tight shoulders

[Shewhodrives]

With regards to a six year old, what does "tight shoulders" mean? I'm assuming that it is a developmental thing, that comes with time/progression, but I'm not sure.

 

[All Chalked Up]

I'm assuming the coaches are talking about her shoulder flexibility maybe? Just taking a stab at it.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

her flexibility will come with training. but some are more flexible than other to begin with. not a big deal.

 

[NewtoGym]

My daughter (just turned 7) has this issue as well. When she does her bridge she cannot push through her armpits as they say. It is hard for her to keep her arms completely straight. Her coaches keep reminding her, but I am not sure if she can. Are there any recommended stretches she could do to improve this? They are beginning to learn BHS and one of her coaches believes her shoulder flexibility is not allowing her to do it properly.

 

[Kiwi]

My DD has problems with shoulder flexibility. This year they are learning back walkovers and her coach was concerned that she would need to improve her shoulder flexibility to be able to do it properly. A while back Geoffrey Taucer posted a couple of exercises to help with shoulder flexibility that I have been getting my DD to do regularly over the past few months. I think there has been some improvement in her shoulder flexibility, not dramatic but noticeable. She also finally got her back walkover happening! She still doesn't have as good a bridge as the other girls in her class, it is obviously something she'll need to keep working on.

 

[mustlovejumping]

I've always had really bad shoulder flexibility. I was a dancer for 14 years and my teachers were constantly telling me to push my shoulders back, and I used to get so frustrated because I felt like I physically couldn't put my shoulders back any farther. I never knew my problem was shoulder flexibility until I had decided a little over a year ago that I wanted to get into gymnastics. I started doing some stretches at home and realized I couldn't even straighten my arms in a bridge. It was actually my younger sister who told me it was that my shoulders were very tight. I've been working on my shoulders since then and I've seen a huge improvement. I worked on lots of kickovers off of raised surfaces (where my feet were high enough that I was able to press into my shoulders). I also did some of the things in the gymnasticminute videos on youtube for shoulder flexibility, and I do bridges with my hands toward a wall and try to push my shoulders towards the wall. Since I'm an adult, it's taking a little longer to get the flexibility than it probably will for your daughter, but I'm at the point where I can almost kickover from the ground, and I my shoulders are pretty much over my hands with my arms straight in my bridge. Your daughter has probably been working on things like bridge kickovers so I'm sure her flexibility will increase over time just from doing those things.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

her flexibility will come with training. but some are more flexible than other to begin with. not a big deal.

from what I've seen, dunno is absolutely right, so don't worry. When dd started, whenever she had to hold a bridge up, she would start to cry because she said she couldn't breathe. We were told our dd had tight shoulders, and we could see that her back bends and such weren't the "prettiest" but for the past two years her coaches have paid special attention to her shoulder stretching, and she has greatly improved! (she's 8, btw) she is naturally strong, and her coach told us that some girls that are "strong" generally have a bit more trouble with flexibility, and the reverse is true, too. But when they keep practicing and stretching, it keeps getting better and better!

 

[mustlovejumping]

Very good point about the strength vs. flexibility thing! I've always had naturally good upper body strength so that may be one reason I have issues with flexibility. Unfortunately, both have to be good in gymnastics, which I think is one of the many things that makes it so challenging!

 

[NewtoGym]

Thanks everyone. Good advice. My daughter is strong. Can climb the rope over and over, good on bars, etc. I just feel bad because like AZgymmiemom said my daughter too can do the backbends - just does not look as fluid and pretty as the rest of the girls. We will work on some stretches and just let it come. I guess with the hours these kids spend in the gym eventually it will come.