This week I accomplished...

[GikiGirl]

How do you do a dive cartwheel on the beam anyway? Little lady mentioned it earlier, but I don't even know what one looks like let alone how to do one! Good luck on your vault!

Remind me to give you a demo today

 

[GikiGirl]

This thread almost has over 100 posts

 

[nicci1999]

Well I will make it 103. I didn't realize a dive cartwheel was well, not so intimidating, it definitely sounded a lot worse lol. But I had a good day today, a couple of decent practices since my flop of one on Tuesday. I am slowly starting to hold handstands for a good amount of time more often, I did some front handsprings from the tramp into the foam pit, and landed on my feet for the last two.

I took my first major spill off of the high beam today while doing a cartwheel (Note to self, don't bail when your upside down), but got back up, did it again, and this time stuck it. Not all pretty like I should have, but stuck it nonetheless. I now have a bruise the size of mt everest and my shin is swollen from hitting the side of the beam on my way down(I think I hit the side, I was more concerned about not landing on my head on the way down) And I did two kick overs-front and back-all by my little lonesomes as well, though it was off of a mat that was about two feet high.

Still can't get those blasted pullovers, I am so frustrated with them its not even funny. I have the concept in my mind, I can see it in my mind, but I just can't get them over. I almost want to quite on bars, but I know I would hate myself for it. Kind of wish there was someone else around that was struggling with these too, so I didn't feel like such a weenie lol.

Funny thing though. I was working on BHS over the barrel with my coach, and REALLY jumped into it, kind of startled myself, and down I went. I guess I had jumped OVER the barrel, not onto it, and wasn't ready for it. But at the same time, now that I think about it, it was a little encouraging too, b/c that means I have enough umph when I start doing BHS without the barrel (I hope). So that is my long post, hope everyone else had a great week!

 

[LittleLady]

Good for you, Nicci! Dive cartwheels are kinda fun. Almost like a side aerial but you chicken out and put your hands down. But, hey, it's a B element! No shame there!
Don't give up on those pullovers. Your muscles will get strong enough over time if you don't give up. Glad to hear you had a good workout! High Fives!

 

[nicci1999]

Oh, I didn't do it, Gina showed me one today, didn't realize it was something I did when I was younger messing around in the backyard. I may aim to try them in a few weeks though.

I know I have definatley improved, I just feel as if I have hit a wall. It's like weight loss and you hit that plateau, and gotta figure out how to get around it. I have to figure out how to get around my plateau

 

[GikiGirl]

I did some front handsprings from the tramp into the foam pit, and landed on my feet for the last two.

Wait a sec, are you talking about floor or vault? The resi pit or the pit pit?

 

[GikiGirl]

Well, I have started stringing together my routines for the silver level USAIGC meet. I do not have my old level of difficulty on the competition events, but am proud of what I have been able to put together on short notice. I definitely have been more motivated to move skills to the competition setups w/ a meet coming up! They ask for 1 B on each event but I am putting in more since I want to work toward being a gold level, which is 4 Bs, harder special requirements and a C in order to start from 10.0. Quite a jump, but exciting.

beam: V sit mount, back walkover (want to badly to do bhs here--working it on beam w/ mats. I have been jumping straighter lately so its coming along), split leap into tuck jump, cat leap into RO, full turn, pike jump (can do tuck 3/4 after, but this will not be counted w/ the meet rules so leaving it out for this year), cartwheel back tuck.

bars: kip cast free hip (need to work very hard to hit the 30 degree cast--I am right on the edge) kip squat on, back uprise immediate free hip, kip cast flyaway. I have giants over the pit bar but still need to improve my high bar cast in order to take it to the unevens. That has been a struggle my entire career, to do giants as well on the unevens as on the pit bar, but the good thing is once my cast is better it will be no problem to do the giants and flyaway. I have also been doing straddle backs onto a mat mat so will add that in when ready.

floor: I have not tumbled in my routine since I have a really painful shin lately that I am getting xrayed. However the required passes are not challenging for me so worse case scenario I water down tumbling. But, I have finally been able to get consistent w/ my 1 1/2 turn, and add a switch leap into my routine which I've wanted to do forever. Leaps are a struggle for me. A requirement is a two front moves connected w/ a dance move, so I will do front handspring front pike switchy jump or tuck jump, need to play w/ that, and then they want a RO bhs salto so I'll probably do a layout since my 1/2s are still iffy. Then I don't even need a last pass, but I can throw a RO bhs tuck or front handspring front tuck in my sleep luckily just to uptrain for the next level which will require 3 passes.

vault: I have a solid handspring and can land a handspring full on a good day. I mostly vault w/ the mini tramp to protect my shins, and I can't always replicate the performance w/ the board, but hoping the rest I am giving my shin ATM will allow me to train more with the board.

