Too Old to Learn Gymnastics?

This is a common question that we see often from gymnasts most often ranging in age from 12 and up.  Can I still get good at such and such an age?  We would never be the ones to ever say no to that question.  We are firm believers in the ability of humans to do whatever they set their mind to.  So yes, you can still get good at floor exercise, at the other gymnastics events and increase your flexibility at age 20.  There are female gymnasts your age and older who have or are competing at the international level.  There are collegiate gymnasts your age who are making some of the best gymnastics progress of their lives at your age.

This is not to say that it will not be difficult and more difficult than if you had started at a much younger age.  There is scientific evidence that very difficult gymnastics skills are more easily learned and much better learned at a younger age, say 8 – 11 years of age.  Younger gymnasts also do not usually have any fear of doing gymnastics skills and they adapt to hard training regimens more easily.  This does not mean that you cannot learn gymnastics skills at your age.

To improve your back (and also your shoulder) flexibility, see our article about back walkovers and the use of partner stretching.  You will most likely improve your flexibility quickest by getting a partner to help you.  Shoulder flexibility is as important as (and maybe more important than) back flexibility.  You don’t want your back to do all of the work.

Many older people who have not done gymnastics at a young age do not understand the amount of work and effort and the large amount of time that it takes to get good at gymnastics.  Even a highly talented young athlete is going to take 3 – 5 years to get really great. 

One of the biggest problems dancers have with switching over to gymnastics is that they lack the upper body strength to tumble, vault and do bars.  A dancer’s leg strength may be sufficient, but they have not done the amount of upper body that is required to be a successful gymnast.  At any age, strength and flexibility are the two most important prerequisites for gymnastics success.

Older gymnasts can take advantage and gain more benefit from weight training than younger gymnasts can.  Weight training is a good all-around progressive method of increasing strength.  Train all strength building activities to the point of momentary muscular failure to gain maximum strength most efficiently.

Gymnastics is not a sport that can really be learned without a coach.  You can perhaps do some of the preliminary strength and flexibility training on your own, but when it comes to really learning gymnastics skills, you will (as all gymnasts do) require quality coaching.

The primary impediments to someone your age training successfully for gymnastics are likely to be time, money and commitment.  To become really good in gymnastics, you need to train every day.  When you are playing catch-up like you will be, this is even more true.  Daily strength and flexibility training can take an hour or more.  Daily gymnastic skills training will take from 45 minutes to 1&½ hours per day per event.

Gymnastics coaching is not inexpensive.  Your initial training will likely be in an adult or teen plus gymnastics class and they do not usually meet daily.  Team level training often costs hundreds of dollars per month.

If you are working, going to school or socializing a lot, you may find it difficult to find the time and energy to train.

None of what we are saying in any way means that we don’t think a 20-year-old could not get really good in gymnastics.  We believe that they could.  We do believe that, like a gymnast of any age, they will have to be willing to pay the price, physically, mentally and financially.  That price, especially physically and mentally, goes up as you get older.

We really love this sport, and if you do also, then we believe that you could reach your gymnastics goals through hard work, regular practice and with good coaching.  We wish you luck and if there is anything else we can do for you, please let us know.
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Ask The Coach
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