Gymnastics Conditioning Exercises

By: Evelyn De Matias

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Gymnastics conditioning exercises are essentially responsible for making a gymnast develop stamina, strength, and a well conditioned body. This part of gymnastic training can develop the overall fitness required in gymnastics. These gymnastics conditioning exercises are basic in gymnastic training.

  1. Arm and body conditioning exercise. Push ups are the most common conditioning exercise of the arms. There are various ways to do push ups that can be done on the floor, parallel bars, and paralletes. Push ups include the basic push up, hollow back-press to handstand, handstand push up and triceps push ups. All these exercises are performed that helps condition and tone the arm muscles.
  2. Arm and hand grip conditioning exercise. Pull ups and chin-ups are the most basic form of conditioning exercise under this category. These conditioning exercises focus on the biceps and triceps and in strengthening the arms and the hand’s grip. Pull ups and chin-ups include basic pull up, wide arm pull up, L-hang pull up, pull up to lever, muscle up and hang to stand.
  3. Abdominal conditioning exercise. Sit-ups are commonly performed to condition the abdominal muscles. The exercise works on the abdominals which aims to develop firm and strong muscles essential in physical fitness when performing gymnastic moves. Sit ups include the basic, crunches, n-ups and v-ups.
  4. Leg conditioning exercise. Leg exercises and strengthening focus on strengthening the muscles around the legs which are essential in gymnastics. These conditioning exercises include mountain climbers, calf raises, running stairs, fast and slow block jumps, pit jumps, squat jumps and squat jumps across the floor.
  5. Conditioning exercise to improve power. Medicine ball work is the basic form of gymnastics conditioning exercises designed to improve power. Most of these exercises are executed by performing squat jumps and pull ups while holding a medicine ball by the hand or in between the legs for pull ups. Other exercises in medicine ball work include reclined throws, rear overhead throws and hollow rock-tossing.
  6. Gymnastic conditioning exercises can prevent sports injury in gymnastics. It improves flexibility, strengthen muscles, and develop general conditioning of the body making it fit to meet the needs for flexibility, power, endurance, and strength in the sports of gymnastics. 
Posted on: Feb. 28, 2011