet stretched out in front of you. That is, of course, hard but also just the next stage to what I am struggling right now with. And I guess that applies to your arms and legs as well. I've seen gymnasts with far less developed muscles do similar routines.
So my question is, how much is your physical appearance actually related to pure strength? Don't get me wrong here, it's not about strength in a manner of fully balancing your body at various routines, or doing things much more slowly and perfect than just in fast motions. I understand that all these things require a lot of power and I have full respect for anyone who can do that! But what I am actually asking for is the comparison to let's say someone who lifts weights and has muscles because he wants to become strong.
Also, I don't know how much hormones and puberty will cause more change in the body and therefore increase the strength automatically. Of course, an adult with muscles will be much stronger than a kid with muscles. Just the size, diameter, etc. of the muscles themselves are of no comparison here. A muscular young gymnast needs enough power to lift himself/herself and not an adult. So I can imagine that once you become older and you grow you will have quite some strength. Therefore the question is directed more to your past and childhood here for an actual comparison.
So to those of you who did a lot of gymnastics when they were younger and had muscles from an early age: Have you ever experienced an actual comparable event that would demonstrate anything related to strength? If you say 'I was able to do 30 pull-ups' that is, of course, impressive but very hard to compare. It would depend on your size and your weight, by becoming stronger you gain more muscles and therefore become heavier, it would just be very hard to imagine and compare. I'm talking more about situations where strength came in handy like you tried to crack a walnut like me or something similar. Because even to me as an adult who does occasional workout this would be very hard. If a younger gymnast is able to pull that off that would certainly be a yes on the actual question if for gymnastics the shape and body appearance correlates with the actual strength as it does for for example bodybuilders and weightlifters.
I'd be interested in any story or idea you have, you are certainly the experts here and I can only imagine most of the stuff I am writing here as I have no real experience. It could be all wrong but in the end I can only compare it to myself and therefore I'd be really interested in how it actually is and especially how it was for you.
Many Greetings and a big thank you to all replies
I discovered this forum a few days ago and thought it might be the right place for a question that's been bothering me for a while. Before I start I'd like to mention that I am no gymnast myself and I hope that this is no problem, since I read in the 'gymnast forum' that only gymnasts are allowed. So since I couldn't find any rule on that in the terms and it says 'fans' in the header of this site I just added this question in the off-topic region of the forum.
A few words about me:
I was never all too sporty. When I was younger I did some ballet...well let's call it that way, I was forced to do some ballet but I didn't really develop any skills there. As soon as it went to more complicated things I did not participate anymore. Similarly, I also started to do some martial arts a while ago but I would never do any 'stunts' like flips or so, that was the point where I usually skipped the lesson and focused more on the calm parts of martial arts. Also in school, I tried things like handstand and cartwheels when asked to but I would never do a somersault for example. I'm quite tall and I once tried one, which feels almost impossible to me and accidentally hurt my neck. Therefore I have always and will always have the greatest respects for gymnastics and all gymnasts but it's probably nothing I should do. Today I try to stay fit by basic workout, not too often and not too much, certainly no gym but only things you can do at home.
And this is the part where this question popped up in my mind. During the past two years, I didn't do any continuous workout. I start one day, do some stuff and then I completely forget about it and have to start all over again a few months later. Still, and probably also due to my size and the fact that I can eat what I want and still stay skinny, I reached a point where, under the right light, you can start to see some abs. For you, this is probably nothing special but to me, who never intended to get some and without any real workout plan or diet or anything it is still quite exciting. And then I wondered. See, I can do situps for example. At first, they are hard after some repetitions but then with some time I quickly reach a point where I can do more and it doesn't hurt anymore. I flex my pseudo-abs and it feels a little harder. But once I change the workout style and lift for example my feet, it becomes all extremely hard to do again. And my stomach feels like I have no muscles at all. So I continue until I get stronger and then I do the next thing, let's say I hang from a ladder and then try to lift my feet it's almost impossible.
Or another example, when we were younger we always tried to bend bottle caps with our fingers. It was pretty hard as a kid but at some point, it became easier. The next things were cracking open a walnut. I remember, when I was a teenager I finally managed to do it. Today, I do push-ups and pull-ups and it even seems like my arms are getting bigger, but when I try to crack a nut again, it is still extremely hard although I should be a lot stronger.
From this I got the question, what about gymnasts. Many gymnasts start at an early age and I have seen young kids with incredible muscles. It makes sense that with a lot of training you will get a body like that. But similarly to my experience, is that really related to strength? For example, if a gymnast has a sixpack, that is because he or she needs it. For balance or to do the moves. You probably don't start to workout like people in a gym do to look good or become strong but you adapt your workout plans to the tasks you have to master. And the muscles will grow to an extent where you can do these tasks. Like for me, they grew to the point where I could do a certain amount of repetitions of one particular task. If I wanted to do a harder one I have to train more and the muscles will adapt to that. I see many young girls do that routine where you push yourself up while sitting but keep your feet stretched out in front of you. That is, of course, hard but also just the next stage to what I am struggling right now with. And I guess that applies to your arms and legs as well. I've seen gymnasts with far less developed muscles do similar routines.
So my question is, how much is your physical appearance actually related to pure strength? Don't get me wrong here, it's not about strength in a manner of fully balancing your body at various routines, or doing things much more slowly and perfect than just in fast motions. I understand that all these things require a lot of power and I have full respect for anyone who can do that! But what I am actually asking for is the comparison to let's say someone who lifts weights and has muscles because he wants to become strong.
Also, I don't know how much hormones and puberty will cause more change in the body and therefore increase the strength automatically. Of course, an adult with muscles will be much stronger than a kid with muscles. Just the size, diameter, etc. of the muscles themselves are of no comparison here. A muscular young gymnast needs enough power to lift himself/herself and not an adult. So I can imagine that once you become older and you grow you will have quite some strength. Therefore the question is directed more to your past and childhood here for an actual comparison.
So to those of you who did a lot of gymnastics when they were younger and had muscles from an early age: Have you ever experienced an actual comparable event that would demonstrate anything related to strength? If you say 'I was able to do 30 pull-ups' that is, of course, impressive but very hard to compare. It would depend on your size and your weight, by becoming stronger you gain more muscles and therefore become heavier, it would just be very hard to imagine and compare. I'm talking more about situations where strength came in handy like you tried to crack a walnut like me or something similar. Because even to me as an adult who does occasional workout this would be very hard. If a younger gymnast is able to pull that off that would certainly be a yes on the actual question if for gymnastics the shape and body appearance correlates with the actual strength as it does for for example bodybuilders and weightlifters.
I'd be interested in any story or idea you have, you are certainly the experts here and I can only imagine most of the stuff I am writing here as I have no real experience. It could be all wrong but in the end I can only compare it to myself and therefore I'd be really interested in how it actually is and especially how it was for you.
Many Greetings and a big thank you to all replies