-Coach Emmanuel (Gymnastics Coach)
Tips: Practice and patience are the most important if you want to achieve your goals.
1. Practice with a Coach!
Gymnastics can’t be self learned because you need lots of support and spotting by a coach. If you practice on your own you have a big chance to lose your confidence or get hurt.
2. Patience
Listen to your coach and do not push the limits if the coach says you’re not ready yet for certain tricks.
3. Start with basics
It is the hardest part to understand because it feels boring sometimes. The “simple” exercises should be done properly with straight lines and perfect coordination of the body. Without this part you will never be able to make the skills to “look easy”. The risk of injury increases a lot if you skip the basics part!
4. Improve your abilities step by step
There is a lot of time that should be spent on conditioning to build the body and make it ready for further exercises that requires more strength and flexibility. If you skip this part you will face many issues trying to achieve tricks and may hurt yourself.
5. Don’t overthink while practicing
Do not put the fear on the first place in your head before even trying the tricks once with the coach help.
6. Consistency is very important
7. Record yourself
( to see your mistakes and correct them )
8. Don’t overexercise
Do not practice one trick (flips) for 50 times in a row without rest. It will increase the risk of injury.
9. Rest well
10. Put passion on your trainings and focus
11. Establish your goal and don’t give up!
What to eat before training:
I personally recommend to have a normal healthy lifestyle. It’s very important not to eat right before training. Foods to avoid (before training and in general as gymnast) : fast food, sweets, chips, fried food. Healthy food: vegetables, oven made food (potatoes, salmon, vegetables, chicken) Drinks to avoid before training: soda, fizzy drinks, juice.
Beginner mistakes of a gymnast:
- Laziness
- No patience at all to learn basics first
- Not paying attention to details and the coach
- Give up too soon
- Skip conditioning and strength training
- Never accept criticism
- Comparing gymnastics tehnique to other sports
