workouts twice a day

[justanothergymmom]

How common is it for L9s and L10s to train twice a day? Does anyone (coaches, parents, gymnasts) have 1st hand experience with a program that does this? Does this tend to be beneficial in the long run for these girls?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

not common. yes. no, not unless everyone knows what their doing.

 

[cathiann]

Not common in our area anyway.

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

It happens around here at the bigger gyms. The reasoning is two-fold- the early AM workout before school is nice because the Level 9 and 10s have the gym to themselves. The second workout is so they aren't working out for too many hours at a time- have time to get home, do homework, etc.

Does it work, is it beneficial- I don't know.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Its not that uncommon here in Australia for level 7-10, these kids are not working to elite. You can't go elite from level 10 in Australia you have to go from a different system at a much younger age.

They sometimes have a 1 1/2-2 hour workout in the morning, usually these workouts are not compulsory. The kids do all their strength, conditioning and flexibility training so that when they come in for the afternoon they do a quick warm up and go straight apparatus, getting a lot more time. While those who did not do the morning will be required to do their strength and conditioning first in the afternoon.

 

[bookworm]

One of our elites does 2 a days as do some of the lower levels (??!!)...parents of the lower level girls have delusions of grandeur that by training their level 6 or 7 twice a day,that she will be going to the Olympics!! I don't see any benefit in the 2 a days (except for a money maker for the coach because they are charged extra for this) ...there are a lot of injuries in this group which seems to be directly fatigue related as they are pushed beyond the limitations of their bodies. I don't think anyone below level 10 should even entertain 2 a days and even with a Level 10, I wouldn't do it. Their bodies can only take so much...and by this I mean, these girls are doing all the events twice a day (so it's not conditioning or ballet for part of it) and all that pounding and repetition hits a wall at some point..

 

[Granny Smith]

There are a couple of gyms in our state that do 2 a days, but the gyms that don't are just as competitive when it came time for 9/10 States this year.

 

[gymcoach34]

One of our elites does 2 a days as do some of the lower levels (??!!)...parents of the lower level girls have delusions of grandeur that by training their level 6 or 7 twice a day,that she will be going to the Olympics!! I don't see any benefit in the 2 a days (except for a money maker for the coach because they are charged extra for this) ...there are a lot of injuries in this group which seems to be directly fatigue related as they are pushed beyond the limitations of their bodies. I don't think anyone below level 10 should even entertain 2 a days and even with a Level 10, I wouldn't do it. Their bodies can only take so much...and by this I mean, these girls are doing all the events twice a day (so it's not conditioning or ballet for part of it) and all that pounding and repetition hits a wall at some point..

Not a money maker- what they are charged per hour when they come so many hours is minimal- doubtful it even covers the cost of the coaching bc its the highest paid coaches that coach these workouts.

 

[sierramadre]

the one nationally ranked girl at our gym comes in the morning before school, then again after school. a few other girls do a morning workout a few days a week, but it is pretty uncommon at our gym.

 

[Billy]

One of our elites does 2 a days as do some of the lower levels (??!!)...parents of the lower level girls have delusions of grandeur that by training their level 6 or 7 twice a day,that she will be going to the Olympics!! I don't see any benefit in the 2 a days (except for a money maker for the coach because they are charged extra for this) ...there are a lot of injuries in this group which seems to be directly fatigue related as they are pushed beyond the limitations of their bodies. I don't think anyone below level 10 should even entertain 2 a days and even with a Level 10, I wouldn't do it. Their bodies can only take so much...and by this I mean, these girls are doing all the events twice a day (so it's not conditioning or ballet for part of it) and all that pounding and repetition hits a wall at some point..

I don't have any experience with two-a-day programs but it's my understanding that they do not do all the events twice a day. USAG has a program recommendation on their website for elite coaches.


"The content of the morning workout: 2 - 3 hours duration

• Endurance and conditioning
• Vaulting
• Beam Basics

The content of the afternoon workout 3 - 4 hours duration

• General Warm-up
• Basic Acro
• Bars
• Beam
• Floor
• Short conditioning program

Include full tumbling, flexibility and dance in the afternoon."

Obviously, this is for elites and includes a LOT of hours. I think the benefit of breaking up the practice this way is two-fold. First, it allows the girls time for school and a little time in the evenings at home, too. Second, it gives their bodies a rest during the day rather than training 5-7 hours straight through.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

One of our elites does 2 a days as do some of the lower levels (??!!)...parents of the lower level girls have delusions of grandeur that by training their level 6 or 7 twice a day,that she will be going to the Olympics!! I don't see any benefit in the 2 a days (except for a money maker for the coach because they are charged extra for this) ...there are a lot of injuries in this group which seems to be directly fatigue related as they are pushed beyond the limitations of their bodies. I don't think anyone below level 10 should even entertain 2 a days and even with a Level 10, I wouldn't do it. Their bodies can only take so much...and by this I mean, these girls are doing all the events twice a day (so it's not conditioning or ballet for part of it) and all that pounding and repetition hits a wall at some point..

this is what i meant by everyone knowing what they are doing. you're not supposed to do "all the events twice a day" when doing 2 a days.

