| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Please give me step by step drills for Backward 1/1 twist! | 11/19/2009 |
Q: I have completed back layout & half twist! But I can not do the full! I think something has gone ...
A: Niki Learning a full twisting back flip without a trampoline or spotting ropes is tricky. You need ...
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| Handspring Vault | 11/12/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you could give me the technical analysis of the seven diffferent stages of the ...
A: Steven- The way I would breakdown the handspring vault is as follows: 1. Run 2. Hurtle to the board ...
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| college gymnastics | 10/27/2009 |
Q: I was wondering, what would be a start value for my routines to start at to make a decent mens ...
A: John- On vault, you would need a 5.8-6.2 start to be somewhere in range of the team. Doing a 6.6 ...
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| Coach to Gymnast Ratio | 10/20/2009 |
Q: What is an acceptable coach to gymnast ratio during training hours for Level 2 through 10 gymnasts?
A: Kristi- There is no hard and fast answer to that. At the lower levels you can probably have more ...
|
| Gymnastics | 10/3/2009 |
Q: Please i need your help in answering the following question Explain the following types of ...
A: Caroline- These are different gymnastics disciplines. Women's artistic is the four events: uneven ...
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| general stretching and splits | 9/26/2009 |
Q: When i was 20 i was practicing martial arts, i was good with legs and with exercises i was just 3 - ...
A: Yonet- These are all good questions. The obvious answer is that the more you work at flexibility, ...
|
| 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: Ellen- You seem to want to do gymnastics very badly. Therefore you will have to work hard over a ...
|
| Glide kip | 9/17/2009 |
Q: I know that a lot of people ask about the glide kip but I really need help with it. Because I am so ...
A: Ellen- You need to work on your core strength which is in the middle of your body. Lots of sit-ups, ...
|
| Strength Training Program | 9/16/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you might know a strength training program I could do at home every second day. ...
A: Ellen- It seems as if you have the basics for a good strength plan. These are all good exercises. ...
|
| Level 8 USAG Men's Requirments | 9/8/2009 |
Q: Ok so here's the deal. I am a gymnast so I need to know this so I can compete. I'm going optional ...
A: Garrett- Sorry for the delay. I have been out of town at the Olympic Training Center with athletes ...
|
| gymnastic | 9/1/2009 |
Q: and i am doing a report on gymnastic in my 3rd grade class, can you please give me some information ...
A: Yoshi- That is a very big question. Gymnast usually train 6 days a week for 20-40 hours depending ...
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| gymnastics | 8/30/2009 |
Q: hey, I've been doing gymnastics training for about 1 yr.I'm 13. I'm beginner but have most advanced ...
A: Carlie- Doing gymnastics 2-3 hours per week will not be enough to make a college program. The top ...
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| gymnastic sponsors | 8/29/2009 |
Q: I have a 5 year old grandson that lives in New Orlean. He has a natural gift. He already does back ...
A: Leslie- Good question. Especially when you are talking about someone so young, you probably need to ...
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| Men´s Gymnastics Routines | 8/19/2009 |
Q: I´m a gymnastics enthusiast and I´m from Brazil... My question is: Where can I find a detailed ...
A: Douglas- There is no specific answer to this question because level 10 is just a modified version ...
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| sponsorships | 8/19/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you knew anything about obtaining a sponsorship or funding for mens gymnastics. I ...
A: Patty- There is a gymnastics foundation that is a part of USAG. There are forms on their website ...
|
| backwards pike roll | 8/17/2009 |
Q: how do you do a backwards pike roll i know how to do a backwards roll but can you just tell me the ...
A: Camryn- These are basic skills that will be a good foundation to more difficult gymnastics. You are ...
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| backwards pike roll | 8/13/2009 |
Q: how do you do a backwards pike roll i know how to do a backwards roll but can you just tell me the ...
A: camryn- Doing a backward pike roll is not that different than the tuck. You can start in a stand ...
|
| round off back flips | 8/1/2009 |
Q: i can do round off 6 back flips on the gymnastic floor with some springs, but when i try on the gym ...
A: Renee- It would be hard for me to give you an exact time without seeing what you are doing. The ...
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| hs gymnastics | 7/30/2009 |
Q: My daughter will be a freshman this year and would like to do H.S gymnastics but her school doesnt ...
A: Kristin- I know that in some states they require a sponsor who is from the school to attend meets. ...
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| physical education | 7/29/2009 |
Q: what are the value of gymnastics? what is the nature and purpose of gymnastics?
A: Cherry Mae- What is the value of gymnastics? It has the ability to develop individuals physical ...
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| gymnastics diets and injury | 7/23/2009 |
Q: hey Mark! i am a current level 8 gymnast and im am struggling alot with energy levels throughout ...
A: Joel- If you have depleted the energy from the food you have eaten during a workout, you may want ...
|
| Iron Cross buildups | 6/29/2009 |
Q: Mark, Hi there. I've been utilizing a pair of the Elite II gymnastics rings into my workout for a ...
A: Christian- You are working the action of an Iron Cross correctly. You could help yourself with the ...
|
| Leg training in Mens Gymnastics | 5/31/2009 |
Q: Mr. Williams, I have recently become interested in Gymnastics and the training techniques used. ...
A: Jeff- The answer is that different programs do different things. We have some pre-season work with ...
|
| womens jr. compulsory olympics program | 5/17/2009 |
Q: good day, would you please guide me how can i provide vidoe cd of teaching junior compulsory program ...
A: Neda- I'm fairly certain that USA Gymnastics has these as part of merchandise that is sold on their ...
|
| How can I learn | 5/13/2009 |
Q: I am a 17 year old girl and I would like to know about how I can learn to do flips with out having ...
A: I would suggest that you try to find either some cheerleaders or gymnasts to help you. There isn't a ...
|
| TOPS testing | 5/8/2009 |
Q: My level 6 daughter who turned 8 in Feb. was told last summer by the gymnastic's coach @ Denver ...
A: Janis- I am not all that familiar with the women's programs since I'm on the men's side of the ...
|
| Basic strength static incorporation | 4/30/2009 |
Q: Mark, I just finished reading Christopher Sommer's book, "Building the Gymnastic Body." I'm not ...
A: Christian- I agree with these principles. You have to shock the muscle into building strength. ...
|
| training | 4/12/2009 |
Q: i am 14 years old and i am a level 7 gymnast. i would like to go to the Olympics or even junior ...
A: Layla- That would probably be the best thing to do if you have the goal of going Elite. Your ...
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| college gymnastics | 4/10/2009 |
Q: My name is john and i am going into level 10, i am a freshman in highschool. in a few years i would ...
A: John- That is very open ended question. The easy answer is having consistent gymnastics, high start ...
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| training | 4/10/2009 |
Q: i am 14 years old and i am a level 7 gymnast. i would like to go to the Olympics or even junior ...
A: Layla- Without seeing your gymnastics, I can't answer all these questions confidently. At age 14, ...
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| training | 4/10/2009 |
Q: i am 14 years old and i am a level 7 gymnast. i would like to go to the Olympics or even junior ...
A: Layla- If the training you are getting in your current program is not providing a chance to train ...
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| Front Flip | 4/8/2009 |
Q: I need help....I cant do a front flip. I can do it on a trampoline and when i try to do it on the ...
A: Alex- No, I don't have video of a front but it is done quite differently than on trampoline. From a ...
|
| Back Tuck | 3/31/2009 |
Q: I am having trouble pulling my back tuck, I can't do it! I don't know why. Any pointers that you ...
A: Justin- You can do the drill of working on your set next to a raised stack of mats. Stand next to ...
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| Back Tuck | 3/31/2009 |
Q: I am having trouble pulling my back tuck, I can't do it! I don't know why. Any pointers that you ...
A: Justin- It is hard to help without knowing what you are doing. The way to perform this skill is to ...
|
| The elusive perfect round-off | 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: Robert- It sounds like you know the problem. This is fairly common with gymnasts who start tumbling ...
|
| Training gear/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: ROBERT- You could buy a competition top from GK, this is what gymnasts compete in a meets. Most of ...
|
| Rings Cross | 3/10/2009 |
Q: can you please let me know some effective techs to teach younger students how to do a cross on ...
A: Mark- Generally, it isn't a good idea to have gymnasts from the age of 6 to at least 10 or 12 to do ...
|
| Leg separation | 3/7/2009 |
Q: having a difficult time getting my Level fours specifically the 6 year olds to squeeze their legs ...
A: Alexis- We do a drill call leg squeeze. You have the gymnast lay on their back and perform a hollow ...
|
| assignment for school | 3/2/2009 |
Q: I have a couple of questions and I hope I am at the right address. For school I have an assignment ...
A: Franklin- The men and women have a developmental program that has 10 levels for Juniors and then ...
|
| Level 9 Mens Gymnastics | 2/18/2009 |
Q: I am a freshman in high school and i level 9 gymnast. i compete for Bk gymnastics center in NY. I ...
