| Subject | Date Asked |
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| rope climb | 11/19/2009 |
Q: I was reading a question about a young girl who was pushed too hard and the rsponse on this website ...
A: I'm not familiar with the question and response you are referring to, but I also have a 4 year old ...
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| college gymnastics | 11/5/2009 |
Q: My name is Heather and I'm a level eight gymnast from Ontario Canada. I have been considering doing ...
A: The education requirements for any college you are interested would be on their website, you can ...
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| Balance Beam Cartwheel | 10/25/2009 |
Q: My daughter is a level 5 gymnast. She competed at level 5 last year, too, but she really struggled. ...
A: It is good to hear that your daughter is showing a lot of improvement this year. For the balance ...
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| how much should our coach know | 10/25/2009 |
Q: Is it reasonable to expect my daughter's coaches to go over her routines with her after meets and ...
A: Yes that would be great (having the coach explain to the parents what the deductions are), though it ...
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| Horrible Wrist flexiblity | 10/25/2009 |
Q: I hope you can help. This isn't much about gymmnastics but, I find it painful and difficult to ...
A: It looks like your wrists are about as flexible as mine. :) I've found that the more I workout, ...
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| weight | 10/4/2009 |
Q: Is there a specific weight one needs to be to become a gymnast?
A: There is no weight requirement for doing gymnastics, just like there are no specific weights ...
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| Kips and other Tips. | 9/28/2009 |
Q: I am 16 years old, and I started gymnastics late last October. I know I'm old and started way late ...
A: There were a couple people on the team when I went to college that just started in high school - I ...
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| Gymnast with Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis | 9/24/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 12 years old and a competes as a level 7 gymnast. She was complaining of back pain ...
A: I just did a little search about those Mary Poppins type S words and found this: ...
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| Tiger Paws and other braces | 9/23/2009 |
Q: I am a level 5 gymnast. After tumbling, bars, and sometimes just simple handstands, my wrists hurt a ...
A: These types of joint pains are commonly caused by insufficient fat storage in the body to provide ...
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| Girls gymnastics conditioning after an injury | 9/22/2009 |
Q: I am trying to keep this as brief as possible. My daughter is 16 yr.old Level 8 gymnast supposed to ...
A: The doctors are really getting creative with the names they use to classify injuries! I assume a ...
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| Trouble at competitions | 9/22/2009 |
Q: I just can't win anything at competitions. I just can't place in anything at competitions. I had a ...
A: There are many ways to look at the same situation. You are telling me you can't win and it's not ...
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| Vertical handstand on beam | 9/16/2009 |
Q: I am a level 4 gymnast from Australia and I have handstand in my beam routine. I can do the ...
A: It sounds like you could use some practice holding a handstand on the beam (with a spot if needed) ...
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| Kip, cast, jump to the highbar, and swings | 9/16/2009 |
Q: Okay yes there are a few things I need to ask about. The first is kip. I am doing a lot of strength ...
A: I can tell you are very eager to make progress in your gymnastics, which is great. It sounds like ...
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| mats size and thickness | 9/10/2009 |
Q: my 12 year old daughter is learning how to to back hand springs and wants a home gymnastic mat to ...
A: For doing back handsprings you'll probably want a mat about twice the height of the person doing ...
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| am i too old? | 9/8/2009 |
Q: hi thanks for taking my question i am fifteen years old and am going to turn sixteen in march i am ...
A: I don't think anybody is too old for gymnastics. I still hope to compete again myself - see ...
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| gymnastic | 9/7/2009 |
Q: umm am fourteen years old and i always want it to do gymnastic ever seen i was ten but i didnt get a ...
A: It's good to hear about more people interested in doing gymnastics, I think it could be fun for ...
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| gymnastics | 8/29/2009 |
Q: hey. this may be a lot of questions, and i apoligize ahead of time. but, i am 13 yrs old and have ...
A: As I have told many others, I believe age is not a limitation for doing gymnastics. It sounds like ...
