This week I accomplished...2010 version

[kyliesmith1]

Finally did a successful layout flyaway on bars with enough height and without piking, yeah. That makes me feel pretty good about my bars routine for the competition in April. I almost have my rdo bhs backtuck on floor by myself, my fronttuck and my fhs but just haven't mustered up the confidence yet. I only have about 4 weeks though to get the confidence. I hope I will have good practices this week. All the kids have spring break but us 3 adults will be working hard to get ready for the end of April. I think I also finally got my beam mount down pretty good. I think its really cool but I'm still not sure I have down completely. Just when I think I've got it I come back the next day to try it and can't seem to get my head wrapped around what I need to do. If you want to see a similar mount look at this on youtube (except I only do the first part and then swing my legs over like a cartwheel and land one knee on the beam and the other one beside the beam and stand up from there) YouTube - balanse beam mount Moseanu

 

[katy]

we had a tumbling meet on sunday. i've been doing a ton of double mini and trampoline because of my wrist. the extra practice really paid off on double mini. this meet and last, i got the scores to move to L8. i'll wait until next season. trampoline, the third skill is a back pike and i did a back tuck, so the stop scoring after the second skill other than that, it was a really nice routine. tumbling i did a far arm round off - i had to get a score to show that i competed in two meets so that i can compete in state meet.
i recommend that everyone tries a far arm round off - i was shocked at the rebound out of it!
then we had practice a couple of hours after the meet. i love sunday practices! a lot of beam (dance throughs). i even put the grips on for a couple of kips and clear hips. wrist still hurts to do a cartwheel, so i didn't want to push it. wow, did it feel good to be back on bars again. i'll try a little more on tuesday.

 

[AndromedaAiken]

My coach started working me on the colours award they have for kids at the gym. She said the first two levels are far too easy for me now and I could pass the third relatively easily so she started training me on the fourth lol. I can do most of it.

Still struggling with the cartwheel. While my starting foot goes up fine, my other leg tends to go sideways, could someone help me with this? When my coach caught me midway (lunging into handstand straddled), I somehow didn't know how to twist my hips to come back down properly.

On a good note, I am able to now kick up into a handstand against a wall (without my coach helping but she's next to me to catch me incase I fall weirdly) and I held it for 60 counts! :lol: I am still able to do my glide swing after a couple weeks of no bars (cuz the level girls were using it) and my pullover (using a tuck position) is also better. Still don't dare to do a back hip circle though!

Did some strength and conditioning today. I am going to be SORE tomorrow! :S

 

[GikiGirl]

GikiGirl - I competed gymnastics level's 4-9 from 1994-2001. I do not practice with a team, I coach the team at my gym so I can not practice with them. I work out twice a week for two hours before their practice starts, my little sister actually just watches me so I am not in the gym alone. My Dad coached me when I was in gymnastics in my younger days and I wish he could get to the gym early to coach me now, it's hard working out without a coach. I actually video myself alot and then watch the videos and try to correct myself. I will be at the AAU Nationals at Disney in July maybe I will see you there!!!

Wow, that's great you are able to keep yourself motivated without a coach. You must really enjoy gymnastics. I competed USAG levels 5-8 also 1994 to 2001. I should see you at AAU meets sometime.

 

[zemirah]

Still working on my kip (lol, I think that's going to be my opening line forever!).

A question - do I need to be able to do a back walkover before I start to learn back handspring? Also, which would you start with/find easier - a back walkover or front?

Hope everyone is doing well and Happy Easter to all!

 

[JMR132]

Still working on my kip has been my starting line for quite awhile too. Last night if I had just thrown myself over the bar I would have had it. Then on my next attempt I ripped. Just a small one, but enought to make me lay off of the bars.

I did a backhandspring on the low beam with a light spot though! I have done one of those in like 20 years. Got the bwo and am doing it with a light spot on the high beam. Soon I will be on my own.

Zemirah (? spelling)

I find the back walkover easier that the front walkover. Also I think learning a backwalkover is somewhat of a stepping stone to a backhandspring. It helps with the whole concept of goind backwards. Depending on shoulder flexibility some people find the backwalkover harder though.

 

[AndromedaAiken]

I have a strange situation/condition and I hope someone here can enlighten me with it. I find it difficult to straighten my arms when I do a bridge. I have not been able to do a bridge till this week but my arms were bent. Thing is, I do have enough strength as I am now able to kick up into a handstand against a wall by myself and various other exercises. My coach has also said that my shoulders are very flexible so I don't really understand why I can't straighten my arms?