A: John- There is no direct answer to that. Most of my guys have routines that start at above a 15.5 ...
|
| Level 9 Mens Gymnastics | 2/17/2009 |
Q: I am a freshman in high school and i level 9 gymnast. i compete for Bk gymnastics center in NY. I ...
A: John- It would be hard to make the roster at Michigan without a little more difficulty in your ...
|
| judging | 2/16/2009 |
Q: I was an athlete in every sport that was available to me in school. So I’m familiar with the ...
A: Pam- I understand your frustration. Even as a coach it is now very complicated to judge gymnastics. ...
|
| food before the meet | 2/12/2009 |
Q: What kind of food is best to eat before the meet?
A: Hanna- You want to eat things that will break down fairly quickly and provide energy. The heavy ...
|
| mushroom purchase | 2/10/2009 |
Q: My son is almost 10 and has been asking us for a mushroom for home use for the past 2 years. We ...
A: Sandy- I recommend the Ultra Dome. You can take the top off the stand and put it directly on the ...
|
| Stockli | 2/6/2009 |
Q: I am looking for a good drill for the Stockli A included in the new L6 mushroom. Help! I am one of ...
A: A body position drill for horse include front and back support holds with full extension. You can ...
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| Stockli | 2/6/2009 |
Q: I am looking for a good drill for the Stockli A included in the new L6 mushroom. Help! I am one of ...
A: Vanessa- This is a very fair question. Glad you are doing the coaching. I may not have seen the new ...
|
| Boys program in rural So. Oklahoma | 2/6/2009 |
Q: My 8 y/o son has been doing recreational gymnastics at BGCA in Norman for two years. They ...
A: Karen- There probably aren't any that are close. Achievers is close to Denton, TX but I don't know ...
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| blind change | 2/1/2009 |
Q: I have been working on a blind change on the high bar for about half of a year. But when my coach ...
A: Luke- You need to figure out how to make the turn happen on the way up on the giant swing. That ...
|
| Burn-Out | 1/28/2009 |
Q: My son has a passion for gymnastics. He is eight years old, level six and trains eight hours per ...
A: Ellen- All good questions and there is no answer that is correct for everyone. Going to 15 hours a ...
|
| Training in the rings. | 1/26/2009 |
Q: I am 17 years old. Me and my friend is training to make the cross in the rings. When you are hanging ...
A: Johan- You are talking about the Iron Cross. The most effective exercise is doing sets of cross ...
|
| What may help me do the splits????? | 1/17/2009 |
Q: i can do: Handstand roundoff cartwheeel summersalt centerspits bridge (back hand walk over) ...
A: Brinkley- There is really no magic formula. You will have to work the positions a lot. It is better ...
|
| gymnastics grips | 1/17/2009 |
Q: How do you choose the best grips for you? I am 11 years and a level 6. I won the silver medal in ...
A: Kyle- You need to have a grip that has a dowel in it if you don't already. There are different ...
|
| What level would i be!?! would i be with little kids??? | 1/17/2009 |
Q: i can do: Handstand roundoff cartwheeel summersalt centerspits bridge (back hand walk over) ...
A: Brinkley- You would have to get involved with a club program and begin working through the basics ...
|
| level 8 mens gymnastics | 1/15/2009 |
Q: mr.Williams: perhaps too simply, what is the purpose of level 8 mens gymnastics? Some coaches say ...
A: Robert- The level 8 is a step from 7 to 9 that can be useful to some gymnasts but not to others. I ...
|
| what are some qualifications on being a gymnast? | 1/3/2009 |
Q: I really want to be a gymnast and i am new i know i am not good at this but it's what i want to do. ...
A: Kierra- There are no qualifications to be a gymnast. There are some physical traits that make it ...
|
| maltese conditioning | 12/22/2008 |
Q: rings is my best event,i have a no deduction cross and a decent invert, but I'm still struggling ...
A: Mike- There are many ways to work this position. You can rock to the position going back and forth ...
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| gymnastics diet/ excercise | 12/4/2008 |
Q: i recently started gymnastics again, and at 5'7 160 lbs its very difficult, i was wondering what the ...
A: Keith- There is no easy way to do this but you have go burn more calories than you consume. ...
|
| Mathematics in Gymnastics | 12/3/2008 |
Q: I need to do an assignment about how math is used in gymnastics and I can't seem to find much ...
A: Cassandra- Mostly math is used in the scoring of gymnastics. Every skill is given a value. A, B, ...
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| List of exercises for beginners | 11/21/2008 |
Q: I am emailing on behalf of my brother (18) and I (31). We have recently started training in ...
A: Curtis- You are right, there isn't a lot out there to help in this regard. I did some videos that ...
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| Quitting current gym | 11/16/2008 |
Q: BACKGROUND STORY: I've been thinking about this since my first teammate quit gymnastics at our gym. ...
A: Jam- No knowing either situation first hand, I'm not sure I can give you good advise. You will need ...
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| Back handspring and back walkover | 11/15/2008 |
Q: I am learning how to do a back walkover can you give me any tips on mastering it. Also how can I ...
A: Jasmine- You will need to work on your back flexibility by doing a lot of bridge ups to stretch. ...
|
| Underage Olympians | 11/12/2008 |
Q: There was a lot of talk after the Olympics about the IOC investigating the ages of Chinese Olympians ...
A: Lisa- There was a further investigation. Basically there was evidence that at least two of the ...
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| Mens JO hrs per week averages | 10/30/2008 |
Q: Mark I asked a question not to long ago about developing a strength training program it is coming ...
A: Darren- I think you are right about a gym by gym number. This would also give better information ...
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| Age, Future Skill Level, and Lessons | 10/30/2008 |
Q: Mark, My names Cameron and i recently started gymnastics(3 weeks now). I'm a male, and 17 years ...
A: Cameron- Well it is never too late to start gymnastics and enjoy learning and developing in the ...
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| Basket Toss to Handstand or Support | 10/29/2008 |
Q: I am strugling to catch my basket toss in anything but upper arm. I can not do clear hips on high ...
A: Shaun- A cast support to upper are would be easier than doing a back toss to support or handstand. ...
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| high bar fear | 10/28/2008 |
Q: My son is moving up to upper levels and has developed a fear of falling of a high bar and hitting a ...
A: Rachel- This is always a very tricky situation to be in. Confidence negates the fear in doing high ...
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| Boys, level 4 or 5? | 10/28/2008 |
Q: My son practices 4 hrs with the boys who are level 3 but they will not be going to competition and ...
A: Kim- This is a good question and one that you have a right to ask. However, I cannot watch your son ...
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| gymnastics conditioning | 10/27/2008 |
Q: la.I was wondering if you could help me with a conditioning routine.
A: Andy- We have a lot of conditioning routines that my team does. We try not to do the same thing all ...
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| Get another coaches opinion | 10/23/2008 |
Q: My daughter is 8 years old and a first year level 5 gymnast in southern California. She is doing ...
A: Shannon- These are good questions but I'm not sure I can answer them. I work primarily with the ...
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| Nervousness | 10/13/2008 |
Q: I'm a level 5 gymnast, and I would say my best event is balance beam. At least, it's my best event ...
A: Rebecca- You have to put yourself into the meet situation more often in practice. Make the practice ...
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| elbow flexibility | 10/12/2008 |
Q: I am a gymnastics coach. I have a question about a male gymnast. He is fairly good at gymnastics, ...
A: Joy- This could be genetic or an over-development of the muscles on one side of the arm. There ...
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| Parallel Bars: Old set-up | 10/3/2008 |
Q: I saw your 2007 answer on making a home-made mushroom 20 years ago (thanks!), so hope you can help ...
A: Pam- Sounds like you have your work cut out for yourself. That kind of change was necessary, glad ...
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| pike handstand | 10/2/2008 |
Q: i can press up to a handstand easily from a straddle, yet i have difficulty with the press with the ...
A: Willis- You should put your hands just in front of your feet and rock your weight forward onto your ...
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| Torn labrum - any suggestions? | 9/23/2008 |
Q: Hey Mark, I just found out the other day from my Orthopedic doc that I might have a torn labrum in ...
A: Rafe- I have had many guys in my program with this same injury. Generally, they reach a point where ...
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| Back up rise/ p-bars | 9/18/2008 |
Q: I have a son who just moved to level 6. He is the only one on the team who does not yet have the ...
A: Shari- The back uprise and kip skills on parallel bars are both about combining the swing with ...
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| Back Walkover on the high beam! | 9/11/2008 |
Q: I am a gymnast and I cam currently learning how to do a back walkover on the high beam. For the past ...
A: Lucy- For a while it will go back and forth with your confidence. You will have to go back to doing ...
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| Back Walkover on the high beam! | 9/3/2008 |
Q: I am a gymnast and I cam currently learning how to do a back walkover on the high beam. For the past ...
A: Lucy- There really isn't a lot I can do for you. You are the one that will control that fear. If ...