So I need to get a 30.5 AA to advance to the states which is in the middle of May, which should be a piece of cake for me. I basically started working whole routines just this week so this was a lot in one week, LOL. I always have a hard time taking skills and converting them to part of a routine, because I always think so much before I go, and you don't have time to do that during routines as much, and also the physical muscular endurance part. My breathing is fine, its more that my muscles tend to get tired very fast. So this is good for me to already be handling the routine OK.

 

[GikiGirl]

Nicci, it looked like Cori gave you quite the workout yesterday! Did you make it to NHAGGs? How was that? Can you move today LOL

 

[nicci1999]

Yeah, she kicked my butt yesterday lol. But I did make it to NHAAGs, where I had my wonderful fall off of beam(just wait till you see the shiner I got from it, my shin is very pretty right now). The tramp at nhaags is set up into the foam pit, so you can jump off of the tramp into the pit, like how OTW has thier tumble track set up. Eileen the coach put a mat at the end of the tramp, and I did my FHS off of that into the pit.

I think I must be getting used to working out, because I am in suprisingly little pain today, the only thing bothering me really is my shoulder, and even that is very minor.

 

[kyliesmith1]

I must say I'm a little jealous of Gikigirl & Nikki being able to train at the same gym. I'm still the only adult gymnast training seriouly at my gym. Anyway, I've been sick for a week so this morning was my first workout in a while. I think it might have been a good thing though because I feeling pretty good today and I was able to do my full off tumbletrack 5x in a row without messing up and that made me so happy. Oh and for the first time my coach had me working cast handstand 3 giants to a front support on strap bar. That was a lot of fun, just wish I could take it to the regular high bar but I guess eventually I will. Starting next month the head coach, Lauren at our gym is going to work with me for my beam & floor routine. I need a little help since I haven't competed in 6 years, but I'm looking forward to it.

 

[LittleLady]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I'm am sooooooo jealous! LOL I wish I had a gym that would take me that isn't a 2 hr drive one way! God have mercy! Can anyone understand the anguish I'm experiencing??? It's so NOT fair. Somebody, please, cheer me up. I'm like a fish out of water! ><"> gurgle, gurgle ahhhhhhhhhh!

 

[dannolynn]

sorry littlelady!! that must be awful. it's hard for me to read about everyone's progress when i'm injured and can't do anything! i know sort of how you're feeling. no gyms near you have any adult classes or open gyms?? maybe you should move to NH! haha or maybe you should start your own gym for adults only!! at least you get to do stuff at home. it's better than not being able to do anything at all. sorry this is probably not cheering you up!! but i tried!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I'm am sooooooo jealous! LOL I wish I had a gym that would take me that isn't a 2 hr drive one way! God have mercy! Can anyone understand the anguish I'm experiencing??? It's so NOT fair. Somebody, please, cheer me up. I'm like a fish out of water! ><"> gurgle, gurgle ahhhhhhhhhh!

 

[kyliesmith1]

Giki,
Thanks for posting your routines on the forum. It has given me a few ideas even though I'm not near as advanced as you are I was able to pick off a few things for my routine. I hope your meet goes well, you'll have to tell us your results. Oh & does this mean you're definitely not competing aau in Savannah at the end of June? I wonder who will be competing this year in the ladies division. I guess I'll have to wait & see.

