WAG How much time is spent on conditioning each practice

[Lynn]

Practice yesterday consisted of 3.5 of the 4 hour practice doing everything except training. Now, when I picked up today, DD said they only did what she calls "preconditioning". And as her reaction showed, it was a shock that's all they did. Don't get me wrong, I fully understand the importance of developing a strong gymnast. That's not where my curiosity comes from...it really has more to do with outside comments from another gym that we spend too much time on it and not enough skill training. I've just always thought it was pretty much the same for most gyms I've encountered over the last few yrs. Our girls are strong and show a great deal of body control and awareness to what they are doing.

 

[marie83]

Practice yesterday consisted of 3.5 of the 4 hour practice doing everything except training. Now, when I picked up today, DD said they only did what she calls "preconditioning". And as her reaction showed, it was a shock that's all they did. Don't get me wrong, I fully understand the importance of developing a strong gymnast. That's not where my curiosity comes from...it really has more to do with outside comments from another gym that we spend too much time on it and not enough skill training. I've just always thought it was pretty much the same for most gyms I've encountered over the last few yrs. Our girls are strong and show a great deal of body control and awareness to what they are doing.

It does seem a lot of conditioning but I firmly believe there can never be enough... However, when do they learn skills? What is the top level gymnast at your club?
I'm always aware that gymnasts may vote with their feet if too much time is spent on conditioning and not actually learning anything. if they are still learning and are doing well at meets and have high level gymnasts then they must be doing something right!

 

[Lynn]

It does seem a lot of conditioning but I firmly believe there can never be enough... However, when do they learn skills? What is the top level gymnast at your club?
I'm always aware that gymnasts may vote with their feet if too much time is spent on conditioning and not actually learning anything. if they are still learning and are doing well at meets and have high level gymnasts then they must be doing something right!

Our current high level gymnast will compete Level 10 this coming season.

Our compulsory girls do really well. Several in the 37+ scoring. We are known as being pretty competitive in this area. Optionals do ok too. No elite or even prospects at this point. We probably have 20+ optionals and I think 2 maybe 3 made it beyond state.

They recently upped the training ours by an hr for some levels. Which as parents, we thought great! But now we are noticing more and more time spent on everything BUT skills.

I think for some, it works ok to not spend a great deal of time on skills. We have some girl who are "skill junkies" and want to learn. We also have girls who struggle at first who could use a little extra practice time. Hoping summer training satisfies all of that.

 

[mobeans]

My DD is L2, moving to L3 in a few weeks....on her L2 team they do about 15-20 min of conditioning at the end of practice. Sometimes more, sometimes less. They are def working on it more since meet season is over.

 

[LizzieLac]

Practice yesterday consisted of 3.5 of the 4 hour practice doing everything except training. Now, when I picked up today, DD said they only did what she calls "preconditioning". And as her reaction showed, it was a shock that's all they did. Don't get me wrong, I fully understand the importance of developing a strong gymnast. That's not where my curiosity comes from...it really has more to do with outside comments from another gym that we spend too much time on it and not enough skill training. I've just always thought it was pretty much the same for most gyms I've encountered over the last few yrs. Our girls are strong and show a great deal of body control and awareness to what they are doing.

3.5 out 4 hours on conditioning does seem like a lot. But maybe it depends on what your DD considers conditioning. During certain times of the year and for certain skills, we will see the girls do a lot of drills. Maybe this kind of thing is perceived as conditioning because you are not attempting the full skill.

 

[Lynn]

3.5 out 4 hours on conditioning does seem like a lot. But maybe it depends on what your DD considers conditioning. During certain times of the year and for certain skills, we will see the girls do a lot of drills. Maybe this kind of thing is perceived as conditioning because you are not attempting the full skill.

