How Much Practice Is Too Much or Too Little?

Halee PowersGymnastics Parenting, Getting Serious16 Comments

gymnasts-practicing

Gymnastics is a sport that needs to be practiced almost every day in order to keep up the skills. But there does need to be a balance because you don’t want to overdo it and you definitely don’t want to underdo it.

How Often A Gymnast Should Practice

Gymnastics should always be a fun sport, so if your gymnast is starting to not have fun anymore, it could be because of how much they are practicing.

The amount of practice required for a gymnast can vary depending on their age, level of experience, and individual training goals.

Your gymnast should practice a certain amount of hours based off of the level that they are at. If your gymnast is a compulsory gymnast (including pre-team, levels 2-5), then there are a certain amount of hours they should work out per week. Each level will need their own amount of workout times because it is based on their skill level and most of the time age.

How Much A Level 2 Gymnast Should Practice

If your gymnast is a level 2 then it is most likely their first time on a team and their first time competing. Usually, the kids on level 2 are of ages 5-6. Level 2 gymnasts should only come about 4-5 hours per week.

Now, that may not seem like enough practice, but it is a good start for these young kids. Girls in level 2 are just beginning to really learn what the sport of gymnastics is and level 2 is the start to the competitive lifestyle of a gymnast.

How Much A Level 3 Gymnast Should Practice

Level 3 gymnasts should come to the gym 3-4 days a week and should not practice more than 10 hours a week. Level 3 gymnasts have a little more experience than level 2 and they are starting to understand what it takes to improve and move up levels in the sport. Because of that, they will need a little more practice time than the level 2s needed.

How Much A Level 4 Gymnast Should Practice

Level 4 gymnasts should come to the gym about 4-5 days a week. The average amount of hours your gymnast should work out as a level 4 is about 15 hours. That is usually broken up to 3 hours a day during the week. Level 4 is a more serious stage in gymnastics. The commitment definitely rises once your gymnast becomes a level 4.

How Much A Level 5 Gymnast Should Practice

Level 5s should come the same amount of time as level 4s. This is because level 4 is almost like level 5. The routines are almost the same, the skills are just a bit harder. This is the level before optionals, therefore, it is very important to attend as many practices as possible.

Now, for the optional levels.

How Much A Level 6-7 Gymnast Should Practice

Level 6-7s should come to the gym about 18 hours a week. This is the beginning of the optional levels. It definitely requires more commitment because the intensity will rise. It becomes harder and your gymnast will have to commit more so they can keep up with their skills and keep progressing in their gymnastics.

How Much A Level 8-10 Gymnast Should Practice

Being a level 8, 9 or 10 requires a huge amount of commitment. If your gymnast has the dreams of being a college gymnast then they will need to get to level 10 (or elite, to be discussed later). Your gymnast will need to be in the gym about 20 hours a week in order to become a level 10 or remain one.

Being a level 10 gymnast requires 100% commitment because it is dangerous for a gymnast to not practice their skills.

How Much An Elite Gymnast Should Practice

Being an elite gymnast is a different story. Elite gymnasts are the top of the top gymnasts. They are the ones who compete for their country and usually end up as college gymnasts. Elite gymnasts are homeschooled most of the time.

So usually elite gymnasts train in the morning, do school during the day then train again at night. Being an elite requires a full commitment in order to stay at the elite level.

Too much?

Now there are certain signs that will show if the commitment is too much for your gymnast. If your gymnast is struggling in the gym and is complaining about being tired constantly, then it might be time to give them a break. Now, when I say break, I don’t mean to stop gymnastics. I simply mean to let your gymnast have a day off and just to let them relax some.

Overdoing it and practicing too much can lead to multiple problems. Your gymnast could get hurt, which is something no one ever wants. The body needs to rest sometimes in order to stay healthy. If your gymnast is wanting to quit because it is too much then they are burning out with the sport. In order for your gymnast to not give up on their sport, a small break may be needed.

Too Less?

If your gymnast is practicing less than what is suggested above then there might be a problem. Gymnasts need to practice in order to keep up their skills and to keep improving. Gymnasts need to stretch, condition and practice every day in order to move up to the next level. Too little practice could end up holding your gymnast back from the level they want to be.

