Flexibility
for Gymnasts
The
Importance of Flexibility
You have to be
flexible to be successful in gymnastics for three big reasons. There
are some skills that you just won’t be able to do if you are not flexible
enough. There are some ways to learn skills that can only be done
if you are flexible. And, there are many skills that look good only
if you are flexible.
Almost all
of our Gymnastics CD e-Books have sections
on the importance of flexibility for that particualr level or event, how
to test and how to improve your flexibility.
Flexibility Can Be Improved
Flexibility
is fortunately one of those physical attributes that can be improved simply
by spending time working on it.
Flexibility Speeds Learning
Most top level
training programs require that you meet minimum gymnastics flexibility
(and strength) requirements because it speeds the learning process when
you are flexible enough to learn any skill and keeps gymnasts from developing
bad habits from working skills incorrectly.
If Not Enough Flexibility, Spotting Won't Help
There is no
point in attempting or being spotted on any skills requiring flexibility,
like front and back walkovers until you have acquired the required amount
of flexibility.
Train Both Statically and Dynamically
There are
two types of flexibility – static and dynamic - and those are also two
of
the ways you can work on your flexibility. An example of static flexibility
is sitting in splits. Split leaps are an example of dynamic or active flexibility.
Other examples of static and active flexibility are kicks (active) and
scales (static).
Body Weight Stretching
In splits,
not only are you static, but the weight of your body can also help push
down your splits. A backbend is also a static flex position but your
body weight doesn’t help the stretching effort.
Continued Next Page 
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