Gymnasts must be very strong.

When is the best time during the workout to train strength?

“It depends.”

Exactly the answer you did not want to hear.

Coach Chris has a Masters in Kinesiology. He elaborates:

… I would put the strength/conditioning at the beginning of the workout during the off-season as you should be focused on building strength in order to both enhance and enable skill development. To maximize strength development, it’s important for the gymnasts to not be fatigued. During the season, I would put it at the end of practice. By this time, your training emphasis will have shifted more to technical preparation and trying to make the routines as good as possible for competition. …

Even better with young developing gymnasts, where competition readiness is far less important than training, is …

• specific strength training at the beginning • general strength training and flexibility improvement, at the end of workout.

That post is from a great new blog called COACHING GYMNASTICS IN THE NEW MILLENIUM

… dedicated to the discussion of training strategies, development, and growth of the sport of artistic gymnastics.

Yup. It’s high level serious content. Coach Chris and Coach Troy Wright answer questions emailed to them via the .

Check it out.

(via )