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LukeHarris MalcolmCampbell English1103Honors October3,2013

StretchingtheLimits

Writtenrecordsandevensomeartifactsthathavebeenfoundrevealthatvariouspeoplehave participatedinsometypeofgymnasticsforatleastfourthousandyears.Themeaningoftheword gymnasticshasactuallychangedinrecenttimes.Forcenturiesthetermgymnasticshadamuchbroader meaningthaninrecentyearswhereitisusedtomeanstuntsandseriesofstuntsperformedon gymnasticsequipmentorapparatussuchastumblingmats,horizontalbars,parallelbars,and trampolines.Theintentofsuchperformanceandpracticeistoprepareforcompetitioningymnastics eventsorcontests(AGuideto,12).ParagraphBreak LookingbackattheGreeksweunderstandthattheyoriginatedthetermgymnastics.The meaningofittranslatestonakedart,fromtheGreekwordgymnoswhichmeansnude.Alongthose linesthewordgymnasiumreferstothestructureorbuildingwherethenudeartwasbeingperformed. BecauseofthelovetheGreekshadforbeingphysicallyfit,theycreatedtheancientOlympicGamesin whichtheycompetedingymnasticsaswellasrunningandothertrackandfieldeventssuchasdiscus throwing,wrestling,boxing,andhorseandchariotracing.Gymnasticsasweknowittodaystarted formingattheendoftheeighteenthcentury.Themoderndaygymnasticsincludeapparatus,tumbling, andbalancingactivities(AGuideto,15).

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Thoughgymnasticsisasportforbothgenderstherearestilleventsthatareonlyforoneorthe other.Thisisprobablyduetothedifferencesoftheuseofstrengthandflexibilityforeachevent. Lookingattheeventssomearethesameforbothmenandwomenappropriatelytheothereventsfor womenrequiremoreflexibilityandbalance,wheretheeventsformendealmorewithstrength.There areonlyfoureventsthatwomenparticipatein:theunevenbars,balancebeam,afloorexerciseandthe vault.Therearesixeventsthatmenparticipatein:afloorexercise,thepommelhorse,thestillrings,the parallelbars,thehorizontalbarandthevault. Whiledoingtheunevenbarsthegymnastneedstohaveexcellentupperbodystrength,split secondtimingandanaggressiveapproach.Theroutinesheneedstodohastoflow,thereshouldbeno pauses,extraswingsoradditionalsupports.Thehardestpartsofthiseventarehighflyingreleasemoves anddismounts.Thenextisthebalancebeam,beingonlyfourincheswidethegymnastneedstogivethe impressionthattheyareperformingonthefloor.Someofthebestalmostattackthebeamandare veryconfidentwhiledemonstratingexcellentheight,flexibilityandpower.Althoughbothmenand womendofloorexercisestheyaredifferentfromeachother.Thewomensexercisegivesthegymnasts achancetoexpresstheirpersonalitiesthroughtheirmusicchoiceandchoreography.Theexercisemust blendtogetherdanceelementsandtumblingwhileusingmostofthefloorspace,changingbothdirection andlevelofmovement(WomensandMens,web). Themensexercisemustusetheentirefloorperformingacrobaticelementsforward,backward, sidewardorbackwardtakeoffwithaonehalfturn.Theyalsomustincludeanonacrobaticelement suchasbalancingthatmustbeheldfortwoseconds.Oneofthemostdifficultmenseventsisthe pommelhorsethatrequiresenormousamountsofpracticetomastereventhemostbasicskills.To performtheevent,itisacontinuouscircularmovementinterruptedonlybyrequiredscissorelements,

