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Gymnastics Technique: 
Factors Affecting Success
by Gerald S. George, Ph.D.
October 9, 2012
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A number of important training concepts directly influence:
- the rate of progress
- the quality of skill execution
- the resulting degree of success
- and the assurance of a reasonable margin of safety
that one can ultimately hope to achieve in gymnastics. Here are some of the more time-tested factors to consider.
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The human body is perhaps one of the most complex systems imaginable, while the four competitive events in women's gymnastics serve as a formidable medium through which to demonstrate the body's potential. For the system to operate at maximum efficiency, it must be prepared to meet the demands imposed by the medium. To establish the proper training protocol, it is imperative that coaches have a clear and accurate understanding of not only the system (the performer) but also the medium (women's gymnastics).
Wise coaches know the importance of carefully evaluating a would-be gymnast's inherent anatomical, physiological, and psychological readiness prior to her participation in a formal gymnastics program, particularly as related to the anticipated level of participation. Armed with this knowledge, coaches can then develop proper training protocols, and expected outcomes will be reasonably safe, predictable, and productive. From both the coach's and performer's perspectives, keep in mind:
"There are no short-cuts...take the long way home."
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Readiness to perform is perhaps the single most important consideration for success in any endeavor, and gymnastics is no exception. Time and effort must be expended to ensure the prospective performer is adequately prepared to participate in the gymnastics activity from the outset. Otherwise, the training experience will become inherently problematic, resulting in slow, ineffective learning with limited potential for advancement. In fact, ineffective learning environments, failures, and injuries can almost always be traced back to a lack of performer readiness relative to the task at hand. Readiness to perform the given task should be continuously verified as part of ongoing training throughout the life cycle of the gymnast.
If you're gonna fly, first verify that all systems are a "go."
In the beginning stages, the bulk of a participant's experience should center on gross body movements typically observed in calisthenic exercises--general gymnastics activities including dance, rhythms, and expressive movement. Once the performer can properly control and regulate these gross movements consistently, the training program should expand to incorporate gymnastics-specific exercises designed to improve body shaping, strength, power, and flexibility. In addition, exercise protocols for enhancing sprint speed and muscular and cardiovascular endurance should continue throughout the life cycle of the performer.
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Task mastery of essential, core skills is the single most important criterion for predicting future success. How many coaches and performers, in blind aspiration for short-lived success, misuse this well-known yet seldom-followed guideline? Too often, they mistakenly employ task-complexity techniques rather than task-execution techniques in search of the spectacular. Difficulty levels are prematurely advanced at the expense of proper execution, natural mechanical progression, and a well-rounded experience in fundamental movement patterns and sequences.
Failure to truly master the basics will,
as Shakespeare once said, "return to plague the inventor"!
The term "mastery" implies far more than mere successful execution. It involves the ability to perform skills consistently at a level of at least near-perfection in technique. The gymnast should be able to demonstrate task mastery of basic skills to the point that the execution of each movement pattern is as natural as "a walk in the park"! However, one must appreciate that basic skills, which serve as building blocks for more advanced skills, are actually much harder to master than advanced skills. If maximum performance potential is to be achieved, the lion's share of the gymnast's entire career must be devoted to basic movement training.
The basic skills are the easiest to perform but the most difficult to master.
COMING in next Newsletter--Factors Affecting Gymnastics Success: Part 2
- Persistent Use of Repetitions
- Use of Appropriate Skill Progressions
- Learning vs. Performance
*This article excerpted from Championship Gymnastics: Biomechanical Techniques for Shaping Winners. For additional information, see Chapter 1, "Introduction to Gymnastics Technique," pages 21-23. |
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