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| Ripped Hands | 8/24/2009 |
Q: Recently when training on bars my hands have began to rip very quickly, allowing me to practice only ...
A: I'm not familiar with 'surgical spirit', but I do know that when you practice frequently the best ...
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| Vault | 8/22/2009 |
Q: My daughter is having trouble on her vault. She is competeing a front handspring vault. And when she ...
A: One thing that could help her get the feeling of the correct movement is to use a minitramp place ...
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| Recreational gymnastics | 8/21/2009 |
Q: I am enrolling my 5 year old daughter in gymnastics at a very well regarded studio that offers both ...
A: Yes 5 years is plenty of time to learn a back handspring - as she gets older and stronger it will ...
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| rips | 8/14/2009 |
Q: i am a level 5 gymnast going into level 6 and i keep getting rips on my hands. one of my coaches had ...
A: I'm not familiar with neuro balm or the type of cream you are referring to. I think the best way to ...
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| nutrition | 8/4/2009 |
Q: could you suggest some ideal snacks for my daughter during training, as well as afterwards? She ...
A: Actually carbs are very useful during training, that's why powerbars and gatorade are full of them. ...
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| long term health and happiness | 8/1/2009 |
Q: My daughter is now 8 and has been doing gymnastics for 2 years. The gym where she goes has now ...
A: I can understand your concerns about such a commitment at 8 years old. If I were you I would ...
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| Prep-op to usag level | 7/29/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 11 year old. She was in AAu4 . The group is constantly scores bad at meets for ...
A: In my opinion, open communication is very important for any relationship to remain positive. You ...
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| About Strength and Endurance Training | 7/12/2009 |
Q: I would like to know your opinion,which way of general bodyweight strength/endurance training (such ...
A: I think there are many other variables involved, but here is my opinion: A 20-30 minute circuit ...
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| gymnastics | 7/2/2009 |
Q: I just had a quick question about getting back into gymnastic. I stopped gymnastics when i was 11 ...
A: That's great to hear about you getting back into something you enjoy doing. One thing I learned ...
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| Flexibility | 6/30/2009 |
Q: My 8 yr old daughter made the level 4 team at the beginning of June. She practices 4 days a week, ...
A: Yes when you gain muscle sometimes flexibility suffers a bit, but stretching in a more relaxed ...
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| fear of back handspring | 6/26/2009 |
Q: My daughter is in level 5 and I have seen her do 5 back handsprings in a row. All of a sudden she ...
A: I can understand how that might be frustrating for you. Irrational fear like that is not usually ...
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| Gymnastics-Front Handspring on Vault | 6/26/2009 |
Q: My daughter is training level 5. She has achieved almost all her necessary skills to become a level ...
A: There are as many different styles of coaching as there are coaches. But the most effective coaches ...
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| Squatting front tucks | 6/25/2009 |
Q: I just recently started gymnastics about 2 months ago so my strength isn't all there yet obviously. ...
A: Doing front tucks after 2 months is great! I think any type of exercise you enjoy will benefit your ...
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| sore knees | 6/21/2009 |
Q: Five or six hours after a competition my knees were sore and I don't know any stretches to fix it. I ...
A: You may have slightly over extended your knees at some point during the competition but didn't ...
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| Child strengthening | 6/7/2009 |
Q: my daughter who is almost 8 only started doing acrobatic gymnastics 5 weeks ago, she had already ...
A: I'm sure the coaches at her gym will be having her do strength training, but just as she has done ...
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| Gymnastics- Wrists, Skills, and Strength | 6/6/2009 |
Q: I have already asked a question to another expert but I have much more for you. First is that I need ...
A: What I have found most effective for stretching is to do it while doing something else - watching ...
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| Supplemental conditioning | 5/28/2009 |
Q: Robert, I've been conditioning for gymnastics for about four months now, doing pure strength ...
A: Swimming and running can be great supplemental exercises to your conditioning. If you are doing it ...