If you think your gymnast is practicing too much or too little then it will be good to talk to their coach. The coaches will know what is best for the gymnast because coaches know how much a gymnast should practice.

Also, don’t take the times I wrote as what it has to be. Every gym will be a little bit different. Just know that they need enough practice, but not too much.

Should a Gymnast Practice at Home?

A gymnast can benefits from practicing at home, as it can help improve their skills and conditioning outside formal training sessions at gym. However, it is important to approach home practice with caution and to follow appropriate safety guidelines to avoid injury.

When practicing at home, a gymnast need to make sure that hey have adequate space and equipment to safely perform their exercises. For example a properly padded floor or mat. as well as any apparatuses (beam, bars, etc.) that they are trained to use. Additionally, a gymnast should always practice under adult supervision and avoid attempting advanced skills without proper guidance.

It is also important to communicate with coaches and follow any guidelines and recommendations for at-home practice. Coaches can provide specific exercises or drills to help gymnasts improve their skills and may also offer feedback or corrections with recorded videos.

Overall, while practicing at home can be useful, it should never replace the guidance and supervision of a qualified coach at gym.

16 Comments on “How Much Practice Is Too Much or Too Little?”

  1. Hi! I’m a level 6 Gymnast and I only train 9 hours a week. Personally I feel like we don’t train enough. I would love to train more but there is know way I can. I really don’t want to switch gyms but is that the best option? Sorry this article is old but I just come across it! Thank you!

    1. Maybe look into a way to train outside of the gym like finding a bar at a park that you could use for strap bar ect or maybe work on conditioning and stretching. After that if you still feel like your not getting very far moving gyms might be the best option. ????

  2. Hi! I am currently competing as a level 8 acrobatic gymnast. I am looking for a place that acrobatics are featured. Acro, as we call it, is very under represented because it is not an Olympic sport. I was wondering if you could do one of these articles on acro as well! I came across this website while looking for some places to find a leo for my trio. It is an amazing website, but it would be helpful to other gymnasts to have representation of the other three types of gymnastics and not just artistic.
    Thank you for reading!
    sincerely,
    Reganne

  3. I am a level 8/9 Gymnast and I work out 22 hours a week. Plus all the time my coach makes us do so plus 20 mins a day. HE’S NOT EVEN NICE!!!!! >:( he yells at us for doing nothing wrong!! I don’t know what to do.

  4. Hi i am an elite gymnast you might know me as i was in the olympics anyway how do i know if i have trained too little??? Thanks xxxx

  5. i am a level 2 gymnast and I am 10 years old I know how to do the basics like handstands bridges cartwheels, back overs and such but i want to learn more about gymnastics and how to do it better i am still learning how to do splits though. Do you have any advice for a gymnast at level two?

  6. hi! I am a level 8 and we train 12 hours a week my team does really well at meets even though the other teams train much more than we do. I want to train more but my coach doesn’t let us what should I do?

  7. Hi my name is Luna and I feel like I am too old for level 3 I just turned 9 and my teammates are like 7years old and even better than, my question is how can I go up my level’s in gymnastics?

  8. Hi my name is Luna and I feel like I am too old for level 3 I just turned 9 and my teammates are like 7years old and even better than me, my question is how can I go up my level’s in gymnastics quicker?

  9. My daughter is advanced pre team but they want them to practice one day with mini preteam girls. Is this a waste of time ?

  10. My daughter is 6 year’s old she is in level 3 and they practice 12 hrs a week she is now complaining about pain.

  11. My 8yr old granddaughter is a level 4 gymnast and they train 12 hours a week. 8 of these hours are after school twice a week. They get less than 5 minute breaks and she cries sometimes she is exhausted. Is this too much? This just pulls at my heart strings 😢

  12. Hi I’m a level 6 gymnast and I practice 30.5 hours a week and I do fine so are these numbers really accurate?

  13. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous if you ask me. There is no regards to education as it pertains to Gymnastics. Kids are getting home at 9:00pm to then have to do homework and bath for school the next day. My HS daughter is home by 7 from cheer.

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