You have probably heard the quote from Steve Jobs “…because the people you are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” That is exactly how I feel about what I can do for gymnasts. It’s about creating a movement for these young athletes. Empowering them with a new strength physically and mentally. To live life with a new level of excitement, joy, confidence and self-worth!
I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with both gymnastic teams and individuals on strength and conditioning as well as mentorship. During those years I knew there was a new opportunity that must be created for them but I could not pinpoint exactly the solution.
I have spent thousands of hours training, talking to them and researching what is it that would change their lives. What would empower them to wake up every morning with a new excitement. How could I get them to see how valuable and worthy they were as both athletes and most importantly young adults!
Moving To Texas
Since moving out to Texas several months ago the answers started to reveal themselves. You see for years I only focused on the mentorship or just talking about confidence with them. Then I switched to just focusing on their strength and conditioning thinking if they performed better they would just be happier. Digging and searching for the right “formula” because I knew they deserved more…
I knew they deserved more because I was once in their shoes. A middle school athlete terrified of living up to my coaches standards because I started on the high school varsity team as an 8th grader. I was so fearful of living up to my peers expectations of me throughout high school as an elite athlete. Then fighting my way through college trying so hard to achieve athletic success to prove to the rest of the world that I was valuable and worthy…
Yet all this did was continue to put me in a downward spiral. The negative thoughts and self talk only got worse. All I could focus on was when would I be enough in the eyes of coaches, teammates, peers and society!
Putting The Gymnasts Formula Together
I had to take a step back and do some reflection on what were some of the tools that I used to begin empowering myself. What were some common themes that empowered the tens of thousands other athletes and families I worked with in the past…
With a lot of research, reflection and a chunk of luck things began to unfold. That big piece of luck came when my very first athlete that signed up with me when I opened the new gym in Texas 4 months ago was a gymnast…
Then the second person who signed up was a gymnast…
I began telling myself ok here is a prime opportunity to work with both of these girls individually and show the sports world that what I am trying to accomplish by revolutionizing the sport with strength training and mentorship is not made up on theory.
That there are actually tangible results the entire gymnastics community could see with their own eyes. It would literally force them to at minimum begin to do their own homework on what I was doing.
Beginning Strength Training
I wrote an entire blog previously on “Two Reasons Gymnastics Needs Strength Training” that you can read as well. So I do not want to dive too deep into that. Rather fill you in on what’s been happening among these athletes…
The first gymnast began here training with me with a fractured ankle. Right there we had to start off extremely careful because 1.) I knew in the nature of the sport these athletes’ bodies are constantly beat up or plagued with nagging injuries 2.) My goal was to fix this.
My goal is to help these gymnasts rid their bodies of so many nagging injuries…
Think about it as my ultimate goal…The final destination I want these young women to achieve is real empowerment! Love for themselves they had never experienced in their life thus far. I want them to wake up in the morning excited…
Ready to celebrate new accomplishments in life and athletics.
It’s very hard to get excited about your day when you are not healthy mentally and physically. You MUST get down to the root in order to achieve the new life you crave and desire.
Physical and mental health must become a priority. These gymnasts were walking in the gym hurt, sore, tired and honestly probably highly annoyed with the amount of energy I was expressing day in and day out…
But I knew if they would just allow me to guide them, they, themselves could feel new emotions of excitement and joy. They would not have pain and aches 24/7!
Let The Complaining Begin
This is when all the humor began! Remember a large part of revolutionizing the sport is through strength training. Helping these gymnasts build strength in order to withstand the pounding and amount of training they go through every week.
Right now in the sport they do NOT touch weights. Nearly all of their strength and conditioning within the gym comes via bodyweight. Lots of pull ups, push ups, jumps, hip bridges and things of that nature…
Yet many gymnastic coaches want their kids to run faster. They try to help them build speed and this might be the most profound statement written in this blog…
Lack of speed is a lack of strength!
Yes, if you want to run faster you must build strength!
To stay healthy and prevent injuries you need a combination of strength and flexibility…
Gymnasts do not lack flexibility but the vast majority of them all lack real strength.
So these athletes need a strength training routine in order to reduce and help prevent injuries.
For example the first gymnast that began training was screaming at me the first week deadlifting 65lbs…Now 3 months later she does 4×8 reps 115lbs-135lbs no problem. To be honest she would probably get mad at me now to even warm up with 65lbs. She would be offended that I would put such a small amount of weight on the bar.
Other numbers include box squatting 155lbs and Bench Pressing 95lbs.
Strongest Ever Felt
One more example is a college gymnast that began training with me for a 2 month period. Her program was built a little different as she is a college gymnast and needed to ready for their conditioning test…
RIGHT THERE! What’s the first thing most coaches and trainers start focusing on. “We gotta condition” meaning they focus on running a lot…
For her training we did run most sessions at the end but they were short sprints and the entire running portion lasted 2-3 minutes tops! Yet, she still passed her conditioning test on the first try!
Her comments to her parents prior to taking back off to college for their Fall Training period was that “This is the strongest I have ever Felt”.
Making A Splash In Gymnastics
Since working with these two gymnasts people are starting to take notice. Parents are starting to see the results. Coaches are seeing the results at practice even starting to recommend that some look into seeking some strength and speed training.
There is a new opportunity out there for gymnasts and it’s time to get really loud! It’s time to help them achieve their goals and dreams in both life and sports. As I mentioned before it’s so hard to get excited about anything when you are physically and mentally drained…
It’s kinda like if you have not worked out in awhile and you jump in a fitness class. You wake up the next morning literally hurting. So sore you can barely move. Now consider your kids that soreness is one thing but nagged day in and day out with injuries is on another level…
You probably are not thrilled to jump back on some squats the next day being so sore and your kids are probably not exactly thrilled to jump back in the gym with nagging injuries.
More Than Strength Training
There is another piece to the puzzle too. When you are happy and healthy, you tend to look at life through a different lens. When you wake up feeling good. Ramped with energy don’t you tend to be more excited about your day…
That is true Empowerment: Looking at life through the lens seeing the world the way you desire. Seeing the world filled with excitement and joy. Seeing yourself so valuable, lovable and worthy.
We have the tools and ability to put these athletes in a new state of mind! We have the tools to empower them…
The ability to give gymnasts strength physically and mentally, all while having meaningful conversations. Making meaningful connections to open up and make themselves vulnerable.
Now we are on a path towards revolutionizing the sport of gymnastics!