 

[bookworm]

this is what i meant by everyone knowing what they are doing. you're not supposed to do "all the events twice a day" when doing 2 a days.

And THAT is my point exactly Dunno...they shouldn't be doing all the events twice a day...

And to answer another poster about it being a money maker..sorry but our HC states that the "morning workout is the biggest money maker in the gym..." ...they pay 100 a week (in addition to their monthly tuition) to basically come in the morning and do all events without a whole lot (if any ) coaching going on...his feeling on this is "if they want to come and workout in the morning, who am I to stop them?"

 

[gym law mom]

See the 2 a days in this area for L8 and up in the summer. One gym tried it for a few years/year round with their L9/10s(ok it was a selected group) and their injury rate went through the roof, girls just got fried and quit---they finally ditched that program.
There was a gym in the state that offered a 2 a day program for L5!!! They had an arrangement with one of the local elementary schools that girls that opted for this program would come in 3 days/week and train for a few hours, then all would go to school late. Of course there was practice after shool also that these girls had to go to. So, parents that thought this would get their dd's to optionals really fast paid more money to train extra mornings and the girls all went to the school near the gym even though it wasn't their neighborhood school. Funny, that gym had very small optional teams---most of the girls never made it past L6.

 

[bookworm]

See the 2 a days in this area for L8 and up in the summer. One gym tried it for a few years/year round with their L9/10s(ok it was a selected group) and their injury rate went through the roof, girls just got fried and quit---they finally ditched that program.
There was a gym in the state that offered a 2 a day program for L5!!! They had an arrangement with one of the local elementary schools that girls that opted for this program would come in 3 days/week and train for a few hours, then all would go to school late. Of course there was practice after shool also that these girls had to go to. So, parents that thought this would get their dd's to optionals really fast paid more money to train extra mornings and the girls all went to the school near the gym even though it wasn't their neighborhood school. Funny, that gym had very small optional teams---most of the girls never made it past L6.

Yeah, can you say burnout?

 

[gymcoach34]

And THAT is my point exactly Dunno...they shouldn't be doing all the events twice a day...

And to answer another poster about it being a money maker..sorry but our HC states that the "morning workout is the biggest money maker in the gym..." ...they pay 100 a week (in addition to their monthly tuition) to basically come in the morning and do all events without a whole lot (if any ) coaching going on...his feeling on this is "if they want to come and workout in the morning, who am I to stop them?"

really-wow! I am DYING to know what gym you guys are att with all the crazy stuff that goes on!

 

[kevchriswilli]

In the Dallas area it is common but you don't have to. Our gym has both programs. My DD is a level 9 and we choose the 2 a day program because it gives her more time home in the evening with us. Before she started school at 7 and was not home until around 9 at night. Now she is home by 5:30-6:00 every night. It just made more since for our family. Now does it improve chances of better scores.. hmmm that is a tough one because I know a few kids that do only 1 a day and are as good if not better than my DD. But I do have to say she is well conditioned!! LOL

 

[gymnastbeth]

I've never done the two a day practices, but I have had to go to a morning practice and a night practice the same day, just for different teams. The morning was before school for highschool gymnastics, and to be honest, I didn't get anything done. It was wayy to early in the morning to be flipping around. Heck, I can hardly function at 9AM weekend practices! So, beneficial? Not for me. But if someone happens to be a high level gymnast and a morning person, I don't see why it couldn't work. But I'd say stick to afternoon once a day.

 

[loveforgym]

i didn't feel like it was neccesary making a new thread about this. but i was wondering because at my gym we practice three days a week, but we have 2 events each practice so we have more time to do them. We switch off every practice, so maybe wednesday do bars and beam, thur. vault and floor etc. Does anyone else's gym do this?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

no ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[bogwoppit]

i didn't feel like it was neccesary making a new thread about this. but i was wondering because at my gym we practice three days a week, but we have 2 events each practice so we have more time to do them. We switch off every practice, so maybe wednesday do bars and beam, thur. vault and floor etc. Does anyone else's gym do this?

Ours does this to as our practices are so short and the gym so small. Not optimum at all. But with limited gym hours it is what it is. Half and hour to warm up and half an hour for conditioning only left 90 minutes for apparatus work, and here there are six apparatus! Just no way to fit them all in.