Lessons In The Gym...

Today I was in the gym… it was an open gym, but I decided to go to the two events I hated the most.

The first one was vault.

There is a runway, you start at your number, or you count your steps to see how far away you start from the table (that’s the big tall flat thing). Once ready, in a meet you would salute the judge with two arms up (as if raising your hands) and run. Hit the springboard (the thing in front of the table) and do a skill off it.

The reason I don’t like vault is because it happens so fast, and then you are tired after only doing one turn… boring. However, today I found it kind of fun and relaxing. I enjoyed vault for the first time in years.

Then there are uneven bars.

These are the only bars that women compete on.

If it weren’t for my death defying falls that I have had in the past, they would be no big deal. That is exactly why I hate them though. They are a big deal they are all about two things:

1.)    Keeping your body tight, squeezing every muscle in your body.

2.)  Timing, it is everything on bars.

I personally struggle most with those two things. Sounds weird I know, but I honestly could not tell you if my legs were bent or straight (I’m getting better at it though).

Although today, I spent most of my time on bars. I’m trying to get a skill that we call a straddle cut. What you do is you hold onto the bar and swing under it with your legs in front, you then bring your legs through your hands, shoot them upwards, let go of the bar, straddle your legs and catch it again.

The whole point of the skill is to get your legs between your hands and then back out, by letting go. That is what we call a release move.

 My coach watched a few of the ones I did. Every time I would slam on the mat below me. I had yet to catch the bar again. Every now and then I would hear from across the bar area, “that one was better Garber” So I would get up and do it again. Hoping my body would remember what it just did.

As I went to chalk up again a teammate told me to shoot my feet upwards not back. My coach then commented saying, “That’s the same thing I’ve been telling her for two months.”

I then replied, “I’m trying and they are getting better.”

She agreed (wow! That’s an accomplishment), and continued by saying “you need to be patient.”

My immediate reply was, “Well… that’s something I defiantly am not!”

“I know, most gymnasts aren’t,” She said with a laugh.

You see, my biggest problem with working this skill is something that Coach Rachel said herself. “I’ve been telling her for TWO MONTHS.”

The last thing I worked on for two months was a kip… I’m not even going to explain what that is… but that’s like the most basic skill in gymnastics.

My back walkover on the beam, I got it in one day; put it on the high beam in two.

My up-rise, I worked on it for two weeks. Gave up and then went back to it, made it on the first one.

My back-tuck, my coach spotted me once over her shoulder for me to get the feeling of it. The second time she had me do it with just a regular spot and by the third one, she expected me to do it by myself.

My half on floor… got it on the tumble-track in two days, and by the third day, my coach had me putting it on floor.

Lets just say I haven’t had to “be patient” for any of my skills. Nor had I had to slowly work at them and watch them get better and better.

The thing about those skills is that they come and go. I do them when I want, whenever I want. If I’m not in the mood, I won’t do them.

So what I got out of today’s practice:

1.)    I’m sore. Haha

2.)  When you are given an option, like open gym, you are usually faced with two basic options.

a.      Something that you like, no risks and you are more willing to do.

b.     Something that you don’t think you will like, and you usually avoid.

So go with the one that you usually don’t like. You will surprise yourself, and you usually learn lessons from choosing something you don’t think you will like.

3.)  Be patient, because the best things come with time. You will learn to appreciate them more. Like my kip, I don’t go through a practice (in which I go to bars) without doing a kip. Same with when I get my straddle cut, I probably won’t go through a practice, warm-up or routine with out it, once I finally catch it.

Therefore, my best advice for anyone that is reading this… Find a vault day that you actually enjoy. Meaning… actually try the things you don’t think you will like. You might be surprised!

In addition, wait for the day you will catch the bar. Girls wait until the right person comes along. Be patient with your parents. Be patient with God, he’s on his own clock. Because in time, the things you were patient for (like a husband, or a straddle cut) will probably be one of the things you cherish the most, it will be valuable to you, and it will be something that you don’t go a day (or a practice) without.

Until then,
Bec

Confused on the straddle cut, here's a video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv72hzTDRL8&feature=related