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swingingthroughtoahandstandpositionwhereturnsareacceptedbutnotrequired.Performingonthe pommelhorsehandsaretheonlypartofthebodythatareallowedtotouchtheapparatus.Thenext eventisthestillringswhereitrequiresstillnessandproperbodypositionwhileperformingstrength elements.Thebestgymnastswhodothisareabletoarriveatholdswithabsoluteprecision.Thenext twoeventsaretheparallelbarsandthehorizontalbar,bothofwhichconsistofswings,releasemoves, andflightelements.Oneachofthesethegymnastshouldnotstoporholdamovemorethanthreetimes duringtheroutine.Thelasteventforgymnaststoperformisthevault.Thisistheonlyeventthatisthe sameforbothmenandwomen.Vaultscanbeperformedindifferentbodypositionstucked,piked,or stretched.Forthisyoumustbeexplosiveoffthespringboardandwhenpushingoffthetable.Judges lookforproperbodyalignment,form,quickrepulsion,heightanddistancetraveledandthenumberof saltosandtwists.Whenlandingtheyshouldbeabletostickitbytakingnoextrasteps(Womensand Mens,web). Notonlydogymnastsdedicatethemselvesbypracticingthroughoutthewholeweek,theyalso mustfueltheirbodieswiththerightfoods,whichrequirethemtobeongreatdiets.Adailydietof approximately2,400caloriesisrecommendedfortheaverageAmericanadultmale.Menwhoare moderatelyactiveneedapproximately3,000calories,andaheavyphysicalworkerneeds4,500 calories.Soyoucanimaginewhatkindofcalorieintakeanathletemusthave.Theyneedasmanyas 6,000caloriesdailybecausetheyuseupsomuchenergywhiletrainingforandplayingtheirsport.After lookingatthat,novicegymnastswhoarestillgrowingshouldconsume3,500to4,500caloriesdaily. Mostgymnastssetthegoalofabodybuildingdietwheretheytakeinlargeamountsofcaloriesfrom easilydigestiblefoods,suchasmilk,eggs,anddates.Foodsrichinstarchshouldbeconsumedinlarge quantities,aswellasfruitsandsugars,aslongastheyavoideatingconcentratedformsofsugaronan

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emptystomach.Duringtraining,particularmealsprecedingthepracticeorcompetitionshouldbe avoided.Thesefoodsincludecabbage,turnipsandfattymeatslikepork,becauseofthepossibilitythat itwillbedifficulttodigest.Thebodyalsohasaconstantneedforwatersoitisimportanttodrink severalglassesdaily.Duetolargeamountsofwaterbeingexpelledeachdaythroughtheskinpores, lungsandkidneysthegymnastmustreplenishthewaterlost(AGuideto,44). Althoughstrengthisimportantforgymnasticmovements,strengthwithoutflexibilitymayhinder theabilityratherthanimprovetheadvancementofgymnasticsskills.Flexibilityisnecessarytoperform therequiredmovementsingymnasticswithoutbreakingform(AGuideto,27).Breakingformwould resultinapenaltyandlossofpoints,soitgoeswithoutsayingthatflexibilityisaprerequisitefor successfulgymnasticperformances. Abeginninggymnastshouldparticipateinflexibilityexercisesofthemajorjointsofthebody. Thisshouldbedonedailyoratleastfivetimesweekly.Stretchingalsoservesasanexcellentwarmup beforedoinganygymnasticsmovements.Whiletakingpartingymnastics,maybethemostimportant twoflexibilityrangesofmotionwouldbetheforwardandbackwardmotionofthespinalcolumnandin theshoulderjoints(AGuideto,27). Strengthandendurancebuildingexercisesmustbeincludedinthegymnasticstrainingprogram, mostyouthareweakestinthemusclesoftheirshoulderarea,arms,andcore.Thestuntsgymnasts performrequireagreatdealofpowerandalargeamountofmuscularforcequicklyandatthecorrect time(AGuideto,30).Itisrecommendedthatwhenstrengthtrainingthegymnastuseweights,becauseit isphysicallyexhaustingtheyshouldbedoneafterthecompletionofthegymnasticspracticesession. Thoughthegymnastmightfeellikeheisdoingbetterbystrengthtrainingallweek,itshouldonlybe performedthreetimesaweeksothatthemusclescanrecuperateandrebuildthemselves.