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| Skills | 8/31/2008 |
Q: I was wondering if you had any success in looking up a list of men's and women's skills on various ...
A: Chris- You can actually download the FIG code of points now from their website. It will have all ...
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| Level 7 gymnast | 8/28/2008 |
Q: My son will be competing as a level 7 in the Spring. He had his pirouette on the p-bars at the ...
A: Angela- This is fairly common. The height of the bars creates uncertainty and fear. This is a ...
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| Workouts for L4 and L5 | 8/27/2008 |
Q: My daughter is 5 (turning 6 later this year), just starting kindergarten and has spent one year on ...
A: Carlita- These are fairly similar. One is 7.5 hours a week and the other is 8 hours and 15 vs. 14. ...
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| Too Old?? | 8/25/2008 |
Q: my whole life i've always thought about doing gymnastics but something has always sidetracked me and ...
A: Zack- You are probably too old to get Olympic caliber starting this late. It is harder to do this ...
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| Good Starter Facility | 8/23/2008 |
Q: My child is 6 and she just started getting into gymnastics this past June at a summer camp. She ...
A: Nakia- I think she will be fine with the Chicago Gymnastics & Cheer Academy for now. She will be ...
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| Gymnastics at my age? | 8/19/2008 |
Q: I'm 18 years old and have always been fascinated with gymnastics. I was a gymnast for about 3 years ...
A: Brian- Sure you can still do gymnastics, just don't expect it to be easy. You will have a harder ...
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| UB | 8/17/2008 |
Q: First I must start by saying I am a non-traditional gymnast. I am 21 and work at a gym. So I have ...
A: Sascha- You probably need to be doing more on the bars everyday if you really want to learn giants. ...
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| Re-starting gymnastics at almost 17 | 8/16/2008 |
Q: Ok.. I'm 16 years old right now, going on 17 in october. I used to do gymnastics until i was about ...
A: Camden- You are not too tall. I have a couple guys who are very good on floor and vault that are ...
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| Re-starting gymnastics at almost 17 | 8/15/2008 |
Q: Ok.. I'm 16 years old right now, going on 17 in october. I used to do gymnastics until i was about ...
A: Camden- Since you have already been a part of the sport for a while, I think you could get back ...
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| getting started | 8/14/2008 |
Q: I have a 3 year old son who really wants to begin gymnastics and I see great things for him if he is ...
A: Marian- If you really think he has potential, you are better getting him in a good program right ...
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| floor routine moves | 8/14/2008 |
Q: I've been watching the Olympic coverage. It seems commonplace now to see male gymnasts perform ...
A: Lisa- This has become more common because of the category added to the code of points. It used to ...
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| boys mushroom | 8/14/2008 |
Q: The boys I am currently trainning have got to the point of making it once around the mushroom. How ...
A: Kelly- The boys will figure out that if they can do one, they will quickly be able to do 10. Mostly ...
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| strength training program development | 8/13/2008 |
Q: I am trying to put together a strength training program for my guys. I have 2 level 5s, 4 level 6s, ...
A: Darren- Wow, this is the longest question I have ever had. You seem to be thinking things through ...
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| Fresh start at 16 | 8/12/2008 |
Q: I've come to a point where I want to find a channel, something to really dedicate my life to and ...
A: Brandon- The bad news is that it would be very improbable for you to make up for lost time and ...
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| Olympics... | 8/12/2008 |
Q: A question was asked about the min. age to be in the Olympics but I was also wondering, what age ...
A: Shelly- I'm not sure there is any exact way to measure that. The levels are set up for specific age ...
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| Planches and Flexability | 8/11/2008 |
Q: My name is Kirk, I'm currently 19 and an active dancer at dance studio in Michigan. Recently I have ...
A: Kirk- The flexibility for flairs include the straddle splits, pike stretches, flexibility of the ...
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| Physical Conditioning | 8/10/2008 |
Q: Hey Mark, My name is Samuel and I am in fairly good physical condition (6' 188lbs, 15-16% ...
A: Samuel- Probably your goal should be to get strong in our core strength, midsection and abs, and be ...
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| is age 27 too old for reconditioning for floor-ex? | 8/9/2008 |
Q: Granted, this is another "am I too old" question, though I'm pretty sure I've got at least 10 years ...
A: Fred- These are still possible though the splits might be tough if you have developed your legs a ...
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| how to train | 8/7/2008 |
Q: Hey I'm really interested in your workout routines and i wanted to start right away, I'm a mma ...
A: Eddie- Arch up on horse is just using the pommel horse to lay on while piking down over the horse ...
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| olympic gymnastics | 8/6/2008 |
Q: How old do you have to be to be in Olympic gymnastics?
A: Taylor- The women have a minimum age requirement of 16. The men do not. Most women are 16-20 ...
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| Around the world | 8/5/2008 |
Q: How does one do an around the world on the p-horse. I coached men's gymnastics from 1999-2005. ...
A: Stephanie- I'm not sure I have the same terminolgy but I think you are talking about a 360 Russian ...
|
| ankle pronation | 7/27/2008 |
Q: My son is a 11 y.o. level 6 gymnast with severe ankle pronation which is causing more pain as he ...
A: Debra- There is no rule against using shoes in gymnastics meets. They may not allow for a very good ...
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| ankle pronation | 7/26/2008 |
Q: My son is a 11 y.o. level 6 gymnast with severe ankle pronation which is causing more pain as he ...
A: Cian & Debra- I would say that you can try wearing tumbling shoes with the orthopedic insert and ...
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| ankle pronation | 7/26/2008 |
Q: I am an eleven year old level 6 boys gymnast who has ankle pronation which is hurting more as I ...
A: Cian & Debra- I would say that you can try wearing tumbling shoes with the orthopedic insert and ...
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| Lower back pain when working on back flexibility | 7/25/2008 |
Q: Is this normal? I feel like I am doing something wrong as the pain, or joint stress, does not go ...
A: Ben- Your body will not be as flexible as it was when you were younger. There is a chance that ...
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| mini-squad gymnastics | 7/10/2008 |
Q: I am a coach of a group of 8 girls aged 5-6 years old who are all currently in our teams development ...
A: Jess- Sounds like you are doing a good thing with this group. You can do the same thing with all ...
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| competition fears | 7/3/2008 |
Q: My daughter is 6 and has been doing recreational gym for one and a half years.She has a natural ...
A: Shani- I would not be too worried about whether she decides to compete. She only 6 year-old and ...
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| 7 yr old getting serious about gymnastics | 7/2/2008 |
Q: My son is 7 and was just asked to be on his gym's boys team. I am concerned about him getting too ...
A: Teresa- These are valid concerns. When is it too soon to specialize in one sport. Use your son's ...
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| Vaulting | 7/2/2008 |
Q: For my vaults, I currently do tsuks and handspring fronts. I am moving towards doing the handspring ...
A: Mike- If you have access to a trampoline or mini-tramp, use these to help with the air sense. You ...
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| The pommel horse | 6/24/2008 |
Q: My son just started working on the mushroom at the gym to build up his strength for the pommel ...
A: Sharon- Well, you could make a spool top to work at home. It just takes a little foam that is cut ...
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| Training for Rings and Pommel | 6/24/2008 |
Q: I am 30 years old now and began gymnastics 2 years ago focusing primarily on rings. I got to the ...
A: Rich- Good questions and not one that can easily be answered. Since you are an older gymnast, it is ...
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| Too old or not to start? | 6/13/2008 |
Q: I am age 39 and would like to be built like a gymnast if I am too old to learn the things they do ...
A: David- Starting at your age would be quite a challenge. Because your body is set as far as growth, ...
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| level 4 boys? | 6/12/2008 |
Q: My gym just recently had our boys team coach leave and it looks like i will be taking over the boys ...
A: Shelby- You will need the compulsory book from USAG. This will give you the routines. You can also ...
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| gymnastic workout | 6/8/2008 |
Q: I was wondering if you could give me a gymnastics workout using weights. I want something to ...
A: Gavin- Here is a program I have had my team do. Since they were doing gymnastics at the time, these ...
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| Wrist pain | 5/21/2008 |
Q: Hey Mark, When ever I stretch my wrist, or do skills that add pressure to my wrists, they usually ...
A: Terrell- This type of wrist pain may be a form of wrist splints like runners shin splints. The ...
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| Mental & Physical block for level 8 | 5/16/2008 |
Q: Hey Mark, I'm training level 8 mens gymnastics, just coming from level 5, and my main questions are ...
A: Terrell- These are issues of some technique and some confidence. You need to be doing the pirouette ...
|
| Pommel horse | 5/9/2008 |
Q: What muscles are involved in a stride swing on the pommel horse and should your centre of mass be ...
A: Jess- Stride swing is a pretty old term or one I'm not familiar with. I'm assuming that is the ...
|
| back uprise | 4/23/2008 |
Q: I was just wondering what the supporting technique would be for the back uprise? (ie how would my ...