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| Wrist, Shoulder & Ankle strength & flex | 5/23/2009 |
Q: Hey Robert, I have a few problems. The first problem is concerning my wrist strength & flexibility. ...
A: Based on the pictures you shared I think my wrists are about as flexible as yours, or maybe less. ...
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| Gymnastics-Ankle Problems | 5/21/2009 |
Q: I am a teenage gymnast and recently I've had trouble with my left ankle. It all started when I was ...
A: I had similar issues with my wrist for many years until I broke my leg and spent several months ...
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| Level 4 gymnastics | 5/4/2009 |
Q: My daughter is almost 9 and is about to join a level 4 team. We have to gyms to choose from. One ...
A: In my opinion, the amount of time in the gym does not determine the competitive ability of the ...
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| Level 4 gymnastics | 5/4/2009 |
Q: My daughter is almost 9 and is about to join a level 4 team. We have to gyms to choose from. One ...
A: If it's all the same to you, I would suggest that you let your daughter decide. She may have more ...
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| Time Required | 4/30/2009 |
Q: How many hours per week is a reasonable amount of time for a 10 year old level 6 gymnast to ...
A: I think this is a question that only you and your daughter can answer, based on your situation. If ...
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| Few More Conditioning Questions | 4/24/2009 |
Q: Robert, for your prompt and helpful response last time. To remind, I just started conditioning, ...
A: One thing I learned from my experience doing the "body for life" workout (you can read my story ...
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| scoliosis while doing gymnastics | 4/22/2009 |
Q: I'm 20yrs old and I'm diagnosed with an S shaped scoliosis.its not very serious (not strong degrees) ...
A: When I was around 10 I remember a doctor saying I had a mild form of that as well. I don't have any ...
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| Kip And Rip | 4/21/2009 |
Q: 1. I am learning my kip and I am not getting the hang of it. Do you have any tips on how to do it? ...
A: The kip can be tricky to learn, but the key is to use your body to your advantage. Here are the 3 ...
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| Mental blocks! | 4/16/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 8 years old and does competitive cheerleading. She has had a mental block on her ...
A: I can imagine you must feel frustrated seeing your daughter having this type of trouble. For mental ...
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| cheer to gymnastics | 4/9/2009 |
Q: Your Question was: My daughter has taken cheer and tumbling for almost 2 years. She is 6 years old. ...
A: I'm sure your daughter will do very well in gymnastics, and any discrepancies in specific events ...
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| Conditioning Problems? | 4/3/2009 |
Q: I apologize beforehand if this question has already been addressed. I am a 24-year old male, and ...
A: I can see that you're very determined, and I applaud your efforts. One thing I've learned is that ...
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| Endurance | 4/1/2009 |
Q: My daughter just turned 11 and has been competing as a level 7 all year. She has all of her ...
A: Yes distance running can help with overall endurance, I'm sure that will help your daughter. For ...
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| My tumbling,,,tucks and so on! | 3/28/2009 |
Q: I have been tumbling for 4 years now! I have a standing back handspring and a standing tuck. I am ...
A: It sounds like you are having fun, which to me is the most important thing. I see you are concerned ...
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| wound from grips | 3/27/2009 |
Q: My daughter has an open wound on the right side of her hand, near the wrist, from her grips. She ...
A: When I was competing I didn't do anything for "rips" as we called them except neosporin and wrapping ...
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| Grips | 3/24/2009 |
Q: I just moved up to level 6, and as a requirement, I had to start using dowel grips. I find them very ...
A: Personally I never did uneven bars, but on high bar I always put my thumbs around the bar. I would ...
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| The elusive perfect roundoff | 3/21/2009 |
Q: I have some problems with my roundoff that I need to get fixed - before i do any damage to myself! ...
A: It is difficult to provide specific suggestions without seeing your roundoff, but I can think of two ...
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| Regression of skills | 3/20/2009 |
Q: My 9 year old daughter has tumbled for 2 years now. She previously could perform round off, ...
A: Regression can happen for many reasons in many areas of our lives. For example, our oldest son was ...
