Parents Questions about building muscle and also posture.

[gymbeam]

I've just been really notching at my DDs gym that some gymnasts are "ripped" and some are not. My daughter has been doing gymnastics now for only 16 months and is responding so quickly to the strengthening. Meanwhile, I see some girls that have been doing this for years who show much less muscle definition.

Physiologically, I'm just kinda curious to know what factors play into that difference in response? Is it all just the amount of muscle one begins with? Can diet be a big part of it? Would those girls who are not developing the muscle tone as quickly be able to if additional exercises were added for them? Or are their bodies just not capable of developing in that way? Can the girls with less visible muscles be just as strong as those with lots of definition?

I'm also really curious about the hunched/rounded shoulder posture. My daughter is developing that "look" and while it seems that its really common in gymnasts, I can't help but hear my grandma say "stand up straight! shoulders back!" LOL. I joke, but I do worry that it could lead to back problems. She is 9 if that matters. I also notice that while she is a very lean girl, her belly sticks out quite a bit so she gets this "S" shape of hunch back/belly out that I just hope is not a bad thing.

Does any of that make any sense? I guess this is probably more of a questions for coaches, but I welcome anyone's input.

Thanks!

 

[htimcj]

I think some of it comes down to genes. I was always a short and squat type person. I developed well defined /largish muscles dancing for 17+ years. My DH on the other hand is long and lean. He is quite strong but you wouldn't guess that by looking at him really because he is so lean. DD takes more after him. Long and lean but not particularly tall. She has muscle tone but not what I would consider muscular but man is she strong! She is 11 almost 12 so I am not sure how much muscle mass she will develop as puberty sets in but I am thinking that she will always be long and lean.

I would be interested in hearing what scientific basis if any is out there about muscle development.

 

[gymbeam]

yes, its definitely genetic, but i'm curious what that translates to, kwim? for example: are the muscles shaped differently or structured differently, or what?

you mentioned puberty…do they tend to build more or less muscle at that point?

 

[curlymop]

I think a lot of it is just how they are built. We noticed when my son was 2 years old that he had very defined muscles across his chest, arms, and abs. That was well before he started gymnastics. My other two boys are also very strong, but they don't appear to have the same muscle definition.

 

[profmom]

Have a look at Kohei Uchimura of Japan:
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And then take a gander at the United States' Brandon Wynn:
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I think there's a lot of genetic variance in how people muscle up, even if they are training at an elite level. They're both strong guys, and I would presume they are both getting adequate nutrition.

On a much less dramatic level, I have three kids, two of whom are gymnasts. DD definitely struggles more with strength stuff than some of her teammates, but DS is probably in the top quarter of his training group strength-wise. Neither one will ever look like Brandon Wynn, no matter how much they train. But yes, those with less visible muscles can still be ridiculously strong, even if they aren't eating extra protein or doing extra strength drills.

 

[gymbeam]

lol- good point- i'm sure those guys are on great diets!

any thoughts on the posture part of my question? is the rounded/slouched shoulder look OK or is a result of overworking one muscle group and perhaps needing to work something else to straighten it up?

 

[Happymom3]

We take our 11 year old gymnast to a massage therapist regularly and it works wonders for keeping her back/shoulder muscles from becoming too tight. (she has a tendency toward the s shape that you described). The therapist told my dd to hold on to the door frame as she walks through slowly to stretch the area and pull her shoulders back. Dd says it feels great!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

lol- good point- i'm sure those guys are on great diets!

any thoughts on the posture part of my question? is the rounded/slouched shoulder look OK or is a result of overworking one muscle group and perhaps needing to work something else to straighten it up?

Kohei LOVES ice cream...

 

[gymjunkie]

It's mostly genetic & all gymnasts should do conditioning and posture exercises to combat the stooped shoulders. They should be made to stand up straight in line and their parents should nag them to stand up straight at home

 

[COz]

@profmom : I kind of had this vain hope as I clicked through that perhaps they would have their tops off...

 

[profmom]

Try searching for images of Jake Dalton, lol!