Practical Application​

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     When working with young athletes, coaches must balance the quality (learning and enjoyment) of a training session with the “quantity” (intensity and volume of training) [2]. Programs for youth and adolescent athletes must be individualized to ensure appropriate exercise prescription is achieved [2]. Coaches should avoid using blanket plans or relying solely on group workouts in which all athletes are expected to complete precisely the same workout at the same time. After athletes develop a competency for basic movement patterns and strength exercises like bodyweight squats, lunges, and push-ups, more advanced exercises can be included [2].  Once the basics are mastered, more advanced multi-joint exercises such as weightlifting derivatives and plyometrics can be included in the program. Athletes should learn and practice these movements with no or minimal load until technical competency is demonstrated [2]. Coaches should place these advanced exercises and other more (relatively) challenging movements early on in the training session when the neuromuscular system is less fatigued [2]. 

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     Gymnasts are strength and power athletes who will need medium training volume, but begin with a low volume of strength training and increase slowly over time when necessary to keep seeing improvements. Avoid sudden spikes in training volume or load. Once form and technique have been developed, volume and intensity will need to increase progressively to optimize adaptations [2]. According to the current research body on dose-response relationships in this population, technically competent young athletes should perform fewer repetitions (6-8) at higher intensities for multiple sets to improve physical performance [2]. As training experience and skill competency improve further, coaches may introduce athletes to periodic phases in which lower rep ranges (less than 6) and higher external loads are employed, assuming technical integrity is maintained [2]. These phases should be kept short and supervised by a qualified and experienced professional, as prolonged exposure to high volume and training intensities can lead to overtraining and overuse injuries [2]. 

Novice trainees will need to learn exercises with moderate velocity to ensure control and technique mastery. As trainees improve and advance in competency, speeds may be varied to better match training goals. While moving quickly is the desired velocity, all movements should be performed with control [2]. It is important to remember that children (before puberty) recover more quickly than adolescents (after puberty) [2]. Gymnastics competitive levels tend to combine both children and adolescents; another reason that training must be individualized to meet individual athletes’ needs.  Specifically, rest intervals of 1-2 minutes may be appropriate for children, while adolescents may need rest intervals of 2 minutes or more during moderate-intensity exercise (with rest intervals increasing as intensity increases) [2]. Insufficient rest intervals can lead to technical breakdown and excessive fatigue, hindering performance, and leading to possible injury [2]. Resistance training frequency should be approximately 2-3 sessions per week on non-consecutive days to allow appropriate recovery between sessions [2]. When resistance training is performed on consecutive days, alternate body parts allow for recovery time.  More program design and periodization information are available on the Program Design page.

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        Power exercises in which gymnasts can only use specific body segments (arms only, for example) can ensure that athletes train the intended body parts effectively. An example of this is having the athletes perform med ball throws in a seated position first so that the legs cannot contribute to the movement. Eventually, exercises progress to involve the whole body or be more dynamic. The goal of this method is to activate the local motor units within a muscle group to enhance their rate coding (firing rate) and encourage disinhibition (allowing more force production) [4]. Optimizing each piece can contribute to whole-body progressions that result in improved energy storage and transfer throughout the body [4]. 

A strong core allows force transfer from the lower to the upper body with minimal energy leaks occurring in the torso [3]. When power is created, but not transferred, performance suffers and injuries are more likely to occur [3]. Athletic performance places demands on the body that cannot be created or dissipated locally, but rather it takes the body reacting against a surface (in this case the floor, vault table, uneven bars, or balance beam) to create the power, displacement, and velocity for performance [3]. The core muscles provide a stable base for the extremities to function and transfer force throughout the body [3]. It is common for coaches to neglect to train the lateral aspects of the core, although research suggests that the rectus abdominis (6 pack muscle) has relatively little to do with athletic performance [3].  The following table of lower body power progressions is adapted from Tilley's Changing Gymnastics Culture [4] to include suggestions from the author of this site. ​

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More information on power development can be found on the plyometrics page.