How much training is way TOO MUCH??

[Flipomaniak]

Per level. How much would you let your DD train? Or how much would be too much for you to train? In terms of hours, days, whatever.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

Average numbers around here would be 10-15 hrs/week for compulsories, and 20-30 for optionals (depending on level and time of year).
I don't know about what would make a practice too long. Sometimes we work out 8 hrs/day with a half-hour break included in that. But the practice after the break is nowhere near as intense as the practice before - mostly conditioning, drills, and basics. The longest regular-intensity practice we ever have is 5 hrs.

 

[GymBee97]

the levels I know of usually 10 - 15 for compulsories (usually 3 days a week)
18 - 24 for the optionals (usually 4 - 5 days a week) with some optional days of practice available during competiton season.

What is going to be "too long" would be any amount of time that would burn out your gymnast. It will be different for everyone. My DD would live there 24/7 if I let her.

 

[cazoon]

Our compulsories practice anywhere from 10-16 hours a week. Another gym nearby has theirs practicing 20 hours a week, and I think that is too much for compulsories.

 

[flipflopcrystal]

hours as follows for us, the compulsories have an option of attending an optional extra practice, so that is why the hours vary:
level 4: 6-8 hours per week, 2 days plus extra practice
level 5: 9-11 hours per week, 3 days plus extra practice
level 6: 12-14 hours per week, 4 days plus extra practice
level 7: 12-15 hours per week
level 8-10: 15 hours per week, 20 hours per week in the summer

 

[MaryA]

I know my husband would definitely say that our DD practices TOO MUCH. This summer (as an 11-year-old level 7) it's 25 hours a week. When school starts it goes down to 18.5, I think. If you had asked me before DD started gymnastics if I would EVER agree to my daughter participating in ANYTHING (except school) for that many hours, I would have told you NO WAY! But she loves it and has her heart set on becoming a level 10 some day, so what's a mother to do? It's definitely hard when one parent's idea of what is TOO MUCH is different from the other parent. Gymnastics is really important to my daughter, but I suspect that having parents who stay married (to each other) is probably more important...

 

[fliptwisttwirl]

I would live in the gym if I could. I work out 25 hours a week in the school year. If I could I would definitely do more!! It just depends on how much you love the sport.

 

[Quadqueen]

I'm going to have to agree with your husband, MaryA...25 hours a week at level 7 seems like too much!!!

 

[Aussie_coach]

In Australia many gyms have high training hours at an early level.

Not us but gyms in my area have the following.

Level 1 -7 hours a week
level 2 - 9 hours a week
Level 3 - 12 hours a week
Level 4 - 20 hours a week
level 5 - 23 hours a week

 

[SuperGirlmlm]

I train about 25-30 hours a week throughout the year. What I love about my gym, is that since it's so large, that we can pick what we train a day and how many hours, we choose an amount of hours between 25-30 hours. We can choose to train up to 5 hours a day six days a week, though I train only three hours on saturday's so I can chill out.

 

[LoriLou]

Gymnastics is really important to my daughter, but I suspect that having parents who stay married (to each other) is probably more important...

I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at with this statement. As a divorced and remarried woman I find it pretty offensive. I love my daughter and will do ANYTHING to help her achieve her goals at the gym. My ex feels the same way. It has absolutely nothing to do with us being married. It has to do with being devoted to your child.

 

[MaryA]

I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at with this statement. As a divorced and remarried woman I find it pretty offensive. I love my daughter and will do ANYTHING to help her achieve her goals at the gym. My ex feels the same way. It has absolutely nothing to do with us being married. It has to do with being devoted to your child.

Oh my goodness... I certainly didn't mean to be offensive! But DD's gymnastics and my husband's and my differing opinions over what is "too much" is definitely a bone of contention between us. I just meant that ultimately, while it may seem really important to me in the moment, whether or not my daughter misses a week of practice during meet season to go visit my husband's parents is probably not worth the marital strife that my opposing it would cause. Please accept my appologies for any insult. It is wonderful that you and your ex are both equally committed to your daughter's gymnastics career. I wish my husband and I were.

 

[gym monkeys mom]

I think too much depends on the gym and gymnast and how they run practice. One of the top clubs here does not due huge hours but still have great results a few elites one at Visas last year.

I think you need to be careful not to burn kids out in early tweens as by 13 - 14 some are just plain done when they discover xxx number of hours means no social life. The other warning sign is gyms with many injured gymnasts by end of season. At state this past year one team stood out with injured gymnasts at optional level most in boots. While gymnasts get hurt and you cant help that some gyms training methods could be part of the cause to multiple similar injuries in one gym.


Balance is good very few people do any type of gymnastics in adulthood over 25yrs we need to help our kids find a balance in life. While they love gym now and that is great what will they be able to do the rest of their life.


JMHO

 

[Faith]

I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at with this statement. As a divorced and remarried woman I find it pretty offensive. I love my daughter and will do ANYTHING to help her achieve her goals at the gym. My ex feels the same way. It has absolutely nothing to do with us being married. It has to do with being devoted to your child.

I think you misread here- I don't think there is any suggestion of single, divorced or re-married parents not being as committed or devoted as married parents. It's more the question is disagreement over gymnastics worth breaking up a marriage for, and long term would a child rather do gymnastics or know she and her sport was responsible for her parents divorce...

I know my DH, as a swimmer, thinks the hours are excessive. He can't imagine even why they train more than an hour a session, and also thinks 11 is a better age to get serious and ramp up the training. I just say he can tell DD she can't be on team and has to go beck to rec, and he backs down.

Here training goes by age rather than level, although potential is also a factor- if a child has elite potential they will get more hours at a younger age. I *think* Liverpool, for example, has 6 and 7 year old potential elites doing 18 hours a week. DD is 7, 8 this year, and has just started doing 15 hours a week.

 

[LoriLou]

Oh my goodness... I certainly didn't mean to be offensive! But DD's gymnastics and my husband's and my differing opinions over what is "too much" is definitely a bone of contention between us. I just meant that ultimately, while it may seem really important to me in the moment, whether or not my daughter misses a week of practice during meet season to go visit my husband's parents is probably not worth the marital strife that my opposing it would cause. Please accept my appologies for any insult. It is wonderful that you and your ex are both equally committed to your daughter's gymnastics career. I wish my husband and I were.

Thanks for the reply. I CLEARLY read too much into your comment, and I am so sorry that I got my feathers ruffled. *blush* I can definitely see what you are saying and I'm so sorry I took it out of context.

 

[my4buffaloes]

I didn't think that my dd could ever go too many hours, but starting in June she has upped it to 18 and I think it might be too much. I think it will drop back to 16 during the school year, but I'm not sure yet. I am hoping she adjusts to the increase in hours rather than quit the sport, but only time will tell. She does still like it, but she is overwhelmed and tired all.the.time!

 

[gymunicorn]

I only do about 6 hours a week, which is as much as we are allowed to do in Prep Opt. I am at a level 6-7 skill level, But I will be doing HS then I can get more hours in about 10-15 a week.