Littlelady,
I hope things get better for you. I know its tough to have to travel so far just to do the thing you love most. I used to travel 50 minutes to a gym just to go to open gym on Saturday's and that seemed far. There was one 10, 15 minutes away but they did not welcome adults and were actually quite rude to me so the 50 minute drive seemed worth it but I can't imagine having to go 2 hours. I'll never forget the disbelief and just utter joy I felt when they constructed the gym I go to now, 5 minutes from my house and actually had an adult gymnastics class when they first opened. Maybe the same thing will happen for you or you could be the one to open one yourself (I think you mentioned something about that in one of your posts). If not move to sunny Myrtle Beach so I can have another adult gymnast to workout with . My coach is talking about opening a trapeze school here too. So then we'll have to get everyone to move here.

 

[Catya]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I'm am sooooooo jealous! LOL I wish I had a gym that would take me that isn't a 2 hr drive one way! God have mercy! Can anyone understand the anguish I'm experiencing??? It's so NOT fair. Somebody, please, cheer me up. I'm like a fish out of water! ><"> gurgle, gurgle ahhhhhhhhhh!

I'm sorry LittleLady! That must truly be painful. Sometimes I get downtrodden reading everyone's posts about the cool stuff they can do. I want to be that advanced already too! o(><)o
But I shouldn't whine because I have a gym to go to. Maybe you should move in with me and go to my gym. It's a half hour drive from home and adults are welcome! Or you could start a gym for adults only. That would be cool! If such a gym opened I'd join a heatbeat! You could train at home too but I know how hard it can be to keep making up routines for yourself. Sometimes you just want that push from a coach. I know I do.
Sorry. I probably didn't cheer you up much. Sorry, sorry, sorry! But you cheered me up!
I sure hope things start to look up for you.

 

[AndromedaAiken]

I'm only into my second lesson today but I was sooo totally happy that I managed to run up to the trampoline, jump on it and then do a forward roll! I never did it in my first lesson because I couldn't even forward roll right. Maybe my brain's re-wired itself lol...happy happy!

 

[kyliesmith1]

Thanks to some of your tips recently I had a much better day on beam. I thought more about bending my knees when I landed my jumps and managed to stick most of them without wobbling and even did quite a few full turns spotting the end of the beam and stuck those too. I was very happy. I also managed to do a good handstand backwalkover series, sticking it at least 3x(I think this is the series I'll do in my routine because it looks the best and I'm the most consistent at it). Beam is the hardest event for me so I was pretty happy with my success last night and now with my new conditioning tips for strengthening my ankles I'm hoping it will get even better.
For the first time, since my regular coach wasn't there I did my roundoff bhs backtuck on the floor by myself(with no spot) and landed it, although I know it still could have been better. I'm hoping to really concentrate on my conditioning right now to try & improve my floor skills. I noticed most of my skills are coming pretty easily now for me on tumbletrack. I'm getting pretty consistent on my fulls now and my fhs fronttuck but bringing it to the floor is another story. The coach that was there last night basically told me thats what I need to do and everything will come more easily for me on the floor. So just a tip for anyone having the same problem. If tumbletrack is easy but floor isn't, condition, condition, condition.

 

[AndromedaAiken]

I actually prefer the beam to bars now. Simply because I am able to do things on the beam...but on the bar, I can't even do a pullover. I saw in the tips section that when you land after a jump, it's easier to stay on the beam if you bend your knees and clench your butt muscles. Turns out, that's what I've been doing. No wonder they hurt today.

 

[GikiGirl]

Kylie, I have the same issue being much more advanced on tumble track, and even just doing lots of basics across the floor, and especially from a power hurdle, will get your legs strong and your body used to the 'timing' and 'punch' of floor. Try to do some basic tumbling at least every practice on the floor, even if you work harder skills on tumbletrak. The more time you spend on the real floor the easier it will get. You don't want your body more used to the feel of tumbletrak than floor, unless you don't care to ever take the skills to floor! I know its fun to throw tricks on tt and it helps you learn, but the meets are on the floor

If tumbletrack is easy but floor isn't, condition, condition, condition.

 

[GikiGirl]

We have the longest thread going I can see on any of the forums! Just goes to show how much we adult gymnasts are enjoying ourselves and working hard!

 

[nicci1999]

So it's not so much anything I have accomplished these last couple of weeks, but both my workouts today went really well, I had my private today. Started working on sole circle dismounts-that was actually fun. And I am starting to get more and more confident on beam. Still don't have my pullover(I feel as if I repeat myself every time I post here lol), but after some more ab conditioning, I think it will just be there.