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Therearetwodifferentmusclegroupsthatgymnastsusewhiledoinggymnastics,the protagonistic(musclesaidinginthemovement)andtheantagonistic(musclesopposingthemovement). Askilledgymnasthaslearnedtoonlyusemusclecontractionsthatareneededtocreateverysmooth movementsandactions.Themoretimesaskillisdoneandconfidencegoesupthemorethe antagonisticmusclegroupsrelax.Anotherthingtoutilizeismentalpractice,itallowsthegymnasttogo overnewskillsandcanbeanefficientmethodoflearningthesenewskillsaswellasimprovingprevious ones.Thisalsohelpstobuildconfidencetotakeonmorechallengingstunts,whichisanaturaloutcome ofprogressionfromsimpletocomplexgymnasticskills(AGuideto,55). AccordingtoRyanJordanthereneedstobeachangeastohowcoachesandparentsinvolve themselveswiththekidsinthesportofgymnastics.Hegoesontosaythat,inordertoachievean atmosphereinwhichgymnastscanexplore,learnandgaingymnasticabilitiesinwhichtheyfeeltheycan handle.(Jordan,Web).whichiswhattheyarentgettingwhencoachesaretoostrictandparentsare toooverconcerned(Jordan,Web).Duringthetimewhenagymnastisjuststartingoutisthetimefor growth,notbeingstressedtohavingtowinallthetimeandlettingakidbeabletoenjoyanewfound skillisimportantforthemtodevelopalikingtothesport.Aswellaswinning,thereisahugeimpacton thechildtoeatanddietrightandinsomecasesthiscanleadtoAnorexia,aneatingdisorderthatmakes peoplelosemoreweightthanisconsideredhealthyfortheirageandheight.Thestressthatgoesalong withgymnaststomaintaintheperfectbodyisputonthegymnastbysomecoachesandeventhe parents. Gymnastshaveachoiceastowhethertheywanttokeeptheircoachesoriftheywantto changecoaches,whichcanbeveryconfusingastowhytheydidordidnotsometimes.Whengymnasts decidetokeepacoachalotofvariablestieintothedecision,asagymnastgrowstolovethesportthey

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maystartwithonecoachandwillgrowtoknowthemandthenpossiblytheybecomeafamilyfriend. Thisisgreatforthegymnastbecausetheyhaveagoodbondwithoneanotherwherethecoachwants whatsbestforthemaswellaswantingtopushthemhardertostriveforbiggerandbetterthings.The samegoesforthegymnastwheretheywanttokeeppushingthemselvesandtheyknowthatcoachis willingtoputinthetimeandeffortneededtoachievewhatevergoalissetinplace. Ontheotherhandwhengymnastsdecidetochangecoachestheymaynotbetreatingthe gymnastswithrespectandencouragement.Whenthishappensitcouldbethechoiceoftheparentsto changeorifthechildisdedicatedtothesporttheycanmakethatdecisionontheirown.Itisimportant forthegymnasttofindtherightcoachthattheyfeelthemostcomfortablewithandatthesametime respectthemenoughtodowhattheyretoldandworkhard. Oneparticulargymnast,JenniferSey,becamethe1986U.S.nationalgymnasticschampion thoughtheyearsoftrainingshehadwerefilledwithextremelytoughsituationsshehadtodealwith whichcontradictcompletelywhygymnastswouldwanttokeeptheircoachesorchangetheircoaches. Alongwiththecoachshehadtoughtimesdealingwiththewayherparentsactedtowardsthesportas well.AccordingtoWesLukowsky,shesays..thatherobsessivelycompetitivepersonalitymayhave simplyfoundavenueinwhichtoflourish.Inotherwordswhenhercoachabusedher,herparents neglectedtheiryoungersonandalmostlosttheirmarriagebecauseofitshewantedtowinsobadthat shedidntthinkofanythingelse(Lukowsky,Web). ThoughIveneverreallyparticipatedinthesport,Ilovegymnasticsandwouldntthinktwice aboutgettingintoit.Icanseehowtheloveforasportcanswaythoughtsandactionspeoplehave towardstheirparentsandcoaches.Sowhetheritbestrengthandflexibility,eatingrightandkeepingthe perfectbodyorevenhavingtherightcoachtopushyouonestepfurtheritallmixestogethertohelpthat

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gymnastgetbetterandgobeyondtheothers.Intheenditalldependsonwhatthatchildiswillingtodo tobeadventurouslearninganewsportandwantingtocontinuewhenthingsgethard.

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WorksCited

Jordan,Ryan.Gymnastics:TheWayItShouldBe.Web.29Oct.2013. Lukowsky,Wes.ChalkedUp:InsideEliteGymnastics'MercilessCoaching,OverzealousParents, EatingDisorders,andElusiveOlympicDreams..Booklist.4/1/2008,Vol.104Issue15, p17. 1p.

Musker,FrankF,DonaldR.Casady,andLW.Irwin.AGuidetoGymnastics.NewYork: Macmillan,1968.Print. WomensandMensGymnasticsEvents.NotreDameSt.MarysGymnasticsClub.Web.2Oct. 2013.