Training
Compuls0ry
Compulsory gymnastics is what the first levels of gymnastics are. Everyone competes the same routines with the occasional exception of a few skills here and there. Levels 1-5 are compulsory. Level one and two have routines but the kids who do them are too young to compete. At age 6, a gymnast is allowed to enter their first competition in level 3. The vaults in levels 3-5 are basic front handsprings over the table with no twisting or flipping. The uneven bars routines help them establish their basic skills such as kips, casts, swinging, dismounting and clearhips. Beam is basic dance such as straight jumps and learning to be comfortable with the height of the apparatus. Floor is learning basic tumbling and dance skills as well as maintaining a routine for the allotted time. Compulsory gymnastics is designed to teach children the basic skills and qualities of gymnastics. Compulsory teams are usually very large compared to the optional or elite team. Compulsory gymnastics requires practice a few times a week, usually 2 or 3 depending on the level. Usually the kids are so young that they can only handle 2-3 hours of practice at a time. The coaches are very authoritarian when coaching compulsory gymnasts because that it what gets them to listen, follow directions, and build strength.
Below is the level 5 compulsory floor routine. Every gymnast in a level 5 meet competes this routine. The gymnast or coach is allowed to pick the ending pose but other than that the rest is uniform.
Below is the level 5 compulsory floor routine. Every gymnast in a level 5 meet competes this routine. The gymnast or coach is allowed to pick the ending pose but other than that the rest is uniform.
Optional
Optional level training is for the more serious gymnast. Optionals can pick ther routines and kills as long as they meet the requirements for the level they are competing in. Optional gymnasts typically do flipping vaults such a Tsukaharas or Yurchenkos, some even adding twists. On bars, an optional gymnasts must have both high and low bar elements as well as circling skills on either and a dismount. There are many choices in the order of skills. Some of the higher levels even have release moves, in which they move from one bar to the next or even off the bar and back onto it. On beam, they gymnast must have a mount, flight series (a.k.a. 2 or more flips connected), long and short jumps, a full turn or greater, a single skill, and a dismount. They must travel the whole beam and have poses between each skill. On floor, the entire routine is customizable from the tumbling to the dance to the music choice. A gymnast expresses their personality most on floor. Tumbling can range from a round-off handspring tuck to twisting double backs to front handspring double fronts. Dance skills can have any number of turns. All of the poses are customized for the individual by a choreographer. To be able to do all of the individual sills well in gymnastics, an optional gymnast must commit many ours to the gym. A typical level 6 may spend 18 hours a week in the gym while a typical level 10 may spend upwards of 25 hours per week. However this is necessary to maintain optimal performance in the sport. A normal practice usually consists of 45 minutes or greater on each of the four events as well as 30 or more minutes of warm-up and stretching at the end as well as an hour or greater of conditioning. To many gymnasts, conditioning is considered an event that is just as important as all of the other events. Conditioning is used as a way to make a gymnast strong without doing actual skills. It can be easier on the body and prevent injuries from happening during actual competitive events.
elite
Elite training is the pinnacle of gymnastics. Elite gymnasts are the athletes that compete internationally, for their country, and some, even at the Olympics. These athletes are in top shape and go to the gym to train 6 or 7 day of the week, sometimes multiple workouts in one day. Elite gymnasts are often home schooled and travel frequently around the country to go to meets or training camps. Elite gymnast, Lexie Priessman, who is training for the 2016 Rio Olympics trains for 35 hours each week (Gray). Elite gymnastics is similar to Level 10 optional gymnastics, but is more competitive because of the participation in the program around the world. In the U.S. there are about 40 elites on women’s gymnastics. These are the absolute top gymnasts. To compete at an elite level a gymnast must qualify into the program, unlike compulsory and optional levels, where a coach usually decides what level a gymnast will compete at. Elite gymnastics is extremely difficult and time consuming. It takes many years, lots of hard work, and a great dedication to the sport to get to the elite level. On top of that, they have to have insane physical strength, flexibility, and endurance, while doing some of the hardest skills in the world that require the most timing and consistency. Elite gymnastics is the hardest sport in existence.
A Year in Gymnastics
Depending on the time of year and part of the gymnastics season, training can be different. The beginning of a gymnastics year is just after the hardest meet of the previous season. Typically, this is states, regionals, or nationals. The new year of gymnastics begins with intense conditioning and learning new skills and routines. At this point in the year, the conditioning is extremely hard and the basic skills are practiced frequently. Goals are decided and pursued. Form is not as much of a concern as the general technique of the skill. This phase lasts for about 4 months, from May to September or October. A new phase of firmly establishing routines for the season and practicing them repeatedly begins as competition season approaches. Conditioning continues to remain hard. When competition season begins, is all routines from there out. Conditioning goes through cycles of varying degrees. Form on the skills in the routines improves dramatically during this period. As the end of the season approaches as well as the harder competitions that must be qualified to, the pressure builds. People are not allowed to miss practices and many routines are performed on each event during practice. The week before the hardest meet, there is no conditioning and one routine on each event. This is the most stressful week of the year in gymnastics. Then the cycle repeats.