A: Jonny- I assume you are talking about a back uprise on the parallel bars. From the upper arm ...
|
| Straddle Lever Hold | 4/12/2008 |
Q: I have some female gymnasts struggling with the basic straddle lever, I have tried several ways to ...
A: Roisin- It will take some time to develop the stomach strength to hold the legs up. You need to ...
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| equipment | 4/7/2008 |
Q: I have started putting rings into my work out , and do to this have began watching more and more ...
A: Matthew- You can make a mushroom pretty easily with a cable spool, ethafoam and a synthetic ...
|
| Flares | 4/5/2008 |
Q: names Daniel and i am 17, currently trying to learn Thomas flares and having very much difficulty. i ...
A: Daniel- There are lots of pictures on Youtube of people doing flares. You need to have a fairly ...
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| Gymnastics | 4/3/2008 |
Q: How can one be a qualified gymnastics trainer?
A: Mahesh- The best by to be qualified is to have done the sport in your youth. Even if you did ...
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| Training recommendations for rings/pbars with bad joints | 4/2/2008 |
Q: I did gymnastics from age 8-12 and picked it back up 3 years ago. (I'm 24 now.) I absolutely love ...
A: Rafe- You are getting to the age where it is difficult to do gymnastics pain free. I would think ...
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| location...? | 3/28/2008 |
Q: I'm 16, and i have had basic gymnastics training in the past. Although that was a while ago, i am ...
A: Matt- There are a lot of programs in the LA area. Here are contracts for men's programs: ALL ...
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| back handsprings | 3/23/2008 |
Q: how can i do a back handspring?
A: Jessica- You probably should have someone help you that knows what they are doing. You will need to ...
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| want to know how to do a back walkover and a back handspring | 3/23/2008 |
Q: I watched and watched people do back walkovers and back handsprings and i got gellus.So how can i ...
A: Jessica- I've given you information about the back handspring. The back walk-over is all about ...
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| Press Handstands | 3/22/2008 |
Q: Hey I'm Steve and I am a JV gymnast. I am working on a press handstand and I don't seem to get up ...
A: Steve- There is a technique to doing a press correctly but strength and flexibility are involved as ...
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| Back Flips | 3/13/2008 |
Q: I am an in line skater. I can do 14 ft drops on roller blades and fly over the ramps. I would like ...
A: Asher- It isn't that difficult for athletes to learn a back flip. However, it is important to learn ...
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| Strength vs. Flexibility | 3/10/2008 |
Q: Mark, I know that a gymnast needs a combination of both strength and flexibility to be successful in ...
A: Candace- That is an interesting question. Guys who are not naturally strong will really struggle ...
|
| Front Tumbling | 2/16/2008 |
Q: I can not seem to front tumble without twisting any more. Everytime I try to do a punch front I ...
A: Carly- This is a difficult problem to solve. We refer to this as having the twisties. You have to ...
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| gym exercise | 2/15/2008 |
Q: IHAVE HAD HIPS REPLACED IN O5 AND O6 KNEE REPLACED 07 AM BACK AT THE GYM BUT UNCERTAIN ABOUT ...
A: Pat- I'm not a doctor so I'm not sure what to advise. I would be careful not to create pain while ...
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| gymnastics | 2/13/2008 |
Q: when my hands get to the ground they bend so my knees so could you help me with that? thanks for ...
A: Ian- You do not want to have your arms bent too much as you land the back handspring. You will need ...
|
| Sttraight arm kip | 2/13/2008 |
Q: My daughter can get up on her kip but her arms are very bent when she tries to pull herself up. ...
A: Rhandi- There is a lack of strength involved here. She will need to get stronger in her upper body. ...
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| Adult boys gymnastics in Florida | 1/23/2008 |
Q: My son is looking at a university in Daytona, FL that does not offer a gymnastics program. Are there ...
A: Charissa- There are club programs that may offer training for elite level gymnasts. Here is the ...
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| mens gymnastics | 1/22/2008 |
Q: is there a website or a book where i can find ouot what the judges are looking for in mens level 5 ...
A: Juan- The JO code of points is available through the USA Gymnastics merchandising dept. It will ...
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| gymnastics conditioning. | 1/6/2008 |
Q: I have been looking all over for some help. Here is my situation. I'm 23 years old and am in decent ...
A: Samuel- Sorry it has taken me so long to get back with you. With the holidays, I've been really ...
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| Drills & Skills | 1/2/2008 |
Q: Hey Mark, Before I ask you my question here is a little bit of the background story. I'm 16 years ...
A: Terrell- Always start by working your press on the floor. Work from a straddle stand and later a ...
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| back handsrping. | 12/31/2007 |
Q: i ahev been working on my strength for back handsping for a while . i have done it standing with ...
A: Dayna- Part of the problem is confidence in your ability. There is also the element of doing ...
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| Mushroom & Flares | 12/19/2007 |
Q: Hey Mark, I'm a level 5 gymnast and I just did my first meet on Sunday, I scored a 9.8 on Rings ...
A: Terrell- I makes a difference which direction you do your circles but I'm guessing you go in a ...
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| Rings & Swings | 12/18/2007 |
Q: Hey Mark, I'm a level 5 gymnast and I just did my first meet on Sunday, I scored a 9.8 on Rings ...
A: Terrell- Nice job with the 9.8. This is a good question. You are going to the side on your swing ...
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| you may know... | 12/15/2007 |
Q: I saw some web page where a guy asked you about workouts using the body. I would also like to ask ...
A: Denzel- I have been thinking about how I can help you and struggling with what you might need. Most ...
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| Another question on Rings, and conditioning | 11/29/2007 |
Q: Hey Mark, Congratulations to your guys at worlds, Nationals, and Winter Cup first off. I asked ...
A: Dan- I don't know where you live but I would recommend getting a coach who knows how to coach elite ...
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| my level 4 gymnast daughter | 11/28/2007 |
Q: My daughter just turned 9 and is competing as a level 4 gymnast- she was first on bars in a meet ...
A: Laura- I'm on the men's side of the sport so I don't know the answer to that. I would assume that ...
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| Backflip Trouble | 11/26/2007 |
Q: I'm having trouble on doing standing multiple back flips i do the first one with no problem and i ...
A: Patrick- Sounds like you know a lot of what's wrong with the sequence. To do multiple backs, you ...
|
| ROUNDOFF BACKHANDSPRING | 11/9/2007 |
Q: Ok hey! I need some BIG time help! I have a few days untill our competetion to get my roundoff ...
A: Mariah- I you are indeed doing a good roundoff, your momentum should take you backward to the back ...
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| Future Stars | 10/16/2007 |
Q: I would like to obtain the skills needed to compete in the 10, 11, 12 year old future stars ...
A: Kim- There have been some modifications to the Future Stars program. You would have most of what ...
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| Gymnastics | 10/14/2007 |
Q: when performing a back handspring i always land on my knees i think the problem is that i can't snap ...
A: Abdukarim- You are right. You need more core muscle strength to help with the snap-down. V ups, ...
|
| flare to handstand | 10/12/2007 |
Q: This is a great place to go by the way.my question is i am a breakdancer and i am really stuck with ...
A: Lee- It will take a lot of repetition to master the flair up to handstand and flairs that stay ...
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| How to find qualified coaches? | 10/4/2007 |
Q: Please help me find mens gymnastics coaches in winder,GA. about 45 min north of Atlanta. Any advice ...
A: Sonny- You should contact the Region 7 chairman who knows the area better than I do. His contact ...
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| Boys Gymnastics | 10/3/2007 |
Q: I started gymnastics when i was 6 years old in 1997, I went straight to level 6 by time I was 8, I ...
A: Terrell- After such a long time away from the sport, you are doing pretty well. It is normal to be ...
|
| Splits | 10/1/2007 |
Q: im in middle school and i have always wanted to be a cheerleader. finally, i have the guts to try ...
A: Jordan- Getting the splits can take some time but there are things you can do that will help speed ...
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| Training on rings | 9/18/2007 |
Q: Mark, That is very good advice you gave me on the last question for strength training, but I have ...
A: Dan- I would try on different weeks either the intensity, more sets, and the next week more weight, ...
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| Strength Training on rings | 9/14/2007 |
Q: Mark, Congratulations on all your teams accomplishments first off, its impressive. I had several ...
A: Dan- These are good questions. Sounds like you are doing pretty well with the information that you ...
|
| Age and training | 9/10/2007 |
Q: I am about to turn 21 and I have started gymnastics for the last two or three months. I have ...
A: Anthony- You would have a great deal of catching up to do in order to compete competitively for ...
|
| muscles and body weight | 9/4/2007 |
Q: 1. What are the steps necessary for loosing weight? 2. What are three ways that excercise is used in ...
A: Arcely- Some of these questions are outside the area of gymnastics. The obvious answer is that you ...
|
| Making a mushroom | 9/1/2007 |
Q: I really like the idea of making my son a mushroom. Is there any paperwork with how to? Or if you ...
