Gymnastic Classes

Beam Table Our new 8′ long 7″ wide beam training table is a versatile new way to train all levels of athlete in a safe way. At 7″ wide with a 1.25″ foam padding and vinyl cover this is a great beam for training a new flight series, that first walkover or cartwheel or for your preschoolers first experience on a balance beam. This product takes the fear out of learning new stunts on the beam. There is also a special hook under one end so you can clip the beam on to a stall bar and use it for strength and flexibility training as well. Click on the above image for more images of this product. Visit our gymnastics blog for more exciting gymnastics information.

Gymnastics 3.5″ x 5″ Frame This clever frame is sure to score a perfect 10 with any gymnast! This frame is suitable for a vertical 3.5″ x 5″ photo and is ideal for displaying a team or an individual photo. The unique and stylish frame makes a cherished gift for a teammate or friend. Frame measures 7.5″W x 6.5″H x 0.5″D. Frame reads: “Always an Athlete! Forever a Girl!”

If an athlete is good enough to qualify for the Olympics — then they should be allowed to compete — regardless of age. And it seems silly to me that there is minimum age requirements for some events in the Olympics and not others. One of the female US swimmers, for instance, is only 15 years-old and and there is a 14 year-old British diver — both of whom are both legally competing. In addition, it also seems silly to allow a gymnast to practice over 50 hours a week and compete in all other competitions, but not in the Olympics. It also seems silly that the International Gymnastic Federation (IGF) should dictate the rules for the Olympics instead of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Plus, a significant reason the US women gymnastics team did not take home the team gold is because they made numerous mistakes. However, that all being said, a rule is a rule and the lack of follow-up by the IOC and the IGF over the Chinese gymnasts’ ages is, well, silly. The rule, implemented b …

Running should be analyzed, broken down into smaller parts drills, and then taught correctly. Foot alignment, knee lift, heel lift, arm swing, and even where the athlete is focusing should be trained individually, corrected, and practiced frequently. Perhaps during training, each portion of the run or the drills should be used as a warm up for training or for a more enjoyable experience, as relay races. For a relay race each movement of the run can be performed by a different teammate. Another idea is to have every participant in the race perform a certain portion or movement of the running technique. A great contest idea for athletes is to use the arm swing for the run; once the correct elbow angle and swing (alternate motion of forward and back) are learned, the number of arm swings per 30 seconds can be timed. Coaches must watch that the athletes keep their arms bent throughout the swing rather than bending and straightening with each swing. The “karate chop” motion is popular a …

World Wrestling Entertainment, also known as WWE, is the major powerhouse in the world of professional wrestling. Athletes aim for stardom as the compete in the sport s largest organization. A number of wrestling schools, throughout America, train athletes to perfect the art of the sport, the maneuvers and even may help to provide placement for their most talented performers. Individuals interested in training for professional wrestling may decide to call the organization that they eventually hope to work for, such as WWE, and ask for a list of wrestling schools that they scout. If there is a school that the company endorses, athletes may benefit from attending the recommended wrestling school in order to improve their chances of stardom. Wrestling training centers can be expensive depending upon the amount of time spent training and the skill level. An amateur wrestler would be likely to spend more on wrestling training than an intermediate or advanced athlete. A series of weight tra …

World Wrestling Entertainment, also known as WWE, is the major powerhouse in the world of professional wrestling. Athletes aim for stardom as the compete in the sport s largest organization. A number of wrestling schools, throughout America, train athletes to perfect the art of the sport, the maneuvers and even may help to provide placement for their most talented performers. Individuals interested in training for professional wrestling may decide to call the organization that they eventually hope to work for, such as WWE, and ask for a list of wrestling schools that they scout. If there is a school that the company endorses, athletes may benefit from attending the recommended wrestling school in order to improve their chances of stardom. Wrestling training centers can be expensive depending upon the amount of time spent training and the skill level. An amateur wrestler would be likely to spend more on wrestling training than an intermediate or advanced athlete. A series of weight tra …