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| Workout/Training clothes | 3/18/2009 |
Q: I have entered gymnastics at the age of 23 years old and have a couple of questions for you. ...
A: I'm glad you are having fun, that's what continues to draw me to the sport. Before college I would ...
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| shoulder flexibility | 3/17/2009 |
Q: My 7 year old takes a rec class twice a week and does great on vault, bars and beam but she ...
A: The best way I know of to increase flexibility is to hold a position while relaxing and doing ...
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| Level 6 | 3/14/2009 |
Q: My 10 year old daughter (Bridget)is a level 6 gymnast. We were wondering if you know of any ...
A: The key to flexibility is relaxing and holding a stretch for a long time. The specific exercises ...
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| mental block | 3/11/2009 |
Q: ok, so i've been doing cheer for about 4 years and last year i just got my round-off back ...
A: The best way I have found to deal with mental blocks is to focus your attention on something else ...
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| Older gymnast conditioning | 3/5/2009 |
Q: I'm a 29 year old woman who is training tumbling for cheerleading. Obviously I also work full time ...
A: I completely understand your lack of dozens of hours for training. :) For handsprings and ...
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| Too old? | 3/4/2009 |
Q: I asked "Karen" a question and quite frankly, I feel that I did not receive a clear answer. Can you ...
A: I can see that you have many different thoughts about your child's future as a gymnast. I believe ...
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| Competing | 3/4/2009 |
Q: I am 11 years old and really want to compete. I have level 6 vault and beam skills, level 5 floor ...
A: Honestly I am not that familiar with the specifics of the current levels in gymnastics (they've ...
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| Endurance Question | 3/1/2009 |
Q: I am 54 years old and just wanted to ask a question I have always been curious about. Back in high ...
A: There are lots of different muscles in your legs, so yes it is possible for some of them to be ...
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| Hollow rocks and back tuck | 2/26/2009 |
Q: I don't think I'm doing hollow rocks correctly. I just can't seem to hollow out- some part of my ...
A: I'm not sure if anybody really gets their back all the way hollowed out, I usually end up rocking ...
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| Injury - Retirement | 2/25/2009 |
Q: My 15 year old daughter is a level 5 gymnast. She has many of the level 6 skills but is reluctant ...
A: I can imagine your concern for your daughter, seeing her dealing with intense training and recurring ...
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| Gymnastics Potential | 2/24/2009 |
Q: I wanted to start out by saying, I'm in 10th grader, I've been doing gym since 8th grade. I'm a ...
A: A military press is like a handstand pushup, but you sit down while doing it. You can use free ...
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| Gymnastics Potential | 2/22/2009 |
Q: I wanted to start out by saying, I'm in 10th grader, I've been doing gym since 8th grade. I'm a ...
A: I watched your video and I'm impressed at your progress in only 2 years of gymnastics, I think ...
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| Back flexibility | 2/21/2009 |
Q: I was wondering when doing a back walkover, how do you make use of all the upper back flexibility? ...
A: If you've ever played with a slinky and watched it go down stairs, you may have noticed that when ...
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| How much should son train? | 2/12/2009 |
Q: My 8 year old son has been competing since Dec. 2008. He wishes to do whatever it takes to compete ...
A: That's exciting to hear about your son's goals. There is no "one-size-fits-all" formula for being ...
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| giants | 2/10/2009 |
Q: My daughter has trouble keeping her legs together on her giants. It seems to be getting worse ...
A: If I remember correctly, when girls do giants they need to pike or straddle (or both) to avoid ...
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| Fixing bad habits | 2/8/2009 |
Q: My daughter is a lvl 6 gymnast. Her weakness is vault. she vaults with her arms away from her ...
A: Yes it can be frustrating to see your child being corrected without being helped to change. ...
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| gymnastic singlets and leotard | 1/25/2009 |
Q: Rob, I am currently researching gymnastics suits for a project for nike in regards to ...
A: I remember the guys wearing just shorts, but I guess girls workout in leotards. Yes I remember ...