A: Michele- I'm sorry that the answer to your question has been delayed. I'm working at the World ...
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| Front Handspring problems. | 8/27/2007 |
Q: recently I have been try to do a front hand spring and I can do everything up to the bit where you ...
A: Jake You can try doing the skill slowly from a handstand and letting your feet fall to a bridge up ...
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| walkovers | 8/14/2007 |
Q: I had recently been teaching my self gym at home on my mats, then my parents said because i was so ...
A: Kez This is a flexibility issue where you will need to continue to stretch your back. You need to ...
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| making it | 8/9/2007 |
Q: i was wondering how you go about trying out for the olympics. Like where would you go to tryout or ...
A: Amber- The process in the US for gymnastics is competing in a qualifying meet to go to the USA ...
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| Starting Gymnastics as a Teen | 8/8/2007 |
Q: I am 14 years old and have a great local gym. I have never done any sort of gymnastics before, but I ...
A: Kyle- You will be at somewhat of a disadvantage starting gymnastics later than most and being ...
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| gymnastics | 8/4/2007 |
Q: i had a question about gymnastics. I'm in high school, and want to learn to do back flips, front ...
A: Micah- It is not too late to learn these tricks. The best approach is to take a tumbling/gymnastics ...
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| front handspring | 8/3/2007 |
Q: i have tried lots of times but i can not get the momentum to land on my legs when i am doing a front ...
A: Thamid- You need to have some flexibility in your back to do this skill well. You should stretch in ...
|
| back or front | 8/2/2007 |
Q: i have been try back flips and front flips but i was wondering witch one is easiest to start with ...
A: Linda- Generally, the front flip is easier to learn because you can see more of it. Doing a back ...
|
| flips | 8/1/2007 |
Q: i have tried doing a front flip but i land on my back. i am trying to do it in my garden on the ...
A: Flips- Putting your hands down prior to the flip is called a front handspring. Both rely on forward ...
|
| work out to keep up streghth | 7/22/2007 |
Q: My daughter a level 6 age 9 this year is taking two months off of gymnastics. Due to switching gyms ...
A: Kay- Some of the numbers that she does will depend on her fitness level. You can always start with ...
|
| Front lever | 7/11/2007 |
Q: I have a question regarding front levers. My coach, who competed a long time ago (when trampoline ...
A: Mike- Yep, times have changed. You are correct about the front lever. It will count as a simple A ...
|
| tumbling | 7/10/2007 |
Q: I am 17 years old and and trying to learn how to tumble. I've actually thrown and landed roundoff ...
A: Tony- You seem to have a pretty good understanding of the problems that you are having. Setting ...
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| illusion | 7/7/2007 |
Q: I am on my high schools varsity cheerleading team. I have 1 kidney so i cant stunt. My coach wants ...
A: Sara- You should join a tumbling class at a near by gymnastics club. These are skills that a coach ...
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| pommels /mushroom | 7/5/2007 |
Q: he is doing gymnastics since a few years now but unfortunately is unable to do circles on mushroom. ...
A: Khushman- You could either make him a mushroom or buy one for him to work on at home. I've made ...
|
| conditioning | 6/19/2007 |
Q: I coach a group of boys aged 8 to 12 years. They train 4 to 6 hours a week. how much time should be ...
A: Trevor- At that age, it would be difficult to do conditioning and strength for more than about 30 ...
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| conditioning | 6/19/2007 |
Q: I coach a group of boys aged 8 to 12 years. They train 4 to 6 hours a week. how much time should be ...
A: Trevor- Because this is not a lot of time for the week, you may want to try to get on the equipment ...
|
| Boys Team | 6/15/2007 |
Q: I just started coaching a few weeks ago, and I am helping with the team boys ages 6-11. I am an ...
A: Darren- These are good questions. The flexibility of the 8 year-old may not get a lot better. ...
|
| Beginner Weight Training | 6/12/2007 |
Q: my arms are the weakest part in my body. What exercises can i do to make this my strongest part? I ...
A: Alex- These specific type questions should probably be answered by the local coach from the gym and ...
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| Beginner Weight Training | 6/9/2007 |
Q: my arms are the weakest part in my body. What exercises can i do to make this my strongest part? I ...
A: Alex- If you are doing gymnastics, your body will get stronger with the workouts. It will take time ...
|
| Too old? | 5/16/2007 |
Q: I am embarrassed to say this, but I am 27 years old and would like to take up gymnastics. I have ...
A: Rigard- I think you will enjoy doing some things in gymnastics. If you approach it with the right ...
|
| Leg Work | 5/8/2007 |
Q: My name is Shawn. Im a boxer, Learning kickboxing. Im looking to get my legs more flexable, For ...
A: Shawn- Gymnasts stretch everyday to gain the flexibility that they have developed. We do the right ...
|
| Age Limit? | 5/5/2007 |
Q: I am a phys ed/health teacher as well as an athletic trainer. I have a student who wants to be ...
A: Jennifer- You have pinpointed two areas that are hard to overcome. Starting that late will make it ...
|
| gymnastics | 4/25/2007 |
Q: what is the strength tracing status of a gymnast
A: Karina- I'm not sure what you mean by "strength tracing status" but we usually try to keep up with ...
|
| Men's gymnastics | 4/24/2007 |
Q: I have just got into the competitive field and I was wondering exactly what level I was...what are ...
A: Christian- The boy's program at US Gymnastics has 10 Levels and Elite. The Elite level are the ...
|
| Workout Advice | 4/23/2007 |
Q: Mark, I have a workout question for you. I’m a 25 year old x-gymnast. I did competitive gymnastics ...
A: Mike- I'm not sure I can give you any further information than you already have. Strength gains ...
|
| advise | 4/17/2007 |
Q: I HAVE A 13 YEARS GYMNAST, WHO IS BECOMING ONE OF THE BEST GYMNAST IN MEXICO AND DREAMS WITH OLYMPIC ...
A: Esther- I don't have the specific data for risk factors but many young girls will experience some ...
|
| mushroom | 4/5/2007 |
Q: My 6 year old boy is moving up from level 4 to level 5 and we would like to get him a mushroom to ...
A: Frank- I'm not sure that there are used mushrooms out there. You can try calling some of the ...
|
| Need to sell some equipment | 3/30/2007 |
Q: Mark, My wife and I are trying to sell quite a bit of All Around equipment. We are selling it to ...
A: Craig- This is an impressive list of equipment. You can do several things. Put an ad in USA ...
|
| Basic Skills | 3/29/2007 |
Q: I've just started out in men's gymnastics by joining the team at my high school. I am fairly good at ...
A: Mike- You need to get a hold of the FIG code of points. The skills and values for rings will be ...
|
| full twist | 2/21/2007 |
Q: can you tell me the procedure to execute a full twist. I have it, but it comes and go.
A: Henry- Doing a full twist on floor or the trampoline you need to set-up the back flip first then ...
|
| Cash prizes & eligibility | 2/17/2007 |
Q: Can a Men's Elite gymnast accept a cash award at a gymnastics meet and still be eligible to compete ...
A: Lisa- There are many cases where an athlete may accept money that would cover training expenses. ...
|
| Workout routine | 2/9/2007 |
Q: Hey Mark. I was wondering if you could give me a gymnastics workout routine geared toward a ...
A: Matt- There are many workout routines that you could start to supplement your weight workouts. I'll ...
|
| at this age can i? | 2/6/2007 |
Q: i am 28 yrs old ,i have learned karate(black belt) from 1990 -1997.Can i learn gymnactics at this ...
A: Sanju- You should have no problem starting gymnastics at 28. With your background, it will be ...
|
| Gymnastics round off | 1/22/2007 |
Q: I attend gymnastics class, but I always get mad because I can't do the round off properly. I always ...
A: Misaki- A roundoff is a lot like a cartwheel except that you bring your feet together quickly at ...
|
| trampoline exercises | 1/16/2007 |
Q: Hey Mark, my question is about trampoline exercises such as urban rebounding. I just wanted to know ...
A: Lara_ There isn't a correct answer to this question. Using the trampoline will have some benefits ...
|
| boys gymnastics | 1/15/2007 |
Q: My question is about boys gymnastics. We have a boys rec program in place and it is very popular. ...
A: J- The owner/head coach is primarily looking at this as a business man. He is partly correct that ...
|
| i am a beginner | 1/12/2007 |
Q: i am just starting gymnastics and i need some help. i can do back hand springs and front tucks but i ...
A: Justin- These are good questions and difficult to answer without being there to coach you. Since ...
|
| the splits | 1/10/2007 |
Q: is this a stretch me and my friend will do this strech were she puts here feet on my ankls while we ...
A: Lacie- This is definately a stretch. You are working the straddle position and bending forward to a ...
|
| gymnast training routine | 1/9/2007 |
Q: My name is Austin Collins and I am currently in the army serving my third tour overseas. While Im ...