 

[teena82]

Zemirah,

I think the typical progression is to learn the walkovers before the handsprings but the coach for our adult class only follows that for people who he doesn't believe are ready for the handsprings. Mainly if they don't have enough strength or aren't showing enough coordination. I also know plenty of people who can do roundoff back handsprings but not standing ones.

As for the kip I think everyone feels your pain. I just got mine after working on it for a few months and was so excited because I had to work so hard for it. It's worth all the rips!!

 

[nicci1999]

I can't do a backwalkover but I can do a front one(mostly) and have been working on backhandsprings but I am less afraid of those then walkovers LOL. The shoulder flexibility will help with straightening your elbows!

Worked on my glide switngs quite a bit, a Kip feels like the impossible dream right now!

 

[AndromedaAiken]

Can't wait for the day when I get mine!

 

[teena82]

I haven't had gym all week and won't have class again until Wednesday. I'm getting antsy here!!

When I'm learning moves that are "girl only" 2 of my coaches are clueless as to what I should do. I wish yall could have seen the convo between the 2 of them about the proper way to stand up on the low bar from support. I also taught both of them how to do a front hip but still can't do it myself. I only get my knowledgeable coach once a week for a few hours because he coaches team. That being said...

Nicci, I know you were working on your squat-on. How did you start that? Did you put a whale mat by the bar or anything or did you just hop up and go for it? We have a pre-school bar in one of our gyms and I thought about trying it there first.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

 

[nicci1999]

Couple of different ways I have been working on my squat on. I have a HUGE mat under the bar that goes out far enough if I go forward and crash its there. But UT is low enough for me to cast out of. A drill I did before I started trying to cast into it, and still do because I think it helps with muscle memory, is to put a high block or mat at the bar, and simply jump from the block to the bar, of course still going through the same motions as a real squat on.

 

[AndromedaAiken]

I get quite scared when I try to climb to stand on the low bar. I was so scared that I was holding my coach's hand haha! But I guess it gets better? I envy you guys! You're so advanced in your skills!

 

[kyliesmith1]

One thing my coach is doing for the Ruth, one of the other girls on our adult gymnastics team, is having her practice jumping onto a block on the ground getting her feet between her hands. See my coach said some girls have a monkey arms that are so long that its easy to get their feet between there arms. If you don't you really have to work on making your back very round so you have room for your legs between your chest and hands. So work on that and on good high casts on the low bar and you as Nicci said getting used to jumping from a block to the high bar and you'll get it.

Anyway the three of us adult gymnasts have created our own website. If anyone would like to see a few pictures of us and our coach go to Link Removed and go to the photo gallery. By the way I'm the tallest one if you want to know which one is me.

 

[AndromedaAiken]

Oh, mine was not from a cast although my coach does it from a cast. She got me to climb onto the low bar from front support the other time, similar to what Yang Yilin did during UB warm ups in Beijing.

 

[nicci1999]

You know Kylie, when I graduate school we are moving down south, and I am actually trying to convince my husband for the Myrtle Beach area, just so I know I have a place to not only keep doing gymnastics, but even a place to compete!!

 

[kyliesmith1]

That would be so cool. You are more than welcome. We want to keep expanding our adult gymnastics program here so if you decide to come check it out send me an e-mail and we'll get together while you two are here.

 

[kyliesmith1]

This week has been one of my best weeks, thankfully. After a couple bad ones it was nice to have a good one. I have my entire floor routine put together. I just need to practice it over and over again. I have 3 weeks before our state competition. I finally did my roundoff backhandspring backtuck by myself on the floor and did some good punch fronts. I'm still struggling with my backwalkover on beam but I've got my leaps and jumps pretty good and am finally getting my full turn (I despise turns). Bars is really coming along. I have most of my routine down pat without pausing except my cast layout flyaway. I'm finally doing my layout without piking but I need to cast over 45 over the bar for it to be a B level skill and I'm just not quite getting there. I guess I have 3 weeks to do so. Anyway over all I feel pretty good about practice this week. I just hope I can have another good week next week. In the meantime I guess i will need to listen to my music over and over and make sure I go over my routine in my head. I was practicing my arms in the mirror on friday but its just tough to have to have my arms correct remember all my skills and do 3 good tumbling passes. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. I guess its time to rest up before Monday .

 

[JMR132]

Anyone here from Texas? College Station area? Just wondering gonna be in the area for a week for training? Gonna be working out at a local gym, I hope!

 

[teena82]

I'm in Houston. We had a girl in our class for a bit that went to A&M and trained with their gymnastics team. I'm not exactly sure where they practice but maybe that's an option.