Training and diet are very important for male and female gymnasts, especially for Olympic gymnasts. Dedication, time, and hard work all go into their training hours to make sure athletes stay in shape and healthy to compete. Gymnastics is a full-time job that the athletes cannot slack on if they want to eventually make it to the Olympics.
This wordle describes gymnastics and what it takes to be a gymnasts in multiple words.
Overview of Training
Gymnastics requires great flexibility, strength and agility. Years of practice and training are put into the gym to master skills and the athletes have to train year-round. Gymnasts must learn and try to correctly master the skill they are learning the very first time so they can mentally master the skill; “re-learning a skill can be time consuming, frustrating and inefficient” (The training that it takes to be a gymnast,2011). Gymnasts have incredible physique, but they don’t spend hours in the weight room lifting weights like bodybuilders who train muscle groups. Instead gymnasts train movements (The training that it takes to be a gymnast,2011). Gymnasts learn the skill by practicing over and over trying to get it perfect, which then allows the brain and muscle groups that are helping perform the skill to remember how to do it the next time the gymnast performs the trick. Gymnasts are armed with poise and a high amount of muscle mass; gymnasts are well-rounded athletes and are physically able to use the strength they possess to do a wide variety of movements (How do gymnast train for success?,2008).
Training
Male and female gymnasts have great bodies and strong muscles because they train about 30+ hours a week in the gym (How do gymnast train for success?,2008). Usually a gymnast will have one day off a week and, otherwise, will be in the gym twice a day, six times a week. While the athletes are in the gym training, they focus more on maximizing sport-specific strength because unnecessary muscle bulk will weigh an athlete down (How do gymnast train for success?,2008). As well as trying to gain strength for the skills they have to perform, gymnasts also need to have great flexibility to allow them to perform the movement of the skills on each apparatus, and “flexibility training is perhaps the most undervalued component of conditioning (Flexibility training,n.d.). When increasing flexibility and the range of motion, the risk of injury is reduced and the performance may be enhanced (Flexibility training,n.d.). Gymnasts stretch before and after works outs to allow the body and muscles to relax and cool down completely.
Elite Gymnastics Training
This video on Elite Gymnastics Training shows gymnasts during their conditoning, training, practicing, aand stretching (flexibiltiy). It helps to give a quick insight on what goes on in the gym during practice.
Gymnastics Diets
Professional gymnasts have diets that they follow to help their body and muscles. Gymnasts train for hours every day, but their events only last for a minute or two, “with the floor exercise being one of the longest at about 90 seconds” (Olympic gymnast diet,2011). Carly Schuna points out that “the Hughston Clinic suggests that an optimal diet for a gymnast is about 60 percent carbohydrates, 15 percent protein and 25 percent fat. Calorie needs differ depending on gymnasts' body types and activity levels and may range from about 1,500 to more than 2,500 daily” (Olympic gymnast diet,2011). Protein is the most important food for a professional gymnasts because low-fat and lean proteins encourage muscle development but are still low in calories to avoid weight gain (Olympic gymnast diet,2011). In the article What do Olympic gymnast eat? States, “they eat several times a day, all in small quantities: egg whites for breakfast, a small piece of chicken for lunch, small snacks of cheese and vegetables in between meals and maybe some fish and fruit for dinner”. Great gymnasts have to be dedicated, willing to work hard, and love the sport!Refrences
Clark, S. (2008, August 25). How do gymnasts train for success? Retrieved from http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/how_gymnasts_train.htmHow do gymnast train for success?
Schuna, C. (2011, May 26). Olympic gymnast diet. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/349512-olympic-gymnast-diet/
Sports fitness advisor. (n.d.). Flexibility training section. Retrieved from http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/flexibilitytraining.html
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