A: Austin- I commend you on what you are doing. We usually supplement our gymnastics workout with ...
|
| i have a question | 12/31/2006 |
Q: What is USAG or whatever the term everyone keeps using
A: Siara- USAG is the gymnastics federation for the United States. They sponsor men's and women's ...
|
| splits | 12/31/2006 |
Q: I am a female, and used to do splits as a teenager, until age 20 and I stopped. Now I am 28 and ...
A: Lara- It's not too late but it will be more difficult. With age, your body will get tighter when ...
|
| To old and tall? But figure skater&cheerleader | 12/26/2006 |
Q: I know this has been asked a lot but I just turned 18 and I am very interested in gymnastics. I am ...
A: Katrina- There is no reason that you can't do a little gymnastics. Being 5'6" isn't too tall for ...
|
| gymnastics | 12/19/2006 |
Q: what are the requirements for level 9?
A: Niki- The Level 9 requirements for boy's gymnastics include the following: 1.5 Difficulty, 1 C, 2 ...
|
| used equipment | 12/14/2006 |
Q: I'm looking for some used equipment to start up a preschool/rec program. Where can I find some good ...
A: Joy- There are several companies that have some of the same stuff with varying prices. Here are a ...
|
| gymnastics | 12/14/2006 |
Q: i have a very important question. I have started doing gymnastics again after a 3 month stop and i ...
A: Farren- This is fairly common when working tumbling on a harder mat. The most elite athletes train ...
|
| Getting back into gymnastics | 12/13/2006 |
Q: I stopped doing gymnastics 4 years ago, not by choice: my parents couldn't afford it. I stopped ...
A: Steve- College programs do not allow athlete's who are not enrolled at the college to train with ...
|
| gymnastics | 12/9/2006 |
Q: I'm a 13 year old girl that was born with a pingin-toe problem. I was in it as a per-schooler and ...
A: Cassie- I think that it is too bad that you were kicked out of gymnastics a such an early age. I'm ...
|
| Rips and calluses | 12/6/2006 |
Q: My son is 13 and his hands are one big callus. He just got a fresh rip and his coach said to put ...
A: Claire- You will want to develop as much callus on your hands as possible. Having tougher hands ...
|
| Gymnastics | 12/4/2006 |
Q: I was wondering if you could answer a couple Questions about Gymnastics? 1: How does it help you in ...
A: Makenzie- 1. Gymnastics has the ability to help you in life if you are able to develop the skills ...
|
| weekly routine | 12/4/2006 |
Q: I already do a five day a week split weights training routine but don't know how to integrate ...
A: Sam- Without having the ability to work with your specific training schedule or needs, I would ...
|
| reasons for boys gym | 11/28/2006 |
Q: i wondered whether you can help me, i am currently in the process of writting a dissertation on why ...
A: Alex- I can only offer my opinion on this. Partially, I think boys have a social stigma about dance ...
|
| mental | 11/27/2006 |
Q: !!!! i love doing gymnastics and i am a level 7/8 but i am very mental about everything and i hate ...
A: Alexis- This is a difficult question to answer. Everyone deals with the mental aspects of ...
|
| jump training | 11/26/2006 |
Q: congratulations by your comments that allow us to improve our ability like trainers. I am very ...
A: Rafa- For gymnastics you need a quick twitch, explosiveness in your legs as well as some power. ...
|
| Back Handsprings | 11/26/2006 |
Q: and i am 15 yrs old. I have been doing gymnastics ever since i was younger and when i turned 12 i ...
A: Chris- You have obviously developed a fear of the skill which is keeping you from executing what ...
|
| "Compulsory" optional routines | 11/22/2006 |
Q: Our gym is new to competitive men's gymnastics. We have some young men ready to progress out of ...
A: Jeff- This is a fair question but one that I'm not sure where to direct you. I'm coaching elite and ...
|
| gymnastics | 11/22/2006 |
Q: could you please also tell me about exercises for improving a planche, it seems almost impossible to ...
A: Farren- Learning a good planche is a fairly long process. You will need to do a lot of work to ...
|
| gymnastics | 11/21/2006 |
Q: i was wondering if you could tell me the prime exercizes for improving a v- sit i cant seem to get ...
A: Farren- You need to get stronger on your ABS or stomach area and your triceps muscles in your arms. ...
|
| Flexibility on splits | 11/19/2006 |
Q: My daughter has a real problem with her splits. She is 10 years old and has always been the most ...
A: Wid- A pulled muscle can take quite a while to regain its elasticity. The muscle pulls into a tight ...
|
| Nadia Comaneci | 11/13/2006 |
Q: Hey Mark, I am doing report on Nadia Comaneci for my eigth grade academic fair project. I was ...
A: Marissa- 1. Nadia's biggest accomplishment was scoring the first 10.00 in international ...
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| routines | 11/13/2006 |
Q: I want to know if you can give me tips on every event that i have like i cant get my front hip and ...
A: Natalie- It sounds like you need to keep working on the areas that you are having problems. For a ...
|
| Body lines | 11/9/2006 |
Q: I have heard several coaches mention 2 things. They like specific body types and body lines. What ...
A: Alice- Specific body types means the coaches are looking for girls who are smaller, more muscular ...
|
| Age starting gymnastics/strength | 11/6/2006 |
Q: My son is 11 and is interested in gymnastics. He sees the strength that these boys/men must have in ...
A: Donna- I don't think that he is too old to start. I might be difficult at first but if he finds ...
|
| The Splits | 11/4/2006 |
Q: Williams, I am 14 years old and have recently become intrigued in flexibility ...
A: Peter- It is true that it is more difficult to do the splits after you get older. However, you are ...
|
| Need Useful Drill | 10/31/2006 |
Q: I have just started a boys class at a gym, and our sources are limited. I am having problems ...
A: Beni- It sounds like you are doing the right things. You will have to do lots and lots of circles ...
|
| Question | 10/27/2006 |
Q: Ok thanks I will look into that, I have a question about skills, I have a double full and was ...
A: Rudy- To set up a 2 1/2 or triple full you will need to get up in the air a little more. The set ...
|
| Son | 10/27/2006 |
Q: My son has recently wanted to join gymnastics. He is already 13 years old and is a beginner. He is ...
A: Yoshiko- There have been a few cases of gymnasts who have excelled very quickly after starting ...
|
| core strength training | 10/19/2006 |
Q: I have been breakdancing for some time now and have seen the many parallels to gymnastics. I was ...
A: Josh- The breakdancing move came from gymnastics. There are things that you can do that will help ...
|
| I have a question? | 10/18/2006 |
Q: First is I am 13 years old and I want to start gymnastics am I too old? And second is that I am a ...
A: David- The answer I have for you is no and no. But it also depends on what you want out of the ...
|
| men's gymnastics | 9/25/2006 |
Q: Hi my name is Travorus And i love to do gymnastics I want to go to college and participate but i ...
A: Travorus- The College Gymnastics Association's website has a listing of the NCAA gymnastics ...
|
| 24, Am I Too Old? | 9/20/2006 |
Q: I would have to start off by saying that I haven't been in the best of shape since I was a senior in ...
A: Chris- Yes, you're probably too old. Starting at 24 and enjoying gymnastics is one thing. Training ...
|
| My Level | 9/10/2006 |
Q: Sorry, I know your main knowledge is in men's gymnastics, but I am asking anyone who may have an ...
A: Sierra- I definately think you can compete again. If you will be going to a high school that has ...
|
| video... | 8/26/2006 |
Q: Williams: How are you? Sorry to bother you again... I have been tumbling for about 6 months now ...
A: Yan- You are pretty tight in your back flexibility. You could do more bridge up stretching to help ...
|
| planche | 8/25/2006 |
Q: I went to the gym last night and tried what you advised me to do on the circles. I twisted my hips ...
A: Ray- I don't have a personal website but I do have some videos that are for sale on the ...
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| planche | 8/24/2006 |
Q: Hhhmm....so I'd have to extend my hips and legs higher at the front part of the flare in order to ...
A: Ray- The Russian is more of a planche swinging technique. As for weight, these can suppliment the ...
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| planche | 8/24/2006 |
Q: Hey Mark....wow...I didn't think about moving my hips in a counter-clockwise fashion to that extent. ...
A: Ray- On the front side of the flare, you want to extend a little further out. The reaction to ...
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| planche | 8/23/2006 |
Q: Hey Mark, Thanks alot for the fast response. http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/229/ is an ...
A: Ray- For a clockwise circle, that is a weak spot for most people. Your left hand is getting onto ...
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| planche | 8/23/2006 |
Q: Hey Mark, I saw a young gymnast do planche push ups and it just impressed the hell out of me. I ...
A: Ray- The laws of physics are against you. Because you are taller and heavier than most gymnasts, it ...
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| Exercises | 8/21/2006 |
Q: I am 20 years old and want to develop a gymnasts incredible strength, balance, flexiblity, etc. I ...
A: Ben- This is a very broad question to answer in this type of forum. To do gymnastic specific ...
