May 7, 2015
Outside of what I do with American Gymnast, I work in one of the most challenging industries when it comes to trying to stay in shape - the airline industry. I am a pilot, and like most pilots, my schedule can be rough at times. In a typical summer month I may spend 4 days on the road, come home for a few days and then repeat. While on the road, you can have up to 14 hour workdays, spending 8 of it in the cockpit and the rest hanging around small airports trying to avoid the most unhealthy food you can imagine. Once you finish with the day, you wind up at a LaQuinta Inn (free continental breakfast!) so exhausted that the last thing on your mind is trying to squeeze in a workout.
October 30, 2014
We are all guilty of this. For some reason, anything short of perfection for competitive athletes is unacceptable. Regardless of how long we have been doing our particular sport, we constantly have these ridiculously high expectations of ourselves and we beat ourselves up when we don't perform as we feel we should.
October 20, 2014
Do you love or despise the Grind? According to Dr. Jim Taylor, the Grind is the point in your athletic training when things get tiring, painful and tedious. I struggled with this very thing as a gymnast. I got to a point where I realized my motivation was gone, and the grind had gotten the best of me.
September 10, 2014
It's just finished it's sixth season, but it seems that it really hasn’t been until the last few years that American Ninja Warrior has really gained a serious following. This season has been especially intriguing with the success of former female gymnast, Kacy Catanzaro and the oldest competitor in the history of the competition to make the finals, Jon Stewart (52). Plowing their way through challenging obstacles, Ninja Warrior contestants demonstrate some of the best feats of strength, balance and athleticism out there. It’s pretty awesome to watch and it has inspired many people to want to be able to perform all of these exciting acrobatic type skills. So, how do they do it?
February 25, 2011
As a gymnast gets better with a skill on the vault, it is a good idea to do the same skill to an elevated soft surface. The soft surface minimizes the stress on the gymnast's joints while making it more difficult to land. This encourages gymnasts to apply more power and improve their technique.
February 3, 2011
Coaches and gymnast must always communicate what they plan to do before each training attempt. In this case, a very experienced coach and his elite athlete have agreed that the sting mats will on be slid on the bar if the release timers show signs of trouble. This coach pays close attention to each performance and is ready to slide the mats if the gymnast needs the extra support. Notice how the giant taps for Gaylord 2 and Cassinas.
January 19, 2011
The gymnast performing these examples is still in the process of mastering this skill. As expected, he is not training this skill to a regular competition landing mat. Like in any other yurchenko vault, the hands contact the table with the gymnast in a tight arch and with the mid-section above the feet. During the table repulsion, the arms must not be bent on purpose. By the time the gymnast is in a vertical position, the body must be straight and air-borne.