It is also a very natural sport involving activities that people would normally do outside gym class or gymnastic competitions such as jumping, running, climbing, swinging and tumbling. Modern gymnastics as a sport involves the performance of a series of movements. These activities and movements require flexibility, physical strength and kinesthetic awareness. Most of the movements involved developed from the many fitness exercises that soldiers in Ancient Greece used. Gymnastics is also considered a somewhat difficult and dangerous sport because gymnasts are constantly exposed to injury. Gymnastics today is a sport that has six different disciplines: artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, sports aerobics, sports acrobatics, trampoline work, and general gymnastics. Among these disciplines, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics are the two most popular and is part of the Summer Olympic Games held every four years. Rhythmic gymnastics on the other hand is performed mostly by women athlete …

This posture can carry over to their personal lives as well, and one can easily identify a swimmer or gymnast by the particular way they stand, walk or carry themselves. While football and basketball are “leg based” sports, swimmers and gymnasts have assimilated a decidedly hunchbacked posture because of the “hand based” orientation of their particular athletic activities. The hunchbacked posture in gymnastics is part of the sport’s proper form and is known as “hollowing out”. Constant training in this posture can lead to the athlete’s assuming the same form in the daily course of his or her life, which is potentially a cause for serious injuries in the knee, shoulder, neck and lower back. The Fundamental Athletic position in most land-based sports requires the athlete to assume a medium stance with the hips back, and the chest and head aligned with the spinal curves. This posture enables swift movement forward, backward or sideways. It is the basic position assumed for squatting, dea …

Build A Better Athlete: 16 Gymnastic Exercises for Your Horse Learn the progressive system Leslie Webb has developed to gymnasticize her horses whether they re green youngsters just starting their careers or advanced horses. From the series that ran in Practical Horseman, these 16 exercises will benefit any horse, whether he s a hunter, eventer, jumper, trail, or eq horse. Leslie Webb’s gymnastic exercises are simple, allowing you and your horse to focus on and develop one skill at a time. These exercises are: * Simple: They allow you and your horse to focus on and develop one skill at a time. * Diagnostic. Leslie explains how each one can correct an underlying problem that may be hindering you and your horse at home or in the show ring. * Sensitizing. Your horse will learn to tune in to your seat for subtle cues that increase communication and response, determine his direction and bend, and act as the metronome that sets his rhythm, tempo, and length of stride. * Useful. They ll help you develop a logical, systematic warm-up and schooling program you can use every time you ride or compete. * Effective. Guiding your horse through these gymnastics almost automatically puts him on the aids and makes him rhythmic, supple, and balanced.
Customer Review: Great Training / TeachingTool
This book gives many of the “basics” of training and riding. I recommend it to my students and we work on all of the exercises. Leslie Webb gives great explanations and many pictures that show the correct and wrong way to do the movements. This book is a great tool to develop a working partnership with your horse.
Customer Review: Build a Better Athlete
Webb’s book is a necessary read for any individual seriously involved in horsemanship. Her gymnastic exercises are both concise and effective.
Her insight and discipline are contagious and makes you want to ride better and both help and support the horse. While I own plenty of Dressage Books, this is THE book to go to in order to really make it happen. Kudos to both Webb and Practical Horseman Magazine for putting this series together.

Going Long: Training for Ironman-Distance Triathlons (Ultrafit Multisport Training Series)

Customer Review: Great book
This book is very informative and helpful to those making the transition to Half and Ironman distance tri’s. I would have given this book a five star if I didn’t already have Gale Bernhardt’s training plans for multisport athletes. All the info in Going long is in Gale’s book. They obviously consulted one another when writing their respective books. I recommend Gale’s book if you plan on doing different distance Tri’s. Joe’s book is more specific to the Ironman distance athlete. Good luck and always ride with a tailwind.
Customer Review: If you want to go for the long distance - it will help you to suffer with style
Going Long: Training for Ironman-Distance Triathlons (Ultrafit Multisport Training Series)
is a superb book for any athlete (beginner or pro)! Specially I liked the chapter about the mental training for the Ironman competition. I only can recommend it! Happy training!

Mind Gym : An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence

Drawing on his work with some of the top teams in professional sports, noted sport psychology consultant Gary Mack shares with you the same techniques and exercises he uses to help elite athletes build mental “muscle.” These 40 accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes will help you gain the “head edge” over the competition.