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| flare | 8/20/2006 |
Q: Williams: How are you doing? I asked a question about how to do flares before and you gave me some ...
A: Heng Yan- I think you can learn this skill. It will take some time and hard work but it is ...
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| backflip | 8/19/2006 |
Q: i can not do a backflip with no hands in the spot and every time i try i aways land on my knees
A: Patrick- You need to do more work on getting up off the ground. Your take off or set isn't getting ...
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| Weigh-In | 8/15/2006 |
Q: What are the most important and effective things to do the day of weigh-in to stay where you need to ...
A: Amanda- This is really outside of my area of experience. Having a weigh in for gymnastics is ...
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| backflip | 8/12/2006 |
Q: i can do a round off backflip with no hands but i only land it fully one time when i try it agin i ...
A: Patrick- You are probably whipping the back flip over too much and not setting upward enough. You ...
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| round off.... | 8/10/2006 |
Q: Williams: How are you? This is Yan from China. I have been bothering you quite much these days. ...
A: Yan- There is a difference for setting up the roundoff back handspring or doing a back tuck. The ...
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| backflip | 8/7/2006 |
Q: i can do a front handspring walk over and a back handspring and when i do my handspring my wrist ...
A: Patrick- That is pretty normal for your wrists to hurt while starting out. Overtime, you should get ...
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| How to qualify for the olympics?? | 8/2/2006 |
Q: I was wondering if you could tell me how to go about qualifying for the Olympics? The only event ...
A: Chuckie- It is possible to compete in the Olympic on just one event. However, it would be hard to ...
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| flare | 7/30/2006 |
Q: Williams: My name is yan, 22 year old. I have been taking tumbling class for about half a year now. ...
A: Heng Yan- Doing the Thomas flare is basically a pommel horse skill transfered to the floor. The ...
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| I need you | 7/28/2006 |
Q: I wanna bring a personal ACROBATICS instructor, let say from China, how much you think his salary ...
A: Mohd- In the US, you could get an instructor to coach for $1500-2000 a month. This would be a ...
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| I need your answer | 7/28/2006 |
Q: I wanna start training gymnastics ((Acrobatic)) but i'm 18 years old :S is it ok to start training ...
A: Mohd- It is never too late to work on flexibility. You will be able to improve quite a bit if you ...
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| Men's Gym. | 6/2/2006 |
Q: I would first like to say, that if you are the Mark Williams who has a 3 volume set called ...
A: Nick- Thanks for getting the videos. I really would have liked to do more detail on them but time ...
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| Strength training for teen gymnasts | 5/10/2006 |
Q: ------------------------- Follow up question.... Thanks for your reply...thought low weight, high ...
A: Lori- Sun is a great coach. He'll do a wonderful job with your son. The two athletes you refer to ...
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| Strength training for teen gymnasts | 5/6/2006 |
Q: Mark, My son is 14 yrs. old and is a level 9 soon to be level 10 gymnast. My question is what is ...
A: Lori- Sorry I've been away at the JO Nationals and I'm just getting back to the office. Oklahoma ...
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| Gymnastics | 4/12/2006 |
Q: i was wondering if i could have your msn address so maybe you could help me with my gymnastics you ...
A: Lucy- It is difficult to coach gymnastics without a coach being present for instructions. I already ...
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| Gymnastics | 4/12/2006 |
Q: how can i widen my straddle? please write bak! thank you
A: Lucy- To get a wider straddle takes a lot of stretching. You will need to stretch out more ...
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| roll piked backwards to handstand | 3/16/2006 |
Q: what pre requisite and physical preperation can you do to make sure the technique is effective. ...
A: Mick- I'm not trained in the biomechanics or physics of the gymnastics stills I coach. I know the ...
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| how to treat blisters | 3/7/2006 |
Q: My son is a Level 4 gymnist who has developed blisters recently. His state meet is in 4 days. Is ...
A: Nora- First, shave off the extra skin around the blister so that all edges are smooth. Then make ...
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| space regulations for gyms | 3/1/2006 |
Q: I need to know how many feet are needed from floor to celling in the bars area ( this is for a ...
A: Beth- USA Gymnastics has a safety certification manual that had the exact specs for this. I am away ...
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| roll piked backwards to handstand | 2/24/2006 |
Q: i need to know firstly what this entails, How to do it? i would like as much information on it as ...
A: Mike- The backward roll to handstand requires strength in the arms, shoulders, back and stomach. ...
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| work out schedules or nutrition | 1/26/2006 |
Q: I am doing a paper for school and needed info on mens gymnastics. I was a level 10 (girls) gymnast ...
A: Brandy- The men have several competition seasons throughout the year. The NCAA program goes from ...
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| 10 yr old son in gymnastics | 1/8/2006 |
Q: Our middle son, Dimitri is 10 and shows ability with gymnastics and is currently competing at level ...
A: Jane- This is a great question and a difficult choice to make. Though the gym your son trains at ...
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| Training Seasons | 11/22/2005 |
Q: My question is: how does training for gymnastics differ in periodization as compared to a more ...
A: Ababelle- We do have periods of training but they may be different from other sports. Male gymnasts ...
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| mens level 4 | 11/20/2005 |
Q: Hey mark. I'm 13, and i want to join the level four mens team. i dont know if its too old to, but i ...
A: Cody- I think if you enjoy gymnastics, you should go for it. Find a club and a coach who is ...
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| Son's Gymnastic's | 11/6/2005 |
Q: My son is in Gymnastics, his coach says he is very gifted, and he is very good. However, he just ...
A: Cyndi- As a parent, you need to support and love him for his efforts no matter the results. Leave ...
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| gymnastics and growth | 10/27/2005 |
Q: Does gymnastics stunt your growth? I know it delays maturation and puberty, but is there any ...
A: Theresa- Good questions. I'm not really a qualified person to give you a scientific answer. I can ...
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| Adult male gymnastics | 10/22/2005 |
Q: Followup To Question - Hi Mark, I wonder if you an help. I am having some problems with a ...
A: Chris- To work the back, you can do bent over lifts with straight legs. Pike down and pick up the ...
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| Adult male gymnastics | 10/21/2005 |
Q: I wonder if you an help. I am having some problems with a couple of techniques that are causing me ...
A: Chris- Those would be worth a try. You need to be doing something consistantly for that area to ...
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| Straddle press to handstand | 10/3/2005 |
Q: I need some advice on straddle press to handstand. My son is 9 and has been doing gymnastics for 18 ...
A: Nykie- Keep working his flexibility. Pike stretch, straddle pancake position and even his ...
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| about flares (or flaire) move | 10/3/2005 |
Q: want to know what does the flares (or flaire) move need from me to perform ? what is the best ...
A: Yousef- To perform a flairing circle, you should learn to do circles first. The circle can be done ...
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| Flexibility training | 9/13/2005 |
Q: Mark, I was wandering if you could please help me out... Can you recommend any specific exercises ...
A: Kathryn- There isn't really a magic formula for making this happen. My best advice is to set up a ...
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| height and development | 9/2/2005 |
Q: I have a 7 y/o boy. He is short (he has the height of a 5y/o kid). We (parents)are short. We ...
A: Mayra- To be honest, I was always short too and found gymnastics as the one area that I could excel ...
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| Muscular development on male and female gymnasts | 8/24/2005 |
Q: I watch both male and female gymnasts on TV whenever it's on, Olympics etc, and I marvel and greatly ...
A: Keith- Male and female gymnasts do very little weight training. Most of what you see is from the ...
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| Nutrition | 7/27/2005 |
Q: I dont know how to become a fit gymnast. I have been doing gymnastics intrapersonally and plan to be ...
A: Aerial- You want to have a balanced diet. No big suprise. Stay away from eating a lot of desserts ...
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| strength | 6/6/2005 |
Q: i am a 25 yr old male i plan to take up gymnastics for recreation and strenght-building but i am ...
A: Debanjan- A general strength build up would help with doing gymnastics. You could start with a ...
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| strength | 6/6/2005 |
Q: i am a 25 yr old male i plan to take up gymnastics for recreation and strenght-building but i am ...
A: Debanjan- Sorry it has taken so long for my response. I have been having some trouble with my ...
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| strength training | 5/31/2005 |
Q: some people say that strength training for young kids is a bad thing, what would you say about that? ...
A: Zoe- There is too much evidence that strength training at an early age is necessary for gymnasts to ...
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| Men's Gymnastics | 5/22/2005 |
Q: My name is Jenny, and my question is...that i will be teaching gymnastics at a summer camp this ...
A: Jenny- That is a pretty big order to cover all those levels in such a short period of time. My ...
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| training | 5/5/2005 |
Q: How do gymnasts get such huge arms? Do they have a weight lifting routine or is for another reason?
A: Matt- Gymnasts do a tremendous amount of work with their arms and upper body while training and in ...
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| Swinging on Gymnastic rings | 4/19/2005 |
Q: What is the basic technique for swinging on the rings? Do you know the biomechanical principles ...