I wish that were the case. Here is a portion of what they did for 3.5 hrs. Rope climbs with and without legs, leg lifts, v-ups, body rockers, chin ups and pull-ups, squat jumps in place and across the floor, lumberjacks, handstand holds, sit-ups and push ups. Oh and plyo twice. Beginning and end of practice. I know I'm missing a few things because she went on and on. The last half hr was tumbling. I'm tired just thinking about it. Something else to add, these girls had been off for 6 days prior to this workout as well.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I hope I am not hijacking this thread. If so, this question could be moved to a new one. Anyway, the word conditioning seems to be thrown our a lot. But what exactly is conditioning. The "warm up" routines I've seen at the ranch include a lot of exercises that may be deemed conditioning (ab exercises, push ups). Would you say, any exercise that builds strength is conditioning? Would you say the TOPS physical abilities test is considered conditioning? If not, what is?

yes. any exercise that increases strength, dynamic power and stamina across the events is conditioning.

 

[Aero]

I hope I am not hijacking this thread. If so, this question could be moved to a new one. Anyway, the word conditioning seems to be thrown our a lot. But what exactly is conditioning. The "warm up" routines I've seen at the ranch include a lot of exercises that may be deemed conditioning (ab exercises, push ups). Would you say, any exercise that builds strength is conditioning? Would you say the TOPS physical abilities test is considered conditioning? If not, what is?

I consider conditioning to be anything that makes the body more able to perform gymnastics. This includes strength and flexibility training, as well as stamina/endurance building and mental strengthening too. All these things are essentially "conditioning" the body for gymnastics.

 

[juststartingout]

DD just started a new gym so right now she is training with the level 3's who are training level 4 for next season. Right now they are still at level 3 hours which is T, Th from 4:30 to 7:30 and Sat from 9-1. On T and Th they do about an hour conditioning out of the 3 hr practice. On Sat they do 2 hours conditioning out of the 4 hrs. This is a ton more than at her old gym and strangely she seems to like it. In a week they start their level 4 hours which is M,W, and F from 10-2 so not sure what conditioning will go to at that point.

 

[Lynn]

I know this is an older post. But I do have a follow up question with this. Today's practice was 4 solid hours of conditioning. Everything I listed above and then some. Is there anything specific I should do to help my DD after this long of a workout? For discomfort? Any food better than others to refuel? My DD has actually been working out 5 hrs today. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

 

[tegan_tegan]

1 hour 20 min usually with 40 mins of each apparatus with conditioning within them

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I know this is an older post. But I do have a follow up question with this. Today's practice was 4 solid hours of conditioning. Everything I listed above and then some. Is there anything specific I should do to help my DD after this long of a workout? For discomfort? Any food better than others to refuel? My DD has actually been working out 5 hrs today. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

wait...she was at the gym for 5 hours and 4 of those hours were conditioning? and what did they do in that 1 hour?? submerge themselves underwater (head too) in an ice whirlpool bath at 55 degrees???

 

[BlairBob]

I think she meant 80m of conditioning with 40 minute rotations that also have conditioning stations.

 

[gymnast2175]

In a 4 or 5 hour practice we do 45 minutes on conditioning and on each event

 

[Lynn]

More often than not our girls are spending the entire 4hr practice on conditioning. This particular day my daughter came in for an extra hour since she would be missing a day. If I would have known they would only be conditioning the whole practice, I wouldn't have added the hr. The girls begin 5 day training soon and I sure hope it is actual training in there too. I just don't know whether or not this is considered excessive. Reading here, I somewhat think it might be. Typical weeks the girls do a minimum of an hr and a half conditioning every practice. And an extra half hr thrown in at the end sometimes too.

 

[gymdog]

What things did they do? I don't really know how or why we would do conditioning for five hours straight, unless we repeated several things, but at some point it would be pointless. And we're a gym that gets complaints we do too much conditioning and not enough skills. But even if I did our full lists, both sets, and all the extras it would still only take about two hours. The kids work in pairs and don't wait.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i'd need a nap...

 

[Becauseisaid]

i'd need a nap...

Heck...I'd need CPR!

 

[BlairBob]

I see it now, Dunno. A chair, some sunglasses, a nice cold drink and portable fan while the kids condition.

Unfortunately, the reality would be me spotting a lot of presses and pullups and leg lifts and details.

Need to clone myself like Michael Keaton in Multiplicity.

 

[BlairBob]

I see it now, Dunno. A chair, some sunglasses, a nice cold drink and portable fan while the kids condition.

Unfortunately, the reality would be me spotting a lot of presses and pullups and leg lifts and details.

Need to clone myself like Michael Keaton in Multiplicity.