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| gymnastic singlets and leotard | 1/24/2009 |
Q: Rob, I am currently researching gymnastics suits for a project for nike in regards to ...
A: That's an interesting question. Can you explain how a singlet or leotard could be engineered to ...
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| Back pain | 1/20/2009 |
Q: im a level 3 competitive gymnast and i recently i have had lower back pain. I am currently working ...
A: Back pain can come from various sources, but if you're feeling the pain while performing a back ...
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| Strength and flexibility | 1/20/2009 |
Q: I noticed that I've probably been unable to get a few skills mainly because of strength, so I've ...
A: Different skills require different sets of muscles to do them, so depending on the types of skills ...
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| gymnastics injury causing me problems | 1/17/2009 |
Q: I am level 5, and I am excelling on all my events but floor. I absolutely can't get my round off ...
A: I've had several issues with my wrists over the years, and I've come up with a few strategies (as ...
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| Is it too late? | 1/16/2009 |
Q: My 17 year old son expressed an interest in gymnastics last year but the local gym only offered ...
A: It is never too late to do something that you want to do. I'm not exactly sure what your concern is ...
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| Team | 1/15/2009 |
Q: I've wanted to be on a gymnastics team since I started, but my gym doesn't usually invite girls ...
A: I can imagine you must feel a bit frustrated when people don't take you seriously. But you really ...
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| Spotting Techniques | 1/12/2009 |
Q: I am a new gymnastics coach and am looking to find resources (books, videos, etc) that can help me ...
A: There are many ways to improve spotting techniques, and here are a few I can suggest: * For ...
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| help!!! | 1/11/2009 |
Q: i just learned how to do a cartwheel yesterday..... well i did a couple of them and after a while my ...
A: I have a lot of experience with wrist issues. Recently, I learned that I need to make sure I am ...
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| bending arms in backhandsprings | 1/10/2009 |
Q:
A: It is a common difficulty to have, bending your arms too much during back handsprings. If you want ...
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| To old for competitive gymnastics? | 1/7/2009 |
Q: Hey, I really love gymnastics, but I'm 15 yrs old. I want to join a club gymnastics and train. I ...
A: You can really do anything you want to do, at any age, as long as you believe you can do it. I'm 32 ...
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| Tumbling | 12/21/2008 |
Q: How do I make my running tumbling more powerful? I've been told that I tumble flat footed,so will ...
A: Using primarily the balls of your feet (not exactly your toes, but close) when you tumble could ...
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| fractured knee | 12/13/2008 |
Q: I was doing bars when i fell off and fractured knee. My doctor said that it would take 6 weeks in a ...
A: I would suggest picking one and going with it. A doctor will be more inclined to help you if they ...
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| 6 year old trouble with kick over | 12/12/2008 |
Q: I have a 6 year old daughter that started gymnastics in October. She is doing ok but needs a lot of ...
A: Gymnastics is a great activity to get involved in for overall fitness. For pushups, I would suggest ...
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| flexibility in 4 year olds | 12/11/2008 |
Q: Davis, My daughter is 4 years old. She has been taking gym classes for a month. They are doing a ...
A: I do remember some kids being much more flexible than others (I was not one of them), but ...
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| fractured knee | 12/6/2008 |
Q: I was doing bars when i fell off and fractured knee. My doctor said that it would take 6 weeks in a ...
A: If you'd like to get another opinion you can always look for a different doctor to go to. Maybe you ...
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| Gymnastic and Height | 12/5/2008 |
Q: My daughter is 10 and 1/2 yrs. Her height is 54.She is doing Gymnastics from last 2 years once in a ...
A: Do you mean to say that your daughter is 54 inches tall? Four and a half feet seems like it's ...
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| i have! | 11/23/2008 |
Q: i need help!! i am 12 years old and i have been in gymnastics for 8 years.. i have seen lots of ...
A: Sometimes people call that a "six pack", and you can feel proud of it, it's ok:) Your stomach ...
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