A: Emily- The technique of swinging on the rings involves a forward and backward tap swing and ...
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| Routines | 4/15/2005 |
Q: Where can I get the information regarding the requirements for the routines for level 5 and level 6 ...
A: Ennis- The JO national program is run from USA Gymnastics. The routines are part of a package that ...
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| a planche | 3/14/2005 |
Q: I am actually a female gymnast (if it makes a difference). I am interested in learning a planche ...
A: Hannah- You can develop the correct strength by lowering from a handstand. You can also do the ...
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| inverts/eagles | 3/8/2005 |
Q: i was wondering if you had any good i deas for working inverts and eagle giants. primarily on ...
A: Athony- To do invert giants there is no pulling down on the bar. I have found that using a PVC pipe ...
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| Olympics | 3/2/2005 |
Q: To Mark Williams, My name is Roberto and I am a sixth grade student in Academia Cotopaxi ...
A: Roberto- Training for the Olympic Games is often an all consuming activity. Every waking hour an ...
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| Olympic coaching | 3/1/2005 |
Q: Mr. Williams. My name is Chris and I am a student at Academia Cotopaxi in Quito, Ecuador. We had ...
A: Chris- It was a very exciting moment when my athlete was announced to have made the Olympic team. I ...
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| MENS'S GYMNASTICS | 2/20/2005 |
Q: MY 10 YEAR OLD SON IS DOING A REPORT ON MEN'S GYMNASTICS. HE CURRENTLY HAS A LOVE FOR THE SPORT, HE ...
A: Aurora- That's a good question. The sport has changes so much in a short period of time that most ...
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| scoring boys gymnastics | 2/16/2005 |
Q: Where can I find how scoring/deductions is done for level 4 boys gymnasics? and is there a place ...
A: Barbara- I'm not sure that you can get a free guide but USA Gymnastics has a handbood and video for ...
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| usag rule? | 2/2/2005 |
Q: this was a question about mens gymnastics-sorry i was not clear.i heard that an athlete had to ...
A: Well, I would have to know where you are for programs in the area. For more advise, you can email me ...
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| usag rule? | 2/1/2005 |
Q: what is or is there any requirements when an athlete is skipping a level from one season to the ...
A: I am not all that familiar with the USAG levels, especially for girls. Usually skipping levels is ...
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| aerial cartwheels | 1/12/2005 |
Q: I've been trying to get aerial cartwheels for over a year now but whenever I try them I land facing ...
A: James- Even without a gymnasium, you can work on some things that might help. You will need to get ...
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| Aaron-level 5-7yrsold | 1/6/2005 |
Q: I'm a girls team coach with a son being the only boy in an all girls program, Aaron. I would love ...
A: Jennifer- Pommel horse is one of the most difficult events to master, especially while just ...
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| fig code of points | 12/29/2004 |
Q: do you think that the men's fig code of points will be ready before the competitive season?
A: Mike- The latest FIG communication has the start value for men changed to a 8.4 for 2005. There ...
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| Still Rings Move | 12/10/2004 |
Q: Mark, When I did my gymnastics, back in the 1950s, I had a very solid front lever on the rings. At ...
A: John- Yes and no. The Pineda is doing a front lever and snapping to a cross position from there. ...
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| Flexibility | 10/28/2004 |
Q: first of all thank u for ur time. I'm 26, i've been doing martial arts for 7 years now. I'm 200 ...
A: Albert- There is no really easy way to get more flexible, especially when you get older. Before ...
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| mens skill values at college level | 9/28/2004 |
Q: I was wondering if you could could tell me or send me a link of where I can get a chart of all the ...
A: DJ- There isn't a site that I know of that has all the college skills listed. The FIG Code of ...
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| pelvic joint flexibility | 9/9/2004 |
Q: pls i want u to help me on the best exercises i can begin henceforth to undertake to give me ...
A: Iffanyhie- There are a few basic stetches in gymnatics. Sitting on the floor in a pike position and ...
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| Mens Gynmastics | 8/29/2004 |
Q: Ive been watching the 2004 olympics and have seen the amazing strength the men have who perform on ...
A: Sam- Most of these athletes have been doing gymnastics for more than 10 years. During that time, ...
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| Gymnastics | 8/25/2004 |
Q: What training goes into being able to do the floor excercises? I dont know much of the names of the ...
A: Jasiel-You probably saw an athlete do flairs on the floor mat which is usually done on the pommel ...
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| Men's Gymnastics and Bench Press | 8/17/2004 |
Q: Two questions Mr. Williams: What is the average height and weight of a world class mens gymnast? ...
A: Corey- The average size of a world class gymnast is about 5'6" and 140. I was a gymnast in the 70's ...
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| Aerials.........again | 8/16/2004 |
Q: IT'S NOT WORKING!!! This is fustrating! I thought the aerial was meant to be easy! The speed of my ...
A: You should keep doing the drills to develop the strength necessary for this skill. You might want to ...
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| The Body of Gymnasts | 8/16/2004 |
Q: Hey, How's it going? I've been watching the Olympic gymnastics competition (mostly the women's, as ...
A: Victor- Women's gymnastics is better suited for the small body type. There isn't anything unsual ...
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| Aerials | 8/14/2004 |
Q: I can do perfect cartwheels and one-handed cartwheels. When I do the aerial, my hands automatically ...
A: Michelle- You need to develop more momentum or speed in the cartwheel and more height off the ...
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| boys gymnastics | 7/23/2004 |
Q: Again I thank you for your time. It is hard anymore to find people willing to help. I have an email ...
A: Tamera- I know of Roumen through the years of working with gymnasts in Texas. He and his program ...
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| boys gymnastics again. | 7/22/2004 |
Q: You are wonderful. I appreciate you taking the time to help us from our small town of Conroe. I had ...
A: Tamera- I'm not sure that I know of the gym, but I may know the coach. You would be well served to ...
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| training | 7/21/2004 |
Q: First I want to thank you for your quick response. My problem now is that th gym we attend is only ...
A: Tamera- If you have a choise beween two gyms, look for the program that has produced gymnasts that ...
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| Class 6 boys | 7/20/2004 |
Q: I have a 9 year old son who will be learning class 6 next year. How many hours should he train? He ...
A: Tamera- Most clubs have their boys teams coming in between 6 and 12 hours a week at the class 7 ...
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| Starting Men's Gymnastics | 7/18/2004 |
Q: my name's Joshua Olson. I used to do Gymnastics when I was little and really loved it, but I ended ...
A: Joshua- Sorry you had to wait so long for an answer. I'm just getting back from the Olympic ...
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| The Level I'm on | 7/13/2004 |
Q: I do not know what the levels are in gymnastics. I hope you can answer my question. The hardest ...
A: Matthew- USA gymnastics is currently working to expand the levels of Junior gymnastics to 10 ...
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| Training | 7/6/2004 |
Q: I started to practice gymnastics some months ago, but I noticed that I had to be very careful about ...
A: Rodrigo- I specialize in coaching gymnastics. I'm not sure what your injury is but gymnastics ...
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| Rings Technique and Strength Development | 6/15/2004 |
Q: I had several questions regarding strength techniques on the still rings. 1. What is the proper ...
A: Jim- 1. You want your shoulders rolled forward on a cross. It is a deduction to use a false grip on ...
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| looking for coach | 5/25/2004 |
Q: We are looking for a boys team coach in beautiful Lake Tahoe California. Are you interested? Know ...
A: Judi- Probably the best way to advertise an opening in coaching is to contact the gymnastics ...
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| Twisting forwards | 4/17/2004 |
Q: I was wondering if you could help me learn how to twist while doing a front layout. I can twist ...
A: Jon- I don't know what you have available to do your training but having a tumble track into a pit ...
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| Twisting forwards | 4/17/2004 |
Q: I was wondering if you could help me learn how to twist while doing a front layout. I can twist ...
A: Jon- If you have a pit off the trampoline, this would be useful for learning front twisting. It ...
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| Still Rings elements | 3/21/2004 |
Q: Who was the first gymnast that did a maltese and when? Who was the first gymnast that pulled from a ...
A: Manuel- The Maltese was named after the gymnast who first performed it, Maltese. My guess is that ...
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| Kovac | 2/25/2004 |
Q: I keep missing the catch for my kocav and i was wondering if i should try to ton-fey tap into it. ...
A: Kovac- I would not recommend that. The Kovac tap should kick a little early from a regular giant, ...
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| College | 2/20/2004 |
Q: Im a junior in high school nad ive been doing gymnastics for...well awhile and i love doing ...
A: James- In order to get offered a scholarship in men's gymnastics, you will need to be competing at ...
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| Class 5 routines | 8/7/2002 |
Q: My son has just moved up to class 5. Do you know where we can buy a video of the class 5 routines ...
A: Jeff- Sorry I could not respond right away. I was at the USA Championships in Cleveland all week. ...
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